by Valerie Tompson | Executive Director at City Church
I love City Church’s mission statement: bringing beauty into broken places. It’s simple, yet deeply meaningful—reminding me that God is at work not only in the brokenness of the world around me, but also in the brokenness within me. And often, those two go hand in hand.
Two years ago, when City Church closed on the property that would become our future home, I had no idea how applicable our mission statement would become as we began the journey of renovating the existing buildings. I did recognize how fitting it was to restore an older space as a reflection of our mission. But mostly, I thought about what a fun project it would be to lead and what an incredible opportunity it was. My thoughts centered on things like: the air conditioning is broken – we will get a new one, the building is in disrepair – it will be beautiful when we finish with it, there are leaks – easy, we can fix that— we get to restore and bring beauty back to this old building.
Those initial thoughts weren’t wrong. We are doing all of that, and it has been—and continues to be—an incredible opportunity. But in my early excitement, I forgot something important: while bringing beauty into broken places is worth it, it is also hard. I’ve been reminded of that truth many, many times along the way.
In moments of discouragement—amid delays and roadblocks—I’ve wondered if all of this was really worth it. And then I walk into our space and see the beautifully renovated sanctuary, and it literally takes my breath away as I imagine City Church gathering there. Each room reminds me of the people who will fill it—connecting, learning, and growing together.
City Church’s mission is rooted in the redeeming work of Christ, who makes it possible for us to experience the beauty of the gospel that brings hope to our world. That work was certainly not easy. What a privilege it is that we get to be part of God’s plan to bring beauty to broken places around us.
And yet, what God continues to show me is that while I often think I’m the one doing the restoring, he is the one refining me. He has used this journey of renovating our new home to teach me deeper dependence on Him, and it’s my hope that the same is true for our church as a whole.
I am so thankful for where City Church is headed, and I cannot wait to arrive there together. My hope is that the waiting—the delays, the ups and downs—will make it all the sweeter. It’s incredible that City Church has the privilege of breathing new life into this sacred space on a plot of land in the Historic Heights where a church was founded around 1904. I can’t wait to see how God uses it.
And by the way, the building does have new air conditioning—which, in Houston, is certainly a very key and tangible way of bringing beauty to broken places.