Vision 20/20 - Living The Word

Help us prepare for phase 2

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We’ve nearly finished Phase One of our building project.

We can complete it with your help.

Be a Champion of Change in St. Louis and Beyond

At Living The Word Church, we create an atmosphere where people find healing, restart their fire, and help make a difference.

This is not a building.

Our congregation, even during the pandemic, has remained strong.

As a church community, we continue to:

Help people grow in Jesus:

425 participated in our virtual Bible studies in 2020.

Bolster literacy in East St. Louis

Over the past two years, our congregation volunteered more than 280 hours in Katie Harper Wright Elementary School’s assisted reading program.

Feed the needy in St. Louis’s Metro East

In 2020, we partnered with Project Compassion to feed 25,000 area families.

Provide clean water to those who need it

We supplied clean water to all of a Zimbabwe village of 3,000! We also support other clean water projects throughout the world.

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This is about building

victorious disciples

of Jesus Christ.

Until now, we’ve done all of this without a permanent home of our own. Since 1998, we’ve grown out of three separate meeting spaces. Though we own our current office space, we’ve had to lease a separate auditorium for our expanding congregation.

That’s why, recently, we stepped out to purchase a new property at 17 Gateway Drive in Collinsville, just behind the Gateway Convention Center, close to I-55. To date, we’ve raised $1.2 million to acquire the building and begin a complete remodel of the space.

We’re currently at the very end of phase Phase I, preparing 18,000 square feet of building space and six acres of land for occupancy.

By the end of Phase II, we’ll also have a complete 650-seat auditorium ready for regional revival with plenty of room to expand in the future.

We’re raising $760,000 to finish Phase I, which will allow us to:

Pay down our initial loan
Repair and resurface the parking lot
Repair the roof
Complete metal sheeting and added demolition

We want to complete all of this to meet together, Lord willing, for Spring 2021.

Let’s build our church home together.

It’s a place where people can come together and grow.

It’s a place from which they’ll go back into the world to make a difference.

Give Toward Our Goal View Brochure

A Healing Balm

This is where people tell their stories, share struggles, and build each other up.

A Fresh Fire

This is where we ignite conversations to unite a divided region.

A Difference Made

This is where people find tangible ways to do good in the wider

Firm Foundation.

Constant Innovation.

We’ve raised $1.2 million already, and every dollar has gone into purchasing and rehabbing our new home. Our projected budget for the entire project is $3 million.

But for us to meet together in our new building for this Spring, we only need $760,000 to make the space ready for regular services.

Our Budget

AV Installation • 29%

New Roof Replacement • 23%

Pay Down Principal • 16%

Additional Demo and Drywall • 13%

Additional Architectural Fees • 11%

Replace Outside Rear Wall • 6%

Replace Front Lobby Brick • 2%

Who’s helping us get it done

Click For Bio

Prentice Motley

Prentice is one of our church members and an engineer at Anheuser-Busch InBev. He’s also CIO of Motley Financial Solutions, LLC. His wife, Dionne, is its CEO.

Prentice’s engineering, technology, and management experience have made him a crucial part of our team.

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Karla Lovett

Karla is a Financial Relationships Consultant for Regions Bank, where she’s worked since 2005. She and her husband, Kendall, have two children.

We count on Karla to dot all of the i’s and cross all of the t’s as our business team’s financial secretary.

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Steve Garlinghouse

Steve’s a Senior Financial Consultant and Vice President with Wells Fargo Advisors in St. Louis, MO. Before moving to Wells Fargo, he worked as an auditor for Price Waterhouse Cooper.

Steve, his wife Rachel, and their four children are committed members and volunteers at Living the Word.

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Pastor David Hawkins

Pastor David became Living the Word’s senior pastor in 1998 and spent time as a pharmaceutical sales rep with Merck. He holds his BBA from Mizzou and his MA from Covenant Theological Seminary.

His desire for Living the Word is that we change our region and leave a legacy for the kingdom of God.

Here’s how you can help

Join Us in Prayer

Whether or not you want to give today, will you pray for us? Pray that we’ll meet our goal for more effective work here in the St. Louis area.

Give Today

We don’t love buildings. We love building victorious disciples of Christ. Your gift will help us complete renovations and bring our church body together for effectiveness.

Pledge Monthly

We’re just in Phase I of our project! Invest in the future through a monthly recurring gift. Just click the box “make this gift recurring” and create an account.