The Jericho Project

A Ministry Vision of 

Covenant Life Church

 

 

The Jericho Project is a multi-phase project focused on maximizing the ministry potential of our property for our church, community, and world. 

 

Why Jericho?

In the Old Testament, God commanded the children of Israel to occupy the Promised Land. It was God’s vision to have a nation that would demonstrate to the world who He is. It was His Kingdom and for His glory. The account of the battle of Jericho is characterized by three memorable moments: 1. The children of Israel walking around the city. 2. The walls falling down flat to give Israel access to the promise. 3. The rescue of Rahab the prostitute and her family.

 

We believe that God has given us a vision that is strikingly similar to God’s battle plan for Jericho. We believe His call for all of us is to help bring His Kingdom and His will to this land. He has given us this property (and everything else) for that purpose. Currently, the land is occupied by a 41,000 square foot building, some of which is almost 100 years old. It contains asbestos and lead-based paint that must be abated, and much of the structure must be demolished. The largest of the buildings is in the best condition and we have vision for an outreach ministry that helps rescue and rehabilitate women who have been trafficked. We also want to use some of the property to be accessible to be enjoyed by our community.

 

Here is how this all fits together:

1. We want to create a walking track that circles the property for the community to enjoy. This reflects the way the children of Israel circled the city of Jericho.

2. We need to see the walls fall on many of the buildings currently occupying the land, mimicking the way the children of Israel witnessed God making the walls of Jericho fall.

3. We want to rescue women who have been slaves to prostitution, pornography, and other commercially-exploitive sex industries. Just like the children of Israel rescued Rahab and her family, we believe the best way to rehabilitate these women is in a facility with their children, many of whom have also been enslaved. 

 

Phase 1 - Abatement (approximate cost $160,000)

The initial phase would consist of the containment and removal of asbestos and lead-based paint. We already had an environmental survey done, so we know exactly where and in what quantities those hazardous materials are. The outward appearance of the buildings would not change, but it is the lynchpin for the rest of the project. We cannot move forward on any other phase of the project until this is complete. As part of this phase, we would have to temporarily patch any holes in the roof of the building we plan to keep so as to prevent further deterioration and water damage.

 

Phase 2 - Demolition (approximate cost $127,000)

Because of the cost of rehabilitating and bringing “up to code” and old facility, it is more cost effective to remove most of the existing buildings now on the property. The exception would be a large two-story building at the south end of the property. It is fiscally more reasonable to keep that one.

 

Future Phases

Once the first two phases are completed, we would have a clean property to plan the next phases. They would include, order of completion to be determined: 

1. New children’s facility adjacent to our current sanctuary

2. New fellowship space (with commercial kitchen) large enough to accommodate the entire church. Could also be used in the ministry to the women and their children.

3. Facility dedicated to addressing sex trafficking

4. Paving the parking lot according to the site map

5. Creating the walking track

6. Depending upon the growth of the church, it may be more feasible to construct a new worship center and repurpose the existing sanctuary to meet one of the other needs