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The Prestonwood family celebrated a major step of faith at the
edge of a lush field in Prosper as Pastor Jack Graham, church
leaders and children turned over the first bit of earth for
Prestonwood North.
“New beginnings are always exciting, because they look
to the future,” Pastor Graham said of this early step in the
journey of Beyond All Limits. “And it speaks to the faith of the
congregation to take this on. It’s the front edge of a vision, and
you see it being fulfilled here.
“I look out and see so many happy faces, so many committed
people.”
Unfazed by the thick muggy air of an early May afternoon,
hundreds stood on the blocked-off street while others chose
a higher vantage point, a rocky ledge outlining a brand new
subdivision.
Among those
in attendance
were local civic
leaders, including
the mayors of
Prosper and
Celina, and U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall, who
presented Pastor Graham
with a flag that had
flown over the Capitol in
Washington, D.C.
“It’s good to be here where
we’re doing something
progressive, something that
really means something,
something that promotes
goodness, heavenliness,
Godliness, all for the
glory of our Savior,”
Congressman Hall said.
The ceremonial groundbreaking at the 127-acre parcel on Prosper
Trail, just up the road from the planned extension of the North Dallas
Tollway, begins an estimated 14-18 months of construction for the first
phase of the project.
Designed to serve the fast-growing U.S. Highway 380 Corridor slicing
through the center of Collin and
Denton counties, the location
of the new campus consciously
traces the history of the early
church in winning new followers
to our Lord and Savior, Pastor
Graham said.
He pointed beyond the flags that
marked the edges of the property
to a spot maybe 100 yards west.
That’s where the access roads will
run to the Tollway, he said.
“With roads come people,” he’d said. “It’s
no coincidence that Christianity spread so
quickly, because of the Romans’ roads. That
was God’s providence, in God’s timing.”
So, too, is this property.
Pastor Graham remembered
a dreary day two years ago
in New York City, where he’d
gone to visit a close friend
battling cancer. As he rode
through the rain in the back
of a cab, his cellphone rang.
It was Jim Williams, a real
estate developer in Collin
County, who said he’d heard
that Prestonwood might be
interested in some land in Prosper. And he had the perfect property
in mind.
“I said we’re just beginning to think about it,” Pastor Graham said. “But
step-by-step, we began praying, thinking about how we could do this.
“The congregation’s commitment brings us to this day today.”
Having recently surpassed the
6-month mark of Beyond All
Limits, we are grateful to God
for this vision and this call in the
life of Prestonwood. It is a true
privilege to be used by God to
further His Kingdom, and we
are humbled by the opportunity.
We are also grateful for all who
have responded in faith and
committed to be a part of this
journey. More than $35 million
has been pledged and $7.9 million
has been received in gifts.
As we continue to follow God’s will, we build for the
future of His church by sharing the Good News of
salvation with friends and neighbors and with seekers
around the world.
But our response to God’s calling becomes our legacy,
too. We look forward to furthering His glory, but
we pause to look back so we can understand the
awesome power of our Lord at work within the body
of Prestonwood.
Our Children’s Ministry in Plano is filled with eager
minds thrilled to learn about God and His gift of
saving grace. Trey Graham learned the truth of God
in the Children’s Ministry years ago, and it changed
his life. Now a senior pastor in North Texas, he
knows firsthand the great opportunities of sharing
the incredible power of Jesus’ redeeming love through
children’s ministry.
At Prestonwood North, we measure our history in
months rather than years. But the foundation for the
legacy of Prestonwood is firmly in place. Hundreds
witnessed the groundbreaking one Sunday afternoon
in May, marking an incredible milestone in our
church’s history. We look forward to all God will
continue to do in the U.S. Highway 380 region.
Our media ministries continue to carry biblical truth
from the Prestonwood pulpit to millions throughout
the world. And through Beyond All Limits, advances
in technology will allow for even more. Recently,
PowerPoint Ministries partnered with FEBC—Far East
Broadcast Company—an international radio broadcast
ministry that reaches a potential listening audience of
more than 2.5 billion people.
The Great Commission of our Lord and Savior sends
us forward into our cities, our nation, our world, and
we gladly answer His call. But as we consider where
we’ve been in this journey, we see the fruits of our
work in Him…and we are blessed.
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