older man planting seeds by hand

Planting in Faith for Tomorrow’s Harvest

Mountain Avenue Church of Christ

In the heart of Tucson, Arizona, a congregation’s decision to close eventually birthed new life. The Mountain Avenue Church of Christ’s legacy continues through Trekko Church, a vibrant church plant made up of adults and students who want to see people find the loving embrace of God. Their story shows how, with prayerful planning and God-honoring stewardship decisions, a church’s assets can produce a lasting impact even after its doors close.

The Challenge 

Mountain Avenue Church of Christ faced a significant decline in membership that had accelerated dramatically over the previous decade. By the time they reached out to Heritage21, they had reached an unsustainable financial situation where they were depleting their reserve finances to maintain their facilities. Despite efforts to reverse this trend, they were unable to make significant progress, which led to the difficult realization that they could not continue operating as they had been.

Tucson is the sixth most unchurched city of its size in the nation. It’s also very high on the poverty list. Andrew Hill, the church’s preaching minister at the time, noted that approximately 93% of Tucson’s population of about one million people did not attend church, emphasizing that the area needs churches to be planted.

A Partnership

Mountain Avenue discovered Heritage21’s services through a personal connection between Elder Ed Biggers and Mike O’Neal, founding Board Member of Heritage21. Biggers, who had served on the Pepperdine Board of Regents since 1989, knew O’Neal from his time as Vice President of Development and Legal Counsel at Pepperdine University. This established relationship created a natural path for Mountain Avenue to connect with H21 when they needed assistance.

The Solution

Mountain Avenue made the difficult decision to sell their building and use the proceeds strategically for future kingdom impact. After prayerful discernment and guidance from H21, they implemented a three-part plan: 

  • First, they decided to ask Heritage21 to handle all the administrative work of selling the property, entrusting them with the complex legal and financial aspects of the closure. 
  • Second, they directed a portion of the proceeds to Heritage21 to allow them to continue their mission of helping other churches facing transitions. 
  • Third and most significantly, they allocated a portion of the funds for church planting in Tucson, recognizing that new approaches were needed to reach the predominantly unchurched population with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This forward-thinking decision ultimately enabled a new church plant led by Brendin Williamson to emerge several years later, creating what Brendin describes as “a broadening picture of the kingdom” where “new life is being found because folks at Mountain Avenue had foresight and vision.”

A Continuing Vision

When Brendin and his wife Kaitlin moved to Tucson to work with campus ministry at the University of Arizona, they had no prior connections there, but the seed funding from Mountain Avenue’s legacy allowed them to immediately begin building relationships in this new community. 

Trekko Church opened its doors in 2024. Its vision centers on creating a faith community that welcomes people who may have written off traditional churches, particularly millennials, Gen Z students, and others. Their mission focuses specifically on the university community, pouring into college students, young adults, and faculty and staff who come from diverse denominational backgrounds or no church background at all. 

It’s been fun because I’ve connected with some of the former elders from Mountain Avenue who are still in town, and they are so excited to hear that I received that money and that we’re actually putting it to work. There’s new life being found and new fruit being seen.

Brendin Williamson, Trekko Church

Community Impact

Mountain Avenue’s investment in future ministry through Heritage21 has had a significant ripple effect in Tucson. The funding has enabled practical ministry activities and allowed Trekko to secure matching grants from trusts around the country, multiplying the initial investment. The church has even been able to hire an apprentice who is mentored in leadership and helps with the growing ministry.

The impact extends beyond the practical ministry activities to shaping how the new church community sees itself. The diverse group of students and adults who make up Trekko Church come from various denominational backgrounds, many with no familiarity with the Churches of Christ.

When they learn about Mountain Avenue’s sacrifice and vision, it creates what Brendin calls “a kingdom imagination” where they recognize that “none of us own what’s happening because we can’t take credit for a lot of the things that we’ve been able to do” in the Tucson community. This creates a culture of gratitude and a continued vision for responsible stewardship in the church.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. I Corinthians 3:6-7

The Lessons

Based on Mountain Avenue Church of Christ’s experience, several valuable lessons emerge for churches facing similar challenges:

  • A kingdom perspective can transform a closure into a new beginning. Rather than viewing their situation solely as an ending, Mountain Avenue’s leadership chose to see their resources as seeds for future ministry.
  • Partnerships with organizations like Heritage21 can provide both expertise and emotional support during difficult transitions.
  • Strategic resource allocation creates multiplication opportunities. Brendin notes that Mountain Avenue’s funding enabled Trekko Church to secure matching grants, effectively multiplying the initial investment.
  • New ministry approaches may be needed in changing cultural contexts. Mountain Avenue recognized that traditional approaches weren’t working in Tucson and supported efforts to “appeal to people in a different way than we have in the past.”
  • Kingdom continuity provides meaning amid loss. For members of Mountain Avenue, there was sadness but also understanding of the necessity to move forward, knowing that God’s mission, using his church, would continue.

Beyond Imagination

When churches face difficult transitions, what appears to be an ending can become the soil where God plants seeds of beginnings. The story of Mountain Avenue and Trekko Church reminds us that kingdom-minded stewardship decisions made with prayer, partnership, and patience can multiply impact far beyond what we can ask or imagine. 

For churches navigating similar challenges, Heritage21 offers resources, consultation, and assessment to help you discern your next steps. Contact us today to start the conversation.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21