Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV) has a reputation in Phoenix. With 17 locations, their goal is to have a campus located within a 15 minute drive or less from any neighborhood. I visited their newest location about a month ago. They were gifted the property in historic Glendale by a family who wanted to retire from ministry. When I walked through the doors it felt like home. Even the address, off Montebello Avenue is nostalgic for me. With stained glass windows, the original pews, and an acoustic band it was unlike anything else CCV has done to date.
There was a haunting presence of memories entombed in the bones of the building. It was as if I could simultaneously see this building’s past and future: the dedication of children, the formal declarations of baptisms, vows made before God in the holy union of marriage, and the celebration of a life well lived with the passage of the soul to what is next. Yes, I could feel the memories made here celebrating the big four events that mark rites of passage in most Christian’s lives, as the family life cycle continues through generations. These four walls have stood, for the most part unchanged, for more than half a century. Every building in our city has a story to tell if you find someone who’s been around long enough to tell it.
