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Construction is well underway in Whitehall at the new site of Imago Dei Church at the 45 with hopes of bringing services to the church’s new location in the near future. Mission teams from local churches as well as churches from Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee have teamed up with the congregation to finish the new facility.

Pastor and church planter Davey Lyon said the aid from mission teams who have come to donate their time and labor has been instrumental in the construction process, and he has high hopes for the future of Imago Dei.

“We’re a church plant so we don’t have an established budget, and one of the ways God has been providing for us is by sending us these mission teams,” Lyon said. “Our prayer for this whole place is that it will become the heartbeat of the community.”

According to Burt Odom, a member of Shiloh Baptist Church in Braggs and the Fishers of Men ministry, several volunteers have come to help already and more are on the way.

“Fishers of Men is an organization that does missions in Belize and all around the United States,” Odom said. “We’ve known Davey and Amber for a while and we’ve been supporting what they’re doing, so we came to help them. We’ve got 15-20 men coming this week to help them from several different churches.”

Lyon said that in addition to the sanctuary and classrooms, the church will also have other facilities and programs in place to minister to community members on a broader spectrum. 

“Everything we do is Gospel centered but there’s a lot of things we want to do that you don’t think of as normal ‘church stuff’ like after school programs we want to eventually put in place,” Lyon said. “We’re putting up a football field, basketball court, playground and more because you know, kids who may not have a relationship with the Lord yet or don’t have a desire to come to church yet, but they love basketball – that may be an opportunity for us to share that with them and provide a safe place for them along with food, fellowship, and a Christ centered environment.” 

Lyon’s wife, Amber Lyon, said the church has plans to implement programs that would offer counseling services, job training services, health services, a family resource center for those who have experienced tragedy, and more to Lowndes County residents. 

“Our goal is to be a church for our community,” Amber said. “We don’t want to be a place that’s only open on Sundays and Wednesdays, we want people to be able to come here all through the week. We want to be a place where everyone feels welcome and take away any hindrances people have from coming to church.”

Imago Dei will celebrate their two-year anniversary on Oct. 22 and hopes to host that service in the pavilion at their new location.

Those interested in volunteering or learning more about the church are encouraged to visit the Imago Dei Church at the 45 Facebook page or email Davey Lyon at lyondav@gmail.com. Monetary donations can also be made online at https://imagodeichurchatthe45.churchcenter.com/giving?fbclid=IwAR03svW72Lpa0gcQK0pomZ4MxGhC3mj81naacPwCwsHZHYP9ocgE6sgHi9g.

Imago Dei Church currently holds services at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays at 6845 US Highway 80E, in the building that was formerly the White Hall Piggly Wiggly. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.