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My family and I attend a small church here in Holland, Michigan.  It’s called “Manna?” because it was started by people feeling called to meet together but with an unclear vision or purpose - so we’re always seeking direction from God on “What is it?” ("Manna" is the Hebrew word for “what is it?").

The group began meeting in a coffee shop, then grew too big to all fit in a booth.  From there it moved to different houses or (on nice days) public parks.  A couple of years ago it was big enough to move into an old movie theatre here in town.  While we’ve made the space work, lack of light, a building in poor repair, an odd floorplan, and the typical hassles involved in sharing a space started to take their toll on Manna?.  So the search was on to find another place - something we could buy and own.

A spot a few blocks away had been for sale for quite some time.  As retail locations go, it isn’t great.  Between the lack of parking and an odd architectural style the location has been described as “the kiss of death” for any business daring enough to try it. So far a deli, two different coffee shops, and a restaurant have all met their demise within its walls.  The building is in poor shape, with a leaky roof and an A/C unit that needed to be replaced.  A close look reveals the building’s history - part of it is a former service station, and the rest of it used to be the parking lot.  It needed work.  Alot of work.  We’re talking way past “sweat equity” here.

In other words, it was the only thing we could afford.

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