Dream Center Longview hosts inaugural ‘church pop-up’ event

 

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LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – East Texans gathered in Longview for an unconventional church service.

The Dream Center organization had nonprofits and volunteers working together to help people in need.

“Man, it’s lifechanging. It’s soul changing! I mean you know, we don’t realize everyday when we meet somebody, their lives and their souls can be waiting in the balance,” said Bron Casey Dent, who has lived in Longview nearly his whole life.

The Longview Dream Center serves alongside the Nehemiah Network, Network 411 and Word and Worship. Together, they’ve stated what they call pop-up churches.

With worship and a sermon, the service ends with the giving of free food, clothing and hygiene items. These items are free to anyone who attends.

“We didn’t know who would show up, and we may have people coming that are not homeless. They may need food, clothes, extra help,” said Shonna Barlow, the executive director for Longview Dream Center.

“There’s just a lot of unity going on, and you know, the Bible says that where there’s unity, God commands the blessing, so we’re just walking in that,” said Thomas McDaniels, the founder of the Nehemiah Network and Network 411.

The Dream Center food pantry building closed down at the end of 2023, and they moved to Longview Community Ministries in 2024. Since the move, organizers have progressed the idea of holding church outside.

McDaniels said he named the Nehemiah Network off of Nehemiah from the Bible. Nehemiah built the walls of a city, and McDaniels said they want to do the same, that is figuratively not literally.

“What we decided to do is bring the church outside the walls. I’ve been pastoring for 40 years, been inside the walls for 40 years, and just decided you know what, we can do this on the streets,” said McDaniels.

“That’s our number one goal is to love them and serve them, and so from there, we can figure the rest out, right,” sad Barlow.

The pop-up churches are planned to continue on the third Sunday of every month in Longview.

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• Nehemiah Network to launch pop-up locations, help Longview community with food, clothing, resource needs

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