From Laurel Lane to Broad Street and now Lizzie Street, SLO City Church has moved spaces multiple times over the last few months since it departed from the condemned 1150 Laurel Lane building.
There is a long-time saying that goes, "A church is not a steeple, a church is all its people." For SLO City Church, that sentiment rings true.
”Our congregation has been really nomadic," lead pastor Brent Bramer explained.
Since its establishment in 2019, SLO City Church has adapted to change. It has hosted worship in 12 different locations, which have included parking lots, the Octagon Barn, virtual meetings, and other places across San Luis Obispo.
“It's funny to look back and realize how many times we've moved in such a short amount of time, because [...] every step of it felt like, 'Okay, we're next,'" four-year congregant Paige Robillard said.
For the past two years, the church has held worship at 1150 Laurel Lane, a mixed-use space that was home to many businesses.
Bang the Drum Brewery and Office Space were some of its most recent tenants before the building was condemned in May by fire and city code violations.
“We were anticipating that the building was going to be complete and at the same time kind of growing comfortable with our conditions," Bramer said.
After a months-long stint at a location off Broad Street, the church is now moving to another temporary location near Lizzie Street at the San Luis Coastal Unified School District’s old Taylor Gym, which is part of the Adult School.
“I love that it's city-central and that it's got roots and a story here in SLO,” Bramer explained.
For the church's leaders, picking up and moving at the drop of a hat is hard, especially with a growing congregation.
Since 2019, Bramer says the church has grown from 40 members to over 1,000 at their weekend services.
“It's kind of been a mantra for us," Bramer said. "We've actually seen a lot of growth in this season of change over the past six years.”
Locals tell KSBY it is all a testament to the community that the church serves.
“Everywhere we've moved and every time we've had to deal with something like this, people move with us," Robillard said.
Lizzie Street is not meant to be a forever fix; the church is eyeing a permanent spot to call "home."
“Ultimately, it's our hope to be planted and rooted in this city, like, for generations to come," Bramer stated.
There is no word on when or if 1150 Laurel Lane is complete. But, after driving through the location, it seems that some construction has resumed since tenants moved out.
The church officially moves into 1500 Lizzie Street on August 10. One week later, congregants will be at the Madonna Expo Center, packing 100,000 meals to feed the hungry in Haiti.
