Crosstown Concourse

Outdoor Adventure‍

Crosstown Concourse

Location Info‍

1350 Concourse Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. Park in the parking structure and walk across the street to any of the entrances.

Biblical Truth‍

Jesus makes all things new.

Theme‍

Salvation

Verse‍

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Talking Points‍

When you arrive at the Crosstown Concourse, ask your kids to look for things that might have been used when the building was the Sears Distribution Center and Retail Store (there are some carts in front of the building with flowers in them, the old barn doors, and even the parking structure). Go inside and walk down the hallway that connects the two towers. Take some time to look at the pictures and talk about how the structure was old and crumbling after it closed in 1993.

Walk toward the front of the building and ask your family to begin pointing out things they see that are old or new. As you walk around and experience the old with the new, tell your children that this building is a picture of what Christ does for us when we ask Him into our hearts. The building was old and broken, just as we are broken because of sin in our lives. One day, some people fixed up the building and made something new and beautiful. When we ask Jesus into our heart, He takes our sinful selves and makes us new.

Discussion Question(s):

1. What did the building look like when it was old? (Refer to pictures in the main hallway that connect the two towers and old items that remain in the building.)
2. What is your favorite new thing that has been added to Crosstown Concourse? (Shops, colors, music, etc.)
3. How did the building go from being old to new? (Someone had an idea and plan to make the old, unused building into something new and good for people.)
4. How do we become a new person in Jesus? (We repent of our sins, believe in Jesus, and receive Him as our Lord and Savior.)

Song/Video

"All Things New"

Missions Tie-In‍

Crosstown Concourse is a huge place with a lot going on inside! It stands 14 stories tall and overlooks the beautiful city of Memphis. Within Crosstown, there is an entire apartment complex, a grocery store, and even a high school! Just like this building needed lots of time and attention to become what it is today, so do the people of Memphis. They need someone to spend time with them and share the Gospel with them so their hearts might be changed! As you look at all of the great changes that have been made, remember the many people that live here and pray they would come to know Jesus.

There are actually ministries working toward that mission in this very building. Below we have listed them, so you can walk by and pray for them while you explore the building.

1. Memphis Teacher Residency (Suite 366)
2. Church Health (Suite 142)
3. YMCA (Suite 241)

Here are three things you can be praying for as you walk by these ministries.

1. Pray they will be strengthened in Christ.
2. Pray they will have opportunities to share the Gospel.
3. Pray the hearts of the people they are working with will be made new.

Tips‍

Built in 1927, what is now the Crosstown Concourse was a thriving business until the late 1980s, and by 1993, the building was abandoned. It sat empty for two decades until it was reimagined into a multi-use space in 2015.

While you are there, look for the outdoor mural (second floor outside), the old doors and carts scattered about, the red spiral staircase, and some of the old signs on the wall by the red staircase. Take some time to enjoy the library area and point out some of the old machinery on the second floor. You may want to end your visit by treating your family to a Mempop!