A New Foundation: Living Waters Church Expansion Marks Next Chapter on Reclaimed Property in Jones
On a stretch of land at 11889 Albright, where law enforcement once shut down an illegal marijuana grow operation, a different kind of work is now underway. On Saturday, volunteers gathered at Living Waters Church to pour a concrete slab that will expand the church’s current meeting space, marking a visible step forward in a broader effort to transform the five-acre property. Roughly 20 people showed up to help with the project, assisting with everything from pouring and smoothing concrete to preparing food and providing childcare for workers, while a concrete expert, Steve Pollard, from Immanuel Baptist in Shawnee helped guide the pour. For church leaders, the day represented more than construction progress.
“This is visible,” said Matt Allen of Living Waters Church. “A lot of the other steps—dirt work, plumbing, footings—those aren’t really things people see. Today, you can actually see it.”
The new slab will effectively double the size of the church’s current sanctuary, a 1,200-square-foot building that has been in use since the congregation began meeting on the property in 2025. Dr. Kevon Owen of The Owen Clinic, who also attends Living Waters, said the expansion is expected to add seating for an additional 40 to 50 people, bringing needed capacity as attendance continues to grow. Current attendance typically ranges between 65 and 80 on Sunday mornings, and leaders say the expansion is not just about space, but also about accessibility and safety within the existing layout.
“We realized very quickly that we needed to add on,” Allen said. “Number one, we needed more space. But two, we needed restroom facilities in the same building.” Currently, the only available restrooms require a walk of about 100 feet to another structure on the property, which Allen said can feel “a little unnerving for some of the ladies and children.” The new construction will bring indoor restrooms into the main worship space for the first time, addressing one of the most immediate functional needs identified after the church began meeting onsite.
According to Allen, the property was previously used as a marijuana grow operation and was seized by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics several years ago. After being held for a required period, the land was eventually auctioned online, where members of Living Waters Church purchased it. The site includes three buildings and eight greenhouses, with ongoing work across multiple structures. In addition to the sanctuary, there is a 1,400-square-foot house that has undergone extensive cleaning and renovation, including mold remediation, as well as a larger 8,000-square-foot structure that has not yet been fully developed beyond initial cleanup efforts.
“It was amazing,” Allen said. “God has placed us in this location to reclaim what was doing bad in the community.”
Since launching in the fall of 2024, Living Waters has continued to grow beyond its initial gatherings, first meeting in the Epps barn before transitioning to the Albright property in 2025. The church now has nine small groups that meet throughout the community, primarily in homes and local restaurants, along with a student group that meets on Wednesday nights. Youth within the church are also preparing for upcoming summer activities, including Falls Creek in June and a beach camp in July, reflecting a broader effort to build programming alongside physical expansion.
For Allen, the transformation of the property mirrors what he sees happening in people’s lives, describing the work as something larger than the physical structures themselves. Owen said the expansion reflects steady, ongoing growth and a desire to create space for more people to participate in worship. Together, both described the project as part of a longer-term investment in both the church and the surrounding community.
“With the slab now complete, the next phase will include steel framing, exterior work, and interior buildout, including the addition of restrooms and continued improvements across the property. Additional concrete work is also planned to replace dirt pathways with level walkways, improving accessibility throughout the site. For now, leaders say Saturday’s work represents an encouraging milestone in what they see as a much larger effort still ahead.
“We’re a part of something that we know is going to outlive us,” Allen said. “And benefit the community as a whole.”
Living Waters Church is supported by the North America Mission Board as a part of the SEND Network, and gathers every Sunday at 10 am for worship and teaching.
