Weekly Update from the Senior Pastor

April 20 , 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

Let me cut to the chase. 

In terms of fanning the motivational flames of this congregation through information and visuals about our new facility, you have run on less than fumes—and still been faithful to your pledges.  That reflects a great deal of maturity and discipline as you continue to fulfill the part you have in following God’s heart to our future together.  We have $677,000 in pledges in four and a half months.  Thank you.

The lack of information is not due to inactivity. 

The Development Team, keeping the Elders, Staff and Trustees updated, have worked through key questions concerning our architectural contract and our Civil Engineering process.  On April 10th Craig Mason and the Dev Team submitted the 7th draft of the building footprint and main interior structure to the Trustees for review.  They have approved it and we are making some “fine tune” adjustments with the architects—a process which will continue in small ways right up to construction.  We are submitting these Phase One plans to the county.

Some net out facts of Phase One:

  • We explored expanding or decreasing our footprint size (total square feet) and in the end, in a decision that honors faith in the God of Ephesians 3:20-21 and keeps our financial integrity for funding all ministries and missions strong, we returned to an improved revision of our original size of 38,000 square feet for Phase One.
  • This retains a 670-seat sanctuary and large stage for creative arts.
  • This retains the large glass-front atrium/foyer that includes a café and lounge (mid-size event) area.
  • This gives the Children’s Ministry six large classrooms (average size of 1200 square feet) that can be subdivided by flex walls or opened up into three large auditorium size spaces for special events.
  • This gives the Teen/Haven a 4500 square foot auditorium and stage area plus additional storage.
  • This includes an expanded, approximately 23’ x 14’ kitchen connected to the foyer café.
  • It provides a great office complex for staff/volunteer ministry-leaders with a conference room and storage space.
  • This floor plan allows us to budget for a quality interior and a strong audio-visual infrastructure.
  • The facing exterior will be a beautiful combination of stone, glass, a tower and beautiful landscaping (which we can improve on by tackling special work projects together—[that is an advance hint] J ).

It will be a great congregational home.

It will be a Light on a Hill honoring the Light of the World (John 8:12) in our region.

It will be a reality as we follow God’s heart into our future.

Copies of this floor plan will be mailed to all our “ring-bearers” (those who made specific three-year pledges) first; then to all our members shortly after.  We are seeking a location for an all-congregational (members and attenders) info-sharing evening on Tuesday, MAY 1—please do join us that evening.  Bottom line: the dream is alive and our building design has formed in a prayerful and professional way that will deliver us maximum quality within a careful budget.

On our International Missions front: two new miracle stories are unfolding:

  • HONDURAS:  Potential Las Mesas land acquisitions: A donor from outside our congregation who believes in what we are doing funded the purchase of an 8 acre farm adjoining the church building--including 2 wells and access to a river.  This land will house an orphanage someday.  Then another outside donor gave a total of $75,500 to work toward the purchase of a 44 acre coffee plantation that can provide work and be run by our sister congregation in Copan. This will enable us to purchase a 1 ½ acre coffee processing plant which includes a small house with functioning electricity, a cafeteria kitchen that can serve 50-100 workers, and a strong well, right next to our Las Mesas church, where 85 people are regularly attending, including many of the children in the area. Pray for the Mission Board and Trustees as we seek God’s confirmation in these opportunities. We want to take that mountain for God, even as we create our “Light on a Hill” regional church here at home (see Luke 6:38).  
  • INDIA:  Still another outside donor is stepping up to join with our Missions India team to build new expanded facilities for an orphanage south of Calcutta.  Rajendra, Paul Foss and the couple who are making this new facility possible will be leading a small team to India this fall to finalize new homes for hundreds of orphans.  

Upcoming Worship Services:

  1. A Special Creative Team is planning our Mother’s Day service. During the offertory, we will show a PowerPoint with comments from our members/attenders about their moms. Here’s how you can do it:

    • Write a sentence in 25 words or less completing the following phrase “The One Thing I Learned from my Mother…”
    • Your sentence can be funny, serious, or poignant
    • The deadline for this is April 30.
    • Submit your comment to Donna Wheate.

Please note that your comment may be edited.

  1. The GOD-QUESTIONS series we began last week is crucial to effectively sharing your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.  This is a perfect “invite a friend” series.  I hope all the ladies who were on the Women’s Get-A-Way and any members who missed last week’s message: “Is it arrogant to say Jesus is the only way?” will get the CD—answering that first question well is vital.  This Sunday Rajendra tackles:
    • Do All Roads (and Religions) Lead to God? 

In the final two weeks I’ll wrestle with:

  • April 29: How Can a Good God Allow Suffering?
  • May 6: Can You Reconcile an Eternal Hell and a Loving God? (the answer I will present from Scripture may surprise some—I really hope you’ll hear it and process it personally with your Bible)

MEMBERSHIP: If you are in the process of becoming members, this Sunday after church is the Heart of Damascus Road class, one of two classes that move you toward membership—or allow you to simply check out what we believe.  I’ll teach that class and would love to see you.

Let’s keep on—a long obedience in the same direction, out of a growing love for a Savior that went to a Cross for you.

In the Lamb,
Richard

 

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