Faith Building

A few years ago, we as a church family felt God leading us to build a new addition onto our church building. The facility would contain a new Preschool Department, a Children’s Department for grades 1 - 6, a Welcome Center, new staff offices, a multipurpose gymnasium large enough to hold church-wide dinners, an indoor walking track and a new fully-equipped kitchen. This new addition was later named the FAITH BUILDING.

When we entered this building program, we asked each family to join with us in financing the building. Many of our families made a three-year financial commitment. We called it ‘EXPERIENCE THE JOURNEY’. We broke ground on August 14, 1999 and the journey began. At the end of the 3 years, we asked you to re-commit to another year and we called it ‘FORWARD BY FAITH’. Many of you have been giving regularly and sacrificially, and we have been blessed.

God is using our FAITH BUIILDING in tremendous ways!

Ray Talley had a vision to begin an Upward Basketball Program in our new gym. This is a sports program where the main objective is to reach the lost boys and girls and their families. Our first year (2003-2004) gave us 164 basketball players. Our second year gave us 200 basketball players and 30 cheerleaders. Of this year’s 230 children, 48 were un-churched. At the Awards Night program, 6 adults and 29 children prayed to receive Christ as their Savior. Many rededications were made. We are now in the process of doing home visits with each of the families that don’t have a church home, and trying to connect them to our church family.

By moving the children from the old building wing which housed Children and Youth, into the new Children’s Department, the overcrowded situation in the youth department was relieved and it has allowed room for some much needed renovations in that area where they now have a youth assembly room large enough to hold the entire youth group. Our new Children’s Department is now named “KIDZ BIZ” (Kids’ Biblical Instruction Zone)

Our new facility has given room for the Women’s Ministry to expand their annual Women’s Conference. This year’s attendance was more than 300. Ladies from many of our sister churches and several un-churched ladies attended and were blessed.

Our New Preschool Department made it possible for us to begin a Mother’s Day Out Program. This program, offered two days each week, September — May, gives loving care and Biblical-based instruction to preschool children. Many of these children and their families are un-churched.

We have seen several new Adult Sunday School classes spring up in our new facility: New Beginnings, Inquirers, Praying Hands and Berea (our Hispanic class) — to name a few.

Our gym has been filled with sleeping bags from time-to-time as mission groups passing through our area have used our facilities for overnight stays.

Our youth have been found in the gym participating in the $10 prom, True Love Waits, volleyball, and numerous other fun-filled activities.., activities with a purpose... reaching teens for Jesus.

Each Wednesday night finds the FAITH BUILDING flurrying with activities and smiling faces as the GA’s, RAs, Mission Friends and Children’s Choirs gather.

Our FAITH BUILDiNG has allowed room for our Vacation Bible School to grow. Last year we had 153 students enrolled. Several children prayed to receive Christ as their Savior during the 2004 VBS.

The elevator has made the entire second floor accessible for use by our disabled and elderly family members and visitors.

Our new gym has also given us the opportunity to sit down (all of us together) and enjoy meals. Our Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners are always tremendous times of fellowship. In 2003, we hosted our 115th Homecoming Celebration. This brought several former pastors and staff members as well as many former members back for a day of celebration. It was wonderful to have enough room for all of us to sit down together and enjoy a meal.

These are just a few of the ways that God is using our FAITH BUILDING to touch lives. Now we come to the best part — the opportunity that we all have to join together and let God speak to us and use us as HE chooses, to reduce the debt on this building. As of March 18, 2005, our principal balance is $1,143,283.47. Our monthly obligation to the bank is $13,096.27. All of you know, the sooner we pay it off, the more we save on interest. And I believe God would be pleased with us if we will retire this debt early.

God has a plan.. .and it’s EXCITING to see what HE is going to do!