New Addition

On Sunday I announced that the church has signed a contract with Hollow Ridge Construction for the building expansion project.  Hollow Ridge anticipates breaking ground in late August/Early September.  Although we still have a long way to go, this is another significant step in the process!

I have been asking God for clarity as the building committee has met over the past 18 months.  Overall, we talked with nine different builders throughout the process, with three builders giving us bids.  Why only three bids?  Well, for some of the builders the project was simply too big, and for a couple of others the project was too small.  But, ultimately, I believe God was simply narrowing down the options for us.

Of the three bids we received, it was quite clear to everyone that Hollow Ridge was the only one that we could afford as a church without going into debt.  We then met with owners to see if Hollow Ridge would be a “fit” for us or if we needed to rethink our timeline and the project.  It was pretty evident after that meeting that this was the builder that God was directing us to work with.

The project has had some minor “tweaks” as we have worked through the process:

1.       We are going to be replacing the vast majority of the windows in the church.  Our current windows are well past their expected usefulness and are quite “drafty.”

2.      We are going to put on a metal roof on the front side of the church.  It will be very similar to the one that is on the schoolhouse.  The shingles on the roof are also approaching the end of their expected “life,” and it would have been impossible to match the new roof shingles on the addition to the current ones.  We will look to put a metal roof on the back side of the church at a later date.

3.      We are going to reroute the pathway from the fellowship hall exit to the lower parking lot.  It will be a bit of a horseshoe that loops around the very small set of graves closest to the parking lot.  Doing the path this way eliminates a lot of the excavating work that would have been necessary with a straight path.  We are considering making the path something of a “memorial walk.”  We’ll pass along more information about that in the future.

4.      We are having a mini-split HVAC unit installed in the schoolhouse to more efficiently heat and cool it.  The schoolhouse is heavily used (a good thing!) and the current system of electric baseboard/window AC units is inefficient.

So what is all of this going to cost?  Hollow Ridge’s portion of the project is (redacted).  The total cost of the project will be north of that.  We will need to put in a new security system, extend the chair lift, and pay for chairs and furnishings once it is completed.  Over the next couple of months we will be working on getting bids for those items (Hirst Security is at the church today looking at the project).

However, we believe that the total price tag will still be below what was approved by the congregation last October.  Because of the generosity of the congregation, we believe the project can be completed and the church will remain on solid financial footing.

Thank you for all the prayers for this project and I would ask that you continue to pray for it as we nail down the final details.***

Here’s what’s happening:

1.  TONIGHT -  Youth Group and Quilt Knotting at 6:30 pm.

2.  SUNDAY - “Graduation Sunday.”  We will be honoring our high school graduates during the worship service.  The youth group will have a celebration luncheon after the worship service.

3.  June 7 is “Quilt Dedication Sunday.”  We will be dedicating all of the quilts that have been knotted over the past school year.

4.  June 14 – Cruise for Christ Car Show.  We will not have Sunday School that morning.  Please plan to carpool, as parking will be somewhat limited.  Lunch is provided and we will have some activities for the kids.  Signup sheets for food donations and all the details are posted in the lobby. ***There will be a brief meeting after the worship service next week for car show volunteers!

6.  AMEC is sponsoring a young adult gathering at Bethany Grace Fellowship on June 4 at 7 pm.  The plan is to have a time of worship and then watch “The Porch” (a young adult service streamed live from Dallas, TX). Afterward will be refreshments and an optional discussion group.  For more information contact Pastor Isaac Martin at isaac@bethanygf.org

7.  A sign up sheet is in the lobby for VBS.  This is an “all hands on deck” ministry event.  Please consider volunteering.

On Sunday we will be studying Genesis 46 & 47 as we look at Joseph’s reunion with his father Jacob.  Our focus will be on the conundrum that Joseph faces – he wants the family to live in Goshen, but Pharaoh has a different plan.  We’ll look at the two plans and why Joseph was so adamant that the family live separately from the Egyptians!

Scott

***Hollow Ridge estimates that there may be a 2-3 week window where the church sanctuary will not be available.  We will be working on options for the worship service during those weeks in the coming months.  Our hope is that the weather will be nice enough that we can hold worship outside.