Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Spring is in the air...

I hope you enjoyed the Easter season as much as I did. Sunday we spoke about dead promises and dreams being resurrected. And, as I watched the younger kids in our family look for Easter eggs after church on Sunday (and enjoyed the beautiful weather), I was reminded of how every spring we see God reminding us that resurrecting dead things is no problem for Him. You could sense and feel nature coming to life. Birds were singing; people were outside enjoying the sunshine; buds were starting to appear on the trees and shrubs; and flowers were blooming in our front yard. Everything this time of year is a reminder of the power of resurrection.

On Sunday, I also saw the evidence of God’s resurrection power in the people who sat on our pews. I saw people who just a few short years ago never imagined they could feel so alive. I witnessed marriages that have been re-born, broken lives that have been given new hope, divorcees who have survived a long winter in their lives to emerge from a cocoon of darkness with new expectations and dreams for the future, and one time addicts (who not long ago were literally staring death in the face) sitting with their families enjoying the presence of God and each other.

It is springtime for our church. In the very near future, we break ground on our new facility. This journey toward the fulfillment of this dream has had many twists and turns. We have had our own crosses and challenges, but God has been faithful. And, we are now only weeks away from creating a brand new future for generations to come.

I will keep you updated weekly about our progress by blogging on this site. Check back often to read about what is happening with our “create the future” campaign. God is doing some great things and I want you to be fully informed.

Just some things that are happening currently:

1) We hope to close on the sale of the 310 South Story property by the first of April. There are only a few minor issues to settle and we hope to have those done by the end of the week. Our buyers (King’s Cathedral from Maui, HI) have been extremely accommodating with us and continue to work very diligently to see that everything goes smoothly during the building process. We look forward to fellowshipping with them in the future.

2) We will be meeting in the near future with several lending institutions regarding the loan for our new facility. Interest rates have dropped and this is a great time to seek financing. Continue to pray for us that God’s wisdom leads our team to make the right decision regarding a lending institution.

3) In both services on Sunday, March 30th, we will be sharing our latest renderings of the new building. During our campaign, we told you that we would no doubt have changes from our initial renderings. They have changed and the new design looks incredible. You will not want to miss seeing and hearing about the newly re-designed floor plan and exterior elevations.

So buckle up! We’ve only just begun and the best is yet to come!