Page 2 - April Spire 2013

As we mark the first year of our Foundations for the
Future program, we have so much to praise God
for. Just one year ago as a congregation, we embarked
on a vision that required faith that God would point
us in the right direction and provide the means to
bring His Vision to reality. The principles of that vision
incorporated:
• Repair and update of our aging facilities
• Expansion of our ministries and facilitation of our
growth
• Expansion of God’s Kingdom
One year later, we are seeing the early results of His
Plan:
• Grants to six mission partners (with more to come)
that have: 1) enabled the expansion of a Christian
school in Nambale, Kenya; 2) aid to a Christian
scholar in the Gaza through a scholarship; 3) lifting
up our brothers at Pivot House ministries with
critical facility repairs and the purchase of new vans;
4) outreach on our college campuses with the
start of two new Christian Intervarsity chapters; 5)
establishment of an on-campus infirmary at Forman
College in Pakistan; and 6) partial funding of a
new Cabwaylingo Youth & Community Center in
Dunlow, West Virginia.
• Generous donors that have faithfully given $6.5
million, surpassing the half-way mark in our march to
$12 million in pledges.
• Completion of repairs to our Sanctuary, Horton Hall
and Chapel that includes new windows and sound
systems.
• The establishment of a faithful Building Committee,
tasked with the big job of balancing our vision, needs
and budget for the improvement of our church
facilities.
• And last but certainly not least, the generous
donation of time from the many volunteers that
have enabled Foundations for the Future starting with
crafting the vision, raising the funds, selecting our
mission grant partners and monitoring their success,
and continuing through the repair and building
phases.
Over the last few months the Building Committee has
been working with our Architect, our Civil Engineer, and
other professionals to finalize the design of our project.
This has required trade-offs and compromises, as they
have weighed options while keeping the costs down.
The Building Committee is especially enthusiastic about
the new Center Core which will replace the current
section where the Church Office is located. This new
construction will become the main entrance from the
parking lot, and will incorporate a new Lobby, new Staff
Offices, and new spaces for Mission, Music, Children, and
Youth. This will also free up some existing rooms in the
C.E. Wing for use by Sunday School, Nursery School,
and Tot-Drop. With a focus on “getting it right” vs.
“getting it fast” they hope to present artist’s impressions
of the revised design to the congregation in the next few
months.
Quoting Dr. Pete Horton, our Senior Pastor during the
great expansion of the church in the 1950’s:
“Much work has been done.There is still much to do.
With God’s help we look forward to the future, praying
that we may be used for the advancement of the
Kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Tom Taylor, Jean Ann and Dick Bollman
Progress Team Leaders
P.S. As we approach the one-year anniversary of our
Foundations for the Future program we have much to
celebrate and even more to look forward to! To mark
the occasion, we would like to invite you to a brief
“One Year and Still Going Strong” progress report on
Sunday, April 14th after the 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
services. This brief informational session will include an
update on our building program, repairs, mission grants
and finances. Please join us on Sunday, April 14 in
the Parlor for coffee and a Foundations for the Future
Progress Report.
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FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Much to celebrate and much more to look forward to! Praise God!