Wow! Sunday was such a great day as we did our first services in the new building and had a Building Dedication time in the afternoon. It was the culmination of a dream that took many years to realize and much hard work to accomplish. It was so thrilling for me to see the hallway filled with people talking and interacting and the worship services filled with enthusiasm and praise for what God had done. I was humbled and joyful all at the same time.
In 2014 we had an opportunity to move to the Outpost, but the more we investigated that, we knew we were not ready to have a permanent site. The Leadership Board decided not to go ahead with that move. But we knew we had to get ready for a permanent location. So, in 2014 we did a capital campaign that would provide money for the purchase of land. After much work and looking at many different properties, we finally identified our current location. We worked through the details of purchase, and we acquired the land at the southwest corner of Jonathan Carver Parkway and Engler Ave in August 2017.
We did another capital campaign early in 2019, and People gave generously for our goal. Then we worked through all the requirements for building throughout the year. In January of 2020, we thought we were ready to begin construction in May 2020 when the weather got nice. Of course, no one could have predicted the worldwide pandemic that struck in March of 2020, but that set us back from our original timetable. In August 2020, the Board decided to move forward and begin construction in September. The weather was great for building through the winter, and the building was complete in May 2021.
So, we completed our journey that started seven years ago, and on June 13, 2021, we had our first service. It was a day of great celebration and gratitude for God’s faithfulness through this long journey. I am so thankful to the Building Team and all their hard work in making this project happen. They worked tirelessly to give us a beautiful building that will be an excellent tool for ministry for many years to come. We look forward to all that God will do in and through this permanent facility in the years to come. Thanks for being a part of realizing a dream.