It's hard to believe December is here in full force, complete with bitter cold nights and even snow to our north! As we prepare for the many celebrations taking place this time of year, it's tempting to be disappointed we will not be holding Christmas Eve services in our new Worship Center. But Christmas is a time to count our blessings, so let's start a list.

No one has been hurt during construction. When we move into the new building we can admire the workmanship without thinking about how many injuries took place in that space.

The construction process has provided work for many people who might not otherwise be working this time of year.

Amid the chaos of parking at Wal-Mart, learning the new traffic flow, rain and mud and all the other inconveniences of construction, we have drawn closer together as a church family.

The community is very interested in seeing the project completed, which will help us move forward with the ministries we have planned within the community.

We will come in very close to budget with the bulk of the overage due to unsuitable soil found onsite which had not been anticipated.

And the list could go on and on. I encourage you in this season of giving to be generous with your praise and thanksgiving to God for making this blessing a reality. Many people have dreamed of this new building for many years and we are the ones who get to see it come to pass. Let's remember how truly blessed we are to be part of such a faithful church family no matter where we worship!

We are making progress in spite of the rain!

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted anything here. The continual rain has slowed down work on the outside of the new Worship Center so it's been hard to see any progress and even harder to get close and take any new pictures. But today I donned Pastor Phil's hard hat (his head is WAY bigger than mine, by the way!) and toured the construction site with Ray, our Flintco site foreman.

Wow again! Standing in the gathering area and seeing sheetrock go up gave me goosebumps! The space is so much bigger than it looks from the outside and the design is so appealing and functional. The worship area is still filled with large equipment so it was difficult to get a true feel for the size of the space, but looking toward the front where the platform will go and seeing the large metal cross through the glass of the front window brought everything into focus.

Yes, the new building will be awesome! Yes, worshipping in a place designed to enhance the worship experience will be an improvement. And, yes, I can't wait to hear the benediction without the added reminder, "And if you can stay and help us put up chairs..." But what matters most is not the new chairs, the expanded restroom facilities, or even the more secure nursery and toddler area. It's all about the condition of my heart as I enter this space. Am I making "worship" something other than a time of complete devotion to Jesus? Am I more interested in the "show" than in laying aside my pride and opening myself so that I am changed? Brick and mortar don't make this a sacred space; only the presence of the Holy Spirit can do that. And in looking at the big metal cross through the window, I am reminded I have to do my part. Just as the new Worship Center is designed to be focused on the cross, I was designed to be focused on Jesus.

May we not lose our focus amidst the excitement of the new building, but continue to reach, teach and enrich souls to an active faith in Jesus Christ.

We have pavement!

There's nothing like the smell of fresh asphalt steaming in the early morning sunshine! I don't ordinarily find the smell of hot tar exciting, but after so many months of parking lot dilemmas, everyone around here is ecstatic at this latest visible proof of progress on our new Worship Center!

After completing the final grade on the dirt, laying base rock and smoothing it to grade, Journigan began laying asphalt at 6 AM this morning. They will be able to completely lay the new section of parking lot today, which means we will all have a place to park this Sunday morning!

Now for the word of caution. The layout of the new parking lot is completely different. New islands have been installed to help traffic flow. The remaining section of the old parking lot will also be recovered, but not until the final phases of construction, which means the final sealing and striping will not be completed until probably sometime in December. All of this is to say please use caution when driving through and parking in the newly expanded lot. Your favorite parking place might no longer exist. Please take care not to park in such a way as to impede the flow of traffic through the lot. It will take a bit of practice and a lot of patience for us all to figure out where and how to park until the lot is striped, but we rejoice we have reached this stage of progress!

More wet weather, yet still progress!

Another week of weird, wet weather has come and gone, yet we are still seeing progress on the construction of our new Worship Center! More steel studs have been placed and one section of the outside wall has been fitted with GlasRock, which will provide the foundation for the brick work. Several loads of brick have already been delivered and we anticipate seeing some bricklaying begin in a week or two.

We are still on schedule to have the roof put in 7-10 working days and the parking lot poured in two weeks. As a reminder, the parking lot will not be striped until the last phase of construction, so while we will have much more room in which to park, we will have to be careful where and how we park. Plans are already underway to train parking lot greeters to help direct traffic and provide parking instructions. If you would like to help in this important ministry, please contact Pastor Phil.

To date, we are still an accident-free construction zone! Once we have the roof on, we will see a marked increase in the number of workers as electricians, plumbers, brick layers, etc. will all be onsite at once, so let's keep up those prayers for all the workers!

Watch your step!

You know the old saying, "It's always darkest just before the dawn?" Under the circumstances, we might edit it a bit to say, "It's always messiest just before it's finished!"

Yes, our parking lot has been even more reduced by the construction activity this week. Large sections of asphalt have been removed to make way for the new concrete islands which will direct traffic flow in the finished parking lot. As I write this Thursday, August 13, the workers are busy laying new rock and building forms for the curbing on the first four islands. According to the foreman, they hope to have at least the curbing poured by the end of this week. This is a necessary step in the process of expanding our parking.

That's right. The finished parking lot will be larger, but it will also feature a completely different traffic pattern and layout of parking spaces, so you will need to pay attention to the markings and curbing and be aware your favorite parking space may not be there anymore. In the meantime, for this Sunday at least, parking will be even more limited. Please, please, please park at Wal-Mart this Sunday if you are able and take the shuttle bus to church. If you park in our parking lot this Sunday, please, please, please be careful and watch out for the safety fencing which marks the construction spots for the new islands.

The good news is we should have a completely finished, expanded, newly repaved and striped parking lot by Homecoming, which is scheduled for September 20! Mark your calendars to come celebrate fall with us as we enjoy a cookout together after services. More information on Homecoming will be coming soon, so watch for future postings and newsletter articles in The Heartbeat, available online at www.aldersgatechurch.com.

The cross is up!

This morning at 10 AM sharp, Flintco began installing the large steel cross on the southwest side of our new Worship Center. Lead Pastor Dennis Miller led all those who had gathered to witness this historic occassion in a prayer of dedication before the cross, bearing all the prayers and blessings of the many people who inscribed their thoughts on it, began its ascent to the steel girders which now support it.

Many of those who watched as the cross was welded to the steel frame of the building remembered the construction of our first sanctuary as well as the later addition of the Christian Life Center (CLC). For them, the installation of the cross was the capstone of many years of hopes, dreams and sacrifices. Nearly an equal number of newer members and children were present, those who had never known anything but worshipping together in the gym of the CLC. For them, the installation of the cross was the first flagstone on the exciting path of expansion for both their faith and their worship experience here at Aldersgate.

Whether young or old, longtime members or brand new attenders, everyone present rejoiced at the visible reminder of God's faithfulness and our commitment to follow His leading wherever it may take us.

Have you signed the cross yet?

Yep, that big metal cross is the last of the large steel to be placed for our new Worship Center. Installation is scheduled for 10 AM, Monday, August 3. If you'd like to watch, park along Young Street on the south side of our property to get the best view. Dennis will conduct prayer over the cross before it is set and we'd love to have you there to adds yours as well! If you haven't signed the cross, come on by and do so! The last day to add your name, favorite scripture, prayer, etc. will be Sunday, August 2nd.

So what can we expect in the meantime? In just a few days, the floor of the mezzanine will be poured. This will provide a foundation for future expansion into the upper level of the Worship Center. Pouring the foundation now will save us a lot of time and money later when we grow into needing the extra balcony space.

After that comes the installation of steel studs for the walls. Brick will also be arriving soon, probably the week after VBS. In addition, the initial work to prepare for the paving of our parking lot and the installation of new sidewalks should commence the week after VBS as well. We are poised to see a lot of activity soon!

As you can see from the photos in the slideshow, the work being done right now is dangerous, so please continue praying for the safety of everyone on the work site. And if you're volunteering at VBS, please park at Wal-Mart and we'll have the shuttle bus bring you over each night. Thanks!