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!

Wet weather can't dampen our spirits!

It might be one of the wettest summers we've had in recent memory, but our enthusiasm cannot be dimmed!

If you've driven by lately, you couldn't help but notice the large steel beams now in place on the concrete pad. The outline of the building is beginning to be visible from Hwy 160 as more and more steel is set. The rainy start to this week has slowed progress somewhat, but the workers are expected to be back on the job Wednesday, weather permitting.

Please continue to pray for the safety of all who are working to construct our new Worship Center. We want to be a blessing to them as they are blessing us with their skills.

We have a firm foundation!

In the wee hours of Friday morning, before the sun even peeked above the horizon, our construction crew was busy at work pouring the concrete pad which will be the foundation of our new building. In the midst of the darkness, they were awash in brightness brought in just for the purpose of lighting their way as they worked in the pre-dawn hours to beat not only the heat but the forecasted rain to complete the task as scheduled. As several people mentioned on their way in to services Sunday, "Now it's beginning to look like a building!"

As I reviewed the pictures of this amazing process, I couldn't help but think how true it is for us as followers of Christ. We, too, have a firm foundation, but one that wasn't poured with human hands. Our foundation is Christ, the stone the builders rejected which has become the capstone. "For in Scripture it says, 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." (I Peter 2:6) We never have to be concerned about the future of our foundation, whether it is built to last or will fail to support us in the coming years. As long as our hope is built on the foundation of Christ, we can face whatever the future may hold without fear.

We, too, are workers united in a common purpose and laboring in a dark world. Yet we, too, are illuminated by the light of Christ as we "shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:15-16)

I could draw more parallels between the "unsuitable" soil we have had to remove from the site (including the long-buried manure pile we inadvertently uncovered) and the unsuitable soil we sometimes find in our own hearts, those pockets of sin we try to hide until the Spirit excavates them for our cleansing, or the "good" soil we have had to bring in to prepare the site for the foundation and the good soil of a heart eager to receive the life-changing indwelling of Christ. I could even point out the correlation between the delays due to rain and the storms we face in life, both of which require patience and prayer to persevere. But I think I'll stop here.

As you watch each new stage of construction on our Worship Center, stop and consider the construction process that's been going on in your own life since you met the Cornerstone. I'll bet you find some parallels of your own. If you'd care to share, email us at info@aldersgatechurch.com or comment on this posting.

The scoop as of Monday, July 6

The foundation is complete and the plumber and electricians are working on getting all of the under-slab piping and conduit in place before they pour the concrete slab. They will be bringing in base rock in the next day or so and hope to pour the concrete slab by the end of this week. After that, we will start to see steel arriving onsite around July 15th. The workers are also getting ready to start trenching for the storm water piping and the fire sprinkler contractor has been installing his water main to the building.

If all goes according to plan we should start seeing steel going up by the end of the month. Before long it will begin to look like a real building!

Our thanks to Flintco for filling the crater in the center lane of the driveway with gravel until later in the process when the driveway can be redone, and for making sure we have a walkway cleared between the CLC and Aldersgate House.

Our continuing thanks to the families who are parking at Wal-Mart and taking the shuttle bus to worship on Sundays. Your flexibility and cooperation during this process is greatly appreciated! Thanks also to our volunteer bus drivers who keep making the loop until everyone is returned to their vehicles each week.

Let's keep praying and showing hospitality to one another and everyone who comes to this church we call Aldersgate.

There she goes!

Yes, indeed, our parking lot is now about half what it once was. In the continuing construction process, another large chunk of asphalt has been removed today to make way for further development of our new Worship Center.

What does this mean for us?

First, we have no sidewalk or walkway between the Christian Life Center and the Aldersgate House. All Sunday School classes or groups meeting in Aldersgate House will need to exercise a great deal of caution in making their way across the grassy slope to the building. Flintco has assured us pouring new sidewalks to restore easy access is a top priority, but cannot take place until certain other steps are completed.

Second, our available parking for Sunday worship services is now roughly half what it was before construction began. The paved area now ends at a line roughly parallel to the entrance to the CLC. All points south of that line are bare dirt. Several families have already made the switch to parking at Wal-Mart and taking the shuttle bus to services and we would encourage as many more as possible to follow in their steps. (Parking at the back of our lot in the dirt area is no longer advisable as it is part of the construction zone.) In the spirit of radical hospitality, let's leave the remaining parking spots for our guests, the elderly, families with small children and any others who would have difficulty riding the shuttle bus.

In addition, you may have noticed the developing crater in our one remaining driveway. This is due to the heavy equipment which must use that entrance. Ray, our Flintco construction foreman, has assured us the damage will not only be repaired, but the driveway actually improved with a deeper, more solid rock base before being repaved. But, again, the repairs must wait until the traffic causing the damage has ceased. With this in mind, please be careful when entering or exiting our property. The crater is in the middle lane of the driveway (the lane used by vehicles who are exiting our property and turning left) and may cause traffic to move slower on Sunday mornings, so your vehicular courtesy will be much appreciated by all.

In light of this stage of our current progress, PLEASE remember to exercise caution at all times when you are on any part of the property! We are smack in the middle of an active construction zone. Also, please continue to exercise patience in the midst of our temporary inconveniences. It may get worse before it gets better, but it will all be worth it and more when we worship together in our new building this winter!

Let's keep praying and consider how we can show radical hospitality to the work crews as well. We've already received comments that we are the most pleasant group to work for, so let's build on that good foundation and love any of these guys who don't know Jesus right into the kingdom!

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Check out that footprint!

As the footings take shape it is becoming easier to see the footprint, or outline, of our new Worship Center! With the dry (and did I mention WARM!) weather we have been having, our construction crew is making good progress. Step out to the sidewalk leading to the front door of Aldersgate House and take a gander next time you're here. (But please do not venture further than the sidewalk in order to stay clear of the active construction zone.) You'll be pleasantly surprised at the view!

Although the warm, dry weather is making construction easier, the heat is a concern for the heatlh our workers. Let's continue to lift them and their welfare up in prayer.

The footings are going in!

Although we got some rain over the weekend, the workers were back onsite bright and early this Monday morning to continue their work on the footings. At this point, we're not sure if the next step will be pouring the concrete pad that will become the foundation or if we will see some actual steel being erected, but we are definitely moving forward!

Please continue to remember safety protocol and keep clear of the construction site. (If you want a good look, you can stand on the sidewalk leading up to Aldersgate House, but please don't go any closer!) Also, please continue to pray for all the workers as they put their muscles to work for us!

Progress at last!

Practicing patience pays!

Yes, your eyes are correct. Those are concrete trucks you've been seeing this week! The workers have been busy preparing the footings (part of the foundation) this week. After digging the trenches, they then lay the steel reinforcing and pour the concrete. According to Billy Kimmons, our architect (check out his blog with the link at left to find out more about him and his work), they are also setting anchor bolts and will begin erecting the steel framing for the building as soon as all the concrete is in place. We are so excited to see they are making good progress this week!

With the incredibly wet spring we've experienced, it has taken longer than we hoped to get to this stage, but now we are seeing the beginning of some actual construction and spirits are rising. As the construction site get busier with more workers, please keep them all in your prayers for their safety and also that they may feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in this place as we include them in our reaching, teaching and enriching to an active faith in Jesus Christ.

Praying and practicing patience

Yes, I know, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the wind is blowing, the air is warm and yet not a speck of dirt is being moved at our construction site.  Like so many things in life, the construction process requires patience.  

You see, the ground is still too wet underneath from all the rain we've had in the last week or so. The next step in the dirt work is to compact the soil and then test it to make sure it will hold up the building we will construct.  If it's merely mud, Flintco cannot conduct the soil tests to ensure we're building on a firm foundation.  Like the story of the man who built his house on the sand only to have it collapse when the storm came, rushing through this stage of construction would have dire consequences later on down the road.  We want this new building finished because we're already bursting at the seams, but we also want it done right so it will last and that takes time.  As soon as the weather holds, we'll see some actual construction progress.  Until then, let's keep praying and practicing patience. 

What a wild weather morning!

Whew!  It's 11:30 AM and we're finally in the clear from the powerful storms that swept through southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas this morning.  The rain has stopped, the sun is coming out, we have power again (hopefully for good this time!) and all is well in our little corner of the world.  Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were not so fortunate and are even now dealing with the damage, flooding and power outtages this storm left in its wake.

We don't have any updated pictures to show of the construction process today because not much has changed and the whole area is such a quagmire from all the rain we can't get close enough to take any anyway.  (I did find a picture from yesterday, when the sky was blue and the mud a bit drier.) We have, however, been assured by Ray, the construction project manager, we will see significant progress next week.  The forecast looks much drier and Flintco is planning to dig in (pardon the pun!) and make major progress on our new Worship Center.

As always, we appreciate your prayers and your patience as we all walk through this construction experience together.  May the attitude of our hearts and the actions of our conduct all serve to glorify the Lord who brought us together to be His body in this place.

Four weeks into construction

You might have noticed the view of the construction hasn't changed much from last week.  That's because of all the rain we've been having.  It seems we've entered monsoon season, which is slowing down the work. (It's hard to move dirt when it's in liquid form!)  Work is continuing behind the scenes and we are still anticipating an on-schedule completion.

A big thank you to all those folks who are taking the time and effort to park at Wal-Mart and leave our few remaining parking spaces for our elderly and those with small children.  Your sacrifice is appreciated very much!

Thank you also to the guys who have volunteered to drive the bus back and forth between Wal-Mart and the CLC so those who park across the street don't have to cross it on foot.

Most of all, thanks be to the God and Father of us all who has brought us to this place in this time to fulfill His purposes for us.

Please continue to keep our construction crew in your prayers as they are all quite anxious to complete the work they've begun.

Three weeks into construction

Remember the old commercials for a well-known fast food chain that featured an elderly woman asking, "Where's the beef?" The big question around here this week has been, "Where's the dirt?"

Yes, the large piles of dirt the staff had dubbed Mt. Sinai are disappearing. In spite of the numerous requests from folks who want to relieve us of some dirt, we haven't gone into the dirt selling business. No, the soil engineer on our project has determined we do not have the proper mixture of components in our soil to properly support the foundation of our new building. So, we will have to over excavate (take out more dirt than originally planned) and re-engineer the soil (bring in new dirt). While this is an unexpected development, the cost of the soil re-engineering will be pretty minor considering the total scope of the project.

In other news, you may have heard Flintco, our construction company, has left Springfield. This is not completely true. Flintco is closing the Springfield regional office of their national company, but our project managers will remain on site as planned for the duration of the project. Flintco has also retained contacts in the Springfield office until all their work in the area is completed. We have been assured this will not impact the progress of our building project.

Utility work on our project has continued this week, coinciding with some electrical upgrades made to our office area. Now we can actually run the coffee pot (making Pastor Phil happy) and the microwave (keeping our office staff happy) at the same time without blowing a breaker and causing the office computers to shut down!

As we continue to watch the progress of our new Worship Center, please remember to follow the safety precautions. Our property will continue to be an active construction site for some months and we all need to work together to maintain everyone's safety.

Thanks to the bus drivers who have stepped up to drive, we are running the bus from the CLC to the Wal-Mart parking lot on Sunday mornings between services. Please, if you are able, park at Wal-Mart and take the bus to church and leave the limited parking spots for those with small children and the elderly. They sure appreciate your kindness.

Two weeks into construction!

If you’ve been anywhere near the church lately you couldn’t help but notice we are now a full-fledged construction site! Our Church Conference convened after services March 22nd and voted unanimously to enter into a construction contract with Flintco Constructive Solutions to build our new Worship Center! Since the day was sunny and bright, we grabbed shovels and celebrated a ceremonial groundbreaking immediately after the Church Conference

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Not lagging behind in enthusiasm, Flintco quickly began the process of setting up shop on our property with the delivery of a trailer for the construction headquarters and the installation of water management barriers (the black plastic barricade). After markings were laid out, Flintco officially broke ground April 3.

During the construction process life will be a little different around here. Nearly half our parking lot has been removed to allow Flintco to do the dirt work required for both the new building and the parking lot expansion. This means Sunday mornings will be interesting for at least the next six weeks. Because of the reduced parking, Wal-Mart has generously agreed to let us use the southwest side of their parking lot during worship times. We are currently trying to coordinate a bus driver to shuttle folks from Wal-Mart to worship so they don’t have to cross Aldersgate Drive on foot.

 

What does all this mean for all of us who call Aldersgate home?

 

First, we all need to be very aware of safety concerns. The south end of our property is an active construction zone. No one is allowed in that area without permission, a hard hat and safety goggles. As tempting as the dirt piles may be, they are not safe for children to play on. The walk between the CLC and Aldersgate House may be treacherous for a while, so please take your time and watch your step!

 

Second, we all need to be flexible. The temporary discomfort of reduced parking, mud, dust and noise is all for a greater good: a new facility we desperately need. It may be tempting to gripe about the changes construction is bringing, but keeping a positive outlook will make the whole process more bearable for everyone. And if you can help ease the parking dilemma by reducing the number of vehicles you bring to worship and/or parking at Wal-Mart, please consider doing so. We have a number of elderly people and families with young children who need the limited number of parking spaces in our lot.

 

Third, we need to pray for all the workers who are making our dream of a new Worship Center a reality. We will have many people on our property doing a variety of jobs, each of them critical to the construction process, which provides us an excellent opportunity to show them the love of Christ. Praying for their safety and providing a hospitable environment are simple ways to show them how much we value and appreciate them.

 

We will be updating this blog weekly so everyone can see the progress. Be sure to check back and see what’s new at Aldersgate.