Friday, January 30, 2015

"Creating Space for Grace"

Almost three years ago we began our Capital Campaign: “Creating Space for Grace” to raise funds for the renovation of the Children’s Center and the Fetter Activity Center. On February 15, following the 11:00 service, we will dedicate and celebrate its completion! We have created space for grace and now we grow into this new space.

Any hiker knows that when you are lost or searching for your way, you look on the horizon for a pile of rocks stacked pillar like. Then moving to that cairn, you look for the next. Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author of The Little Prince wrote; 

"A pile of rocks ceases to be a rock when somebody contemplates it with the idea of a cathedral in mind." 

Rocks served as the altar for God’s Hebrew people and today symbolize our ongoing sacrifice of our time, talents and treasures for the mission and ministry of Jesus. We open this facility for our children’s classrooms, Boy Scouts, Food Pantry, pot luck meals, Nia classes, confirmation classes and youth group events. The list will go on as we continue to grow and look for the next marker on our journey, for we are not done. This is not a stopping point. 

“We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it. The process is not yet finished, but it is going on. This is not the end, but it is the road.”  Martin Luther

As we travel this road, we pause to thank God for the many blessings we receive. I thank Bob Thonhoff and Thonhoff Consulting for his leadership and their service of engineering and expertise. Thanks to Eric Maclnerney and Heimsath Architects for plans and patience and more plans. Thanks to Charlie Cox and Chaney-Cox Construction for hammering, painting, leading and licensing. Thanks to Philip Drake for taking on the sound and technical portions of this build that saved us dollars as well as assured a quality system. Thanks to the members of the Building Committee that have spent months pouring over documents and plans and for daring to dream this place of grace. 

Mostly, thanks to God for being our rock and for showing us the way.

Incline your ear to me, rescue me quickly; be to me a rock of strength, a stronghold to save me. For you are my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake you will lead me and guide me. Psalm 31:2-3