A Vision for Building Children’s Ministry – Pt 4 of 4

The Building Team sent DJ Construction off to try some new looks and come back to tell us that it could be done, it was a prudent and effective means of moving forward and it would take more money.

It could be done but not in the current budget.  

• It also took a while for the team to warm to the idea of removing everything that was currently being used in ministry space.  

• It took a while to warm to the idea that the section that was only 17 years old would come down, too. 

• It took a while to warm to the idea that this was a good use of funds and an efficient direction to set up the Osceola Grace Family for the future without a lot of maintenance and improvement projects.

Another meeting happened.  Not around dinner, but at the church and the promise was made.  Another $1 million was committed to this project and suddenly it looked like this new idea could actually work and become a reality. 

The Building team revised the scope of the project and walked it through with everyone on the team. It was approved and presented to the rest of the Elder Board. After a number of questions and great deal of discussion the Elder Board also signed the approval for this new direction. 

That brings us to today.  

The new direction involves two new wings; one to the north and one to the south of the main auditorium.  At the same time the auditorium will be renovated and the interior space divided up into two sections. 

First, a smaller auditorium [100’ x 60’] which will:

• accommodate 400 chairs

• incorporate a sports floor for future sports ministry

• be rotated 90° for the audience to face the west wall and enter from a new east wall which becomes the dividing wall to the new Gathering Area. 

Second, the remainder of the existing space [100’ x 40’] becomes a common Gathering Area which will:

• be the main entry into the church and office areas

• be the main access hub to the other areas of ministry to the north, south and renovated auditorium

• include an indoor play area for young families to enjoy throughout the week

• include a coffee bar and soft seating for people to gather before or after services.

It seems a little outrageous, however, this direction and new scope of the project allows Osceola Grace to be able to overcome so many of the current challenges while actually giving a face lift or new space to virtually every area of the building.

On Sunday, November 29 during the morning service, Pastor Greg will present much of this history in a concise format while DJ Construction’s Enis Yoder will be there to give a visual 3D fly over and fly through of the plans as they are currently laid out.  This is not the final version but will provide a framework for our subcommittees to work from to develop the actual blueprint and layout. You won’t want to mist November 29! Small scale plans will be distributed that day at the Welcome Center for each person to take and peruse for a while and warm to the idea and propose any questions that may arise.

There will be a follow up Question/Answer time in small groups on Sunday night, December 6^th at 6:30PM after the Christmas Tree lighting and caroling event [5:45PM]at the Osceola Town Hall!

God truly has doubly blessed our Osceola Grace church Family!  Praise God for this blessing and pray for unity, wisdom and direction as this family moves forward into the future!

A Vision for Building Children’s Ministry – Pt 3 of 4

The projected cost came in well above the funds that were available for each of the three plans being reviewed by the team.  Even the very generous gift that was give would not cover these costs.

It became apparent that the best possibility was to simply renovate some current areas and forego the idea of a new Children’s Wing.  Instead they would utilize existing space and make some major changes to the flow of people.  The goals remained the same: this project needed to stay in budget, the church still needed a large gathering area that was centrally located and the church needs an improved space for Children’s ministry.  It was looking like the team was facing a scaling back in some form of the whole project.

Some things they ran into in the process:

• They learned that renovation is much cheaper per square foot than new buildings
• They learned that to do what they were hoping to do would require a major realignment of roof lines to fix existing leaks and to avoid more in the future.
• They learned that when they start adjusting roof lines in order to make things look cohesive and not like an afterthought that it gets expensive (even to renovate)
• They learned that the more they moved toward some solutions to fit our original scope that the renovation costs began to rise per square foot.
• They also ALL agreed that they did not want to leave the next generation with a bunch of maintenance headaches or without the ability to easily reassign space or expand the building.
• Even if it could be made to work, it left us with a follow up renovation of the current youth room and café and the “soon to be” Michiana Biblical Counseling Center” area because both section on the north and south side of the building had excessive leaks and were developing a mold problem. 
• In other words, the $1.2 million dollars (of the larger gift) allocated to the new building was not enough and would not solve those other problems.

So.   Someone joked in one of the meetings and said, “It would almost be cheaper and fit better in our budget if we just tore it all down and started from scratch!” 

That was a joke. 

However, as the team looked at a few possibilities regarding this idea, they realized that there may be some merit to this idea.  

So, here is what happened.  At the next meeting with DJ Construction’s leaders, the idea was floated out there like this, “What would it look like if we removed everything except the 100’ x 100’ area that is the current worship space? We could renovate the worship space to include a gathering area while adding a Children’s wing to the south as new construction and offices, youth ministry space and Adult Bible Fellowship classes to the south as new construction.  If we did, it would solve all of these other issues of rooflines, other leaks, inefficient buildings, heating and cooling, etc. Additionally, it would set up the next generation for expansion in almost any direction or a reassigning of the current space as ministry needs change in the future.” 

As that was taking place, God also had been moving in someone’s heart regarding what it might take to accomplish this financially. 

Seriously, stay tuned for the last part!

A Vision for Building Children’s Ministry – Pt 2 of 4

As the Building Team began to work, they did a number of things to prepare.  First, they spent some time creating a “scope” for the type of work to be done.  That Scope listed what was “in” the building project and what was “outside of” the building project.   What they specifically agreed to was that we would build space for Children’s Ministry and space for a common gathering area before and after services. 

Ultimately, the goal was to have that gathering area as a “hub” to the rest of the ministry.  If it could be centrally located, then people would pass each other and encounter each other as they entered and exited ministry areas and the building.  The goal with that area was to cause people to intentionally encounter each other in a comfortable setting that would foster conversations. 

The team read a book together about building projects for churches and tried to grasp the massive responsibility that was on their shoulders to lead this endeavor.  Throughout the process, they interviewed multiple construction firms and saw some “concept” drawings of what “could be”.  It was quite exciting to see the ideas flowing and also quite intimidating to see what it would take to get the project accomplished. 

What became clear throughout this process was it would take a lot of people to speak into the design, flow and needs of this project in order to accomplish it well.  There were a couple of whole church meetings to unpack some of the process and let people in on where the team was on the timeline.  All along the elders were being kept in the loop in order to make sure the team were still on task and that the project stayed focused. 

Eventually, the team decided upon the construction firm that would lead our church family through the rest of the way, DJ Construction.   It was very clear that DJ’s goal was to discover HOW ministry was CURRENTLY happening and to design a building that would enhance, improve and support Children’s ministry rather than build something which forces Osceola Grace into a mold with which we are not familiar.

As the team began to work with DJ there were three different conceptual drawing that were presented as a “starting point” for discussion.  DJ is extremely experienced with church building projects, so when they presented each of the conceptual plans, they also were able to give “ball park” numbers that showed a range of cost for each plan.  Keep in mind, these were estimates not actual quotes but they were estimates based upon actual data from their vast experience.

Those numbers were slightly discouraging to the building team.   So they kept praying and kept working toward a plan that would work.  The more they talked, prayed and met with DJ, the more they realized they might need to look at things differently.

Here is why:     Stay tuned…

A Vision for Building Children’s Ministry –Pt 1 of 4

 In the next several posts you will read the narrative of how Osceola Grace leadership has arrived at this point right now in the building program.   It is going to take a few posts so please be patient and read these thoroughly over the next few days and you will be amazed at the way that God has doubly blessed Osceola Grace! 

Almost exactly one year ago, the Lord laid it on Pastor Greg’s heart to share with you all as a church that our next step in 2015 would be the hiring of a Family and Children’s Pastor to begin the process of rebuilding the solid foundation of Children’s ministry for which Osceola Grace Church has been known for so many years.  It was not as though what was happening was bad or ineffective, the leadership simply felt that the best way to grow this entire ministry was to focus from the youngest to the oldest.  

Therefore, our focus was going to begin with ministries from cradle to the upper elementary ages.   If you recall, Pastor Greg’s challenge was to see what could be done to increase the weekly giving in order to hire that Pastor sometime in 2015. 

Within two weeks a couple from the church contacted Pastor Greg to go out to dinner together. This dinner proved to be a turning point on the timeline and a reassurance of the current direction.   As talk surrounded the vision that was shared previously, this couple shared what God had laid upon their heart. 

When Pastor Greg had shared the vision, it confirmed to them something that they had already been thinking.  As a result, this dinner was to share that they were donating almost $2 million for a number of things! 

• The bulk of the gift was to go toward building a new Children’s Wing for the next generation of ministry and toward a Commons Area for the body of believers to gather in since the current lobby space is more of a large hallway than a gathering area. 
• Part of the gift was directed toward the General Fund and a couple of other areas
• Another part of that gift went toward the salary and benefit package for the very pastor toward which vision had been set! (ENOUGH TO COVER 3 YEARS!)

At the start of December 2014, the announcement was made about this gift and the process was set in motion to do two things:

1. Search for and hire an active and successful Family and Children’s Pastor (a committee was formed to accomplish this)
2. Create and empower a Building team to guide through this monumental task

Both teams began their work early in 2015 and on October 25, Pastor John Contreras joined the church staff and began his ministry here as our new Family Pastor!   Isn’t it exciting to see him at work and building relationships already?  As the Building Team began rolling along they were very deliberate in their process in order to try to avoid many of the common mistakes that churches make in building projects!  The next post will have more about the process they went through!

Stay tuned…

Communion - Why We Do It!

Job 19:25-27 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

There is no HOPE that is greater than to recognize and acknowledge that the One in whom we place all of our hope is the One who paid for our sins, overcame death and is now actively involved in our lives while waiting for that day when we join Him in heaven.  Communion is a chance to REMEMBER that and to REFLECT upon that TRUTH!   This service is truly a celebration! 

Each of our Communion services includes three aspects of celebration.  We celebrate the past ministry of Christ through the bread and the cup, the present ministry of Christ by doing foot washing and the future ministry of Jesus Christ around a meal together.  Here are explanation of each aspect.  

The Love Feast (Matthew 26:17-30)

We will begin with a meal which represents the future ministry of Christ to the believer.  This simple meal represents the Marriage Supper of the Lamb that will take place when Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, redeems us and takes us to heaven to be with Him.  This is time where the church – known in Scripture as the BRIDE OF CHRIST – is brought together with the Groom – Jesus Christ – and we have a Marriage Feast together.  Ours is a simple meal but we have a great time around the table talking about what we think Heaven will be like!  You can read more about this in Revelation 19.

 Foot Washing (John 13:1-20)

Next we celebrate the present ministry of Jesus Christ in our lives as believers.  This present ministry involves the ongoing process of being clean before God.  We have a time during the service to spend time quietly confessing sin and experiencing that daily forgiveness with God.  This is a time of individual prayer to ask God to forgive us of any sin that may be in our lives at this time.  We then dismiss for the men go to one area and the women meet in the Joy Fellowship Room.  At this time we wash each other’s feet.  It is not a scrub down washing or power washing, it is simply a symbolic splashing of a little water over each other’s feet and then drying them off.  We have a good time singing and sharing together as we do this.  This practice comes straight out of John 13 where Jesus did it as an example for us to follow regularly each time we share in communion.

The Bread and Cup (Matthew 26:26-28)

The final part of our service is when we share in the Bread and the Cup – This is a celebration of the past ministry of Christ and represents His great sacrifice for our sins and the payment that was made so that we could experience eternity in heaven with Him if we just acknowledge Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our lives.  

We enjoy doing this together as a family of believers a Osceola Grace and would invite you, as a follower of Jesus Christ, to join us this Sunday, November 22 right after our worship service.   Our kids can join us for the meal and then will be dismissed to childcare during the foot washing and bread and cup portions of the service.