A NOTE FROM PASTOR RANDALL
"...but I press on...forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead...!!" (Philippians 3)
As you know...God has called us and it is our joy to join Him in "Knowing Christ and Making Christ Known...!!" In the midst of our journey with Jesus, we have opportunities to make a clear path for others to find the hope that we have in Christ. The much needed updates to our facilities presented on this webpage will only enhance our sharing of Jesus as our friends join us for worship.
As always...thank you for living as the type of Jesus followers that will do whatever is necessary to help others know Him...!! I love you...!!
-Pastor Randall
Acts 20:24 - "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
Renderings are representations of proposed updates. Final results may not be exactly as pictured. Click on any image to enlarge.
READY FOR GUESTS!
At FIRST, one of our core values states, “we believe that excellence honors God and inspires people.” As we pursue excellence, we realize that it must not only be exhibited in our lives and our ministries, but also in our facilities. Every person who enters our church facility is potentially a person who needs to know Jesus! We want to be ready to introduce them to Jesus with excellence, offering a facility which is modern, comfortable and appealing. With this in mind, we believe it is time to make some updates and enhancements to our worship area. These updates will help “set the stage” for a preferred future as we move into the next 15-20 years of excellence in ministry. The proposed updates (pending church approval) include:
• Worship Center Updates
Theatre style seating, updated flooring, paint, new house lighting, updated AV systems
• Lobby Enhancements
Expanded spaces and seating, updated flooring, new wall treatments, welcome center, enhanced community atmosphere
• Restroom Remodeling
Worship Center restrooms and Gathering Room restrooms, all new fixtures and interiors
FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT
MEMBER TESTIMONY
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Our view on giving is all about loving God and loving others... Obedience to the tithe, it’s all God’s anyway… Trusting HIM, to provide and meet needs... Using the tool of giving to love others. That might be meals, Bibles, flowers, coffee, prayers, and at times even larger more sacrificial things.
Living generously towards God and others is how God created us to live. It is life-giving to live this way. It brings joy, hope, and encouragement to others and to oneself. Greed will bring us defeat if we let it. Generosity brings life and joy. Every dollar we spend loving God and others is an investment well spent, a seed sown for His kingdom.
We’ve seen it time and again, the love (giving) we pour out towards God and others, truly gets poured back into us. It’s worth it! Trust God to honor your generosity. He is faithful!
“Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure – pressed down, shaken together, and running over – will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” LUKE 6:38 CSB
-Curtis and Jodie Radford
SO... HOW WILL WE DO THIS?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What's the next step toward making this happen?
These recommendations come from a special Facilities Research Team, appointed by the Elders. The findings of the team and the proposed updates (as seen on this page) were presented to the church on July 9. We had a Special Called Business Meeting on Sunday, August 20, where the church approved moving forward with this project by an 87% affirmative vote. On Sunday, September 10, we will have a special “Commitment Day” to help pay for the needed work (more info below).
Now that the church has voted to approve these updates, when will the remodeling work begin?
We will need to raise the needed commitments to fund the project on Commitment Day. If we can accomplish this, the the preparatory work would begin immediately. Actual remodeling and construction work would begin in late October or early November.
How long will the remodeling work take to be completed?
It is anticipated that the improvements to the Worship Center, Lobby and Restrooms will take around 4 months to complete once construction begins. During this time, we will hold Sunday worship in the I-70 Gymnasium at our normal service times. Also, while things may look a little different, it is our intention to still offer holiday events like First Christmas, Jingle Jam, and Christmas Eve worship in the Gymnasium.
Will the church go into more debt to fund this project?
No. We are committed to our current aggressive plan of paying down debt, and that will not change. To date we have paid off over 3.8 million dollars of debt on the I-70 building loan, and our monthly payments will continue in the same manner. There will be no additional loans secured to pay for the proposed updates.
So, how will the proposed updates be paid for?
The costs of the improvements are estimated to be 1.5 to 1.6 million dollars (as estimated by multiple construction contractors). Our Elders and Finance Team believe this can be accomplished without any additional loans. Instead, they are proposing that the project be paid partially with current church funds (around $750,000 already in the bank) and the rest with additional raised funds from the church family. On September 10, Commitment Sunday, the church will be asked to help pay for this project in two ways: The first way is to “fund a seat.” Each of the 900 new Worship Center seats can be funded with an up-front gift of $350. We ask each family to consider funding at least one seat, or maybe even multiple seats with an up-front gift on that Sunday. The second way is for each individual or family to prayerfully consider making a monthly commitment for the next 12 months to help us fund the rest of the project. Our goal is to raise a total of at least $750,000 on Commitment Sunday between the up-front gifts (fund a seat) and the monthly commitments. It will take all of us! Everyone’s gift matters, regardless of the size of the commitment. Together, we can do great things right now… and leave a lasting legacy for years to come!
ACTION STEPS:
• Pray about your financial commitment
• Bring your commitment card and up-front gift on or before Sunday, September 10
MISSED THE SUNDAY "PRESS ON" PRESENTATION TO THE CHURCH? WATCH IT HERE!