We've got seats!

The sanctuary is filled with seats...we're ready to go for Sunday!!

Since the pews will be a couple of more weeks before they are installed we have had to scramble for extra seating. The Lord has provided for us and we're good to go. Special thanks goes out to Northview A/G and Pastor Burton and also Memorial Baptist Church (our hosts for so long), and then to Jeff and the Cummins crew. All total we have over 280 chairs on the main floor...and then we've cleared several pews in our balcony for an overflow section too! Everyone who comes will have a seat to experience our Grand Re-Opening Service and God's favor extended to us!

There is still some time to pass out several invite postcards...or call a friend...or send an email...or text them an invite message...or drop by a friend's house. Everyone from CFA should be bringing someone to our BIG day! It's wonderful to see our people getting excited about bringing friends and special guests to our Grand Re-Opening Service. With over 320 seats (including the balcony) we are expecting God to demonstrate a "beyond all limits" attendance and then a powerful anointing upon the worship experience, and most importantly for the ministry from the Word from our guest evangelist! It's gonna be totally awesome this Sunday!!

My brother arrived from his church, Lima First Assembly of God - Ohio, to work with his missions team on flooded out homes. Tomorrow they'll join us at our church for the Church Clean-Up Day in preparation for Sunday.

I'll post some pics of our progress in the fellowship hall...

• Cutting through the stone wall in the baptismal area...
• Finishing the stage in the construction period...
• Repositioning the entry doors closer to 10th Street...
• Chairs, chairs, chairs in the sanctuary!

We enjoyed a good football game tonight over @ Columbus East Stadium. Our team is ranked #1 in the state and was pretty good tonight. One of our CFA boys was the opposing quarterback from Jennings County, Kevin Collinsworth, and played a scrappy game too! Very proud of him. Also, Devon was with his marching band and sounding great!

Don't forget to join us for the explosive service on Sunday @ 10 am right back home @ 10th and Iowa Streets! We're going home...

Love to all.

Point them to the cross

Middle of the week. More steps of progress. Moving toward Sunday!

Wednesday witnessed lots of good things as workers worked in and out of our buildings. The security system people continued on the installation of the new system. The contractors continued building the stage in the fellowship hall. This is my next project I must push through as we desperately need the ministry space for Sundays children's ministries. Plus other special events need this area as well. At least there is progress being made in the fellowship hall.

Made many necessary phone calls and emails concerning our BIG day this Sunday. It is our HUGE Grand Re-Opening Service and All Together Sunday. It all begins before the clock strikes 10 in the morning.

My landscaping workers were at it again outside preparing all the flower bed and bush areas located around our church. Marcia and Trudy amaze me with their fierce determination to get things done before our BIG day. I appreciate their efforts immensely!

We'll have a final work day this Saturday to get everything looking nice for Sunday. Expecting a big and exciting crowd of people to join us.

Our new steeple is being noticed. Everyone loves the beautiful design and simple cross that sits up on top. Praise God for this new addition to our church! Join me in pointing sinners to the cross of Christ. The cross says it all.

We continue to trust God to touch the hearts of people to join us in contributing to the DEBT FREE MIRACLE that we are believing will take place before all the rebuilding is done.

• Our overwhelming need: $350,000
• Gifts given thus far: $50,000
• Left to go: $300,000

Whatever you can do will help us move closer to this mark. You may go to our website and make your contribution:

www.columbusfirstassembly.org

Thanks so much for your help in finishing the task here @ CFA.

Let me hear from you today...post your comment and let us know where you live. I've got many overseas readers to my blog as well as most of the states here in the U.S. Let me hear from you where you live. Send me your encouragement and prayers!

Love to all!

Steeple & Cross Erected!

Picture of the old steeple

The right company for the job!

Chuck and Barry

New steeple delivered

Crane in position

Hoisting it heavenward

Securing it down

Barry ready for his hallowed task...lift the cross into position!

Up, up and away!

Planting the cross high for all to see!

An anticipated and expected day finally arrived!!

It had been almost four months ago that our steeple got tossed from the roof in a strong storm where tornadoes raged just about 20 minutes from here. The old one was a fiberglass unit that was laid out in our parking lot after the mighty winds.

After filing an insurance claim and contacting Campbellsville Industries from Campbellsville, Kentucky, we were well on our way in the process to getting a brand new one. After placing the order, and waiting for it to be built (out of aluminum not fiberglass!), today was the day that the steeple and cross was to be delivered and installed. What a great experience it was to see the steeple and cross hoisted into position for all of our community to see! What a blazing testimony for our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!!

When Barry and Chuck got to the cross...wow!...it was a holy moment. To see Barry lifted up on that little bench with the cross in his hands...it was truly a powerful experience for me. To recognize the significance of what they were doing to help us share the message of Christ's love for all mankind...amazing. Every vehicle that passes by our church on busy 10th Street will be able to see the CROSS. We positioned it just right for passerby's to get the best view of the CROSS! Thank God for the cross! It was where Jesus Christ His Son straddled the line between heaven and hell and opened the highway for 'whosoever will' to accept God's free gifts of salvation & eternal life by faith in His name.

CFA's mission is to see lives transformed by the power of Jesus Christ...through the cross. To that we have committed ourselves and will faithfully present the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and sinful generation. There is glorious HOPE in the cross!

CFA was the busy center of attention today.

• The final doors in the sanctuary wing were installed and completed!
• The stage in the fellowship hall was initiated and begun today!
• The security system guys were in today and beginning the installation of our new security alarm system.
• Of course, the steeple was erected on the highest point on our church roof (the boom crane was extended to it's highest point: 92 feet!).
• The Terminix guy was in for his visit today.
• Touch up painting was continued on certain areas of our regional worship center.
  
• Plans are in full force for the upcoming All Together Sunday and Grand Re-Opening Service on Sunday! It is going to be so awesome...I can't wait!!

We wrapped up a great day with our mid-week (we're all not so sure a Tuesday qualifies for mid-week...still very hard to get used to!!) bible study and prayer time. We studied out of Luke Chapter 7. A great time with our people fellowshipping and studying the Word!

If you live anywhere near Columbus, Indiana (that's within driving distance), please plan to join us for a wonderful celebration of God's goodness and faithfulness this coming Sunday, Sept.14th! We are expecting God to do some amazing and beyond all limits things as we gather for the Grand Re-Opening Service...plus we'll host our all-church picnic later in the day as well!

Have a blessed night...talk to you again tomorrow!

Love to all.

Back home @ CFA!

Praise God for a great service back home today!

That's right, today was the Sunday we all gathered together back home for the first time since the flood of '08. There was a tremendous electrifying excitement among our congregation and community this morning. I was thrilled to have many of my immediate church neighbors in service too, plus lots of other invited guests. God was with us. God was fighting for us. God had indeed blessed us as we set our minds to worship Him!

We had set up all the chairs we had the past couple of days. Knowing the amount of chairs we had I had challenged, or maybe better yet invited, our people to bring their lawn chairs if they wanted to. Would you believe many people took me up on it? We had sports chairs and lawn chairs set up in our open sanctuary. Don't forget that our pews will still be several weeks before installation, but that didn't stop us from coming home. It was a great day! Thanks Lord for meeting with us today and unifying our church with a NEW FOCUS!

The message today centered on moving from this historic point with a new FOCUS for ministry and in the receiving and welcoming of guests that visit our church. God directed our hearts to Romans 12 and challenged us with several specific points for us to remember. It's all about people. Let's not get lost in the details that we forget our FOCUS of why the church is here in the first place. Our vision: To transform lives through the power of Jesus Christ. Period!

I've included some updated pictures of our progress in the sanctuary wing. We've come a long way from that fateful day on June 7th, 2008. Thanks Lord for everything you've done to lead us through the wilderness back home to CFA. We intend to have a NEW FOCUS for ministry in our regional worship center.

Looking forward to a great week. Preparations will continue full speed ahead for next Sunday's ALL TOGETHER SUNDAY where we will be having our Grand Re-Opening Service. We are expecting a huge crowd! Lots of special surprises and lots of special guests. That means we gotta find some more seats this week!

Love to all!

Soccer Saturday

Great day on Saturday!

Started the day early with a trip up to Greenwood to pick up an item for our church. It is our first service back @ CFA and we are trying to make it a special one for our church family. They will be very pleased and surprised by how beautiful and attractive everything is now...compared to the days after the flood! Wow...what an amazing makeover.

Drove back in time to watch some games and capture some pics of my two kids playing soccer. Today was the start of a 6 week run for their rec games. Trenton enjoyed getting back on the field again...he's missed it since he's been so busy working. Ashlyn has been placed with girls several years older than her. But she held her own against the big girls!

Worked at the church most of the day getting things ready for tomorrow. My wife, plus Kevin, Martha and David, all pitched in to get things ready for our first service back. Lots of work to get everything in position for our first service.

Don't forget to pray for us!

If you can, join us back @ 10th & Iowa Streets @ 10 am sharp...why not even get there early for a good seat!

Love to all!

Passionate Prayers Prayed

Tonight was our 1st prayer meeting back in the sanctuary since the Flood of '08...three months ago!

"May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place." (2 Chron.6:20)

What a great feeling to pray prayers that the Father hears and responds to...right from your own sanctuary (yes, even though He responds to any one, praying anywhere!!). We've reached the 3-month mark since the flood waters of Haw Creek rose to historic proportions and flooded about every inch of our ministry center. We have just concluded the renovations for the first part of our center -- the sanctuary wing! This Sunday is our first worship service back home since that time. Then the following Sunday is our ALL TOGETHER SUNDAY with lots of surprises prepared for this celebratory day. God has been good through all the ups and downs of this wild faith ride journey!! Thanks Lord for your amazing goodness extended towards us each and every day!

Following the prayer meeting, we all put our hands to the tasks of finalizing last minute sanctuary chair set-up (pews don't arrive for another couple of weeks, so we'll use the chairs), sanctuary clean-up, carpet waste removal, vacuuming, etc., etc. Every one is so excited to see how everything has come together and provides us with the opportunity to finally get back home on Sundays to 10th & Iowa Streets...our regional worship center.

Now that didn't come without a lot of hard work from a host of people, plus a determination to move each project along to completion:

• Carpet job is for the most part done...even though there are a few areas that need attention. Last night I stayed with the installers until 11 pm...making sure they finished up plenty of their assignments. They were back again today to finish the cove base and several other areas.
• The Information Center was completely refinished and delivered on Thursday. The only problem was that it was completely disassembled. Happy to have Monty and Pastor Joel help me put it back together! It really does look sharp...you'll just have to wait to see it on Sunday (no pics until after Sunday's service!).
• The new wood doors are being installed one by one. Did you know that we have 22 wood doors in the sanctuary wing? Hard to believe that there are that many doors! The contractors are even coming in on Saturday to try and finish up this project before Sunday...they will give it their best!
• Bathroom accessories have been installed for use on Sunday and beyond.
• The city inspector came today and gave us an "approved for occupancy" pass! PTL!!
• Platform is ready for worship and the Word! Pulpit is back in position...yeah!!
• Pastor Joel picked up a communion set from our borrowed church, since we have lost or misplaced ours since the flood.
  

Join me in praying for God to move mightily in our first service back home. We got a good start on those prayers tonight.

If you are in the area, please come and join us in giving praise to the Lord God for all that He has done for Columbus First Assembly, and our community.

Blessings "Beyond All Limits!"

Love to all.

Crunch Time!

We are moving into that crucial crunch time zone!

Around Columbus First Assembly there is a buzz of excitement as we prepare to move back into our Regional Worship Center. Grant it, it is only the sanctuary, foyer, bathrooms and offices...but it is about coming home. Everybody loves to go home and we are going home this coming Sunday to 10th and Iowa Streets. September 7th is a big day for our church. We will be able to worship in our home base sanctuary for the first time in three months.

The date we were flooded out of our church ministry facilities was June 7, 2008. That day will stand out forever in our church history books, but it was also the date that set our church on a new course. When you go through a tragedy or a devastation, you ultimately must change and adapt. Your heart becomes softened and is touched by the grace of God...but you must however allow Him to work in your heart and life. With God's help and strength we have seen His hand mold us into a new church. We have been softened these past 3 months and we will remain pliable in the future as we allow God to have His way with us! Lord, whatever your plan and purpose for our church is that's what we want to follow!

The last several days have seen much progress. Even on Labor Day there was action going on in the sanctuary. More carpet has gone down. New wood doors are being installed. Sound equipment is being mixed properly. Worship instruments are being brought back to our platform. The fine tuning touches are being conducted. Offices are getting settled. The roof is being readied for our new steeple which is set to be installed next week. Landscaping is being worked on. We are very anxious to get back home.

We continue to believe that God will provide for the exorbitant costs associated with the rebuilding of our regional worship center. We are trusting Him to provide the funds to rebuild DEBT FREE! If you can help in any way let me encourage you to send your vote of support by way of a financial contribution to our church's Flood Fund. You may use the online giving feature on our church website:

www.columbusfirstassembly.org

Thanks in advance of your love and compassion to get our church back totally on our feet. We still must rebuild and restore the other 2/3 of our ministry center but are waiting on architectural plans and approval. Please pray for favor for those working in these areas and also for the remaining funds to come in. We trust in our Omnipotent and Omniscient God to work the details out and release the necessary provisions.

Thanks for your love, prayers and support. If you are ever in the area, please come and join us for a service in our church at 10th and Iowa Streets in Columbus, Indiana. You are always welcome and wanted here!!

Looking up and holding on to His powerful and mighty arm of righteousness!

Love to all!