The Last Month of 2008

It's hard to believe that we've arrived at December already. This year of 2008 has flown by way too quick...guess the flood waters had sometime to do with that!

Our family had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday together. Jordon was home from Evangel University and was ready for some real home cooking. Mom prepared a mean turkey feast with all the trimmings. Wow, what an overflowing array of delicious dishes. We all got to top it off with pumpkin pie and whipped cream. We invited two young men from our church to join us and they got a taste of the Andreasen tradition. It was a relaxing day!

Sunday we experienced a celebration of God's goodness at church. We gathered in the sanctuary for the fifth Sunday in November. Fellowship was the focus of my message that day. Koinonia is that awesome interaction and communion of God's people as they build each other up in this awesome fellowship of God. It is one of the powerful components of any church. We need it and we must fight to stay together and remain unified. The enemy aims to isolate the believer and lock him outside of the deep fellowship that forms the nucleus of the church. The busyness and hectic pace that spins about in our culture today tears at the fabric of true fellowship and the building of Christian relationships. We mustn't let church be resolved to a simple service...we need to spend time with each other!

Work progresses on our rebuilding project. Concrete was poured today for the footer that will form the base for the steel beam that will be erected at the new stairwell opening. Plus, concrete was poured in the trough that was cut for the sump pump lines. The heating contractors moved forward with the start of installing the third furnace in the basement mechanical room. Drywall continues to go up in the basement classrooms. It is starting to take shape...

The architect and engineer worked together for the positioning of a new support beam in the basement. A new support column was needed after the floor was cut out for the large stairwell opening, and also other openings in the walls that are being made for new duct work.

The situation in the toddler wing that caused work to halt has been addressed. Plans are being given to correct the foundation deficiencies. We should have some real numbers to look at the middle of this week.

Christmas is just 24 days away...that's literally amazing. Since that day our world changed here in Columbus - June 7th 2008 - we have been engulfed with ministry, activity and reconstruction. We are soon to reach the 6-month mark!!

Keep praying for us. Keep believing with us that God will create a DEBT FREE MIRACLE. We have a long ways to go...but we serve a BIG GOD!

Love to all.

Just thinking out loud!

Uncovered this fan...wonder when the last time it worked?

Basement hallway

Footing for new steel beams

New entry door into the new bathrooms...and showers too!

Looking at both doors into bathroom area

New furnaces

Heating duct work

View from SW to NE corner of basement

Do you know what this spells?

Tons of drywall for the basement

Workers building our new stairs for the new stairwell

Allison & Pastor Joel checking out the new stairwell space

Sorry about the inactivity on my blog for the last week! Let me recap the last week for you...

There have been serious issues with the rebuild in the toddler wing which has halted progress in that area of our church facilities. But work in other areas is slowly progressing.

Sunday was an awesome service here @ CFA. Started with a powerful prayer session with my prayer team...then traveled on through our worship encounter...then blew through the preaching of the Word too! Wow...what a message! I wish you could listen to it, but we have been experiencing difficulties with our church website. As soon as they are resolved (Lord willing!), we will upload it for you!!

Sunday night I met with my awesome missions committee and we established our 2009 Missions Budget together with the Holy Spirit's assistance. This is the fifth year that we have increased our vision and sights in doing more for world evangelization! Proud of our church for their passion to partner with MORE missionaries...rather than less like a lot of churches are doing today. Congratulations CFA for catching the vision!

Let me post some picture updates from our flood restoration and rebuilding project. Little by little, day by day, we are moving ever closer to getting back into all areas of our spacious regional worship center...just not sure of when THAT DAY will be.

Just think...

• We have not been able to have Sunday School classes for the past 5 1/2 months...no classrooms!!
• We've not had the proper equipment and ministry resources for our Kids Church...yet my lovely wife finds a way to minister to our children week in and week out in the restored fellowship hall.
  
• We have not been able to house our youth ministry in their regular youth space (fellowship hall) and they've been crammed down in the basement of our borrowed church...proud of Pastor Joel, his leaders and all the young people for their heart in "making their services work each week!"
• We've not had our regular nursery space for our babies...however, they've managed in the overflow space of our fellowship hall.
• We've not had the proper room for our toddler ministry because of our flooded out situation...in the meantime they are jammed into a small room which will eventually become our new library room.
  
• We've not had classrooms and proper supplies for our Royal Rangers and Missionette programs...yet they continue to make things work for their weekly group sessions!!
• We don't have our custodial closet with all the supplies needed for daily and weekly cleaning and repairs...proud of Martha & Kevin for making it work with what they have.
• We don't have a church kitchen...but our ladies are so ready to have a new kitchen with new appliances when this rebuild is all over with...right Betsy??
  

Here is something else...as Christmas rolls around next month, normally we would be making preparations to put up beautiful decorations around our church. GUESS WHAT? We have none! Every bit of our decorations were hauled out of the basement aquarium (that's what it was during the flood!) and thrown into the dumpsters!!

These are situations we face as a flooded out church. Here is something else for you to ponder... all of our purchased prizes and supplies for next year's HUGE EASTER EGG HUNT was also destroyed and ditched too (they were stored in the basement!!). So many things were lost in the flood. ..it's hard to comprehend! BUT, we will return and emerge from this disaster stronger than we ever have before!! Our God REIGNS.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. We appreciate it so very much.

And don't forget that we still need those contributions for our FLOOD FUND that is endeavoring to pay for all of these repairs to our church. And we can't forget all of the furniture, supplies, resources, etc. that was lost as well!

We did have one church from Carmel, Indiana send in their contribution last week to lend a helping hand. Thanks Carmel Assembly of God! Will your church help? We need you.

We simply are trusting God to provide. He is more than able to meet this overwhelming need. God is in charge and God knows how to meet this deficit.

Thanks for listening to me as I ramble on with my post-flood musings...just thinking out loud! Kinda got carried away for a brief moment.

Love to all!

Tuesday night service...

Finished stairwell opening...wow!

Looking from the room underneath the new opening...

Walls in Toddler Wing

...more of the Toddler Wing

Plumbing for the new basement bathrooms

ABC...they're back!

Huge blade!

Opening from the outside

Same spot

Done!

Hallway towards new entrance in Toddler Wing

Masons closed up the old opening!

Yup, we had our mid-week service tonight at the borrowed church (for a while longer too!) and what a great time we had!

Ron led us in some of the favorite hymns and a few favorites. Good singing from everyone this evening. We had a wonderful time together...praying together, encouraging one another, building strong relationships, and studying the Word together...we started into Luke Chapter 11 with the Lord's Prayer. Thank the Lord for the faithfulness from our congregation to continue down the trail following the Flood of '08! Tuesday's have been super thus far. Here's a shout out to Lisa B., Alishia B. and Lisa H....so happy you are worshiping and studying with us each week!

Progress continues on the rebuild of CFA's facilities. It seems like everyone is stepping it up to get things completed for our church. There have been lots and lots of workers coming each day with loads of work being accomplished. I have been very pleased with things so far.

Today the opening was completed for our new stairwell into the basement. The hole looks so strange and out of sorts but right in line with the architectural plans for our new regional worship center. Plus, the old entrance into the toddler wing was closed up today and a new entrance was made on the east side of the toddler wing. I think we're gonna wear out those concrete saw blades from ABC Cutting Contractors...(if you'll look hard, you've seen many different trucks coming each day for the different cuts needed for that day!).

Several walls went up today in the toddler wing. Plumbing pipes were fitted into the channels recently cut out in our new basement bathrooms. Plus, more ductwork was completed in the basement too!

Thank you Lord for the push we've seen on our church facilities. May you continue to guide and direct each worker, protect them from danger and accidents, lead them in your love and bless your house daily!

Lord, we continue to pray that you will touch people around the globe, around the United States, in our own State of Indiana, and even here in Bartholomew County to contribute to the cause. We still believe that you can help us rebuild DEBT FREE but it will not happen without your help and provision. Lord I ask that you send us some special blessings these next couple of days to remind us of your promise and also your Word! Thank you Lord!

Don't forget our sources of contact:

1. Church address: CFA, 2100 Tenth St., Columbus, IN 47201
2. Website giving portal: www.columbusfirstassembly.org

We continue to give God all the glory for the great and mighty things He is doing here @ Columbus First Assembly in Columbus, Indiana.

I'm grateful for your support in this journey. Leave me a little note or comment so I may hear from you.

Love to all.

Floor cut out...

Tons of huge concrete chunks have been cut out, both in the main floor making way for the new stairwell (it has to be up to code!), as well as the new basement bathrooms (remember, we've never had bathrooms in our church basement before...ever!).

Happy with the amount of progress that has been made late last week and today on the rebuild for our flooded-out church facilities. We've had the contractors here, the plumbers have been here, the heating contractors were here, plus the concrete cutting company. And don't forget the masons too! Lots and lots of activity around our regional worship center!!

Great day at church yesterday. A heavier message to deliver than normal. You can access it through our church website in order to listen to "The Hidden Sin."

http://www.columbusfirstassembly.org/RESOURCES/SermonPodcast/tabid/6533/Default.aspx

Last Friday I was invited to participate for the Shareathon of a local Christian Southern Gospel Radio Station. I was the pastoral guest for a three-hour shift in the afternoon. I think it was my first time to be "on the air" as a featured guest. Very interesting and very fun! Check out the station's website: www.wygs.org

The sun came out for a little bit this morning...was so excited...but then it was covered up with clouds again...lots of clouds the last several days! I'm ready for the sunshine!!

View the pictures to catch up on the progress of Columbus First Assembly's Restoration Project.

Don't forget to lend a financial hand with all the expenses of this rebuild...since our church was flooded out back on June 7th. We would appreciate it so very much!

http://www.columbusfirstassembly.org

Love to all!