Pictures of our Progress!

We are one month into renovations to the sanctuary, and things are really looking different around here! Here are a few pictures of our first month of progress.










Moving the pews out was a BIG task. It was a blessing for us to be able to donate our pews to a church in Arkansas that had been praying for God to provide seating for their sanctuary. And now with the open space, we can install theater-style seating that will allow space for 540 more people in each service!









Nineveh Temple Church of God in Christ (from Arkansas) arrived June 3 to load up as many pews as possible on their first trip. They are beyond excited to see God answering their prayers for seating.









Our new pedestrian bridge has now been installed on the choir room end of the property. This will make it easier to enter the building when parking across the creek.









Steel arrived on June 23 that will be used to support our new balcony extensions.









As you can see, the construction crews have definitely made progress in the sanctuary. We can't wait to see the room as it is reconstructed.







Our new baptistery will be located on the floor level of the sanctuary where this picture was taken (left side of current stage).







The upstairs changing area for baptisms is being renovated as well.







We can't wait to watch the room continue to transform! We look forward to the many people who will draw closer to the Lord in this sanctuary because of current members who were willing to be flexible and who were willing to give toward these renovations. Thank you! We appreciate each of you!

Renovation Progresses

Worship services in the Upper & Lower Gym are going great, and we so appreciate everyone’s flexibility during renovations! Work continues in the sanctuary, and progress is slow but steady. Please continue to pray for favor with permit officials, arrival of materials, and safety for the workers. As work continues, we will have a better idea of when we will be able to resume worship in the sanctuary. Thank you for your support and understanding through this time of transition!

Church on the Street

This past week, I had the honor of leading 19 students and adults on a mission trip that is sure to be a spiritual marker in all of our lives! We served the homeless in downtown Atlanta through a ministry called Church on the Street. The trip consisted of many different ways of serving, such as "homeless walks," a picnic in the park, parish walks, and a block party...but our most meaningful opportunities were the conversations we had with our homeless friends we met in the parks and along the street.

I say "friends" because that is what Church on the Street taught us is the most important way to minister to those we would encounter. The ministry's main goal is to live out the question, "How can we be both for and with our most vulnerable neighbors?" Obviously, this comes from the second part of the Great Commandment where Jesus tells us to "love our neighbors as we love ourselves." The greatest need that we all have is to encounter friendship...to be known and to be valued. Achieving this, in essence, was our main goal. No agenda. No preaching. No Romans Road. No throwing "stuff" at them just so we would feel good about ourselves. Instead, we walked, we listened, we laughed, we met needs, we asked questions, we gave hugs...that is what we did!

In the end, my prayer is that we simply were a stepping stone in someone's path toward truly knowing the ultimate friendship that anyone can find...and that is in Jesus.

Kelly Sayle
Middle School Director

Student Lives Changed

Student camp was an amazing week for our students! We spent June 1-5 in Shocco Springs, AL, worshiping with The Matt Papa Band and speaker Chad Norris. We witnessed many life-changing decisions in the lives of our students! Many were called into full time ministry and missions. I had the privilege of taking part in baptizing two of our high school guys while we were there. Two students also gave their lives to Christ. One of those students is a foreign exchange student from Japan. She had been prayed for for many months and had multiple people speaking truth to her and planting seeds in her life while she was here in the US. At camp on Friday night, one of our leaders had the privilege of walking her through accepting Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. It was amazing to see God work through so many of our adult leaders and students at camp leading up to her salvation! I can't wait to see how God continues to speak into the lives of his people!

Josh Stephenson
High School Pastor

Moving Pews & Building Bridges

Friday was a busy day for us and for Nineveh Temple Church of God in Christ from Forrest City, Arkansas. Nineveh’s crew (in two tractor-trailers) pulled in around noon to begin loading up pews and moving them to a new church home. Nineveh is so grateful for the donation, and we’re glad to be able to help them out. Here are a few pictures of the pews being moved out and loaded up.

Early this morning, our new pedestrian bridge was put into place. This new bridge is on the west side of our property, just past the choir room end of the building.

Here's a sneak peek of the back hallway/choir room entrance. Notice anything different??

Outside Insight

This past Sunday a minister friend and his wife were visiting with us while they were on vacation. As he observed the necessary changes in light of our renovation he remarked that this can be a very special time for us as a congregation to watch the Lord at work in drawing us even closer together.

May Jesus’ words of John 13:35 encourage us all... ”By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Grace,
David Thompson
Adult Pastor

Renovations are underway!

Renovations to our current sanctuary began last Monday, May 23, and it’s incredible how quickly things are happening around here. The south and east side of our campus have rapidly become a construction zone, with entrances blocked by heavy machinery and caution tape, and a new temporary wall that has been placed down the center of the Atrium. The pews have all been removed, and we’re excited to be able to donate them to a church in Arkansas that was in great need of them! The trucks rolled in around noon today to load the pews and move them to Arkansas. Isn’t it awesome how God supplies our needs? He used our need for new space to bless another congregation in need of new seating. This is just one of the unique ways God is meeting needs through this project. The clean-out/tear-down process should be completed this weekend, and next week the crews will begin to rebuild. We can’t wait to see how everything works out! Thank you for praying for our church during this time of renovation and for our staff as they make important decisions. We so appreciate your prayers as well as your support and flexibility while renovations take place!