Hiland Park Baptist Church asked, and it received: The Bay County Commission on Tuesday unanimously agreed to abandon two rights of way so the church can embark on a $7.9 million expansion project, despite objections from neighborhood residents.

From a general perspective, the Commission did the right thing. The church owns the land on either side of the alleys in question. It has complied with county regulations. It was not seeking a rezoning of the property.

Some residents who live near the church oppose the expansion, arguing that the increase in paved parking will create stormwater runoff problems. Others expressed concern about additional lighting, fewer trees and having to drive through a construction area and between stormwater ponds.

The church did make one concession Tuesday. It offered a permanent easement to the residents that runs through the parking lot, and commissioners required it as a condition of approving the abandonment.

The church played by the rules. As Commissioner Mike Thomas said, It appears to me the things they are obliged to do, theyve done.

Hiland Park Baptist followed the letter of the law. But it perhaps could have done more in the way of following unwritten protocols.

One common complaint residents lodged was that they were caught unaware of the churchs expansion plants and desired an opportunity to discuss it with Hiland Park Baptist officials before breaking ground. This seems to happen a lot projects proceed without reaching out to those who might be affected by them.

Those snubs can stiffen peoples opposition. They feel picked on, ignored, powerless. Sometimes you can modify plans to satisfy their concerns. Other times, just listening and explaining things to them cools things down, even if the project isnt changed. People at least feel like they were taken seriously. (Of course, theres always some who wont be satisfied unless they get their way, period). This is especially important when dealing with residential neighborhoods.

Its the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Although Hiland Park Baptist has been planning to expand for several years, residents say the latest project is different than initial plans that were discussed in 2007. And this time, they say they werent briefed by the church beforehand.

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Church outreach

Augustus Conant was a man with a purpose even if it meant drifting away from the family business.

Conant was born Oct. 16, 1811, in Brandon, Vt., to Ebenezer Conant and Fanny Clifford. He later went on to help form the First Christian Congregation of Geneva, later known as the Unitarian Church in Geneva and now the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva. The church is part of the Central Geneva Historical District, which was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The Kane County Chronicle is taking a look at area buildings on the register this week.

The soon-to-be minister had aspirations of a liberal education and profession, wrote Robert Collyer in the 1905 biography Augustus Conant: Illinois Pioneer and Preacher. Conants father, Ebenezer, wanted him to stay as a farmer in Vermont. He left behind his family in Vermont in September 1832 for what was then called the far west the prairies of Illinois. He kept a daily journal of his travels that he continued writing in even after he came to live on his own in the state.

When Conant finally made it to Chicago, Collyer writes: [Conant] found nothing worth his notice except Fort Dearborn. He thought the town was so situated that it would eventually become a place of considerable importance. Conant spent only an hour in what is now the city limits of Chicago. After traveling throughout the state, he settled in Des Plaines.

He actually went back to farming, the family business, once he the found the perfect land parcel. His family joined him shortly thereafter after Conant discovered that the soil was great for farming.

Conants diary entries, obtained through the Geneva History Center, continued, including this one dated Feb. 25, 1840: Preached at Geneva. Read Norton on the Trinity. Made soap. Boiled sugar. Wrote a sermon on the Aim of Life.

A couple short years and a Harvard ordination later, he began preaching in Geneva full time. On May 8, 1842, he wrote, We had our first meeting to day [sic] on the subject of forming a religious society in Geneva but there was a doubt as to whether the right time had come to begin and a declaration of principles that had been circulated and signed by twenty persons was reserved for further consideration.

That day was the first preliminary meeting to plan what is now the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva. On June 12, 1842, the First Christian Congregation of Geneva was formed, according to a church document obtained at the Geneva History Center through the Des Plaines Historical Society.

The name was chosen because Conant teamed up with other denominations, including Unitarians, Presbyterians and Episcopalians, according to church records. The congregations members met in various locations throughout Geneva, including the old courthouse.

In a letter to the Christian Register dated March 18, 1843, Conant said, The Court House, in which we have held meetings in the summer, is out of repair and without a stove. He also noted how the church needed its own building. A fair was later held in May 1843 with the help of one of Genevas leading merchants at the time, Polly Patten, and her brother, Charles Patten, to raise money to build the church.

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History Made: Church keeps history alive every Sunday

Thousands attend the groundbreaking for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Provo City Center Temple in Provo Saturday, May 12, 2012. The temple will be constructed on the site of the Provo Tabernacle, a community landmark and gathering place from the time it was built in the 1880s until it was destroyed by fire in December 2010.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

PROVO Dale King sang with a choir at a Christmas celebration in the Provo Tabernacle days before a fire gutted the historic building in late 2010.

The Provo resident sang with a choir again on the site Saturday, when leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated the property for the construction of Provo's second temple to be built inside the tabernacle's shell.

For King, who lives just a few minutes from the historic building that was originally constructed from 1883 to 1898, the temple groundbreaking signified the rising of something beautiful from the ashes of devastation.

He and more than 5,600 people gathered on the grounds of the historic site for the ceremonies, during which Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke and offered a prayer of dedication. Also delivering remarks were Sister Patricia Holland, Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder William R. Walker of the Seventy and Elder Cecil O. Samuelson, emeritus Seventy and president of Brigham Young University. The proceedings were broadcast to LDS meetinghouses throughout Provo and Springville.

The Provo City Center Temple is expected to be completed in three years and will include underground parking.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, church leaders were joined by government and civic leaders in turning over shovels filled with soil to signify the beginning of work on the site.

Built in the heart of Provo, the historic tabernacle was a community gathering place for meetings and cultural events for decades.

Elder and Sister Holland attended their first LDS Church meeting together on the site in 1963, nearly 50 years ago. Elder Holland said he and his family have been sharing experiences on the site ever since.

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Rising from ashes: Ground is broken for LDS Church's 2nd temple in Provo

Fire, rebulding, dedication

A plaque notes the fire, rebuilding and dedication of the new Zion Lutheran Church in Oriska. Dave Wallis / The Forum

A cross and a candlestick holder were rescued from the fire and are on display at the new Zion Lutheran Church in Oriska. Dave Wallis / The Forum

The Rev. Dan Faust, a retired Lutheran minister who serves as Zion Lutherans pastor, holds a copy of the Valley City Times Record showing the news of the fire. Dave Wallis / The Forum

ORISKA, N.D. - Even as the Zion Lutheran Church burned to the ground May 16, 2011, the congregation wasnt ready to give up.

As smoke and flames swallowed the 108-year-old building, former Zion president Tom Utke heard them say it over and over again: Were going to rebuild.

Almost one year later, a new church stands. On Mothers Day, the new Zion Lutheran Church hosted a confirmation class of three eighth-graders one whose family has been a member of the church for six generations.

At a time when small, country churches with dwindling memberships are folding, this town of 118 took a leap of faith. They built a new church, not only through their own efforts and donations, but also through the generosity of another church.

Fifty miles northeast of here, the members of Blanchard Lutheran Church had decided to close its doors. Bishop Bill Rindy of the ELCAs Eastern North Dakota Synod contacted the congregation to see if they could help Zion, whose insurance would only pay for the shell of the building. Blanchards members responded with a generosity that surprised even Rindy.

Today, reminders of Blanchard Lutheran are everywhere. The light oak pews are from Blanchard, as is the altar. The collection plates, the baptismal font, the organ, the sound system and the cross atop the building are gifts from Blanchard. The appliances, dishes and the broom and dustpan for Zions yet-to-be-constructed fellowship hall all Blanchard.

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Out of the ashes: Town's efforts, another congregation's generosity resurrect Oriska church

... [W]hatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me, Jesus said in a New International Version translation from Matthews Gospel. Taking the scriptures to heart, the youth of Crosby Church will build and will dwell overnight in a camp that they will make out of cardboard boxes like those in which many homeless people are known to sleep.

In the process of this temporary exercise, participating youth will raise awareness of the plight of homeless people and will collect donations of goods that those who are homeless need.

The youth are collecting building materials now. They will assemble and live overnight in their Box City from 8 p.m. on May 25 until 8 a.m. on May 26, hearing from speakers and taking part in other activities that will be planned.

The outreach is not a run-of-the-mill Friday night. Box City is not a run-of-the-mill construction project. Then, again, homelessness is not supposed to be a run-of-the-mill state.

Im just really excited about our Box City event, Crosby Church Senior Pastor Keenan Smith said. The young people will be setting up boxes, tarps, and different temporary structures, something similar to what someone who is homeless would be living in or making accommodations with.

All of our young people are going to experience a night of homelessness. They are going to be sleeping in the parking lot, just out under the stars. If its adverse weather, they will be in the rain. If its chilly, they will be cool, whatever it is, to just kind of help them understand and recognize not only them but our community the plight of the homeless. Admission is a sack of canned goods that will be donated to a homeless shelter.

Crosby Church youth will show the community that which they will learn, what some of the least among us experience.

Im really excited about what it pours into our young people, the value and the appreciation of the things that we have, Smith said, and an understanding that there are those, that are all around us, in our midst, that are less fortunate, and the responsibility that we have, as a church and as a society, to be able to reach out and to help them get back on their feet or find a place.

Smith has planned events in recent years, such serving food or donating shoes or socks to homeless people, to instill in young congregants the palpable sense of hopelessness that accompanies homelessness. Each activity, Box City included, is a two-fold reality check about the nature and the proximity of the problem.

It is a sad indictment that a lot of our young people didnt realize that you dont have to go to a third-world country, that some of it is right around here, Smith said. So I think it is just really a neat awareness thing that is going to be happening in our region and in our community.

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Crosby Church youth to build Box City May 25

The big hail storm last August did a lot of damage in Maryville, but the members of one local church found inspiration in the destruction a spirit of sharing that has led them to reach out to a tiny east African village more than 8,000 miles distant from Nodaway County.

After the storm, the First Presbyterian Church of Maryville learned that its building would need a new roof. At around $70,000, it was not a cheap fix. Even with an insurance settlement and some money bequeathed from the estate of a deceased member, the small congregation about 100 people altogether was hard pressed to come up with the cash.

But then someone got to thinking, wasn't there a way to turn a negative into a positive? How could the church transform something as mundane even as a new roof into an expression of the congregation's faith and willingness to minister to others?

The answer came in the form of a tithe, the Old Testament principal that 10 percent of a faith community's resources should be offered to God.

Tithing as an expression of faith is perhaps most famously described in Malachi 3.10: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing "

In others words, give God a little, and God will give you a lot.

So the decision was made: First Presbyterian would raise 10 percent over what it cost to fix the roof and dedicate the additional funds to the Lord's work. But what work would that be?

As it happened there is a pastor named David Nzioka at the Swahili-speaking Neema Community Fellowship in Kansas City. Nzioka grew up in Thwake Village, Kenya, and his Neema Fellowship and First Presbyterian both belong to the Heartland Presbytery, an association of about 100 Midwestern Presbyterian churches.

First Presbyterian Pastor Jonathan Mitchell and Nzioka know one another and began talking about the possibility of some sort of partnership. Since Nzioka is heavily involved in mission work on behalf of his native village, Mitchell asked him what Thwake needed that would cost, say, around $7,000.

The answer was, "A church."

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Church roof turned into a symbol of giving

The Rev. Forrest Moore, pastor of West Highland Baptist Church, speaks during a service held Sunday afternoon in the building of Cornerstone Full Gospel Baptist Church. West Highlands building was destroyed in the April 27, 2011, tornado, and the church has recently broken ground for a new facility on the grounds of the old one.

TUSCALOOSA | The West Highland Baptist Church was virtually wiped off the map in a matter of seconds.

The church was reduced to a pile of rubble by the April 27, 2011, tornado.

But rather than mourn, West Highlands members reacted to the devastation with thanksgiving and celebration.

The feelings that day were feelings of thanksgiving to God that He had warned us not to be there, said the Rev. Forrest Moore, pastor of West Highland. People were not as concerned about the building itself as they were about people being killed or injured.

We were supposed to have been there at that time of the storm, because it was on a Wednesday during a time wed be gathering together for prayer meeting and Bible study, he said. The Lord warned me to cancel it that day, so I called people telling them it would be canceled. Weve been thankful to God from point zero when we first found out that none of our folks were injured. We take a minute every Sunday to thank God for that.

On April 27, 2012, the anniversary of the churchs destruction, West Highlands congregants had another reason to celebrate.

Moore and several of the churchs leaders broke ground on a new church building at 628 29th St., the same location as the destroyed church.

It was awesome, Moore said of the groundbreaking ceremony. We had a tremendous turnout of both our members and others who were aware of it. It was exciting for our membership.

We had others who offered their sentiments, he said. They congratulated us. It definitely lifted the spirits of our members. Anything positive along those lines is always exciting for our congregation.

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Tornado-stricken Baptist church begins the rebuilding process

Beacon-News staff May 14, 2012 4:52PM

Updated: May 14, 2012 6:52PM

AURORA Church Road between Butterfield Road and Interstate 88 will be under construction for the next six months as part of a street widening project.

The construction project starts at 7 a.m. Wednesday and will close Church Road between Corporate Boulevard and Interstate 88, according to a press release from the city of Aurora. Church Road will be open for southbound local traffic only from Butterfield Road to Corporate Boulevard. Bilter Road and Corporate Boulevard will be open in both directions with occasional lane closures throughout the project.

The Church Road segment will be widened from a two-lane rural road to a three-lane street featuring a center turn lane for left-hand turns. Other improvements include the installation of storm sewers along with curbs and gutters.

Motorists should avoid the area if at all possible. Message boards and signs will direct motorists to the detour route, which is scheduled to change two to three times during the project.

Construction is anticipated to be completed in November, but the schedule could be revised if there are complications.

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Church Road in Aurora scheduled to close Wednesday

By DONALD R. SERFASS dserfass@tnonline.com

A Tamaqua church has major plans to improve access for members of its congregation.

Construction work for installation of an elevator has kicked into high gear at First United Methodist Church, 124 West Broad St., Tamaqua, according to the Rev. Jim Cavallero.

The 1852 brick and stone church is located within the Tamaqua National Historic District, and the church already has obtained appropriate approvals from zoning officials and the Tamaqua Historical Architectural Review Commission in order to begin with plans.

Heavy equipment is stationed adjacent to the church at the site of the former parsonage and last week a deep trench was dug to lay a foundation for the elevator shaft.

As congregations age at many churches, multi-story, 19th century churches often find themselves with a need to construct elevators for the convenience and accessibility of members. In fact, two other churches within one block of First United Methodist were retrofitted with elevators over the years.

In 1970, the First Presbyterian Church, 220 W. Broad St., installed and unveiled an elevator in its historic 1852 building. The elevator was dedicated by member J. Keilman Dudley in memory of his father John Lester Dudley. The congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1996. The church building closed 11 years later as a result of consolidation, with the final service held on June 3, 2007. The building now serves as a private residence, art studio and gallery.

St. Jerome's Catholic Church, 266 W. Broad St., installed an elevator and dedicated it on September 24, 2000, along with unveiling the St. Jerome's Memorial Parish Center at the former site of the Tamaqua Salvation Army.

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Reaching up

09-05-2012 20:42 Belize Mission Overview with our Medical Mission Team, Feed-A-Child, Children's Ministry, and Church Construction, serving with International Servants and our Belize Mission Staff.

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Belize Mission - Overview - Medical, Feed-A-Child, Childrens, Construction - iServants - Video