15-02-2012 08:53 01.29.12 Service with Kelly Stickel, Victory Church, Lethbridge, AB. Renewal breaks down our resistance to God's rule in our life. A renewed mind results in a transformed life. In other words, to the degree that we get in on this process of renewal is the degree to which we will have success and experience transformation. In the conclusion to the series Pastor Kelly talks about part two of the renewal process.

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01.29.12 Character Under Construction - pt 5 - Video

FAITH IN QUESTION: Citilife Church senior pastor Jonathan Oastler says the dispute over the Masters hardware store development on Hume St has him questioning his faith in Toowoomba Regional Council.

Nev Madsen

Should all development applications be publicly notified and open to public objection?

COMMUNITY church and school officials claim their objections to a massive Masters hardware store development were ignored by Toowoomba Regional Council.

A public meeting will be held on Sunday in an attempt to rally support before the matter is be heard in the Planning and Environment Court in Brisbane on March 7 and 8.

The Christian Outreach Centre, which owns the Christian Outreach College and Citilife Church, was notified in 2009 that there were plans to develop the vacant lot next to the college.

Senior pastor Jonathan Oastler said the centre had co-operated with the developer McNab and Toowoomba Regional Council in the early stages of the development.

However, senior pastor Oastler claims issues arose when McNab lodged changed plans with council last year.

Despite lodging an objection, senior pastor Oastler claims Toowoomba Regional Council ignored the concerns, which centred on traffic and noise impacts.

The development was approved in November last year.

Senior pastor Oastler said he had lost confidence in Toowoomba Regional Council's development approval process.

"We found out before it was approved, we objected and yet council approved it anyway," he said.

"We believe the court case in March will result in a positive outcome for us."

Senior pastor Oastler said the issues were compounded when Toowoomba Regional Council moved to resume a strip of land along the college's northern boundary.

He said the resumption of that land would block the college's plans to build a childcare centre and grandstands.

"We communicated with council about the massive impact this would have, but council went ahead anyway."

A Toowoomba Regional Council spokesman said the matter was "a complex one" and declined to comment in detail because it was before the Planning and Environment Court.

"On the one hand there is a developer who has a legal right to develop his or her land, and on the other a neighbouring property owner with the legal right to protect his or her interests," the spokesman said.

"Adding to that complexity there is a need for an essential infrastructure easement to service both properties, as well as potential further development in the area into the future.

"Council is trying to facilitate a without-prejudice discussion between all parties in an attempt to reach a fair and reasonable outcome."

McNab also declined to comment in detail because the matter was before the Planning and Environment Court.

However, the company did inform The Chronicle that it had "all the relevant development permits for a material change of use, operational works and building works to commence and complete the construction works on the Hume St site'.

The public rally will be held at 2pm this Sunday at the Christian Outreach College's multipurpose hall.

Continued here:
Church angry at council decision

About 15 years ago, the historic Grace Episcopal Church on High Street faced the possibility of closing its doors to parishioners for good. Church attendance dwindled, maintenance problems mounted and the Episcopal Diocese deemed it a “troubled parish.”

Without the resources to maintain the 143-year-old building, rainwater began seeping in through the roof and between the field-cut stones that make up the exterior, damaging walls inside the sanctuary.

A dramatic shift occurred in the last few years, however, because last spring the church managed to raise $700,000 in just four months for its capital campaign to restore the historic building.

“We spent years going after grants,” said the Rev. Noah H. Evans. “There was not a lot of money in state grants so the parish had to pull together and raise the money ourselves.”

With the first phase of renovations now complete, Evans points to the lay leadership’s active persistence as the impetus behind the church’s rejuvenation.

“The parish became invigorated in its mission,” Evans said. “Lay leadership became strong, reached out to the diverse families of Medford and embraced a radical welcome of all people.”

While Evans credits parish members for the positive changes, parishioners like Wes Foot, who chairs the church’s building committee, turn the blame back on their pastor, who assumed the post in March 2008.

“I think our current rector is just the kind of man to inspire this kind of stewardship and taking care of our building,” said Foot. “I think that’s the biggest thing that’s happened.”

Over the last 15 years, average Sunday attendance more than tripled, increasing 25 percent in the last two years. Annual giving grew more than 30 percent in the last three years under Evans’ leadership, despite the economic downturn.

Phase 1 complete

The Grace Church restoration project encompasses three phases: sealing the exterior and replacing damaged inner walls, restoring the bell tower and “greening” the church with new environmental features like LED lighting and solar panels.

The first phase, which just wrapped up, took on the most pressing issues facing the church, namely leaks and water damage.

“We had a lot of water leakage either through the walls by rain or from the roof leaking at the upper level and it damaged the interior walls,” said parishioner Warren Ramirez. “Interior walls were stained and plaster was damaged. Our primary concern is finding a way to waterproof the outside of the building.”

The contactor assigned to the project, The Architectural Team, “repointed” stones, or reapplied mortar around the original outer stonework, to prevent water from seeping back into the church.

Architect Michael Fontaine said the biggest challenge with a project like this is making sure the appearance stays the same while using newer materials that provide a longer lasting structural lifespan.

The church is the oldest standing building designed by Henry Hobson Richardson, the famed 19th century architect who also designed Trinity Episcopal Church in Copley Square, Boston. That’s one reason why it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For the first time in decades, Grace Episcopal parishioners got a peak at the church’s exposed back wall where waterlogged plaster was torn down and replaced.

Tiles were also replaced on the roof with shiny copper flashing, and an ice and water shield was reapplied beneath part of the roof to prevent future leaks.

The second phase of the project, which consists of restoring the 90-foot-tall bell tower, will take place in the spring of 2012. Parish historian Allison Andrews pointed out how the tower, dating back to the 1880s, remains one of the largest in the city.

“It was meant to be used as a fire bell for the city of Medford, but for some unknown reason it was never used,” Andrews said.

Andrews also pointed out how the field cut stones that make up the exterior climb all the way to the top of the tower, unlike the rest of the building. Andrews regards the stones as one of the church’s most fascinating historical and architectural features.

“It’s built with uncut filed stones and natural boulders,” Andrews said. “They jut out at various angles and some stick out more than others, giving a very textural effect.”

Andrews added the church’s most famous parishioner was Amelia Earhart, who moved to Medford with her mother and sister in the 1920s.

Another significant historical feature of the church includes a famous piece of stained glass in the sanctuary called “Rebecca at the Well,” which was created by American artist John LaFarge.

With parishioners like Jonathan and Alicia Hunt, who have organized “green up/cleans ups” at Medford parks and supported other green initiatives around the city, adding an environmental component to the historic renovation seemed almost inevitable.

Jonathan Hunt said the church currently uses two commercial-scale boilers that are about 40 years old. Replacing them with two similarly sized, high-efficiency boilers will save the church 10 to 15 percent on its energy consumption.

The church will take other steps to increase efficiency as well by installing interior storm windows to help insulate the building. Hunt also worked in concert with Andrews to find appropriate, higher-efficiency lighting for the church.

“The lighting levels are not where we want them to be, especially for aging members of the parish,” Hunt said. “People won’t see the direct light. It will increase the ambient light levels and make the stained glass more visible, but it won’t be obvious as to the light fixtures in the historic place.”

The church will also lease part of its roof space in the newer wing for solar panels, which will offset 25 percent of the building’s electricity usage. Hunt said the solar panels not only save electricity but will also include a monitoring station to get more parishioners and community members interested in renewable energy.

“It’s about doing what we can to meet our needs now and in the future, but it also helps our parishioners be better stewards of the environment,” he said.

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Medford church receives much needed face lift

Debt-free church nears completion Our Lady of Guadalupe gets a new ...

Stepping from the 40-year-old Our Lady of Guadalupe church to the new one — which is in the last stages of construction — one sees a striking difference in the light.

The old church is dark even on a sunny afternoon, while light pours into the new building from windows seen and unseen, shimmering on a white tile floor still being laid down.

"The light is wonderful," said the Rev. Roberto Saldivar, the church's pastor, on a recent tour of the construction site. "It just highlights the beauty of everything. ... The chapel is my favorite thing. It has the highest ceiling in the building, and it's so open, so it just brings you into a different prayer atmosphere."

Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Catholic cornerstone in Oxnard's La Colonia neighborhood, is on track to be finished by a self-imposed Feb. 25 deadline. Archbishop Jose Gomez, the new head of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is scheduled to lead the first Mass there on March 28.

By the time construction ends, the church expects to have raised the last of the $7 million construction budget and cleared the last of its debt on the project, Saldivar said.

The most recent major donation was $100,000 from the Gene Haas Foundation, the charity arm of Haas Automation Inc. in Oxnard that makes computer-controlled machine tools. That brings the Haas Foundation's total contribution to $1.1 million, Saldivar said.

"We were planning to just have concrete floors because that's all we could afford, but that $100,000 grant paid for the tile floor," Saldivar said. "We just had to match it by raising our own $100,000, and we did."

Gene Haas, founder of the company, said former Ventura County Supervisor John Flynn, a member of the church's fundraising committee, approached him about donating years ago when planning was starting for the new church.

"I said I'd be glad to help, and he came up with a round figure of about a million dollars," Haas said.

Haas isn't a parish member but was raised as a Catholic.

"A lot of the workers here (at Haas Automation) go to church there, so it was just kind of a community thing," he said. "Someone asked for help, and we did what we could."

Haas' willingness "to donate whatever amount we needed was truly incredible," Flynn said in a statement.

Most of the money for the project came from parishioners of the church, which is in one of the poorest sections of the city. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which includes Oxnard, loaned the parish the money, but Our Lady of Guadalupe has been paying it back with the donations, Saldivar said.

"This community has generated over $5 million," he said. "We're talking about agricultural workers and these very humble people. ... It's not easy to raise that much money in a poor parish."

When the project ends, parishioners will have a good deal more elbow room. Saldivar said the church now holds about 600 people. To accommodate them, Our Lady of Guadalupe holds 11 Masses every weekend and two on most weekdays.

"It's standing-room-only most of the time," he said.

The new facility is about 17,000 square feet and will hold 1,300 people. Saldivar said he will cut back to nine Masses per weekend.

About 90 percent of church services are conducted in Spanish, Saldivar said. He hopes the new church will prompt some English-speaking people who live nearby to visit.

"We do have a couple of bilingual Masses and one in English, and we would like to do more," he said.

When the new church is done, the old one will be converted into a parish hall for meetings and other events. The existing parish hall will be turned into offices.

Then Our Lady of Guadalupe will focus on its school, which sits in the shadow of the new church. It needs to be renovated, which will cost about $4.5 million. The parish will start fundraising for that project as soon as it's finished with the new church.

"Now we start over and do it again," Saldivar said.

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Oxnard community rallies to pay for $7 million church in La Colonia

POSTED: 4:24 pm EST February 14, 2012
UPDATED: 4:48 pm EST February 14, 2012

OVIEDO, Fla -- A historic Central Florida church on the brink of foreclosure could be saved.Bank of America and the Mission Road Church of God in Oviedo are now working on a possible settlement agreement after the church's pastor said the bank refused to negotiate for almost a month.The church's attorney is now working with the bank's attorney and it will be up to the bank to accept the offer."This is great news. We just have to see if we can come to a final agreement. It's been a nightmare for all of us," said Pastor Larry Perkins.The church has been trying to keep the doors open for its community. The 76-year-old institution faced struggles in 2005 when the general contractor who was a year-and-a-half into construction and renovations suddenly died."Everything stopped and the bank and I talked," Perkins said.Perkins and other members cashed in their 401(k) accounts and raised money to keep the day care, free tutoring sessions, learning center and more up and running."If it closed, I'd have nowhere to take my son. I tried other places and I couldn't get in," said parent Mildred Clarke.Bank of America said the church has been in default since 2008 and currently owes in excess of $1.9 million."It took all the way until December 2011 to get someone to say, 'Hey, I'll finance you,'" Perkins said.A spokesperson for Bank of America said after rounds of extensions, discussions and three foreclosure sale dates, time was up.One of the church's longest standing members, 84-year-old Ollie Bell Davis, said she kept the prayer lines open."I prayed to the Lord every day and every night, and every moment in the day that I could," Davis said.

Copyright 2011 by WESH.COM. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Church Facing Foreclosure Could Be Saved

Building God's Way (BGW), a leader in church building and design, teams up with Texas Systems Integrations to offer high-tech, cost-effective audio, video, lighting and broadcast systems and equipment for churches seeking to expand or remodel their worship facilities. This new division, known as BGW Tech, will help churches enhance their stage presentations and live events through the use of cutting-edge sound and light technology while delivering significant savings to make it an affordable construction option.

(PRWEB) February 14, 2012

Church architect and builder BGW has always maintained a strict standard for using high quality supplies and materials in the construction of churches and Christian schools. Sustainable church design and church architecture are at the forefront of BGW's mission to construct buildings that appeal to younger generations while maintaining focus on stewardship of resources and ministry vision.

Most BGW facilities include sanctuaries or auditoriums equipped with professional stage lighting and sound systems, but as church audio-visual technology continues to sky-rocket, BGW has looked for creative ways to employ this new technology into worship facilities, yet keep it affordable to their clients. In response to this challenge, BGW has developed a division dedicated to supplying cost-effective, cutting-edge, audio-video technology to churches to enhance live stage presentations for the 21st Century audience who have come to expect state-of-the-art quality in light and sound.

BGW has teamed up with Jim Martin from Texas System Integrations (TSI), a leader in audio, video, lighting and broadcast solutions, to offer affordable, easy to operate systems and equipment to amplify, record, and display high-tech stage lighting, sound, and images that will rival any Hollywood set. The newly formed BGW Tech will support the reduction of energy consumption through the use of innovative, energy efficient, green products such as digital audio and LED lighting.

Members of TSI and BGW are excited about this new division and look forward to working together to help ministries take advantage of the many resources available to help grow God's Kingdom in ways they never thought possible. The new partnership will allow BGW architects to integrate strategies for audio, video, lighting and broadcast technology from the earliest stages of design, reducing costly change orders and delays during the church construction process.

About Building God’s Way - With a portfolio of nearly 400 churches and 120 Christian schools and colleges nationwide, Building God's Way (“BGW”) has become a recognized leader in ministry design and construction. BGW has also developed an unparalleled network of kingdom building services that extend beyond just architecture and building and includes growth coaching, vision casting, capital fundraising, financing, leadership development and more. The mission of Building God’s Way is to build God’s Kingdom by translating the God-given ministry vision of Christian organizations through high-quality, cost-effective buildings and by demonstrating the love of Christ on the job site through the BGW Ministry of Construction program.

###

Jim Martin
BGW Tech
801.409.1399
Email Information

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Building God's Way Launches New Division Focused on Church Audio, Video, Lighting & Broadcast Technology

Faced with escalating costs, Southland Christian Church has filed an amended development plan for the site of the former Lexington Mall on Richmond Road.

The new plan would create a second commercial parcel fronting Richmond Road that could be leased or sold, and it would reduce substantially the size of the pond in front of the former mall.

The church, based in north Jessamine County, bought the 31-acre site in 2010 for a satellite campus.

Cost of construction, initially estimated at $19.3 million, grew to $24 million before two rounds of cost-cutting and scaling back, Chris Hahn, Southland's lead executive pastor, said Monday.

Neighbors who met Monday night at Perkins Restaurant in front of the mall said they were particularly concerned about how a smaller pond might affect water runoff.

Jim Capeley, president of Idle Hour Neighbors Alliance, said the area already has serious problems with runoff.

After just an inch of rain, a nearby creek "flows like a whitewater rafting, and it all goes down into this pond," he said. "Where's all that water going to go?"

Councilman Bill Farmer Jr., who represents the neighborhood, agreed to work with the group to help draft a petition and try to arrange a meeting with representatives of the church. He said he also would ask planning officials to look into the runoff issues and how the church's plan might affect the situation.

"I get a little angry when I'm duped, and this is a process of 'dupation,' as far as I am concerned," said area resident Carole Youngblood.

The original design showed one parcel and major reconfiguration of the pond to create a water feature. But Hahn said Monday that increased costs had forced the church to make changes.

Removing and disposing of contaminated sludge from the pond and beautifying the surrounding area would have cost about $750,000.

Filling in much of the pond and eliminating the water feature will save money, Hahn said.

Heavy equipment brought in to raze much of the long-vacant mall and construction equipment chewed up the 27-acre parking lot to the point it will have to be resurfaced at "a pretty significant cost," Hahn said.

Reconditioning the sprawling parking area and adding landscaping "to make it where it is nice, but not what we'd love to do" will cost about $1.2 million, he said.

Also, structural engineers found "a lot more to do when they got into re-enforcing the old Dillard's department store building than they, originally, estimated," Hahn said. The additional steel raised costs.

By selling or leasing the two parcels, the church will have more money to spend on landscaping two entrances off Richmond Road, Farmer said in his constituent newsletter last week.

The councilman said church officials had told him that without the extra money generated by the parcels, the pond would remain exactly as it is, with no additional improvements and no cleanup.

Overall, Hahn said, "We've made cuts of about $5 million to stay within budget. Because of that we had to re-think the design of the property."

Southland announced in July 2010 that it would buy Lexington Mall from Maryland-based Saul Centers, which had owned the mall since 1974.

The enclosed mall had been dormant for several years. The property includes the land on which Perkins and Applebee's restaurants sit. It does not include the property owned by Central Bank or Home Depot or the site of a former BP gas station.

Hahn said the former Dillard's building is being converted to youth and children's classroom spaces on the first floor, with church offices on the second. Most of the second floor will remain unfinished. "We want to see as we grow what to use the space for," he said. An adjoining new building — on the site of the former enclosed mall — will be the worship center.

Southland launched a three-year capital fund drive in December 2010. Members have pledged $18 million. The church has received about $8 million of those pledges, said Kurt Braun, executive director of finance and administration.

"It is pretty common in the church world for people to spread their pledges out over three years," Braun said, adding, "We are tracking pretty well at this point."

The church's amended development plan is scheduled to be reviewed by the Planning Commission's technical committee Feb. 22 and by the subdivision committee March 1.

It will go before the full Planning Commission at 1:30 p.m. March 8 in council chambers of the Government Center.

Herald-Leader staff writer Karla Ward contributed to this report. Beverly Fortune: (859) 231-3251. Twitter: @BFortune2010

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Church's revised development plan for former mall has neighbors concerned

SMITHFIELD — The hand-printed sign taped on the door of Lisa's Sweet Shoppe, shuttered and dark near the hustling Smithfield Station, is crystal clear: "Out of business. We did not relocate."

Just down the wooden boardwalk of gift shops, Ham Town Books owner Becky Veverka is negotiating a cash-only deal with a customer who wants to buy the colorful shelf that holds the store's children's book inventory. After a dismal Christmas season, Veverka is giving up on the cozy shop she opened 18 months ago by remortgaging her home and dipping into her retirement fund.

"One of the reasons I can't make it — not the only one, but a big one — was that I could not get locals into the store this year," said Veverka, pointing outside toward South Church Street. On an overcast winter's day, flagmen were routing alternating lanes of traffic through the potholed artery that runs to downtown Smithfield.

Rather than driving around the frequently clogged South Church Street, people turned to the Internet or grabbed what they wanted while shopping in other cities, Veverka said.

Traffic headaches are just one of the concerns that have cropped up with the lengthy final phase of the $4.4 million Church Street Beautification Project, said Town Manager Peter Stephenson. After years of planning and fundraising by residents, the Norfolk-based Excel Paving broke ground in January 2011 for the 18-month overhaul of one of the town's most historic — and most heavily traveled — roads.

The project is on time and budget for a May 2012 completion, Stephenson said.

For the past 14 months, residents, business owners and motorists have waited patiently — for the most part, anyway — through ripped up sidewalks, stopped traffic lines, unpaved streets filled with holes and dips so large that motorists have to drive at half the legal speed limit. They have gotten used to waking up to jackhammers, having strangers — usually tourists — walk across their yards or work crews digging holes in their lawns to bury utility lines, said South Church Street resident Florine Moore.

"It can be frustrating at times, but you have to remember the outcome," Moore said. As part of the project, which is being funded with $1.9 million in private donations, South Church Street will have brick sidewalks, new lights that look historic, storm-water drainage, public parking and buried utility lines, with the exception of one electric line running between the Cypress Creek Bridge and Thomas Street.

Dominion Virginia Power's estimate to bury its main cable was in the millions, said Stephenson. Through state and federal grants, the town is able to absorb the cost of undergrounding the wires running from the main power line to each house, Stephenson said.

In an effort to speed up progress, the town has allowed Excel to shut down two block of South Church, between Cedar Street and the intersection of Luter and Thomas streets, until April. Although the closure also shuts down one of the historic district's main intersections, Main and South Church streets, it allows work crews to work six days a week.

Most traffic heading downtown seems to take the bypass, a route that misses Smithfield Station and its adjacent shops, said Veverka. It's a stark contrast to Smithfield Station next door, where manager Randy Pack says business at his family-owned restaurant, marina and motel is up 21 percent this year, mostly because of three promotional efforts through Groupon.

Groupon is an online coupon site that offers deep discounts to subscribers.

Pack estimates that his Groupon sales brought about 50 visitors and families to Smithfield, with most coming from Richmond, Washington, D.C.and New York City, Pack said.

"Most of my shops (at Smithfield Station) are doing well, " said Pack, adding that he is close to sealing a deal to bring a similar business into the waterfront store that was once Lisa's Sweet Shoppe.

Over in downtown, several businesses reported seeing minor — if any — declines in business related to the Church Street Beautification Project. "Maybe a 10 percent reduction," said Rita Greiner, owner of Smithfield Flower Shop.

Margaret Carroll, owner of the Smithfield Confectionary, said business at her eatery has grown, simply because people who use to lunch at Smithfield Station are staying in town to avoid the road work.

Although road construction probably did negatively impact the book store and bakery, the floundering economy probably played the largest role, said Jim Carroll, executive director of the Small Business Development Center of Hampton Roads.

"The economy is the 800 pound gorilla in the room," said Carroll. "There is a lot of uncertainty in the markets and when that happens, people tend to hang onto their money longer. Although some businesses are thriving, others are withering on the vine because the business is just not what they expected."

Generally speaking, road construction — particularly long-range projects such as the one in Smithfield — can cramp the style of struggling businesses, Carroll added.

"It becomes a problem when it gets to the point you are constantly at the mercy of the construction," Carroll said.

Meanwhile, Veverka plans to empty her shop over the next few weeks.

"Books, shelves, even the rugs. Just about everything is for sale except my stuffed pigs," Veverka said.""It's been a tough year. If nothing else, I hope my closing will make people aware of the need to shop local."

Originally posted here:
Smithfield's Church Street beautification project on final stretch

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Church mission: Reconstruction

Church members travel to Alabama to help repair damaged homes

SUSSEX ? Eight local churches sponsored a team of 24 people to Henagar, Ala., in January. The team’s mission: to help reconstruct homes that were destroyed during the F5 tornadoes which hit the area in April 2011. Thirty-four people were killed in the Jackson and Dekalb counties during the destructive tornadoes. The local nuclear power plant was shut down causing many to be without electricity and therefore notification of the deadly tornado’s path.

The mission trip was coordinated by the Goshen and Sussex Christian Reformed Churches. Members of the Beemerville Presbyterian, Byzantine Catholic of Little Falls, First Reformed Church of Little Falls, Goshen Christian Reformed, Methodist of Little Falls, Pompton Plains United Reformed, Sparta Baptist and Sussex Christian Reformed Churches caravanned to Alabama. The trip was organized under the auspices of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, which takes on the job of coming in after state and federal issues are done, to finish the work, making the houses livable.

“It was amazing. We had eight churches and seven different denominations represented. This was truly God at work,” said Bill Garris, a mission member from the Sussex Christian Reformed Church.

“Plans changed two days before we left, but we all accomplished what we set out to do.”

The Henagar Baptist Church served as a temporary dormitory for the traveling tradesmen. The church has a gymnasium and a full kitchen. Cots were supplied to those who did not bring air mattresses. Sleeping bags decorated the makeshift dormitory. Andy Wilks was the mission construction manager and a member of the Henagar Baptist Church. Upon arrival, Wilks had divided the group into skill teams; carpentry, electrical, plumbing and finish work. Each team was given a list of projects needed to be accomplished. The experienced tradesmen worked side by side with less experienced volunteers. The group’s diverse skill sets assisted those in need and taught the less experienced team members. Long hard days were followed by dinner, devotionals and board games.

Pastor David, minister of the Henagar church, took volunteers to his home to watch the Giants game while other volunteers toured the area. Evening meals were prepared by Chef Mark Hrehovcik, who was assisted by Paul Billig and Bill Garris after their hard days work on the reconstruction team.

Women were also involved in the mission trip. Alice VanDeWeert was the "mother hen," helping out with laundry, food preparation for the chefs and organization. Younger women helped by preparing bagged lunches for the reconstruction teams, often including notes of encouragement inside. The young women also helped with the finishing work on site.

“It was nice to see the fathers, with their sons or daughters on this mission trip,” said VanDeWeert, from the Goshen Christian Reformed Church. “They were building family memories.”

Through rain, fog and snow, the volunteers labored on. At the end of the week spent in Henagar, the 24 mission volunteers had completed their tasks on six different homes.

“Our guys did not want to leave until they knew the houses were done, and people could move in,” said VanDeWeert. “When we left, they just needed to move the refrigerators stored at the Baptist Church.”

“It was an example of tremendous teamwork from the mission volunteers and the local community as a whole, so people could get back into their homes,” said Buzz Sargent, head of the electrical team, from Beemerville Presbyterian Church.

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Church mission: Reconstruction

Pleasant View AME Zion Church, Old Columbia Road, Chester: Black History Gospel Fest, 2 p.m. Feb. 26.

ARP

First ARP Church, East White Street, Rock Hill: Youth discipleship groups, 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Beth Moore study on James, 10 a.m. Tuesday and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Foundations for the Family, 5:45 p.m. Wednesday with a meal and activities for all ages. Members will serve lunch Thursday at Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen.

BAPTIST

Sandy River Baptist Association, Upper Division: Usher Ministry quarterly meeting, 10 a.m. today at Mount Prospect Baptist Church, 339 W. Black St., Rock Hill.

Boyd Hill Baptist Church, Glenn Street, Rock Hill: Black History Month Memorial program, after worship Sunday.

First Baptist Church, Lowrys: Men's breakfast, 8 a.m. Sunday. Cost is $3. SYAH and Young at Heart, 11 a.m. Feb. 21.

Great Joy Baptist Church, McConnells: Ash Wednesday service, 7 p.m. Feb. 22.

New Vision Freewill Baptist Church, Mount Holly Road, Rock Hill: Community soup supper, 6-8 tonight. All-you-can-eat soup and salad is $6.

Oakland Baptist Church, Oakland Avenue, Rock Hill: Churchwide brunch, 9:30-10:45 a.m. Sunday. No Sunday school. Daniel Vestal, executive coordinator of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, will speak at 9 and 11 a.m. Ministry Center clothing distribution, 9 a.m. Monday and Feb. 18, and benevolence, 9 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, Dunlap Roddey Road, Rock Hill: Valentine's pageant, 6 p.m. Feb. 25.

Rawlinson Road Baptist Church, Rawlinson Road, Rock Hill: "Messiah in the Passover," presented by Sam Nadler, 9 and 10 a.m. Sunday. Nadler, a Jewish believer in Jesus, is founder of Word of Messiah Ministries.

Second Wilson Baptist Church, Ashford Street, Chester: Count Your Blessings program, 3 p.m. Feb. 19 with music by the Rock Hill Singers.

Weeping Mary Baptist Church, Rock Hill: The Rev. and Mrs. E.L. Floyd's first pastoral anniversary service, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 19. Lunch served at 1 p.m.

Woodhaven Baptist Church, Marett Boulevard, Rock Hill: Valentine's Banquet, 7 tonight. New members class, 9:45 a.m. Sunday. Hearts of Gold to First Baptist in Rock Hill for revival and lunch, 10:30 a.m. Monday and spaghetti lunch at noon Tuesday.

Zion Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, Pinckney Road, Chester: Encouragement program, 2 p.m. Feb. 19.

CHURCH OF GOD

Gateway Church of God, Shelley Mullis Road, Indian Land: Revival, 6:30 tonight and 11 a.m. Sunday with the Rev. Pamela Willhite.

LUTHERAN

Epiphany Lutheran Church, West Main Street, Rock Hill: Epiphany 101 to learn more about the church begins Sunday. Indoor Craft Blast, after 10:30 a.m. worship Sunday for children age 3 through fifth grade. Lunch provided.

Grace Lutheran Church, Oakland Avenue, Rock Hill: New member class, 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Seniors trip to Newberry Opera House, Tuesday. Bible Study, 7 p.m. Tuesday at Old Town Bistro. Potluck supper, 6 p.m. Wednesday. Church directory photos taken Tuesday through Saturday. Campus Ministry retreat, Friday through Feb. 19.

METHODIST

Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Youth-sponsored chili cook-off, 6-7 tonight. Entry fee is $10. Cost for unlimited sampling and a ballot to vote is $5. Prize for the hottest chili and the crowd favorite. Kids Club, after 10:30 a.m. worship Sunday. Lone Star lunch bunch, lunch after worship Sunday at Bob Evans. United Methodist Women Sunday is Feb. 19.

Bethel United Methodist Church, Curtis Street, Rock Hill: Bethel Soup Kitchen, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays through March. Donations are accepted and proceeds go to the Bethel missions. Open to the community. Valentine Candy Walk, sponsored by the mission team, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. today in the gym. Boxes are $5 and $10. Gift wrap available. Shrove Tuesday pancake supper, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 21. Ash Wednesday service, noon Feb. 22.

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Church news: Black history, chili cook-offs, Valentines