I am exhausted and exhilarated. Tonight was our first meeting in our own space. It has been a crazy trip - and honestly, one where I spent most of my time just trying to keep up with what God was sending our way. I mean, really - who would have thought? A month and a half ago I was getting ready to ink the deal with the Edwardsville school district - we were going to rent one of their middle schools. It looked like our best, and only, option.
Lauren had been praying that God would give us the former US Bank space, but I had almost all but ruled it out. There had been talk about a possible lead, but there hadn't been any action. But then, on the last day of the last week, I got a call - we were invited to look at the space. It is 13,000 square feet right in the heart of downtown. I asked if we could tear some stuff out and build some walls - and was told yes. I asked if we could afford it - and, again, the answer was yes (they offered it to us for about the same price as we would have paid for renting the public school auditorium for 4 hours a week).
God then proceeded to remove every other obstacle that was blocking our way. Even though we were a week passed the submission date, the zoning commission let us apply for a special use permit at their September meeting... and then gave us the permit. We needed chairs - and I had a few days to buy them... on a whim I looked on craigslist and, lo and behold, some great used church chairs for sale for a good price. After some painfully long discussion (it really wasn't, but it seemed like it to me), the lease got signed. Some skilled and willing help stepped up at all the key points to get the labor done.
And here I am - five weeks later - two weeks after getting the zoning permit and one week after getting the lease signed - exhausted and exhilarated after our first service in our new space. I have a renewed wonder at God's grace and a renewed passion for his mission. He is an incredible Father - I can't wait to see what he will do in and through us.
So - here are some pics of our new space.
First, before:
Then came the work:
Then came tonight!
We are far from done - but we were able to make the space both functional and clean in time for services tonight. We will stay on Sunday night for the next two weeks and hit Sunday morning on October 31 - Reformation Day! We had around 150 people out tonight - and the excitement was in the air. We have a number of kinks to work out (the low ceilings are proving to be quite challenging), but they are good challenges that create greater opportunity to be on mission with God.
Lauren had been praying that God would give us the former US Bank space, but I had almost all but ruled it out. There had been talk about a possible lead, but there hadn't been any action. But then, on the last day of the last week, I got a call - we were invited to look at the space. It is 13,000 square feet right in the heart of downtown. I asked if we could tear some stuff out and build some walls - and was told yes. I asked if we could afford it - and, again, the answer was yes (they offered it to us for about the same price as we would have paid for renting the public school auditorium for 4 hours a week).
God then proceeded to remove every other obstacle that was blocking our way. Even though we were a week passed the submission date, the zoning commission let us apply for a special use permit at their September meeting... and then gave us the permit. We needed chairs - and I had a few days to buy them... on a whim I looked on craigslist and, lo and behold, some great used church chairs for sale for a good price. After some painfully long discussion (it really wasn't, but it seemed like it to me), the lease got signed. Some skilled and willing help stepped up at all the key points to get the labor done.
And here I am - five weeks later - two weeks after getting the zoning permit and one week after getting the lease signed - exhausted and exhilarated after our first service in our new space. I have a renewed wonder at God's grace and a renewed passion for his mission. He is an incredible Father - I can't wait to see what he will do in and through us.
So - here are some pics of our new space.
First, before:
Then came the work:
Then came tonight!
We are far from done - but we were able to make the space both functional and clean in time for services tonight. We will stay on Sunday night for the next two weeks and hit Sunday morning on October 31 - Reformation Day! We had around 150 people out tonight - and the excitement was in the air. We have a number of kinks to work out (the low ceilings are proving to be quite challenging), but they are good challenges that create greater opportunity to be on mission with God.
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