CUMC Blogpost May 30, 2020

Worship News. If you can reach this Blog, you can join in Worship this Sunday, May 31, 2020, Pentecost Sunday (Wear RED!!). The You Tube link will be up by 8:00 am, and don’t forget to download the Worship Guide. You can worship, but maybe you could call some church family friends and schedule a time to log on and worship together electronically?

And if you missed any earlier services, they’re still available via the CUMC website.

Overview. Welcome to the May 30, 2020 CUMC Spring Garden Blogpost. The Arthur Funk Construction team completed its fourth week of work onsite since the restart. According to Jeff Barnes, with most contractors now working on finishes, the progress isn’t as dramatic but it’s still happening.

REMINDER. The Campus remains closed to everyone else, so PLEASE DON’T JUST CASUALLY DRIVE OVER AND DRIVE AROUND. I KNOW IT’S TEMPTING to make some excuse that you’re going to the Giant for groceries and slip into 333 S. Spring Garden. Please, just don’t. It’s for their good as well as yours.

There’s nothing different to see on the outside, except for the grass growing, and you cannot go inside yet. If you want to see the campus, just look at this or earlier Blogs.

Provisional Schedule Still Holds. If you haven’t read it, here’s the schedule from the Leadership Council meeting 18 May 20, as reported in the most recent Mid-Week Minute:

The following Updated Construction Timeline is our best guess estimate and could be adversely affected by additional Covid-19 regulations, an outbreak of the virus at the site and/or routine construction delays. 

1. Construction Completion – End of July – mid August
2. Occupancy Permit – Mid August – late August
3.  Final Worship @ Current Facility – September 6 (if worship has resumed
4.  Little Lights Move – Labor Day Weekend (9/5-9/7)
5.  CUMC Move – Labor Day Week (9/8-9/12)
6.  Worship @ Lamberton MS – September 13 (if worship has resumed)
7.  First Worship @ SGC – September 20 (if worship has resumed)

Mike Landis and Chris Gregory graciously provided the imagery for this week’s blog.

Exterior Work. The Gleim team continued to work on landscaping. Mike Landis captured some work being done to smooth out the ground around the front of the building, in preparation for seeding next week, I suppose.

More work continued around the footers for the canopy at the entrance. Some footers were poured and are cured, while others are still works in progress. As a result, the view of the building is essentially unchanged, and will remain so until the Canopy and Porte Cochere are in place.

Here are some photos of these activities.

Dozer Landscaping West Wing Near the West Gathering

                         Landscaping Front of North Wing Looking toward LLLC Entrance
and toward Main Entrance

Zach Beard, Mike Arnold’s Deputy, Placing Box for Porte Cochere

Some Completed Footers on Right Side of Entrance

Excavation for Remaining Footer Pours, and  Footers and Ditches

Playing Fields and Water Retention Ponds West of West Wing.
The Large pile of topsoil is gone. 

Interior Work. Painting continues throughout the Worship Center and the West Wing. All surfaces will get at least three coats. Electricians are continuing to install lights, switches, and receptacles throughout the remainder of the building. Plumbing also continues. I’m not sure if all the cabinets are in place yet. And this week WE DO have some photos of the Little Lights Learning Center, thanks to Chris Gregory and crew working audio-visual-electronics in the North Wing.

Installing Oak Beams in Ceiling

 

Photos of the Little Lights area, North Wing.

LLLC Hallway West to East

Northwest Corner Room, LLLC

Some Interior Rooms, LLLC

CUMC’s Care for the Workers. Let’s continue to pray earnestly for the ongoing work and complete protection of all site workers, suppliers, delivery folks and families. We are not out of the pandemic forest by a long shot, and we certainly don’t want to take ownership of a facility that is not as virus-free as possible. Trust in God!

As we near the finish line, let’s finish strong as a church family. Please continue to give God thanks for our church family, our individual families, and for the many opportunities to be neighbors to neighbors and strangers around us. And begin thinking about how we can use the Spring Garden Campus to further our mission to Follow God and Build Community.

Faith over Fear, Prayer over Panic, Christ over All!

A very exciting Pentecost!!

CUMC Blogpost May 23, 2020

Worship News. If you can reach this Blog, you can join in Worship this Sunday, May 24, 2020. The You Tube link will be up by 8:00 am, and don’t forget to download the Worship Guide. You can worship, but maybe you could call some church family friends and schedule a time to log on and worship together electronically?

And if you missed any earlier services, they’re still available via the CUMC website.

Overview. Welcome to the May 23, 2020 CUMC Spring Garden Blogpost. The Arthur Funk Construction team completed its third week of work onsite since the restart. Again only a small number of people were at work this week, but this will gradually increase, based on the construction needs and the rules for social distancing and worker health, which the Funk company has instituted and requires all subcontractors to follow.

REMINDER. The Campus remains closed to everyone else, so PLEASE DON’T JUST CASUALLY DRIVE OVER AND DRIVE AROUND. I KNOW IT’S TEMPTING to make some excuse that you’re going to the Giant for groceries and slip into 333 S. Spring Garden. Please, just don’t. It’s for their good as well as yours.

Provisional Schedule. If you haven’t read it, here’s the schedule from the Leadership Council meeting 18 May 20, as reported in the most recent Mid-Week Minute:

The following Updated Construction Timeline is our best guess estimate and could be adversely affected by additional Covid-19 regulations, an outbreak of the virus at the site and/or routine construction delays. 

1. Construction Completion – End of July – mid August
2. Occupancy Permit – Mid August – late August
3. Final Worship @ Current Facility – September 6 (if worship has resumed)
4. Little Lights Move – Labor Day Weekend (9/5-9/7)
5. CUMC Move – Labor Day Week (9/8-9/12)
6. Worship @ Lamberton MS – September 13 (if worship has resumed)
7. First Worship @ SGC – September 20 (if worship has resumed)

I trust the accompanying imagery will show you that real progress is happening. All of the imagery this week was provided by Building Committee members Jeff Barnes, Mike Landis, and Joanne Reynolds. Mike Arnold was on vacation, and when he returns, I’m confident he will give us more drone imagery so we can better see the remaining exterior progress, especially around the entrance.

Exterior Work. Next Sunday is Pentecost, the time we celebrate the birth of the Church. While he walked among the disciples, Jesus told Peter that he was the rock, `And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church “ (Mt 16:18a). Forgive this author’s sense of humor when he notes that, considering the amount of rocks the landscapers moved to prepare the foundation, some people could say we are erecting a church building on rock as well. Imagine we’re little rocks, and Christ is building us even as we build this Spring Garden Campus on bigger rocks.

As you can see from some of the photos, the Gleim team is completing the remainder of landscaping. One of my favorite Gleim Guys, John, is operating the dozer holding a rock. You can see what I mean about the rocks.

Bulldozing Northeast corner behind LLLC

The Memorial Walkway extending from the North Wing to the future amphitheater in the woods behind the building.

        Memorial Walkway  from and to the future amphitheater

Next will be seeding, so pray for good weather and no weeds! By the way, CUMC now owns two riding mowers (Let’s call them Mr and Mrs Mower) And I’m sure there will be a sign-up for mower training and checkout ,and a schedule for tending on a regular basis what is probably 12 acres of grass. But imagine how beautiful that will be!

Our Two Riding Mowers in Shed

The footers were finally poured for the canopy in front of the entrance. That will probably be the last noticeable change to the appearance of the building.

Footer Prep for Canopy   Concrete-Curing

Interior Work. The painters continue to work throughout the Worship Center and the West Wing. Electricians are installing lights, switches, and receptacles throughout the remainder of the building. Some photos show that plumbing is also continuing.

Worship Center Ceiling with Contrasting Colors    Worship Center Entrance

Inside the Cafe Looking Out.  

    Sink in Adult Wing Hallway        Water Fountains for Refilling Bottles

There will be beautiful stonework around the fireplace, and on the wall behind the large wooden cross which the has built. I look forward to seeing those.

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Worship Center Cross Outline and Fireplace.  Both will have natural stone walls.

Rich Charette sent photos of some of the pieces the CUMC Carpentry team has built. communion table, candle holders and baptismal font. The bowl was handcrafted in Haiti.

                        Altar Candles, Communion Table, and Baptismal Font

One piece of sad news is that Dusty Motter, our senior electrician will be moving to another job. He has been a great help to the Building Committee regarding lighting and other electrical matters.

Otherwise, there are no photos of the North Wing, which contain the LLLC and the office spaces, because that wing is sealed off and complete.

CUMC’s Care for the Workers. Let’s continue to pray earnestly for the ongoing work and complete protection of all site workers, suppliers, delivery folks and families. We are not out of the pandemic forest by a long shot, and we certainly don’t want to take ownership of a facility that is not as virus-free as possible. Trust in God!

Meanwhile, keep holding one another close in spirit and communication. Pray that God will always keep us as the apple of His eye. And always give God thanks for our church family, our individual families, and for the many opportunities to be neighbors to neighbors and strangers around us.

Keep checking the CUMC website and look in on the Blog.

 Faith over Fear, Prayer over Panic, Christ over All!

CUMC Blogpost May 16, 2020

Worship News. If you can reach this Blog, you can join in Worship this Sunday, May 17, 2020. The You Tube link will be up by 8:00 am, and don’t forget to download the Worship Guide. You can worship, but maybe you could call some church family friends and schedule a time to log on and worship together electronically?

And if you missed any earlier services, they’re still available via the CUMC website.

Overview. Welcome to the May 16, 2020 CUMC Spring Garden Blogpost. The Arthur Funk Construction team completed its second week of work onsite, and Mike Arnold, the Project Superintendent flew his drone and offered some imagery for us to view. Praise God!! Also, the Building Committee met with the contractor team and members of that committee also contributed some photos of the inside progress at the SGC.

Again only a small number of people were at work this week, but this will gradually increase, based on the construction needs and the rules for social distancing and worker health, which the Funk company has instituted and requires all subcontractors to follow.

REMINDER. The Campus remains closed to everyone else, so PLEASE DON’T JUST CASUALLY DRIVE OVER AND DRIVE AROUND. I KNOW IT’S TEMPTING to make some excuse that you’re going to the Giant for groceries and slip into 333 S. Spring Garden. Please, just don’t. It’s for their good as well as yours.

SO, you’re asking, “When will we average CUMC members get to visit?” Time to pull up our patient boots. The Pastors, the Leadership Council, the Building Committee, and the general contractor will be making that decision, based on the Commonwealth’s instructions and guidelines. Just imagine that the SGC is like a delicate souffle in the oven. If we open the door to take a peek or a sniff, it could collapse. We’ll just have to wait till Mom calls us for dinner! Okay??.

This week we do have FRESH pictures, thanks to Mike Arnold of the Funk team who flew his drone and returned some good exterior shots. They show that the exterior work on the building itself, the concrete walkways and pads is complete, except for the canopy that will go over the entrance. That’s for drive up and drop off (or as the Car Talk guys would say “our Russian chauffeur, Pickup Andriveoff.) 

A bird’s eye view of the building.  The two semicircles in front of the cross are the footers for the future canopy.

Here’s a wider view that includes all of the building, plus the near parking lots.

 

This is the view from the hill behind the Worship Center showingthe full layout.  Next exterior work will be landscaping around the building.  Note the cement walkways, the patio, and the LLLC play area (on the right).

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A detailed view of the rear of the North Wing and the driveway leaving the building

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The Entrance, awaiting the Date Stone (right pillar)

The real changes are happening inside right now. Mike tells me that the painters have begun to work on the Worship Center. As you can see the drywall work looks finished in most places. There will be interior stonework around the fireplace, and on the wall behind the large wooden cross which the CUMC Carpentry team has built. I look forward to seeing those.

The Worship Center and Stage.  Stonework will surround the 17 ft. cross.

The firebox and outline of the finished fireplace.  Gray atop is the mantle, black is a specific stone treatment, and the bare wall is another stone application.

A view of the Gathering Ceiling.  Looking out from the North Gathering

A look at the Serving side of the Cafe.       Check in area for Children Area

CUMC’s Care for the Workers. Let’s continue to pray earnestly for the ongoing work and complete protection of all site workers, including delivery folks. Please include the contractors and their subs and suppliers. We are not out of the pandemic forest by a long shot, and we certainly don’t want to take ownership of a facility that is not as virus-free as possible. Trust in God!

Meanwhile, keep holding one another close in spirit and communication. Pray that God will always keep us as the apple of His eye. And always give God thanks for our church family, our individual families, and for the many opportunities to be neighbors to neighbors and strangers around us.

Keep checking the CUMC website and look in on the Blog.

Faith over Fear, Prayer over Panic, Christ over All!

CUMC Blogpost May 9, 2020

Worship News. If you can reach this Blog, you can join us in Worship this Sunday, May 10, 2020. The You Tube link will be up by 8:00 am, and don’t forget to download the Worship Guide. You can worship, but maybe you could call some church family friends and schedule a time to log on and worship together electronically?

And if you missed any earlier services, they’re still available via the CUMC website.

Overview. Welcome to the May 9, 2020 CUMC Spring Garden Blogpost. The Campus reopened Monday, May 4 for the Arthur Funk Construction team. Praise God!! It remains closed to everyone else, except for a few designated CUMC Building Committee members.

The work crews this week were minimal, but will gradually increase, based on the construction needs and the rules for social distancing and worker health, which the Funk company has instituted and requires all subcontractors to follow.

When will we average CUMC members get to visit? Let’s NOT go there right now. The Pastors, the Leadership Council, the Building Committee, and the general contractor will be making that decision, based on the Commonwealth’s instructions and guidelines. Just imagine that the SGC is an unborn child. We’ll just have to wait till it’s born before we can look at it and hold it.

So, you’re asking, just how long will this pregnancy last? The doctors (the folks I mentioned above) won’t say yet, but when a birth is determined, we’ll ALL know. Of that I’m certain.

This week, we’ll share some photos Mike Landis took of outdoor and indoor progress. The quality is not as sharp as a real camera or the drone, but they do show progress.

I’m only going to describe them in general terms (inside, outside, and where possible the interior area. There aren’t any photos of the LLLC, because it’s finished and is now ‘off limits’ to prevent exposure to COVID-19.

Mike Landis Report on first week back to work

First full work week after shutdown with limited construction crew on site.
Drywall finish continued.
Door installations.
Lights and sound panels hung from ceiling.
FRP installed in kitchen storage room.
Lights all hung in gym.
Lights and cabinets in Cafe.
HVAC supplies cut in wall below barrel vault in Worship Center.
Concrete patio on east side of Worship center, zoom in there were 5 or 6 deer that photobombed my picture on the hill.

 

Here are some of the photos.

The Café

The Gathering

Looking out the Main Entrance Doors

The Gym Ceiling with Lights   and The North Gathering Fireplace

The Worship Center Ceiling and the Patio and Walkway Outside the Worship Center

CUMC’s Care for the Workers. Let’s continue to pray earnestly for the ongoing work and complete protection of all site workers, including delivery folks. Please include the contractors and their subs and suppliers. We are not out of the pandemic forest by a long shot, and we certainly don’t want to take ownership of a facility that is not as virus-free as possible. Trust in God!

Coming Attractions. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the House of the Lord!” (Ps 122:1)

This week let’s consider an evening at the SGC. The parking lot lights are on, the appropriate doors are open, and the rooms are unlocked and ready to receive people.

Outside groups will come into the West Wing and enter the Adult and Outside Group areas. AA, Al Anon, NA, and maybe even scouts. Perhaps the youth are preparing for another mission trip, learning how to use tools.

It might be a choir rehearsal night, so vocal and bell choir members will walk through the Worship Center to the rehearsal rooms. Maybe it’s a Sunbeams or SPaRKS rehearsal, as well.

Probably there’s some committee meeting in the office area, or even a covenant group gathering around the fireplace. Who knows, there may be a Spanish mid-week evening service in the Chapel.

All these things are possible and easily accommodated by the Spring Garden Campus of the Carlisle United Methodist Church.

Meanwhile, keep holding one another close in spirit and communication. Pray that God will always keep us as the apple of His eye. And always give God thanks for our church family, our individual families, and for the many opportunities to be neighbors to neighbors and strangers around us.

Keep checking the CUMC website and look in on the Blog.

Faith over Fear, Prayer over Panic, Christ over All!

 

 

CUMC Blogpost May 2, 2020

Worship News. If you can reach this Blog, you can join us in Worship this Sunday, May 3, 2020. The You Tube link will be up by 8:00 am, and don’t forget to download the Worship Guide. You can worship, but maybe you could call some church family friends and schedule a time to log on and worship together electronically?

And if you missed any earlier services, they’re still available via the CUMC website.

Overview. Welcome to the May 2, 2020 CUMC Spring Garden Blogpost! The campus remains closed, so, again, no recent imagery.

Current Status of the Trees. We have learned that all trees were planted and staked recently by our landscaper with assistance from Jennifer Graybill, Angie Carey, and Keyana Green, all of our custodial staff. Assisting them were Pastor Mira and Mike Landis, of the Building Committee. Mike, along with Doc and Kelly Loudon, have taken on the task of regularly watering the trees.

Please thank these persons in whatever way is appropriate during the six-foot rule. (I sincerely hope that’s it’s NOT going to be like the five second rule for any food that falls to the floor.)

Other Important News Regarding Restarting Construction from Kerm Leitner.

From the April 29 Weekly Minute:

With Governor Wolf’s announcement that public and private residential and non-residential construction may resume statewide starting Friday, May 1, Jeff Barnes immediately contacted Jess Kosoff, Arthur Funk and Sons’ project manager.  While she was unable to confirm exactly when our construction will fully resume, minimally the following changes will be going into effect immediately to create and maintain a healthy working atmosphere:

• There will be no site visits by staff, guests or leaders.
• All food deliveries will be shutdown.
• All tours of the site will be prohibited.
• The Sneak Peak event will be postponed indefinitely.
• Photography of the site will be stopped until further notice.

When construction was halted on March 20, the building was nine weeks from being completed.  It will take time to plan the startup, enlist and schedule all of the subcontractors, wait on necessary supplies for which there may be delays and deal with last minute problems which arise. Upon restarting construction our contractor will create a new timeline for finishing up our church building.  Leadership Council will provide a new timeline regarding when our last services will be conducted at our present facility and the first services at our new church as possible.
We would ask that you continue to pray for the health and welfare of all of the construction workers and their families.  Thank you, in advance, for your cooperation

 

Looking Forward: In reading the most recent Leadership Council minutes, it is increasingly likely that the Spring Garden Campus will reopen, probably in a limited capacity, very soon. Funk and company will establish all necessary health protocols for the site and the workers. They will establish the best sequences for work, schedules and recalling subcontractors. In aviation terms, I’d say this restart will need a long runway, and a slow climb for a while.

CUMC’s Care for the Workers. Let’s pray earnestly that we wait patiently for God’s leadership, satisfying ourselves that God really does have our best interests in mind and can balance all the complex variables of this decision-making. Keep praying for a smooth restart and complete protection of all site workers, including delivery folks. Please include the contractors and their subs and suppliers. We are not out of the pandemic forest by a long shot, and we certainly don’t want to take ownership of a facility that is not as virus-free as possible. Trust in God!

Coming Attractions. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the House of the Lord!” (Ps 122:1)

Again, this week, I ask you to imagine the fully open Spring Garden Campus. Consider a time, not Sunday worship, but when the youth gather, or when you have business in the office, or you are taking a child to Little Lights. Maybe it’s early autumn, and the trees are beginning to turn to their autumn golds and browns. Imagine driving around the cul de sac and down the long sweeping drive to one of the entrances. You might see someone coming your way, and you wave and smile.

Meanwhile, Keep holding one another close in spirit and communication. Pray that God will always keep us as the apple of His eye. And always give God thanks for our church family, and our individual families.

Keep checking the CUMC website and look in on the Blog.

 

Faith over Fear, Prayer over Panic, Christ over All!

 

27 Apr 2020 CUMC Update on SGC Construction

The following  information was released today, 27 Apr regarding the Spring Garden Campus.

April 27 Update on SGC

With Governor Wolf’s announcement that public and private residential and nonresidential construction may resume statewide starting Friday, May 1, Jeff Barnes immediately contacted Arthur Funk and Sons’ project manager. While she was unable to confirm exactly when our construction will fully resume, minimally the following changes will be going into effect immediately to create and maintain a healthy working atmosphere: 

 • There will be no site visits by staff, guests or leaders.

• All food deliveries will be shutdown. 

• All tours of the site will be prohibited. 

• The Sneak Peak event will be postponed indefinitely. 

• Photography of the site will be stopped until further notice. 

 When construction was halted on March 20, the building was nine weeks from being completed. It will take time to plan the startup, enlist and schedule all of the subcontractors, wait on necessary supplies for which there may be delays and deal with last minute problems which arise.

Upon restarting construction our contractor will create a new timeline for finishing up our church building. Leadership Council will provide a new timeline regarding when our last services will be conducted at our present facility and the first services at our new church as possible.

We would ask that you continue to pray for the health and welfare of all of the construction workers and their families. Thank you, in advance, for your cooperation.  

CUMC Blogpost April 25, 2020

Worship News. If you can reach this Blog, you can join us in Worship this Sunday, April 26, 2020. The You Tube link will be up by 8:00 am, and don’t forget to download the Worship Guide. You can worship, but maybe you could call some church family friends and schedule a time to log on and worship together electronically?

And if you missed any earlier services, they’re still available via the CUMC website.

Overview. Welcome to the April 25, 2020 CUMC Spring Garden Blogpost! The campus remains closed, so, again, no recent imagery. I’ll try to entertain by reruns.

Announcements from the Leadership Council, Minutes of April 20, 2020

All of the trees purchased by members and friends of CUMC have been planted.   Our landscaper and CUMC’s custodial staff have planted all 113 trees.  All health precautions were taken and observed by the planters. The trees needed to be planted for viability.  The site remains closed and is posted “no trespassing” until construction has been resumed.  Let us all PLEASE observe this.  There will be plenty of time to view the trees in the near future.

Other Important News Regarding Restarting Construction from Kerm Leitner.

Kerm and Jeff Barnes, the Building Committee Chair, discussed the future of the Spring Garden Campus construction. Funk Construction will be following a strict protocol regarding health measures which will need to be taken once their work resumes.  CUMC discourages anyone from visiting the Spring Garden Campus while the threat of spreading the virus remains with us. In keeping with this restriction, until further notice, photography of the site should stop.

We should stay away from SGC even when the contractor is permitted to restart construction, so that we do not interfere with the contractor’s health and safety protocols. The Leadership Council will provide further information on this.

Outside Progress: As noted above all the trees have been planted!

Inside Progress: None to report.

Looking Back — Today’s Feature is the Little Lights Learning Center (LLLC). The imagery will show construction progress from the beginning of the foundation through the carpeting, painting and cabinetry. As I understand, the LLLC was essentially completed and ready for turnover before the SGC construction was stopped.

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                   April 2019: The North Wing begins to take shape.  Footers and
                    first courses of cinder block

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May – June 2019.  Walls to full height and curing the floor

July 31, 2019.  The LLLC summer crew tours the LLLC spaces with Mike Arnold.

August 2019.  LLLC under roof

August 2019.  Studding going up; looking from entrance toward Worship Center 

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November 2019 – January 2020.  Forming the North Entrance to the LLLC

Feb 2020.  Cabinets and toilets installed, and final painting underway.

 

March 2020.  Laying tile in LLLC area

 

 Looking Forward: The omens are good for a return to construction activity in the near future. But over and above the regular business of painting, drywall, flooring, HVAC, etc., will be a crucial layer of health protocols. The Contractor will establish and enforce the appropriate preventive measures, which I imagine will probably include personal distancing, surface disinfection, and inventory control and examination to preclude infected materials from entering the site.

I believe this is worthy of our constant prayers for successful restarting and complete protection of all site workers, including delivery folks. We are not out of the pandemic forest by a long shot, and we certainly don’t want to take ownership of a facility that is not as virus-free as possible. Trust in God!

CUMC’s Care for the Workers. A continued request. Continue to include the contractors and their subs AND Suppliers in your prayers for health for them and their families, AND for economic stability. Might I add that a prayer that they are able to return safely soon and not be reassigned to other projects. We do have a great team of specialists I think you’d agree. I’d also ask prayers for the suppliers, who cannot deliver to our campus. There may be a glimmer of hope this week in the loosening of some restrictions on construction workers and sites.

But I’m reluctant to pray for what we desire – a quick return to completing the Campus. On reflection, I’d ask that we pray earnestly that we wait patiently for God’s leadership, satisfying ourselves that God really does have our best interests in mind and can balance all the complex variables of this decision-making. Can I get an AMEN?

Coming Attractions. For surely, I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Why don’t you begin to imagine what you will do once the Spring Garden Campus is open and ready for our church family? What do you want to do first? Will you be a moving volunteer transferring items from West Street to South Spring Garden St? Will you practice giving directions to anyone who asks you where your church building is? Are you going to take pictures or movies? Are you going to Facebook your friends? Will you be an office volunteer, or a youth or children’s ministry volunteer? Are you going to sign up for grounds maintenance?

Meanwhile, Keep holding one another close in spirit and communication. Pray that God will always keep us as the apple of His eye. And always give God thanks for our church family, and our individual families.

Keep checking the CUMC website and look in on the Blog.

Faith over Fear, Prayer over Panic, Christ over All!

 

CUMC Blogpost April 19, 2020, First Sunday after Easter

Worship News. If you can reach this Blog, you can join us in Worship this Sunday, April 19, 2020. The You Tube link will be up by 8:00 am, and don’t forget to download the Worship Guide. You can watch it at your leisure anytime, but don’t you think it would be more satisfying to hold to a schedule and worship electronically with your church family at the same time? We’ll have flowers, and a palm branch that the pastors sent this past week.

And if you missed any earlier services, they’re still available via the CUMC website.

Overview. Welcome to the April 19, 2020 CUMC Spring Garden Blogpost! The campus remains closed, so, again, no recent imagery. I’ll try to entertain by reruns.

Outside Progress: None to report

Inside Progress: None to report.

Looking Forward: Last time I suggested that you look ahead a year and imagine worship at the Spring Garden Campus. Trees and shrubs and flowers galore! Grass newly mown, Sun’s up well before we gather to worship. Perhaps a cloud, perhaps a chance of rain, but nonetheless, as we assemble to worship together, look back at the year without a community Easter and be joyful for what God has granted us. By now we’ve sort of selected our personal parking places. (Even Methodists are a little territorial.) As we walk in we greet familiar faces who worship at the same hour we do. Perhaps we’ll see new faces from the homes around us, and we greet them warmly and ask about them. Our months in self quarantine and isolation still remembered, we thirst for the fellowship of other Christians. May that be the lesson we learn from this: to be generous in our affection and uplift of others.

The strains of prelude begin to quiet the traditional worshipers, while the contemporary worshipers are already standing and singing, let by our worship leader and praise band.

Ahh, say the pastors, It’s Showtime!! Let’s show God how much we love God and one another!

 

CUMC’s Care for the Workers. Continue to include the contractors and their subs AND Suppliers in your prayers for health for them and their families, AND for economic stability. Might I add that a prayer that they are able to return safely soon and not be reassigned to other projects. We do have a great team of specialists I think you’d agree. I’d also ask prayers for the suppliers, who cannot deliver to our campus. There may be a glimmer of hope this week in the loosening of some restrictions on construction workers and sites.

But I’m reluctant to pray for what we desire – a quick return to completing the Campus. On reflection, I’d ask that we pray earnestly that we wait patiently for God’s leadership, satisfying ourselves that God really does have our best interests in mind and can balance all the complex variables of this decision-making. Can I get an AMEN?

Looking Back. This week I offer a look at the development of the Worship Center, or as I formerly referred to as the Sanctuary. This is what the builders call Building B.

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In the Beginning.  September 2019 through April 2020

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Moving Forward June – July 2020

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Walls and framework going up September- October 2019

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Erecting the barrel vault and sides October – November 2019

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Starting the Worship Center and Stage Floors November 2019 – January 2020

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Exterior Developments February 2020

Interior Cross Outline and framing the Worship Center Entrance Feb 2020

Worship Center Walls, Rear and Roof February 2020

Looking at the Entrance Cross from Inside and Outside March 2020

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The Beginning of Diamond Ring and Finished Barrel Vault March 2020

 

Coming Attractions. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

The Sunday School Lesson for the Kindred Spirits class is Rebuilding the Temple and is based on the writings and prophecies of Haggai, buried under a lot of other so-called Minor Prophets in the OT. But there is significant relevance to our times. I mention this because some of Haggai’s prophecies weren’t fulfilled in his lifetime. So my really minor prophecies still have a chance to come true. So, as I have been saying, the Funk and Gleim companies will return. The work will continue and conclude. We’ll have a chance to have some sort of Sneak Peek. We’ll start and finish “The Move.” And one day, in God’s good time, we shall meet again as a church family, first in our present building, and soon after at the Spring Garden Campus.

Meanwhile, Keep holding one another close in spirit and communication. Pray that God will always keep us as the apple of His eye. And always give God thanks for our church family, and our individual families.

Keep checking the CUMC website.  The Blog may take a vacation next week.

Faith over Fear, Prayer over Panic, Christ over All!

 

CUMC Blogpost April 11, 2020, Easter Eve

Worship News. If you can reach this Blog, you can join us in Worship this Sunday, April 12, 2020. The You Tube link will be up by 8:00 am, and don’t forget to download the worship guide. You can watch it at your leisure anytime, but don’t you think it would be more satisfying to hold to a schedule and worship electronically with your church family at the same time? We’ll have flowers, and a palm branch that the pastors sent this past week.

And if you missed any earlier services, they’re still available via the CUMC website.

Overview. Welcome to the April 11 2020 CUMC Spring Garden Blogpost! The campus remains closed, so no recent imagery. I’ll try to entertain by reruns.

There are things still going on – sort of like a Hot Stove League but with some more useful purpose. I presume one of the things being discussed and planned is how to restart the construction once the Governor releases construction workers for work. But that’s a presumption on my part. As Jesus said about some evil spirit, this one takes mighty prayers. And I’m confident we’re all doing that.

Outside Progress: None to report

Inside Progress: None to report.

Looking Forward: Take your mind forward to April 4, 2021. That will be the next Easter Sunday we’ll celebrate as a rejoined church family. We’ll probably park behind Little Lights. Imagine climbing the VIM-produced steps and standing in the chapel behind the Worship center.

It’s a bit chilly, but someone has already lit the firepit lit and it’s warming us. The sun will have been up for about an hour through the trees. Pastor Jake and Pastor Mira will lead the service, and Chris Gregory and perhaps a small ensemble from the Contemporary Worship musicians will provide music.

I’m imagining about 80 people of all ages, some for their umpteenth (minus one) Easter Sunrise, and some children there for their first. Some UMYF kids will participate. There may be a dramatic reading of that first Easter morning – perhaps even a short drama with costumes, a tent made to look like a tomb and an artistically created rock that leans beside the tent-cave. The strains of “Up from the Grave He Arose” will ring out on that hillside. We might share a brief communion before we leave the chapel and retire to the Gathering for hot coffee and a hot cross bun, courtesy of Joanne Monoski and her hospitality crew.

There will be just enough time for the combined choir to get to the rehearsal room and prepare for Easter worship. Worshipers will be rounding the cul de sac and driving down the long curving tree-lined road to find a parking place for the first service. Perhaps one of them is you…

CUMC’s Care for the Workers. I ask you once more to include the contractors and their subs AND Suppliers in your prayers for health for them and their families, AND for economic stability. Might I add that a prayer that they are able to return safely soon and not be reassigned to other projects. We do have a great team of specialists I think you’d agree. I’d also ask prayers for the suppliers, who cannot deliver to our campus.

Looking Back. This week I offer a look at the development of the West Wing, what is called Building A – the adult, youth and children’s sections and the chapel. 

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Future West Wing October 2018           And in March 2019 just before block laying

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First Courses of Cinder Block Mid- and Late April 2019

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The Exterior and Interior Walls are Growing

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West Wing Walls July 2019   And by September 2019 The Roofs are In Place

October 2019: West Wing North Face Dryvit and Roof HVAC Units

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March 2020 Graded Entrances to West Wing and stonework

Coming Attractions. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

As I wrote for the past three weeks now, I will give you a coming attraction, but I can’t prophesy as to the date: The Funk and Gleim companies will return. The work will continue and conclude. We’ll have a chance to have some sort of Sneak Peek. We’ll start and finish “The Move.” And one day, in God’s good time, we shall meet again as a church family, first in our present building, and soon after at the Spring Garden Campus.

Meanwhile, Keep holding one another close in spirit and communication. Pray that God will always keep us as the apple of His eye. And always give God thanks for our church family, and our individual families.

Keep checking the CUMC website and look in on the Blog.

Faith over Fear, Prayer over Panic, Christ over All!

CUMC Blogpost April 4, 2020, Palm Sunday Eve

Worship News. If you can reach this Blog, you can join us in Worship this Sunday, April 5, 2020. The You Tube link will be up by 8:00 am, and don’t forget to download the worship guide. You can watch it at your leisure anytime, but don’t you think it would be more satisfying to hold to a schedule and worship electronically with your church family at the same time? We’ll have flowers, and a palm branch that the pastors sent this past week.

Overview. Welcome to the April 4 2020 CUMC Spring Garden Blogpost! The campus is closed, so no recent imagery. I’ll try to entertain by reruns.

Jeff Barnes wants you to know that the Building Committee is continuing to finalize interior details working via email and phone with Jess Kosoff and Mike Arnold of AFS.  And he’s using this ‘time off’ to get caught up on lots of paperwork. 

He also wants us to recognize the yeoman’s work by the Moving Committee in organizing and preparing for the move.  In particular, Pastor Mira, Kathy Charette and Frank Williams have spent countless hours creating incredibly detailed spreadsheets to prepare for the move and give moving companies needed information in order to prepare a bid for the work.  I’m sure the D-Day invasion was a bit larger in scope, but this group, augmented by Debbie Washinger and Joanne Reynolds, doesn’t have a government bureaucracy to contend with. As Jeff concluded, “They deserve a big THANK YOU from all of us!” I’d add that they could always use encouraging prayer.

Outside Progress: None to report

Inside Progress: None to report.

CUMC’s Care for the Workers. Please include the contractors and their subs in your prayers for health for them and their families, AND for economic stability. Might I add that a prayer that they are able to return safely soon and not be reassigned to other projects. We do have a great team of specialists I think you’d agree. I’d also ask prayers for the suppliers, who cannot deliver to our campus.

Looking Back. This week I offer a look at the development of the North Wing – LLLC and the offices, or what the Construction team calls Building C.

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Nineteen months ago in September 2018         A year ago April 2019

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               April 2019, North Wing begins        May 2019 North Wing continues

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         July 2019 Floors poured                    September 2019 North Wing Under Roof

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                  North Wing December 2019       North Wing March 2020
The exterior is finished, awaiting copper dome at the LLLC entrance.

Coming Attractions.  Consider this passage from Isaiah:

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness,  and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:19)

As I wrote for the past two weeks, I will give you a coming attraction, but I can’t prophesy as to the date: The Funk and Gleim companies will return. The work will continue and conclude. We’ll have a chance to have some sort of Sneak Peek. We’ll start and finish “The Move.” And one day, in God’s good time, we shall meet again as a church family, first at our present building, and soon after at the Spring Garden Campus.

Meanwhile, Keep holding one another close in spirit and communication. Pray that God will always keep us as the apple of His eye, and always give God thanks for our church family, and our individual families.

Keep checking the CUMC website and look in on the Blog.

And please continue to keep in prayer all who work at the Spring Garden Campus and give God the Glory!!