"Surveying the Land"
Jumping ahead wildly in this Friendship photo history, here's a picture snapped of me as the church property was prepared for construction.
My family and I arrived in Clermont County on August 22, 1990. I formally began my work on September 1 and began going door-to-door to introduce people to this new congregation on October 1. (By the way, I believe that going door-to-door is--and already was then--a horrible way to start a new congregation. But it was the proscribed procedure then. I only learned later that when it comes to bureaucratic procedure, even in the Church, it's far easier to get forgiveness than permission.)
In the period between our arrival and the first worship celebration on May 19, 1991, we also held biweekly Bible studies in our home and I sent out weekly newsletters to prospective members.
Friendship's property was purchased in 1991 by the Mission Investment Fund (MIF) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was a 5.2-acre rectangular parcel that ran from State Route 125 (Ohio Pike) to White Oak Road, Appomatox Drive forming the east boundary line.
After striving for and attaining three or four different MIF-established thresholds, the fund wouldn't give us a loan. So, we pursued the next set of goals they established for us. They were composed of worship attendance, offerings, and a proscribed dollar amount pledged in a capital campaign. We hit those targets as well, then were told by MIF that they still wouldn't lend us the money for construction.
So, I urged the Building Committee and Church Council to see if commercial loans couldn't be found. Steve Snoke took hold of this challenge with faith and tenacity. At about this same time, we were approached by the Goddard School. They wanted to purchase the front 1.7-acres of the lot, a portion bounded by Ohio Pike. Their offer would allow us to pay what we owed MIF for the entire parcel, freeing us then to use the capital campaign-generated dollars for construction. God set that in our laps, for sure!
Steve was also the person who found Adeco of Springboro, Ohio, a company that had already been involved in more than 600 design-build churches across the country. The company's founder was an extraordinary man of faith and he and his company were a dream to work with. Steve was the point person and God used him to get the project completed under budget!
The people of the congregation also helped reduce costs by all of their volunteer labor. Among other things, Friendship members did roofing and soffit work, treatment of the arches and decking, and lots of other things. Volunteers, for example, painted the walls. (One day I walked into the place to find 23 people painting!) Don and Lisa Wood wallpapered the women's rest room. Eric Binder and sons, Sean and Adam, designed and put down the pavestones. Steve Snoke designed the tiling and he and Judy Jordan put it down.
Ann Daniels chaired the appointments committee, selecting the colors and the chairs.
Aaron Hauke designed and constructed the altar, the pulpit, and the coffee bar.
Aaron Knorr built the shed, which provided needed storage. The original building plan called for more storage and a slightly bigger building. But Clermont County's building inspectors required extensive carbon monoxide-detecting fresh air returns, adding $13,000 to the cost of the project. To save money, the building committee ordered revisions to the design, knocking out storage. Right now, of course, as part of his Eagle Scout project, Kyle Barrett are adding to the shed, allowing us to have both "outdoor" and "inside" items stored there.
This picture was taken by our daughter, Sarah, in June, 2oo2. Clearing of the property began that month. The foundation was subsequently laid. The arches and decking, which were shipped from Canada, were delayed when the truck carrying them broke down in Minnesota. They were finally erected on the Tuesday following Labor Day, 2002. We received a temporary occupancy permit in order to hold our first worship service on Christmas Eve, 2002. We began regular worship there on the third Sunday in January, 2003.
My family and I arrived in Clermont County on August 22, 1990. I formally began my work on September 1 and began going door-to-door to introduce people to this new congregation on October 1. (By the way, I believe that going door-to-door is--and already was then--a horrible way to start a new congregation. But it was the proscribed procedure then. I only learned later that when it comes to bureaucratic procedure, even in the Church, it's far easier to get forgiveness than permission.)
In the period between our arrival and the first worship celebration on May 19, 1991, we also held biweekly Bible studies in our home and I sent out weekly newsletters to prospective members.
Friendship's property was purchased in 1991 by the Mission Investment Fund (MIF) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was a 5.2-acre rectangular parcel that ran from State Route 125 (Ohio Pike) to White Oak Road, Appomatox Drive forming the east boundary line.
After striving for and attaining three or four different MIF-established thresholds, the fund wouldn't give us a loan. So, we pursued the next set of goals they established for us. They were composed of worship attendance, offerings, and a proscribed dollar amount pledged in a capital campaign. We hit those targets as well, then were told by MIF that they still wouldn't lend us the money for construction.
So, I urged the Building Committee and Church Council to see if commercial loans couldn't be found. Steve Snoke took hold of this challenge with faith and tenacity. At about this same time, we were approached by the Goddard School. They wanted to purchase the front 1.7-acres of the lot, a portion bounded by Ohio Pike. Their offer would allow us to pay what we owed MIF for the entire parcel, freeing us then to use the capital campaign-generated dollars for construction. God set that in our laps, for sure!
Steve was also the person who found Adeco of Springboro, Ohio, a company that had already been involved in more than 600 design-build churches across the country. The company's founder was an extraordinary man of faith and he and his company were a dream to work with. Steve was the point person and God used him to get the project completed under budget!
The people of the congregation also helped reduce costs by all of their volunteer labor. Among other things, Friendship members did roofing and soffit work, treatment of the arches and decking, and lots of other things. Volunteers, for example, painted the walls. (One day I walked into the place to find 23 people painting!) Don and Lisa Wood wallpapered the women's rest room. Eric Binder and sons, Sean and Adam, designed and put down the pavestones. Steve Snoke designed the tiling and he and Judy Jordan put it down.
Ann Daniels chaired the appointments committee, selecting the colors and the chairs.
Aaron Hauke designed and constructed the altar, the pulpit, and the coffee bar.
Aaron Knorr built the shed, which provided needed storage. The original building plan called for more storage and a slightly bigger building. But Clermont County's building inspectors required extensive carbon monoxide-detecting fresh air returns, adding $13,000 to the cost of the project. To save money, the building committee ordered revisions to the design, knocking out storage. Right now, of course, as part of his Eagle Scout project, Kyle Barrett are adding to the shed, allowing us to have both "outdoor" and "inside" items stored there.
This picture was taken by our daughter, Sarah, in June, 2oo2. Clearing of the property began that month. The foundation was subsequently laid. The arches and decking, which were shipped from Canada, were delayed when the truck carrying them broke down in Minnesota. They were finally erected on the Tuesday following Labor Day, 2002. We received a temporary occupancy permit in order to hold our first worship service on Christmas Eve, 2002. We began regular worship there on the third Sunday in January, 2003.
[Click on image to enlarge.]
posted by Mark Daniels at 12:36 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home