First Day of Fall Update 9/23/29

If you've driven past the hotel property, hopefully you've noticed that it is looking much more clean since all of the excess rubble has been cleared away.  It is much less of a liability now and it's easier to envision the possibility of the land.  There will be additional demo of the pool and some sidewalks, and then some dirt work to follow, but we are thankful for the progress to this point.

The core building team recently secured Anderson Knight Architects to work on preliminary concept drawings for a building.  We anticipate receiving the initial draft within the next two weeks.  From there, we will be able to tweak design ideas and consider different phasing possibilities for the future.  It will be exciting to finally get to "see" a glimpse of what our team has been working towards, and in turn, to share it with you!

Lastly, if you haven't already, be sure to mark your calendars for Sunday, October 6th, when we will have a church family meeting following the service.  During that time, you will get a (hopefully) concise update about things happening across the building, finance, and cultivating teams.  There will also be time for some Q&A, so we hope to see you there!

And as always, thanks for praying.  
   --For initial architectural floor plans to be thorough and without any oversights regarding what we truly need in the space.
   --For God to provide financially for our church and this project.  He has been so good to do so to this point!
   --That the Lord would make this project about the greatness of His name, not ours.
 

Update 8/21/19

The cicadas are singing earlier in the day, the shadows are getting longer, and students are flooding back into town.  The Fall semester is upon us!  With the return of college students, including many new internationals, we are looking to connect with those who may have use for some of the remaining furniture and appliances we have stored from the hotel buildings.  We have continued to give things through the care portal, and may be able to contribute some items to the HIS furniture giveaway coming up soon.  If you know of anyone wanting or needing a refrigerator or microwave at a discount price, let us know!

This week, our core building team will be receiving a proposal (like a bid) for initial concept drawings from an architect in town.  We will need to review that proposal and present it to the finance team before we give the go ahead.  Once the architect is able to move forward, the design team will be working from the pre-design document (facility plan) we put together for them.  It outlines our church's space needs, values, and desires as best as we understand them.  If you're interested in seeing the written facility plan the core building team diligently put together, you can read the full document HERE.

Lastly, many of you have likely noted that much rubble still remains on the property.  You can know that it has not been forgotten about.  We are working with our demolition contractor, who has been so kind and generous towards us, and he will be getting the lot cleaned up in the coming weeks.

God continues to graciously guide the multiple teams of people who are working on various tasks related to the property and future building.  What a humbling process it is to know that He is faithful and is zealous for His own glory.  May He continue to show Himself faithful to our church community as we take steps forward in faith.

Please continue to pray:
-For our potential architects and the work their design team will do soon.  Pray that God would guide their creativity and work, and that their hearts might be open to the gospel as they interact with people of New Hope.
-Pray for wisdom and clarity for all of the volunteer teams involved.  The finance team, the cultivating team, and the core building team are all meeting regularly and need God's leading for decisions.
-For unity and expectancy among the people of our church as we labor to make God known to those around us.

Update 7/30/2019

Three weeks have passed since we last posted here on the blog.  Somehow, the summer months have a way of flying by like that!  Between camps, vacations, the July 4th holiday, and various other summer commitments, the core building team has not met in person as much this month.  However, we have tried to be faithful to keep working on things as each person is able.

As mentioned in the last post, the core team has been working to wrap up a pre-design packet to hand to an architect.  In the process of fine tuning it, we have needed to camp out on a few sections more than anticipated in an effort to be as accurate and unified as possible.  But it is SO close to being ready!  We've had some conversations with local architects and hope to soon determine whose services we will use for some initial facility sketches.

We have also been working to coordinate what needs to happen with remaining demolition cleanup.  In the meantime, we have an iconic "stairway to heaven" on the property that has people talking.  Now to come up with a clever message for the sign...

Thanks for continuing to pray.  Please pray for these things...

--For perseverance and encouragement for the core building team and their families

--Praise God that He continues to provide.  May we make His name great through this process!

--For the team's decision as they choose an architect

--For hearts of unity and gratitude among the people of our church

Update 7/8/19

Look at the progress! The demo crew was amazed by how much rebar was in the structures, and because of it, they had to crunch away at the concrete walls and roof more slowly than originally anticipated.  But the hotel buildings are down!  The property will look much like this for the next week or two as the demolition machines must be pulled away for some other jobs with tight deadlines.  But they will be back in the coming weeks to finish clean up of the site.

Other news is that the core building team is in the process of procuring an architect to work on initial concept design drawings.  In preparation for that work, the team is finishing up a large pre-design document that will be given to the architect team.  The document is a culmination of much of the work and analysis done to this point as it seeks to outline space requirements and needs, goals, and values for each ministry space.  Please be praying for continued wisdom and discernment as we edit and finalize this step.

Thanks for reading, seeking to stay updated, and for praying!  Know that the teams of people involved in the building project desire to keep communication open and flowing among our church body.  If you have questions, thoughts, or just want to hear more, please reach out to a core building team member.  Their names and photos are below.  

Prayer requests

-That we would all continue to value the Gospel and people over programs and buildings

-May the buzz about what is happening at the property prompt conversations about God, church, and faith all across Manhattan

-That God would continue to guide and provide, writing a story through our church that only He can write

-Pray for energy and encouragement for the various teams and volunteers serving our church

Core Building Team Members

Cody and Hannah Canterbury

Eric and Anna Nielson

Justin and Kristey Wiebers

Brad and Kira Buser

Tony and Carmen Classen

Demolition Well Under Way

Hopefully you've taken time to stop by the property to observe some of the demolition action.  In case you haven't been able to, or if you just like to see big machines in action, here are some demo photos and videos...

People around town are noticing the verses and quotes on our sign...This time we gave them a little humor

Some who showed up to watch it all kick off

Kids find the machines captivating

Progress

One building down...starting to be able to really see the space we've got to work with on the site.

Police Training and Upcoming Demolition

If you drove past the hotel property last Wednesday, you probably saw evidence of the police training in action.  Law enforcement vehicles lined the front of the parking lot and cones blocked off entrance to the property.  Here are some photos...

After many weekends of work, final gleaning efforts at the property wrapped up this past Saturday.  We are so thankful to all who contributed numerous hours of labor in the attempt to salvage all we could.  And while it may not be as dramatic as the fall of Jericho, hotel walls will begin tumbling down soon!  Demolition crews will start the process this Wednesday or Thursday.   The look of the property will change drastically over the coming weeks! 

Behind the scenes, volunteer teams related to the building have been meeting consistently in recent weeks.  The Building Team continues to work through rough financial estimates for construction and sustainment costs of a building.  The Cultivating Team is laboring to develop vision, revamp the church website, collect contact information, and develop an overall communication plan.  And last, but not least, the Finance Team is prayerfully considering many aspects of financial health for our church in this next season and how to care for our church family from a stewardship perspective.  Thank you for your continued prayers for these teams of volunteers.

Update 6/619

If you've had any thought about offering your time and energy to help mow at the hotel property, check this out!  New Hope now owns a fancy, fun to use mower!  Please add your name to the volunteer spreadsheet (link at the top of this page) or get in touch with Tom Grogan directly to discuss the mowing/trimming needs.

Additionally, we can report that the trailer of copper seen in the previous post brought in about $4000.  God continues to provide through the salvaging efforts, and we have just a few more weeks to pull things out before demolition.  We can use all the help we can get, so plan to come out on Saturday or coordinate to help during the week if you're more available then.  It would be a great investment of your time!

Thanks for your prayers:

• Pray for endurance and perseverance for those who have been committing significant time and energy at the property and behind the scenes.  Pray that they would have wisdom and freedom in taking time to rest as well.
• Pray for continued unity and clarity of vision for everyone in New Hope.
• Pray that God would captivate our hearts through this season and continue to give us stories of His faithfulness.