For long-time members of Shadycrest Baptist Church, the journey to the “Promised Land” also comes with a change of address.

The Church is officially moving into a new Worship and Fellowship building on Sunday, February 26.

Although it is adjacent to their current property on Hamm Road in Pearland, the new “front door” will be on the much more traveled Yost Boulevard.

Shadycrest began as a small congregation about 40 years ago as a mission of First Baptist Church, Pearland.

Then, Gerald Harris, Principal of Shadycrest Elementary School allowed the small congregation to meet at his school.

Come the end of the month, Harris will be among the 600 people who now attend Shadycrest each weekend as he moves into the new building.

The Church had a growth spurt about ten years ago, about the same time as the rest of Pearland.

Although adding a second worship service to allow more to attend each Sunday postponed the need for a new Sanctuary, talk of construction had begun.

“Especially for the people who have been here for a while, this has been on their hearts and minds for a while. You hear some of them talk about ‘We’re entering the Promised Land’ because this is something they have been dreaming about for a decade,” said Senior Pastor Dr. Ryan Jennings.

Jennings arrived in August 2010, well into the planning stages.

The Church broke ground on the new facility last February.

The new sanctuary has room for 600 people.

Next to it is a Fellowship Hall where 350 can have a sit-down meal together.

The $5 million project is about one-third paid for.

“For a lot of the folks who have been faithful and giving, and giving to the Building Fund, this is a real big exciting thing for them,” said Pastor Ryan, as he likes to be called.

The construction team gave also.

Dave Palmer of Palmer Construction Company donated the baptistery.

Jennings said Palmer’s only request was, “All I ask is that you use it a lot.”

On Sunday the 26th, Pastor Ryan will preach from Joshua, chapter 24, verse 15: “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Pastor Ryan is looking forward to preaching in a place with a “new church smell,” and delivering God’s message and an invitation.

“It offers us an opportunity to once again lock arms together and say, ‘Alright, now we have a new challenge before us.’ We worked really hard. God through us build a great loving family and filled up this facility. Now we have room again for many more to come.”

Pastor Ryan gets excited when he says, “We serve a God who is building an eternal family. That is what He is doing through his church. We are honored and privileged to be a part of that.”

The excitement at Shadycrest continues the following week as they host Don Piper, author of “90 Minutes in Heaven” on March 2-4.

While the new Worship Center isn’t Heaven, Jennings hopes for people who attend, it will be a glimpse of the “Promised Land.”

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Shadycrest Church ‘Bound for the Promised Land’

A church's change in plans for a new building at the site of an abandoned mall has neighbors worried. Southland Christian Church wants to create another parcel of land at the site on Richmond Road to either lease or sell. That change would reduce the size of a pond on the property more than was already planned.

This morning the city's Planning Commission reviewed the amendment. People who live near where the new church is being built say the reduction of that pond could increase problems they already have.

"All the storm water drainage in this watershed comes through our neighborhood. From Liberty Road, Richmond Road, Woodhill, it's a massive amount," said James Capley Jr., president of the Idle Hour Neighborhood Association. They oppose the new plan but Southland's construction engineers say the change would take runoff from nearby neighborhoods into account.

The technical committee chose to postpone a decision on the plan so a subcommittee could review it. "They need some more technical information to see if this revision that's proposed is still consistent with that approval that FEMA has given," said Planning Manager Bill Sallee.

The proposal goes to that subcommittee next Thursday. It will then be presented to the full Planning Commission on March 8th.

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Changes to church's construction plans worry neighbors

10-10-2011 15:32 Frederic Blanc improvises on the gorgeous Cavaillé-Coll organ of Notre Dame d'Auteuil church in Paris. Christoph Martin Frommen of the Aeolus record label writes about this very special instrument: The fascinating history of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of Notre-Dame d'Auteuil in Paris is most intimately bound up in that of the legendary organ in the "Palais du Trocadéro" there, also an instrument by the Cavaillé-Coll company. In 1877 Cavaillé-Coll had begun building a three-manual, 45-stop organ for the parish church of Auteuil in the southwest of Paris. The vicar at the time, Abbé Lamazou (whose grave is to be found beneath the organ loft in the church) was a great fan of the organ and an admirer of Cavaillé-Coll. He had seen to it that the latter would get the contract to build the organ. At about the same time a gigantic hall was being built at the «Place du Trocadéro» for the Paris World Exhibition of 1878. It was to have a seating capacity of 5000; in the central position was an oval-shaped concert hall with a ceiling height of 50 meters and a cross-section of 58 meters. Into their plan the two architects had designed an orchestra stage as well as a large concert organ. The authorities turned to Cavaillé-Coll with a request for a cost estimate in kind. His tender amounted to 200000 francs, a sum which at first made the commission balk. But shortly before the completion of the «Palais du Trocadéro» it was decided to place an order for an organ by Cavaillé-Coll after all ...

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Short demonstration of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of Notre Dame d'Auteuil, Paris - Video

16-02-2012 05:12

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Church construction v-2 - Video

Posted: Monday, February 20, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 10:45 am, Mon Feb 20, 2012.

NAMPA — For nearly 50 years, St. Paul’s Catholic Church has planned to build a new church on 21 acres of farmland on Roosevelt Avenue between Midland Boulevard and Canyon Street.

The wait is almost over. After 10 years of fundraising, ground was broken Sunday afternoon for a $5.17 million church.

A year from now, the parish’s 2,200 families will move into the 22,285-square-foot church. St. Paul’s current church, located at 1515 8th St. S., is 101 years old.

 “When you give to your church, you give to your community,” Mayor Tom Dale said. “There’s nothing that we can build in the city … I don’t care if it’s a road, a building or … that blesses the community more than a church.”

This ground was created to produce food and that food has fed bodies for years, Dale said. 

“It’s going to be fun to watch as the seeds of this church planted here grow into fruition, and it will feed the souls of man.”

Idaho Bishop Michael Driscoll and The Rev. Gerald Funke presided over the 30-minute English and Spanish celebration of speeches, songs and prayer. It ended with the 12-shovel ceremonial groundbreaking to symbolize the new beginning.

“This is one of Father Jerry’s (Funke) great desires to finally and ultimately build a church that you have worked so hard to have,” Driscoll said. The church will be “built on a great foundation, not only on the foundation of the land right here, but on the foundation of you people – the people who have been the heart and soul of the parish of St. Paul’s,” Driscoll said. 

Funke, who has been the pastor at for 14 years, is excited to finally reach this point.

“It’s a special challenge and a special opportunity,” Funke said. “You build for the community of today, knowing that the church will be here 100 years from now.”

Parishioner Chris Veloz and his family attended the service. 

“It means a lot to our family and to all the families of the church,” Veloz said.

“I’m happy to see it,” parishioner and steering committee member Brad Tanberg said. “You’re never sure if it’s going to come off. I’m amazed at the turnout,” he added as he gazed out on the crowd that pushed over 300 people as the temperature hovered at 39 degrees.

© 2012 Idaho Press-Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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St. Paul's Catholic Church breaks ground for $5.17M church

Within the past few years, Atascocita Presbyterian Church celebrated its 25th anniversary and has finally realized the dream of a dedicated sanctuary. That dream had to be deferred while the church went back to square one after a fire in 2001 destroyed the original sanctuary that had served as the church’s home.

The need for a multi-purpose structure that could accommodate all of the church’s needs at that time meant the dedicated sanctuary had to wait. With the help of Presbyterian investors, that was accomplished and the church again turned its attention to its original objective, a dedicated sanctuary.

In 2008, the planning process for the sanctuary was underway, but as it progressed the planning committee concluded that the church couldn’t afford the plans as they had originally been conceived. After scaling back to a more realistic set of objectives, the process began to move forward.

Following a stewardship campaign that demonstrated the members’ commitment, the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program granted the church a loan that covered the new building.

The church broke ground in April 2011 and work was completed in December. The new 250-seat sanctuary is flanked by two classroom additions on either side of the narthex.

A favorite addition of the church to the new sanctuary is its stained-glass window, which was designed and installed by Dennis Roberts from IHS Studios in Fredericksburg, Texas. He took his inspiration for the project from John 14:25-27: “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

The design incorporates the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The window’s frame forms a cross and represents Christ. The window itself depicts the hand of God releasing a dove, the Holy Spirit. The three symbols are linked together by the circular shape of the window to illustrate the three are interwoven as one. The circle, with no beginning and no end, represents the nature of God.

The new sanctuary was finally dedicated Jan. 22 after years of planning and construction.

Now that it is completed, the 350 congregation members will eagerly turn their attention to the activities that drive the church in the form of community outreach. The church is proud of its many community involvement efforts, both those sponsored by the church directly and those in which the church participates.

For example, Atascocita Presbyterian is actively involved with Humble Area Assistance Ministries. The church keeps a cart in the narthex at all times for donations to this worthy cause.

Another of the outreach ministries is Family Promise. The church hosts up to three homeless families for a week, once per quarter, providing them with shelter and the normalcy of a homelike environment.

The congregation makes donations of money and hands-on effort to assist those who have been devastated by natural disasters in the region, sadly more frequent in recent years. They have also supported missions in other countries such as Guatemala and Pakistan.

While the church members are excited for their own uses of the new sanctuary, they are also mindful that it will help them reach out to the community they serve. It gives the church an important symbol of its commitment to the surrounding community and acts as the focal point of Atascocita Presbyterian Church’s efforts in putting the teachings of Jesus Christ into action.

Atascocita Presbyterian Church is located at 19426 Atascocita Oaks Drive. For more information, call 281-852-8990 or visit apchumble.org.

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Atascocita Presbyterian Church dedicates new sanctuary

Building Harvest Life Church’s first church is both a construction project and a personal one for construction superintendent Tim Mitchell of Mussell Construction.

“Not only am I blessed to be part of my church expanding into a larger facility of our own, but I’m blessed to have the opportunity to build the church,” Mitchell says.

Construction began in October on the 23,569-square-foot church at 11437 W. Orchard Ave., west of Middleton Road in Nampa. The church is set to be finished around May, he said.

Harvest Life was founded in January 1993 with 20 people. Services are held at 2513 Sundance Road. Today the church has more than 700 people and a variety of ministries.

The church bought the land about a year ago. Last month, members walked and prayed through the new building, writing scriptures on the studs that will be covered by the walls and stairs.

“It will be there forever,” Mitchell said. “It was a way to make them feel a part of the project.”

Mitchell wrote a Bible verse from Philippians 3:13:?“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Mitchell has worked for Mussell Construction for the past seven years. The company built the Idaho Arts Charter School in Nampa about four years ago and just won the bid to complete a 14,000-square-foot addition for about $1.4 million. Other recent projects include renovations to the Warhawk Air Museum at the Nampa Municipal Airport and to the Canyon County Paramedics Station at Midland and Nampa/Caldwell boulevards.

Sandra Forester: 377-6464

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Nampa church constructs $2.3 million building

At an age when most people are doing well to take care of themselves, Bessie Walls, 93, is doing much more. Walls has been raising four great-grandsons, ages 11-16, in conditions many would find unlivable. Since losing her home to a fire several years ago, "Miss Bessie" and the boys have lived in a small trailer with structural and plumbing problems.

Photo by Stan Carroll
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Malisa Chisum talks with Marquis Walls (left) and Dyquan Dodson (right) outside their trailer, which is in such bad condition it will be replaced by the community.

The living situation, thanks to an Olive Branch church, is something that is about to change. Members of ARK Church and the Center Hill community have raised more than $10,000 to buy the family a "new" used mobile home.

"I didn't ask them for it, but I feel so happy and so good. I thank God for it, and I thank these people who are going to do this for me," Walls said.

The church, with a congregation of about 40 people, heard about the family's need through their contacts at Center Hill Elementary School.

"It first came to my attention because the boys said they didn't have a shower at home. So we wanted to see what we could do about that," said Tiffany Hamilton, counselor at Center Hill Elementary, where all four boys have attended.

Hamilton said she and Center Hill principal Rebecca Dearden immediately thought of Chris Holmes, lead pastor of ARK Church.

"They are always asking us what they can do to help. 'ARK' stands for Acts of Random Kindness, and that has been what they have done for our students, whether it's last-minute Christmas presents or other items," Hamilton said.

After a visit to the home, Holmes told Hamilton that installing a working shower was out of the question. The trailer was too unsafe to even think of doing any construction. Instead, they would buy Walls a used mobile home that the congregation and other volunteers could improve to meet the family's needs.

"We went to take a look at it and it's amazing that she does so much with what she has. But, we came to the realization that we couldn't do anything to fix it as there was so much messed up," Holmes said.

Walls' wish list is modest. She would like to have two rooms for the boys with two twin beds each. In the old trailer, they had to share. She'd also like to have an electric stove and heat, because a lot of her meager income goes to pay for gas.

That is exactly what the church is providing.

Last week, Walls moved in with family members while the church members and volunteers from the community and Center Hill Elementary moved all of the family possessions into a PODS container.

This week, the volunteers will move the new trailer to the site and begin work. They are changing it over to electric heat and installing an electric stove. The new trailer has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, laundry and dining room.

"Once we have it fixed up, we are going to take this one chair she likes to sit in and move that in first. Then we are going to let her direct us as to where she wants everything else," Holmes said.

Holmes said the whole process has been a wonderful experience for him and his congregation.

"What is amazing is that she has had this great attitude and has shown us so much gratitude. She's not someone that is looking for a handout. Her attitude has made it a blessing for our church," Holmes said.

Walls, who was born in 1918, said she has 13 children: six boys and seven girls.

She said she tries to keep the boys happy. "If they are happy and they have some things, they don't get into bad things," she said.

The boys' mother, one of Walls' granddaughters, helps out as much as she can, but she has some difficult circumstances of her own and cannot provide the boys with an environment as stable as the one they have with Walls, Hamilton said.

"I know the best for the boys is to be with Miss Bessie. She takes care of them, and they take care of her," Hamilton said.

ARK Church is at 11109 Miss. 178, Suite 103. For more information or to volunteer or contribute to Walls' new home, contact Chris Holmes at (901) 652-0202.

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Church, community team to provide comforts of home to great-grandmother and youngsters

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - One of the area's largest churches has begun construction on a nearly $2 million, 16,000-square-foot "Recreation and Ministry Center."

Bible Center Church, which is building the center behind its Bible Center School at 1111 Oakhurst Drive, hopes to have the project finished by August.

The church and the school will use the new building, executive pastor Lee Walker said.

"The church has wanted and needed a gym for many years," Walker said. "When the first addition at Oakhurst was built in 1983, a half gym was included, but it has proved to be inadequate. It will be the result of many years of planning and praying to finally have a gym."

The new gym will be used daily by Bible Center School where enrollment has increased by 45 percent since middle school was added, he said. Enrollment is expected to grow even more by fall, he said.

"We now rent gyms all over town," he said. "It will be helpful to have our own. From day one we expect the gym to be one of the most used facilities of our arsenal of space. Likewise, the addition of four classrooms is an absolute must. We are currently stuffing activities in every corner of our building.

"The new space will be so helpful. Teachers can't wait," he said.

Bible Center School now has 270 students enrolled in grades kindergarten through eight. There are 110 students in preschool for ages 3 and 4. In the fall, a transitional kindergarten program will be available for children who are not yet developmentally ready for kindergarten. It is believed to be the only program of its kind in the area.

The church will use the new gymnasium for recreation ministries for children, youth and adults, Walker said. The space will also be used for the regular Wednesday night middle school ministry called Element that includes music, games and Biblically based lessons. The school will use the gym for physical education classes and interscholastic basketball.  

Middle school interscholastic sports now include basketball, soccer and track for boys and girls, as well as boys' golf.  

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - One of the area's largest churches has begun construction on a nearly $2 million, 16,000-square-foot "Recreation and Ministry Center."

Bible Center Church, which is building the center behind its Bible Center School at 1111 Oakhurst Drive, hopes to have the project finished by August.

The church and the school will use the new building, executive pastor Lee Walker said.

"The church has wanted and needed a gym for many years," Walker said. "When the first addition at Oakhurst was built in 1983, a half gym was included, but it has proved to be inadequate. It will be the result of many years of planning and praying to finally have a gym."

The new gym will be used daily by Bible Center School where enrollment has increased by 45 percent since middle school was added, he said. Enrollment is expected to grow even more by fall, he said.

"We now rent gyms all over town," he said. "It will be helpful to have our own. From day one we expect the gym to be one of the most used facilities of our arsenal of space. Likewise, the addition of four classrooms is an absolute must. We are currently stuffing activities in every corner of our building.

"The new space will be so helpful. Teachers can't wait," he said.

Bible Center School now has 270 students enrolled in grades kindergarten through eight. There are 110 students in preschool for ages 3 and 4. In the fall, a transitional kindergarten program will be available for children who are not yet developmentally ready for kindergarten. It is believed to be the only program of its kind in the area.

The church will use the new gymnasium for recreation ministries for children, youth and adults, Walker said. The space will also be used for the regular Wednesday night middle school ministry called Element that includes music, games and Biblically based lessons. The school will use the gym for physical education classes and interscholastic basketball.  

Middle school interscholastic sports now include basketball, soccer and track for boys and girls, as well as boys' golf.  

The architect for the project is Bastian & Harris with construction management by Pray Construction. Aside from the gymnasium, the metal-and-masonry structure will include four classrooms, a large kitchen, office area, exercise room and restrooms.

Site preparation began Jan. 23. The estimated cost is $1.9 million.

In March 2008, Bible Center Church moved from Oakhurst Drive into a new worship facility off Corridor G. Situated on 96 acres, the building includes 67,000 square feet of space on three levels.

The Oakhurst Drive location has 50,000 square feet of space and has been maintained for offices, teen center and Bible Center School. The principal is Garland Elmore and preschool director is Vicki Hess.

Go to http://www.biblecenterschool.com for more information or call 304-346-0431.

Bible Center Church has had just four senior pastors during its 68 years. The Rev. Eric Mounts is the current senior pastor. He stepped into that role in March of 2011.

Bible Center Church is located at 100 Bible Center Drive. To reach the church, pass the shops along Corridor G, turn left on Parkway and right on Bible Center Drive.

Go to the website http://www.biblecenterchurch.com for more information.

Contact writer Charlotte Ferrell Smith at charlo...@dailymail.com or 304-348-1246.

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Church's addition to include new gym

Senior pastor Jonathan Oastler speaks about his church’s conflict with Toowoomba Regional Council and McNab yesterday.

Nev Madsen

CITILIFE Church senior pastor Jonathon Oastler accused Toowoomba Regional Council and Toowoomba developer McNab of "tag teaming" against his church during a public meeting yesterday.

Senior pastor Oastler repeated his claims that the community church and its affiliated school, the Christian Outreach College, had its objections to the development of massive Masters hardware store ignored by Toowoomba Regional Council.

The meeting was held to rally support before the church's complaint against council is heard before the Planning and Environment Court in Brisbane on March 7 and 8.

About 200 people attended the session yesterday.

Citilife church member and former Christian Outreach College student Rachael Hardie said she attended because she wanted to hear the church's side of the argument.

"I feel it's important to hear what is going on," Miss Hardie said yesterday.

Senior pastor Oastler made it clear that he was presenting only the church's side of the argument and encouraged those in the room to contact council and McNab for their version of events.

Last week a council spokesman said council was trying to facilitate a discussion without-prejudice discussion between all parties in an attempt to reach a fair and reasonable outcome.

McNab also last week informed 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."

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Church gets heard at meeting