Update on Church from Harbor Herald

I am writing this having just returned from a long meeting with the building committee, architect, and builder. And I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on where we currently stand in the building process. While this has been (and will continue to be) a time-consuming process, we are all excited and hopeful to be nearing the point of sharing the proposed layout with the congregation. If everything goes smoothly, the building committee will be considering (and approving) a “final preliminary” layout of the new facility within the next few weeks. Once this happens, we hope to have large scale drawings developed to present this layout to the congregation. We will most likely call a congregational information meeting sometime in mid-to-late March or perhaps in early April, followed by a formal congregational meeting the next week to vote on this proposed layout. The drawings will also be made available at the church office during the week between these two meetings, so that as many people as possible will be able to see the new plans and ask as many questions as they may have. Although it is true that the building committee is not perfect and could easily have overlooked some important aspect of building design for the new facility, it is also true that they have invested much time, energy, and prayer in this process (especially true of Kendall Turnage and Stephen O’Mara). Please keep that in mind as you make any comments and/or suggestions that you may have. We readily admit that we are capable of error and oversight, and we most definitely want and need the congregation’s feedback and input. But we also want to ensure that, as a church, we do everything in a spirit of brotherly and sisterly charity, remembering the overwhelming emphasis our Lord puts on loving one another in His final discourse with His disciples before His death.

But, this year, March signifies more than merely progress on our new church facility—as important as that is to all of us. This year, March signifies the Easter holidays. In just a few weeks, we will be remembering in a special way the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And though we rightly ought to remember these things each and every day of our lives (nay, every second of every day!), there is a sense in which we remember these things in a special way at Easter time. There is a sense in which Easter gives us a chance—like no other time of year, except perhaps Christmas—to talk freely about the life and death of Christ to our friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers. Just about everyone knows that it is Easter time. And just about everyone knows something of what Easter is all about. But most people do not really understand what Easter is all about. Most people do not really understand just what Jesus accomplished at that “first Easter” almost 2000 years ago. Why not use this time as an opportunity to get into a discussion about what Easter is and what Easter means? Why not use this as an opportunity to invite your friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers to come to church—perhaps for the first time? We will be having a special Easter music service on March 23 at 11 am. Why not offer to pick someone up and bring them along with you? Whatever you do, make it a point to pray earnestly that God would guide you and lead you to these opportunities, that He would use you mightily, that He would provide opportunities to others in the church and use others mightily, and that He would bless the worship services of the church and those who attend.

I, for one, am looking forward with eager anticipation to a blessed time of worshiping the One, True, and Living Lord, in the person of Jesus Christ—the spotless lamb of God, who was slain for you and for me! Happy Easter!