Monday was a long day... the excavator and dump trucks arrived at the church yard around 8:30 a.m. and began the process of cleaning up the debris and filling in the hole where the church once stood. Cathy and I and our boys spent a few hours hauling metal chair and table skeletons and whatever else we could find out of the rubble while the excavator worked at loading the remnants of our building into dump trucks. Several hours later, around 6 p.m., the last of the rubble was loaded and the excavator was pushing gravel into the hole that was left.
This morning when I look out the kitchen window, all that is to be seen is a level gravel yard where once the church stood. The only reminder that there was once a building there is the pile of scrap metal awaiting a truck to haul it away and the church sign, standing lonely in the empty yard. It is nice to get the rubble cleared away and the yard cleaned up, yet it is sad to think that only a few short weeks ago a beautiful church stood in that now empty space.
Our thanks goes out to Earl Goudy and his crew for the work that they did yesterday on our behalf. They spent a long day hauling debris to the landfill, then trucking gravel from Hilltown to fill in the hole. Thanks for your hard work gentlemen! Also thanks to Trevor Sabine for sending his excavator to work at levelling the fill as the trucks hauled it in. Approximately 20 loads of fill were brought in from Blair Mullen's pit and our thanks goes out to him as well for graciously providing us with the material we needed to make the job complete. And last, I would like to say thanks to Earl Prime for spending the afternoon at the sight and helping get the job done. The efforts of a number of people working together made for a job well done!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
What's New
Last night, we had a local board meeting and Earl Prime, chair of the building committee, was invited to share an update of what has been discussed so far. Out of that discussion, it has been decided to announce a general church meeting to be held May 3 in order to candidly talk about possible locations and building size. We will meet again on May 17 for our annual meeting and at that time vote for a preferred location which will then be taken to the District for final approval. Again I would ask that you take time to fast and pray for God's leading in this process. Decisions like this are often difficult, yet as we fast and pray, God often has ways of showing us His will, and making mountains look like mole hills. Thanks to Earl and the rest of the building committee for the hours they are putting in and the recommendations they are presenting to the board.
The insurance situation was also brought up and the board has been updated as to where the insurance stands. At this point we are simply waiting. Earl Goudy has been asked to clean up our sight because of his generous offer to donate his time to that project. However, due to circumstances, he will not be able to begin that work until Monday or Tuesday of next week. The adjustor has a list of contents from the church that should be enough to warrant us receiving the maximum payout for contents of $30,000. There has been a meeting with contractors to determine cost of replacing the old building and once they get back to the adjustor with their pricing, there should be a payment forthcoming from the insurance for the building.
There is also damage to the parsonage that needs attention. Quotes have been received from First on Site, an emergency restoration company, as well as Blair Mellor, a local contractor, for the necessary work. We are again waiting on the insurance company to get back to us with their offer before we can begin the work. That call should come within the next 2 days and then work can get underway with the repairs.
Other difficult topics were discussed around the board table last evening as well, including ongoing conflicts in the church. As your pastor, I wish to apologize to any of you who have been offended or disappointed in my actions over the last few months as events have unfolded. It is my intent to handle any conflict according to directions that are laid out in the Scriptures, specifically Matthew 18, and I have felt that we have followed that protocol quite closely. However, there are still some issues that need to be resolved, and as was stated by more than one of our board members, perhaps we expect a little more of our pastor. The board has resolved to take whatever measures are at their disposal to bring reconciliation to a difficult situation. Please be praying for God's hand in this as well.
We have a wonderful group of men and women who have been given the confidence of the church to be our leaders. They have a stressful year ahead as the building process unfolds and they continue to deal with the regular business of the church as well. Please be praying for each of them, seeking wisdom for each as we undertake this project. God is good, all the time!
The insurance situation was also brought up and the board has been updated as to where the insurance stands. At this point we are simply waiting. Earl Goudy has been asked to clean up our sight because of his generous offer to donate his time to that project. However, due to circumstances, he will not be able to begin that work until Monday or Tuesday of next week. The adjustor has a list of contents from the church that should be enough to warrant us receiving the maximum payout for contents of $30,000. There has been a meeting with contractors to determine cost of replacing the old building and once they get back to the adjustor with their pricing, there should be a payment forthcoming from the insurance for the building.
There is also damage to the parsonage that needs attention. Quotes have been received from First on Site, an emergency restoration company, as well as Blair Mellor, a local contractor, for the necessary work. We are again waiting on the insurance company to get back to us with their offer before we can begin the work. That call should come within the next 2 days and then work can get underway with the repairs.
Other difficult topics were discussed around the board table last evening as well, including ongoing conflicts in the church. As your pastor, I wish to apologize to any of you who have been offended or disappointed in my actions over the last few months as events have unfolded. It is my intent to handle any conflict according to directions that are laid out in the Scriptures, specifically Matthew 18, and I have felt that we have followed that protocol quite closely. However, there are still some issues that need to be resolved, and as was stated by more than one of our board members, perhaps we expect a little more of our pastor. The board has resolved to take whatever measures are at their disposal to bring reconciliation to a difficult situation. Please be praying for God's hand in this as well.
We have a wonderful group of men and women who have been given the confidence of the church to be our leaders. They have a stressful year ahead as the building process unfolds and they continue to deal with the regular business of the church as well. Please be praying for each of them, seeking wisdom for each as we undertake this project. God is good, all the time!
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Cross
Pictured to the right is the cross that hangs in our place of worship. That cross used to hang on the front wall of our sanctuary at the old church. About a year ago, we took it down to hang up a projection screen and it was put downstairs in a storage room. A few days after the fire, some of our folks were poking around in the rubble and found it. They took it home and cleaned it up and it has become one of the finishing touches of our temporary home. A beautiful reminder of the greatness of our God and the plan He has in store for us as we continue to seek His will and direction.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Progress
On Friday morning, Terry Stone, Rollie Gidney and I met with our insurance adjuster and a few contractors. The focus of the meeting was to lay out the specs of our old building so the contractors could put together an estimate of what it would have cost to replace it just like it was. This was for insurance purposes only. Do not interpret this to mean that we are thinking of rebuilding just like it was.
During our meeting, we also got the go ahead to clean up the old sight and passed along a list of contents to the adjuster. The cleanup will take place sometime this week. Our thanks to Earl Goudy who is generously donating his labor for this task.
On Friday afternoon, the building committee took a trip to Yarmouth where we toured Hebron Baptist and Yarmouth Wesleyan churches. The Hebron church was almost a perfect fit for what we might be looking at and we were all quite impressed with many of the features of the building. Yarmouth Wesleyan is obviously quite a bit larger than anything we would need, yet we also gleaned some good ideas from talking with Pastor Dave and it was nice to look at another well built and kept church.
It has been a busy week, but I am looking forward to worshipping with all tomorrow morning in Weymouth. I know that it is a stretch for some of you to make the trip to church, but I appreciate your continued support as we look ahead to the plans God has for us. I will be starting something new in our service, taking a few minutes to give a quick update of where we are, so that all are kept as up to date as possible on our progress.
It will be a pleasure to welcome Cora Gorman to our service in the morning. Hope to see you all there!
During our meeting, we also got the go ahead to clean up the old sight and passed along a list of contents to the adjuster. The cleanup will take place sometime this week. Our thanks to Earl Goudy who is generously donating his labor for this task.
On Friday afternoon, the building committee took a trip to Yarmouth where we toured Hebron Baptist and Yarmouth Wesleyan churches. The Hebron church was almost a perfect fit for what we might be looking at and we were all quite impressed with many of the features of the building. Yarmouth Wesleyan is obviously quite a bit larger than anything we would need, yet we also gleaned some good ideas from talking with Pastor Dave and it was nice to look at another well built and kept church.
It has been a busy week, but I am looking forward to worshipping with all tomorrow morning in Weymouth. I know that it is a stretch for some of you to make the trip to church, but I appreciate your continued support as we look ahead to the plans God has for us. I will be starting something new in our service, taking a few minutes to give a quick update of where we are, so that all are kept as up to date as possible on our progress.
It will be a pleasure to welcome Cora Gorman to our service in the morning. Hope to see you all there!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Our Planning has Begun
The building committee met together for the first time on Monday, April 11th. Earl Prime was elected as chair of the committee and Victoria Brooks was elected to the role of secretary. Most of our discussion was centered on location of a new building and as we talked, I was encouraged to hear the conversation continually coming back to seeking God's direction. This will be the first of many meetings for this dedicated group of individuals and I would ask that much prayer be offered for each and every member of our committee as we seek to honor God and make recommendations to the church.
It was again reiterated to the members of the committee that they have been given the mandate to put together recommendations for a building site, a building size and floor plan and a budget that will be taken to the LBA for final approval before being presented to the church.
In conjunction with the building plan, the LBA will be working to decide where and how we are going to get the funds to pay for our building. We are probably looking at a price tag of somewhere in the $750,000 on the very low end to somewhere over $1,000,000 on the higher end. This is a huge matter of concern. We know our God can and will provide, and we are trusting that He will lay it on the hearts of many to contribute to this project both financially and through the donation of labor. If you are feeling burdened to give, you are welcome to send a contribution to Havelock Wesleyan Church Building Fund, 4473 Rt. 340, Weymouth, NS, B0W 3T0.
In all of the discussion about a new building, our old site was not forgotten and concern was expressed that it had not yet been cleaned up. That process is underway, but it has to be taken one step at a time, as the insurance company gives us permission. Contractors have been spoken with and quotes submitted for the cleanup, and it is really now just a matter of waiting for the go ahead. Once the investigation process is completed, that go ahead will be forth coming. It is important in this that we do not run ahead and forfeit some of the payout we are to receive.
The LBA is scheduled to meet on April 19th at which time a series of "town hall" meetings will be scheduled where we can get together as a church body to discuss the progress of our building plans, what the future holds for us and how we can best honor our Savior in all of this. Until then, the next steps include more church tours, already arranged for Friday afternoon, and more meetings to draw up plans. Continue watching for more updates as this exciting phase in the life of Havelock Wesleyan Church unfolds.
It was again reiterated to the members of the committee that they have been given the mandate to put together recommendations for a building site, a building size and floor plan and a budget that will be taken to the LBA for final approval before being presented to the church.
In conjunction with the building plan, the LBA will be working to decide where and how we are going to get the funds to pay for our building. We are probably looking at a price tag of somewhere in the $750,000 on the very low end to somewhere over $1,000,000 on the higher end. This is a huge matter of concern. We know our God can and will provide, and we are trusting that He will lay it on the hearts of many to contribute to this project both financially and through the donation of labor. If you are feeling burdened to give, you are welcome to send a contribution to Havelock Wesleyan Church Building Fund, 4473 Rt. 340, Weymouth, NS, B0W 3T0.
In all of the discussion about a new building, our old site was not forgotten and concern was expressed that it had not yet been cleaned up. That process is underway, but it has to be taken one step at a time, as the insurance company gives us permission. Contractors have been spoken with and quotes submitted for the cleanup, and it is really now just a matter of waiting for the go ahead. Once the investigation process is completed, that go ahead will be forth coming. It is important in this that we do not run ahead and forfeit some of the payout we are to receive.
The LBA is scheduled to meet on April 19th at which time a series of "town hall" meetings will be scheduled where we can get together as a church body to discuss the progress of our building plans, what the future holds for us and how we can best honor our Savior in all of this. Until then, the next steps include more church tours, already arranged for Friday afternoon, and more meetings to draw up plans. Continue watching for more updates as this exciting phase in the life of Havelock Wesleyan Church unfolds.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Enjoying our Temporary Home
Another Sunday morning has come and gone and for the second week in a row, we met in the Weymouth A.D. Lab for our service. It is truly amazing how these old school rooms have turned into a great place to worship!
It will be 2 weeks tomorrow that I first visited this place and at that time, I had no idea how well the project would turn out. It gives us a bright, inviting place to share the love of Christ.
After service today I was talking with one of the last couples to leave about our new church. As yet, there are no blue prints or offical plans, yet we all know that in the months ahead a new building will be erected that we can call home. We all agreed that it was great to have the lab facilities to worship in, but it will be nice to have a brand new place to call home. There will just be something wonderful about knowing we are home.
But in the mean time, it is awesome to see some new faces among our congregation. It is exciting to see our congregation coming together even though we don't have a church building. And it is wonderful to see God's plan unfolding through it all.
God is good, all the time!
It will be 2 weeks tomorrow that I first visited this place and at that time, I had no idea how well the project would turn out. It gives us a bright, inviting place to share the love of Christ.
After service today I was talking with one of the last couples to leave about our new church. As yet, there are no blue prints or offical plans, yet we all know that in the months ahead a new building will be erected that we can call home. We all agreed that it was great to have the lab facilities to worship in, but it will be nice to have a brand new place to call home. There will just be something wonderful about knowing we are home.
But in the mean time, it is awesome to see some new faces among our congregation. It is exciting to see our congregation coming together even though we don't have a church building. And it is wonderful to see God's plan unfolding through it all.
God is good, all the time!
Friday, April 8, 2011
So what comes next?
Today a few of us took a drive to Kentville to have a look at a couple churches to begin sparking ideas. It was a good time to begin talking about the building process and start thinking about what our next steps should be. We stopped at New Hope Wesleyan and Centreville Baptist. They are very different buildings, yet there were aspects of both of them that were appealing as well as some things that would probably not work well in our situation. We also got a feel for what it was going to cost to put up a building to fit and some suggestions on how to save some of that cost. A lot of things to think about!
One of the things we have to seriously consider in the next several weeks is where we are going to build. There have been many suggestions of what might work, but as yet no decisions have been made. This is something that we will need to spend some time in prayer about, seeking God's direction. It will not be an easy decision for any of us.
Another thing that will have to be figured out is "How big?" There is definitely a possibility of growth with a new building in a new location, but no way to judge or even estimate how much there could be. Another matter for prayer..
One more thing to be praying for is our financial situation. We will have an insurance payout finalized sometime in the near future, but there will not be enough to build. The reality is, what we will get for insurance will in all likelihood not be more than a third of what we will need for a new building. Raising the kind of cash it will take to build will be no small feat, though with God all things are possible.
I said in my last post that we as a church need to feel the call to prayer. Prayer is and will remain the most important ingredient in this process. It will help us find the direction we are to take in these matters, it will help us see the miraculous provision of God and most of all, it will be the ingredient of unity for our church family.
Our building committee will be meeting for the first time on Monday evening at 7. At that meeting, we will decide on a chair for the committee and jump into this process with both feet. We will soon have some suggestions to bring to the LBA which will in turn be brought before the church. And so it begins.... May God be with us as we seek to serve Him!
One of the things we have to seriously consider in the next several weeks is where we are going to build. There have been many suggestions of what might work, but as yet no decisions have been made. This is something that we will need to spend some time in prayer about, seeking God's direction. It will not be an easy decision for any of us.
Another thing that will have to be figured out is "How big?" There is definitely a possibility of growth with a new building in a new location, but no way to judge or even estimate how much there could be. Another matter for prayer..
One more thing to be praying for is our financial situation. We will have an insurance payout finalized sometime in the near future, but there will not be enough to build. The reality is, what we will get for insurance will in all likelihood not be more than a third of what we will need for a new building. Raising the kind of cash it will take to build will be no small feat, though with God all things are possible.
I said in my last post that we as a church need to feel the call to prayer. Prayer is and will remain the most important ingredient in this process. It will help us find the direction we are to take in these matters, it will help us see the miraculous provision of God and most of all, it will be the ingredient of unity for our church family.
Our building committee will be meeting for the first time on Monday evening at 7. At that meeting, we will decide on a chair for the committee and jump into this process with both feet. We will soon have some suggestions to bring to the LBA which will in turn be brought before the church. And so it begins.... May God be with us as we seek to serve Him!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
First Update
It has been 2 weeks plus a day since fire destroyed our church building. Those 14 days have been filled to overflowing with phone calls, lists of things to do and driving around the countryside trying to get a lot of things done in just a short amount of time!
I have been overwhelmed by the expressions of care and concern for our church from both the members of Havelock Wesleyan, the community at large and our Wesleyan family across the Atlantic District and North America. Many folks have called, sent emails or posted on Facebook questions of "What can I do to help?" and comments like "So sorry to hear about the fire." Those questions and comments have not gone unnoticed and in fact, have been deeply appreciated! Thank you!
In the days since the fire, much has happened that will in all likelihood change the face of our church forever. We had an outdoor service on the first Sunday, braving the cold and wind to share a final farewell to a building that has been home to our congregation for 57 years. It was a great time of worship with our District Superintendent David LeRoy in attendance to share a few words and lead us in communion. We heard from many of our congregation as they shared testimonies of memories from the past and expectation for the futre. Words of encouragement from community and fire department members were also shared and appreciated. Many of the 170 people gathered joined us for a fellowship time in the parsonage following the service. All in all, it was a great day!
That service was followed by a week of busyness as much effort was put out by many men and women to prepare our new meeting place at the Weymouth A. D. Lab. When we went in for a look around Monday morning, I wasn't sure it could be pulled together in just a few days, but the hard work of many paid off and this past Sunday morning we met for the first of many times in this new facility. It is a great space and I am looking forward to meeting God in some awesome ways there!
As we look ahead, we are not sure of what the next several months hold. A building committee has been established with Earl Prime, Larry Sabine, Terry Stone, Allan Mullen, Rodney Mullen, Victoria Brooks and Rollie Gidney. These folks will be given the huge task of coming up with a plan that will be presented to our church for consideration. But there is much to do and it will take time and effort form all.
In all of this, prayer is key. Without prayer, we will simply flounder around ineffectively trying to put something together. So my challenge to you as a church family is to pray. And when you think you have prayed enough, pray again! Pray for God's leading, for unity in our members, for wisdom for our board, for our finances, for growth, for God's presence with us.
Somebody has said to me in just the last few days, "Rebuilding is exciting but we need to be so careful that in the building process we don't lose sight of Kingdom building!" This is so true. When our new church building is finished and we are ready to move in, it would be wonderful if we could make that move with 100 or more new faces among us.
There are some challenges ahead. But there are also opportunities. And I for one am excited about where we are going. And I hope that you will be a part of it!
I have been overwhelmed by the expressions of care and concern for our church from both the members of Havelock Wesleyan, the community at large and our Wesleyan family across the Atlantic District and North America. Many folks have called, sent emails or posted on Facebook questions of "What can I do to help?" and comments like "So sorry to hear about the fire." Those questions and comments have not gone unnoticed and in fact, have been deeply appreciated! Thank you!
In the days since the fire, much has happened that will in all likelihood change the face of our church forever. We had an outdoor service on the first Sunday, braving the cold and wind to share a final farewell to a building that has been home to our congregation for 57 years. It was a great time of worship with our District Superintendent David LeRoy in attendance to share a few words and lead us in communion. We heard from many of our congregation as they shared testimonies of memories from the past and expectation for the futre. Words of encouragement from community and fire department members were also shared and appreciated. Many of the 170 people gathered joined us for a fellowship time in the parsonage following the service. All in all, it was a great day!
That service was followed by a week of busyness as much effort was put out by many men and women to prepare our new meeting place at the Weymouth A. D. Lab. When we went in for a look around Monday morning, I wasn't sure it could be pulled together in just a few days, but the hard work of many paid off and this past Sunday morning we met for the first of many times in this new facility. It is a great space and I am looking forward to meeting God in some awesome ways there!
As we look ahead, we are not sure of what the next several months hold. A building committee has been established with Earl Prime, Larry Sabine, Terry Stone, Allan Mullen, Rodney Mullen, Victoria Brooks and Rollie Gidney. These folks will be given the huge task of coming up with a plan that will be presented to our church for consideration. But there is much to do and it will take time and effort form all.
In all of this, prayer is key. Without prayer, we will simply flounder around ineffectively trying to put something together. So my challenge to you as a church family is to pray. And when you think you have prayed enough, pray again! Pray for God's leading, for unity in our members, for wisdom for our board, for our finances, for growth, for God's presence with us.
Somebody has said to me in just the last few days, "Rebuilding is exciting but we need to be so careful that in the building process we don't lose sight of Kingdom building!" This is so true. When our new church building is finished and we are ready to move in, it would be wonderful if we could make that move with 100 or more new faces among us.
There are some challenges ahead. But there are also opportunities. And I for one am excited about where we are going. And I hope that you will be a part of it!
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