Seneca Creek Community Church: Chapter Two

2008-07-18T10:21:00.006-04:00

Our renovations plans are "ON THE MOVE" !

Although we hit a bump in the road with the Firstfield renovations, we are now back on track with a plan for moving forward! In case you hadn't heard, the initial estimates came in much higher than our budget. In part because of the expansion of the scope of the project, but mainly because of building code requirements associate with changing the use of the facility from office space to assembly space. These building code requirements include upgrading of HVAC systems and ventilation loads throughout the building that are very costly.

This month our building team met with some of our staff to devise a plan for moving into the building as soon as possible within our current budget constraints. The plan we have devised is two-fold.

1. We will complete the renovations in phases. Phase one will include the minimum renovations required to meet code and be able to adequately accomplish our ministry goals within the facility.

Phase 1 (Move-In) includes the following items:

Completion of 350-seat auditorium with a partially raised roof
Build out of a lobby with an outside entrance
Expansion of the second floor rest rooms
Upgrading of HVAC systems for second floor North Building
Creating large children's ministry rooms in the lower level North building
Installing single restrooms in the preschool rooms
Upgrading the HVAC and ventilation systems for the lower level children's area

2. In order to lower costs, we will need to do some of the work ourselves. God has gifted our congregation the skills, talents, and heart to complete some of the construction ourselves. We have identified areas that we could foreseeable do ourselves. These areas include: demolition, painting, drywall, carpentry, ceiling tile installation, and some electrical and plumbing tasks.

Completion of these two things will enable us to move out of Seneca Valley and into Firstfield for our Sunday morning services. We will complete the renovations of the children's ministry and begin student ministry renovations in future phases, that will begin as soon as funding becomes available.

We have faced some challenges in our Chapter Two building project; but in life, things that are really worth doing rarely come easy. The complexities and challenges we've faced have served to draw us together in thinking creatively, working collaboratively, and deepened our dependence upon God. Because of that, not only is our building project backup and moving ahead, our church family is also moving ahead in unity and strength.

Please pray for God's continued direction, provision and wisdom in this project. And if you would like to know how you can help with some of the construction projects please email Sid Duley at sidscars@comcast.net or sign up via the connections card on Sunday morning.

contributed by Jeannette Cochran

May 2008 Update

2008-06-12T13:02:00.002-04:00

If you're like most people you may be wondering, "What's taking so long to start construction at 13 Firstfield?" Well, let's just say it's amazing how much preliminary work is required before the first hammer can be lifted! Although it may appear nothing is happening, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. Here's what happened during the month of May.

May 2008 Update

John O'Keefe, who attends our church and is employed by Clark Construction, offered to have his company work up preliminary estimates from our current plans.

Clark Construction worked up preliminary cost estimates based on the Design Development plans including the new roof top HVAC units and on removing only one column. A draft estimate was provided on 05.01.08 and a meeting was held with John and his estimator on 05.07.08 which resulted in an updated estimate being provided the following day. The estimate was distributed to the building and the design team. The estimate was broken down according to the phases we have been tracking and indicated that the preliminary Clark estimate was significantly over our budget.

A meeting with the design team was scheduled to review the cost estimate and develop a plan for proceeding with the design with the target being to reduce the costs by $500K.

Bob Hedden, our project manager has recommended that we hold off on bringing a Construction Manager on board at this time. Due to the economic climate in the construction industry, Bob thinks our project may benefit from a competitive bidding process rather than the Construction Manager model.

On May 2^nd Dave Hawley & Mark Tindle met with Sol Sound and EAW to review their recommendations for audio / video requirements in the auditorium.

The final hurdle for obtaining site plan approval is the issue of bringing the lighting of the rear parking lot up to code. In an attempt to avoid an estimated cost of $9000 for new lighting poles and fixture, Sid Duley had the trees cut back and replaced burned out lamps. The electrical engineer plans to take light level measurements that will be used as a basis for determining how to address this issue.

A design team meeting was held with the architect, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers participating as planned. The structural engineer was given clear direction to proceed with the original plan that only affects the roof area above the center of the main auditorium and results in the removal of only one column. The updated and more detailed footing plans will be provided to Clark for re-pricing. “Value engineering” of the lighting systems and fixtures and pulling the theatrical fixtures out of the base building budget should result in a cost reduction of approximately $100K. The design work associated with these changes is proceeding. The engineer is proceeding with more detailed plans for re-pricing.

- submitted by Jeannette Cochran

The students are moving in

2008-05-22T11:21:00.008-04:00

Student Ministry at 13 Firstfield

If you were to stop by the new building on Wednesday nights you would find yourself engulfed in a flurry of activity involving our Student Ministry. On the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays you will see our 10 High School small groups gathering and on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday you will find our 6 Middle School small groups meeting. If you were to come by on Tuesday nights you will find our Young Adult ministry "Intermission" making use of our new building.

Wander to the second floor of the south wing and notice that we are in preparation to host all three ministry environments for the summer. All this is just a taste of what it will be like when the building is finished. We are thrilled that students are beginning to call 13 Firstfield home. The transition to ownership of our new space continues to grow. The anticipation is beginning to intensify that soon our emerging ministries will have a place that is designed just for them.

I am sure if you were to spend just a few moments around our students, with all their energy and passion for life, you would ask yourself - "How I can get involved in something like this?". Glad you asked! We are always looking for volunteers to join our team. Feel free to come by and visit with us any Sunday morning. The Middle School meets in the Auxiliary Gym and the High School meets in the Choir Room (room 002). Both locations are on the basement level of SVHS. Actually, this Sunday we are coming to you and leading the main service. I am convinced you will be blessed and inspired by what our students have to offer.

Mark Haug
Student Ministry Pastor

The attraction factor

2008-05-01T21:42:00.003-04:00

A couple weeks ago I walked into my office and saw an incredible display of beauty outside the window. There are large cherry trees in front of the building, and they were in full bloom. (Sorry for the picture quality...it was the best I could do with a camera phone.) The view was stunning...and thought provoking. Just like that tree captures our attention, and attracts us, so it can be with our church. Not the building, but the people. When the local church is working well, it's is a thing of beauty, far more attractive than a fruit tree. When followers of Jesus live lives of gratitude, service, and compassion, the church attracts people from miles around. It's my dream that as we make progress on the building here at 13 Firstfield, we'll never forget that we are called to "be the church." The people in our community might enjoy the trees, but they truly need to be attracted to lives that are being changed by the power of the gospel.

2008-05-01T14:50:00.001-04:00

Beach Blast!

2008-02-13T15:53:00.001-05:00

It was an open house and a futurama and a fun-filled afternoon all rolled up in one. Popcorn, mini-golf, fun, music, and more. Hundreds of people came out to see what the building will look like when it’s all done. The pictures we displayed helped everyone visualize what we can anticipate over the next year. (see samples below) And the pictures we TOOK helped us visualize that we won’t take ourselves too seriously along the way. (again, see below) It really was a Winter Beach Blast!

But beyond the bricks and mortar and glass and technology, we were reminded of the potential this facility has to reach people with the amazing good news of Jesus Christ. Hundreds of thousands of people live within a 25 minute drive of our church and are disconnected from the life God offers. We believe this facility is intended to help us communicate in creative and powerful ways that there is a loving God who changes human lives through Jesus Christ. Just this week I listened to someone tell how God is changing his life since he started attending Seneca Creek. I thought to myself, “this is why we’re here…for people just like this!”

Pray for our hearing tonight (February 13^th) with the City of Gaithersburg. Specifically pray that we can obtain the approval we need to move forward with our plans. And pray that God continues to pour out a spirit of generosity on this church as we step into the next chapter he has for us: Chapter Two: Trading Places, Changing Lives!

Invisible progress

2008-01-17T10:12:00.000-05:00

When a farmer plants his seed, he realizes that it will take time. Before there is visible progress, there is invisible progress. The seed must germinate and begin to develop a root. Then in time the plant will pop through the surface and everyone will be able to see the progress.

Our project at 13 Firstfield is going through “invisible progress.” Even though no one has swung a hammer or lifted a beam, things are happening. Last week I attended a meeting with Gaithersburg city officials who are helping us prepare for the hearing when our plans will be formally approved. And earlier this week our staff met with the project manager and the architect to fine tune some details about how the building will be re-designed and used. We’re at the stage of discussing where we need outlets, lights, switches, and data ports. We’re deciding on traffic flow, doorways, and the aesthetic feel of the space. Within weeks this information will be in the hands of engineers and others who will help draw up the technical documents that can then be presented to potential contractors for the bidding process. So even though you may not be able to “see” anything right now, we are making significant progress!

You may have heard about our Winter Beach Blast scheduled for February 10th from 3 to 5 pm at 13 Firstfield. We’ll celebrate God’s provision of this building, and look forward to how we believe God will work here in the years to come! We hope to have updated pictures and drawings of the planned changes. It’s the week after the Super Bowl, so some of you will be looking to fill that football hole in your calendar. For others, you may want to blast away the winter doldrums with a bit of summer beach fun! But this event is really for everyone, whether you’ve been to the facility or not. Plan now to join us for this fun, festive open house event.

Finally, our current financial status of the Chapter Two campaign is as follows:

Total amount pledged: $1,895,910
Total amount received to date: $381,660

That’s very visible progress indeed! God is doing an amazing work as together we write the next chapter of Seneca Creek!

Brick by brick

2007-12-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

At our Firstfruits Sunday (November 18th) we encouraged each of you to take a cardboard brick and write a name on it. Specifically, we asked you to write the name of someone who was far from God, but who you hoped would get connected to God during Chapter Two of Seneca Creek. It appears that God is taking us seriously. Last week one person wrote this on a connection card:

Last week with the prayer bricks, I put my oldest daughter’s name on there and second service I was in PowerHouse and I looked up and there she was! I had no idea she would be there. How awesome God is!! I wondered if he heard me – now I know. He hears everything!

And I bumped into someone else last week who said they had a chance to explain the message of Jesus Christ to someone in their carpool whose name they had written on their brick!

In the atrium of our building we have the wall of bricks. (see picture below) It’s a great place to stop and read and pray. Each name on the bricks represents a person, someone who is far from God, but near to the heart of one of us. As we pray, God is working in individual lives. And brick by brick, he is building his church. I’m reminded of Peter’s words in 1 Peter 2:5

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

In addition to the bricks we collected on the 18th, we also collected commitment cards from many of you. As of this date, we now have over $1.85 million committed to Chapter Two. Thank you to everyone who has stepped forward to participate in this exciting chapter. Together we are partnering with God as he builds his church!

A sneak peek

2007-11-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday evening we met with many of our key leaders at Seneca Creek. It was an exciting evening of worship, celebration, and solemn commitment. We challenged them to give an advance commitment toward Chapter Two. And they did exactly that! Together, these leaders stepped forward to lead the way into the future for Seneca Creek. At the end of the evening, we had almost 60 families making their commitments, and the total received to this point is over $930,000. We give thanks to God for an exhilarating evening, and a huge step toward our overall goal of $2.5 million. And we also say thank you to each leader who has stepped up to this point.

Then Sunday morning we got another glimpse into what God is doing when the Middle School students and PowerHouse kids brought their commitments to Chapter Two. God was rockin’ the house, for sure! These young people set the bar high for all the rest of us.

Last weekend was just a sneak peak into what will happen this Sunday. And this Sunday will be the chance for everyone else to join in with the leaders. During our Firstfruits Celebration Sunday we’ll all bring our commitment cards, as well as our one time gifts. We’ll supply the necessary cards and envelopes in case you need them. In addition, we’ll have the Seneca Creek choir, some great personal stories, videos, and more. In football terminology this is the two minute drill. This is a historic moment for us as a church, and I know God is going to show up big time. I hope to see you there!

Puncturing the mundane

2007-11-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

Before my feet hit the floor today I prayed that God would help me to respond to what he was doing in and through me. (That should have been my first clue!) If you got a chance to read the prayer journal for today, you read the following from Mike Hurt’s prayer:

My prayer is that God will use 13 Firstfield as a place where ordinary people living in Montgomery County can come and find and experience Christian community in ways that radically change their purpose in life.

Then underneath the prayer was this suggestion:

Walk out in public and pray for the strangers that you pass, that they could come to know God and that God might bring some of them to Seneca Creek.

During a lunch meeting the waitress shared some life concerns and challenges. My friend and I offered to pray for her, which she gladly accepted. We sat for a few moments and brought her concerns before the God who could help her. She asked about the church, and I explained we met at Seneca Valley High School, and had just purchased a building in Gaithersburg. Turns out, she lives in the neighborhood around us! She was eager to learn about Seneca Creek, and I expect God will bring her there soon. I also expect that will radically change her purpose in life!

It was one more reminder of how God delights in puncturing our mundane activities and events with his incredible plans. Pray for God to use you today, and that includes the strangers you pass by. Then look out, because it’s going to happen!

An avalanche of prayer

2007-11-02T08:54:00.000-04:00

I've been encouraged and inspired by the daily prayers in our Chapter Two prayer journal. As we gear up for the 24 Hours of Prayer today (starting at 4 pm this afternoon), read through the prayer entry for today. And after you read it, let it trigger your own prayer for God to speak and act in your own life, and in our church. I think of it as starting an avalanche of prayer that will flow from this church for the entire 24 Hours of Prayer!

Lord,

I thank you for all of the many blessings on my family and my Seneca Creek family. I pray that all of the people that call Seneca Creek their home will take their participation at Seneca Creek to a new level. I pray for health for our church, that all of God’s people will grow in their quiet time with you, grow in their relationships both in their family and their community at Seneca Creek, and find their place to serve in our church, the local body of Christ. I pray that families will talk about Chapter 2 and pray about what God is calling them to do, both in service and financial contributions. I pray that all of the people not involved in community within the church will find a place to connect. I pray for all of the ministries such as small groups, PowerHouse, Impact, Quest, Worship Teams, Make It Happen.... Please Lord, let us all have a keen awareness that time is short and serving you, Oh Lord, is the only way to live.

Thank you Lord for Chapter 2 at Seneca Creek. You are an exciting God!

(Written by Julie Schrock - PowerHouse Pre-K Coach & Small Group Leader Coach)

I hope to see many of you at our special prayer event. I'll try to be there the entire 24 hours. Stop by and join me for an hour...or two or three. Let's start an avalanche!

You're Going To(o) Fast!

2007-10-30T12:04:00.000-04:00

One of the ancient practices that is often combined with prayer is that of fasting. Throughout the Bible we find people combining prayer and fasting for special seasons or needs. Jesus assumed his followers would fast when he gave instructions on fasting in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:16-18). In a culture that is accustomed to three super-sized meals a day, fasting can be a refreshing change.

It’s important to pay attention to our motives in fasting. We aren’t primarily trying to draw attention to ourselves, or to coerce God into doing something. Neither are we trying to see how much weight we can lose in a short period of time. Rather, we’re trying to refocus our hearts and lives on God, and on his purposes. Here’s how it can work:

• Fasting helps us slow down and reflect. There is more time to pray when that time is not set aside for preparing, purchasing, eating, and cleaning up.
• The physical sensation of hunger puts us in touch with our real needs, and helps us pray for the basic needs of life.
• Fasting helps remind us of how much our appetites drive or control our lives. We can pray that God would be the one in control.

If you’ve never fasted for the purpose of centering your life on God, here are a couple tips:
1. Seek a physician’s advice if you have any type of medical condition that may be affected by fasting.
2. Try a one day, or 24 hour fast. This would involve skipping two meals, and resuming eating the next day. (E.g. Eat lunch on Friday, skip dinner and breakfast, and eat lunch again on Saturday)
3. You can try drinking fresh fruit juice during this time if you want to ease into the practice of fasting.
4. When your body begins to alert you to its demands, use that as a reminder to spend a few minutes in prayer for our church, or for other prayer needs you’re aware of.

During Chapter Two we’re asking God to speak into our lives. You may just find that during a time of fasting and prayer God connects with your heart in a way you will never forget!

For more detailed information, you may want to pick up Richard Foster’s, Celebration of Discipline. It’s an excellent introduction to fasting as a spiritual practice.

Don't miss this...

2007-10-23T21:26:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday afternoon was a raucous, fun-filled event for all the Powerhouse Parents and their kids. As part of Chapter Two, we hosted our first “Can’t Miss Event” with almost 200 people attending! The games, crafts, and pumpkins were everywhere. The grills were sizzling, and the food was delicious. And while the little people watched a movie, the parents began to catch the vision for how God could use the building at Firstfield to help draw parents and kids to himself. It was an inspiring glimpse into the future of our amazing church!

If you weren’t at that event, don’t panic. There are four more “Can’t Miss Events” coming up. These fun-filled events are designed to help you connect with a larger group of people at Seneca Creek, and catch the vision for what Chapter Two means for you!

For Young Adults, don’t miss this Friday, Oct. 26^th, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm at Dave & Busters Ultimate Arcade at White Flint Mall in Rockville. Join us for a great evening. Dessert and game cards are FREE!

For Career Adults (yes, that means when you’re no longer able to pass as a young adult) we’ll meet on Saturday afternoon at the Willow Tree Inn in Montgomery Village Golf Club from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. We’ll have a piano/jazz/open mic night (you don’t HAVE to use the open mic!). Dinner is included.

For information on the remaining two “Can’t Miss Events” (Empty Nesters, and Student Ministry Parents) see the column on the right, or check back later in the week.

Here’s the catch: to prepare well for these events we really need to know who’s coming. So if you’re planning to attend ANY of these events, could you please RSVP to rsvp@senecacreek.org and let us know? That would be awesome!

BONUS: If you’d like to see the progress I’m making in unpacking my office, see the picture below! J

Writing Chapter Two…with you,
Mark Tindle

Closing and opening

2007-10-14T22:11:00.000-04:00

Chapter Two update...

Last week we went to closing (settlement) on the building at 13 Firstfield. It was the culmination of years of praying and searching and waiting on God. And it was one more confirmation that God has truly brought this building along for us to use in our ongoing mission right here in our community. The writer of Psalm 71 says, "Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things." Indeed, God has done a great thing.

At closing I met Mr. Lee, the seller. He's a Christian man who is "retired" from business and working in full-time missions work in Mexico, where he has helped build a school and Christian college to train students at no charge. Check this out: As we pay down part of our mortgage, we'll be helping advance the work of God in another corner of the globe. And Mr. Lee, by his decisions to help us purchase this building, is advancing the work of God right here in our corner. Only God could work out something like this! Then on the way back to my truck after closing, I caught up with Mr. Lee and his wife, and had the privilege of praying for them as they head back to Mexico. Totally a God moment. If your Korean is up to speed, you can actually visit the mission web site here. The pictures look really good, even though I don't know one word of Korean.

But God is not just about closing on a building. He's about opening doors of opportunity. We'll be holding our first outreach event at the new building on Sunday, October 28th. Yes, it's Trunk or Treat time! Check out the pictures from last year's event. And speaking of opportunities, in true Seneca Creek fashion, it took about 8 hours for someone from our missions team to start asking me about the possibility of sending a team to Mexico to partner with Mr. Lee and the work there. You gotta love this church!