Weekly Word from Family Ministries Pastor - Anna Brant
Psalm 139:1-5
"You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you
perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar
with all my ways." (Psalm 139:1-3)
God knows us completely. He knows our thoughts, our fears, our struggles, and even the things
we have not yet put into words. Because He knows us so well, He also knows exactly how to get
our attention.
The Lord called Samuel's name repeatedly until Samuel recognized His voice and then received
a revelation of what God was about to do. Joshua was encouraged several times to "be strong
and courageous" as he prepared to lead Israel into the Promised Land. After His resurrection,
Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" Jesus was restoring Peter after his three
denials and preparing him to shepherd God's people and help lead the spread of the gospel.
Over some time with major changes some amazing changes and others difficult, God has
repeatedly brought me back to one particular truth:
"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake
you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:8)
The Lord has led me to this passage and others like it. Through this repetition , God has been
increasing my trust in Him. Trials will come, uncertainties will arise, and challenges will appear,
but I can rest in the confidence that He will be with me every step of the way.
Often you might feel unable to hear God's voice, or wonder if He's frustrated that you haven't
understood what He's been saying. Yet Scripture shows us a patient God who lovingly repeats
Himself to His children.
There is great comfort in hearing God's voice repeated in our lives. Sometimes He repeats
Himself because He wants to reassure us that He is still with us. Sometimes He repeats Himself
because He is restoring us after failure. Sometimes He repeats Himself because He is preparing
us for what lies ahead.
Whatever the reason, God continues to speak truth over His children so that we can grow in
confidence, recognize His voice, and walk faithfully in His promises. Ask God to speak to you.
Ask Him to help you listen. Turn your attention toward Him and watch for the ways He may be
speaking through His Word, through prayer, through the counsel of others, or through the
gentle prompting of His Spirit.
Important Updates -
Building Funding Update
Psalm 139:1-5
"You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you
perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar
with all my ways." (Psalm 139:1-3)
God knows us completely. He knows our thoughts, our fears, our struggles, and even the things
we have not yet put into words. Because He knows us so well, He also knows exactly how to get
our attention.
The Lord called Samuel's name repeatedly until Samuel recognized His voice and then received
a revelation of what God was about to do. Joshua was encouraged several times to "be strong
and courageous" as he prepared to lead Israel into the Promised Land. After His resurrection,
Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" Jesus was restoring Peter after his three
denials and preparing him to shepherd God's people and help lead the spread of the gospel.
Over some time with major changes some amazing changes and others difficult, God has
repeatedly brought me back to one particular truth:
"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake
you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:8)
The Lord has led me to this passage and others like it. Through this repetition , God has been
increasing my trust in Him. Trials will come, uncertainties will arise, and challenges will appear,
but I can rest in the confidence that He will be with me every step of the way.
Often you might feel unable to hear God's voice, or wonder if He's frustrated that you haven't
understood what He's been saying. Yet Scripture shows us a patient God who lovingly repeats
Himself to His children.
There is great comfort in hearing God's voice repeated in our lives. Sometimes He repeats
Himself because He wants to reassure us that He is still with us. Sometimes He repeats Himself
because He is restoring us after failure. Sometimes He repeats Himself because He is preparing
us for what lies ahead.
Whatever the reason, God continues to speak truth over His children so that we can grow in
confidence, recognize His voice, and walk faithfully in His promises. Ask God to speak to you.
Ask Him to help you listen. Turn your attention toward Him and watch for the ways He may be
speaking through His Word, through prayer, through the counsel of others, or through the
gentle prompting of His Spirit.
Important Updates -
- Cleaning Team - A huge thank you to everyone who served on our Cleaning Team! Your hard work, attention to detail, and willingness to serve helped prepare our new space for what God is doing at Freshwater. Every floor cleaned, window wiped, and room prepared makes a difference. We are so grateful for your time, energy, and servant-hearted commitment. Thank you for helping make our church feel welcoming and ready for ministry!
- Building Progress & Move in Timeline - The building is nearly complete, and this is the week we've been waiting for, we expect to receive our Certificate of Occupancy (C of O)! This major milestone will allow us to begin moving into the building and preparing every space for ministry.
Once we receive the C of O, we'll jump into setup mode, getting classrooms, offices, worship spaces, and gathering areas ready for use. We will then gather for a Prayer Dedication Ceremony on Sunday, June 28, open the Academy on Monday, June 29, and celebrate our very first Sunday as a church family in the new building on July 12. Thank you for your prayers, generosity, and faithful support throughout this journey. We can't wait to see all that God will do in this new home! - Building Teams - When the family moves, the family helps! We have 3 important ways you can help finish the new building and prepare it for usage: landscaping, cleaning, and moving. You can find more information and join one of these teams on our event page.
Building Funding Update
- KITCHEN/COFFEE - Goal: $70,000. All giving to the "Unlock the Space" Fund is now going towards the Kitchen and Coffeeshop. Over $25,499 has been given toward this goal!
- What this will include:
- Prep Kitchen
- It will have sinks and a commercial dishwasher. It will have counter
space and storage along with fridges and freezers. - It is designed to be a full commercial kitchen in the future. All the plumbing and electrical is prepared for this. We will build it out further at a later date. To start, though, we have to have a prep kitchen for our daycare to move in.
- It will have sinks and a commercial dishwasher. It will have counter
- Coffeeshop
- We will continue to serve free drip coffee on Sundays.
- And we are going to open a fully operational coffeeshop. We will sell espresso, smoothies, and light snack items.
- All the proceeds from the coffeeshop will go into our Global Impact Ministry! This will support our international ministry partners like Deliverance church (and school/orphanage) in Kenya, the Bible translation work in Papua New Guinea, and the missionary pilot support services in Uganda.
- Coffeeshop Seating
- This includes funds for the seating around the coffeeshop and fireplace area. Life groups will love meeting in this space.
- How to Give
- Visit our Give webpage or app. Select the "Unlock the Space" Fund. Everything given to this fund will go towards the Kitchen and Coffeeshop.
- Prep Kitchen
- Financial Update - April
- April Giving: $101,208 (projected: $118,505)
- FYTD Giving: $1,095,390 (projected: $1,331,494)
- FYTD Giving to Build Fund: $728,629
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions on the New Building
How are we doing overall with the funding for the new building?
Great! The construction of the new facility is fully funded. We have had several unexpected additional costs, mostly from the county requiring we add the turn lanes and a fire suppression system. This required us to continue to raise funds for the finishes of the building (paint, décor, furniture, technology).
What is the total cost of the new building? How are we funding this?
- This is a $12m project, broken out in these areas:
- Land: $700k
- Design/Engineering/Land Prep: $500k
- Building Construction: $9.5m
- Finishes/Technology: $1.3m
- How we are funding that:
- $2.3m net profit from property sales
- $3.7m in cash has been raised so far
- $6-7m loan depending on continued fundraising
When will it be completed?
- Construction is scheduled to be done in early June.
- First Sunday – early July or perhaps even late June!
What parts are we helping with?
Landscaping, final cleaning, décor, moving in, and components of the technology build out.
What will our service times be?
Great question. It depends on what our attendance is later this spring. We want to be at or below 80% capacity in our services, so we have room for growth. We will most likely have two Sunday services in the new building.
Will all of the building be finished when we move in?
- Most of it. That largely depends on what we are able to fund before we move in.
- We will have additional landscaping to complete and small projects to finish around the building.
- For our daycare to use the space, we need the kitchen to be useable as a prep kitchen. We have it designed as a full commercial kitchen and all the plumbing/electrical is installed for this. It will take an additional $150k to finish as a full commercial kitchen. We will work towards completing it as a basic prep kitchen to start and add the full appliances later.