Daily Photos

I take a daily stroll through the construction site and take a few photos each day. Although I've not been able to do so for the past two days, here are some links to several that I have taken in the past few days. They are on my personal Smugmug photo site where you can also play a slide show of the photos.

http://fbgpbd.smugmug.com/Church/2010-04-06-St-John/12101523_48imr

http://fbgpbd.smugmug.com/SJLC/2010-05-07-Construction-Photos/12101610_LAxNx

http://fbgpbd.smugmug.com/Church/Facilities/2010-05-10-Daily-Construction/12141720_CrTgf

http://fbgpbd.smugmug.com/gallery/12174362_3Pd8d#866340702_3mW22

I hope you enjoy the photos.

Pastor David Bahn

Footings, Rebar, & Concrete

Photos from Thursday & Friday (May 6 & 7). The largest footing is 16' X 16' X 3'. Yes, that's feet - 21 cubic yards of concrete will go into that footing.

This first photo is of some pastoral scribing. I took a stick and wrote "John 10:10" in one of the footings for our new worship center. The superintendent said that it was actually outside the building (I didn't know that). He also verified that this will be covered with lots of dirt. God knows it's there. So do I. So do you, now.

These blue-ribbon cages mark the center axis of the worship center. I have set up a platform from which I'll take a photo each day as the building goes up. On days when lots of things are happening (erecting glue-lam beams, for example) I'll take 3 or 4. When we're all finished we can show the building going up in 10 minutes or less.
Concrete: There are two rules;

1. It is hard.
2. It will crack.

A drainage tile is laid under what will be a new drive and parking area.
Toppers protect the rebar that is sticking up from the concrete footing.
The inner strength of the concrete is the rebar hidden within the drying cement.


Rebar sticking up in the area of where the new chancel will be.

A worker hangs a plumb line to mark the proper intersection between two strings, and indicating the proper placement of the rebar.
A worker climbs out of a hole that had been dug by a backhoe which he had finished with a square blade shovel. He was squaring off the corners and leveling the bottom in preparation for pouring this footing.

April Building Progress

Here are some photos of the building progress to date. The site has been brought up to grade -5" as of April 30. On Monday, May 3, the work will begin on the spread footers. Two of those footers (by word of the architect) will be 16' X 16' X 3' deep!
Click on each small image to see a larger version.

Confirmation Sunday/National Day of Prayer

This week will be a banner week for St. John. On Saturday and Sunday, we will celebrate with 37 of our students who will be confirming the faith God has given them. Thirty-Seven. Wow. We've had to make some adjustments to the 'typical' schedule that we would normally have for a confirmation weekend, just so everything will be able to flow smoothly Saturday (when the students will share their faith statements/eat brunch by the LWML/take pictures) and Sunday (37 Confirmation Rites spread between 3 services). We're excited as we anticipate a great response from not only these young people but also all those coming to St. John to celebrate with them.

Also this week, we will have an opportunity to participate in the National Day of Prayer (Thursday, May 6th). We will have our sanctuary open throughout the day so that any and all people may pray with one of our pastors and prayer team members, with prayer cards available to help focus your thoughts.

If you're not able to come to our campus, the National Day of Prayer will follow you wherever you are. You will receive a prayer card in your bulletin on Sunday (May 2), and we encourage you to take this to work or even around your neighborhood. Ask those around you if they have any prayer requests that you can write on your card, and then on Thursday hold these individuals up in prayer. You may be surprised what people may say to you...and who they will ask for you to pray for. Bring your card back to St. John on the 9th so that we may continue to pray for these individuals and concerns in the weeks to come.

Progress - at least a bit of it...

Here are three panoramas showing the progress to date (4/22/2010) on the new worship center. Some of the things you don't see is the removal of extraneous water and gas lines, replacement of gas lines to current buildings, and re-routing of plumbing, electrical and gas lines - all to get things in order for the foundation to be laid and the worship center to go up.


This shows the space before any trees were removed and ground was leveled. Although a number of trees had to be removed there are still more than 50 large trees on the north 1/4 our the church's property (the area bounded by Spring Cypress and Huffmeister between the current sanctuary and the gravel parking area east of the Children's Ministry Center.


This shows that same area after trees were removed and ground is being leveled.


This is a view from above - from the parapet above the restrooms in the current sanctuary.

All three of these panoramas are three photos stitched together to make one seamless image. Watch this space for more photos as the construction program continues.

Go!

It's official; the deed has been recorded. The actual construction has begun! The construction fence goes up on Monday. Soon we will see more and more work on the new worship center. What will it be like to walk into the new worship center? What will it be like to have plenty of room for family, friends, and new folks who join us? What will it be like to experience the grace of God in this new place?
We can only imagine and look forward to experiencing these feelings.
In the mean time, however, we rejoice in the grace of God in Christ and thank him that we have an eternal home in heaven, mansions being prepared for us, and an experience of God's salvation that we can only imagine.
We'll post photos in the weeks to come and watch and see this project take shape. May God bless all who work on this project. May he grant protection to all the workers and give us opportunities to share with them and all who come on our campus the love of Christ and the Good News of God's salvation, and the gift of abundant eternal life through faith in Jesus.
-DLB

Helping Hands

What a beautiful day here in Cypress, Texas! The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the temperature couldn't be better--a cool 68 degrees for the high today.

This weekend we'll have another full schedule of activities at St. John, even as schools in the area kick off their spring break with the final bell this afternoon.

Tonight a few of us are going to the Casting Crowns concert at the Berry Center, and then tomorrow morning the men will meet for their weekly Bible Study/Sunday morning set-up. Juniors for Jesus and the Instrumentalists may be getting together for rehearsal in the morning as well.

Sunday is a great day to get up (especially after remembering to set your clocks ahead) and pray together at 7am, worship/attend Sunday School at 8, 9:30, and 11, and then have our Holy Week/Easter 'All Hands on Deck' Meeting. For those who are involved with the governance transition team, you will also meet Sunday afternoon.

Which makes me raise up my hands and say--thank you! We have hundreds of 'helping hands' here at St. John; those who tirelessly step out and serve God in so many ways, from setting up chairs to leading music to serving on the Altar Guild. What would happen if all of those hands just stopped...helping?

A church in Virginia did this just a few weeks ago. No ushers, no Sunday School teachers, no money counters, no parking attendants, no nothing. Do you know what happened, as a result? Nothing. (Don't believe that this could really happen? Read more here: http://www.pastors.com/blogs/ministrytoolbox/archive/2010/03/10/crazy-risk-a-weekend-with-no-volunteers.aspx)

People were able to see how much an impact all the congregational 'helping hands' help each and every week, and for them (about 1,250 volunteers), it was a big difference.

As members and friends of St. John, you are our helping hands--you are walking with us, living and sharing the Abundant Life of Jesus. In what you do both on our campus and in your vocations throughout the week, you are our hands into the Cypress Community. You are showing people God's love through your service. Thank you.