Walls up, barriers down

This week the walls and floors will be started. The roof will follow shortly as well so that at least the builders will be protected from the elements.

Last week a number of the leadership met with representatives of the young peoples work and we have put in place a couple of small changes designed to better accommodate their work. We also discussed practical issues such as room usage and the type of equipment we need to put in. The kitting out of the building is a big thing particularly as we want the building to be totally flexible to meet the needs of all of our activities.

From provision for parent and toddler groups to lunches for senior citizens and everyone in between we hope to cater for as many people as possible. Our building will have the following :

Main hall - multi purpose room with sound system and seating for 166 people
Classrooms - Initially one class room with capacity for approximately 60 people although this will be designed to be subdivided in due course into two smaller rooms
Mezzanine Room - Multipurpose room capable of accommodating 60 people

We currently average 70-80 people in our Sunday services with approximately 20 young people so the building is more than adequate for our current needs. However it remains to be seen what God has in store for us as far as expansion is concerned.

There are a lot of displaced Oswaldtwistle Christians camping out in churches outside of town seeking a place to call home. These people may have passed through our church in the past but our message needs to be clear - It's a new beginning for us and a chance for a new beginning for them. If we welcome them in the way that I have been welcomed in we stand a chance of making a real impact in our town. When I became a member of the church I introduced myself as 'the first of many' and i intend to fulfill that promise.

Please continue to pray for the builders. There is a lot of heavy work taking place at the minute - rather them than me :-)

CB