Community Bible Church – Moving Forward Together

Each week brings more progress to our renovation… in large part by our great team of volunteers.  We continue to be thankful for such a wonderful group who give of their time and abilities in large and small ways.  As we build this church physically we are constantly reminded that we are also building this church in less tangible ways:  friendship, teamwork, good works and spiritual growth.  May we all use this opportunity to encourage each other and let our light shine at 1600 Main Street!

Front of Sanctuary (stage), Prayer Room, Kitchen

The highlights for this past week include:

• A small mechanical problem has been solved so the remaining steel studs can go up
• Work crews were here Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to do wiring, install drywall, and weed the front garden
• A 12′ ladder has been donated
• The plumbing contract has been given to Jim Mills Plumbing using a hot water tank versus on-demand heater because of the great difference in cost
• Prices continue to come in for dryall taping, filling & sanding

THIS SATURDAY (Aug. 8) we would like several people to help with wiring and install more drywall, a few dozen muffins donated to help fuel the work crews, and someone to clean the four washrooms.  The church will be open by 8 AM for work to begin.  If possible, please let Kay know if you are able to help.

Back of Sanctuary

As soon as the rough wiring has been inspected and passed, we can use MANY helpers to raise the remaining drywall.  We have several skilled people but could use other strong men to help lift the sheets of drywall.

We are anticipating needing many hands for painting and cleaning during the last two weeks of August and early September – please keep this time frame in mind.

Renovation time!

It has been an awesome week in our renovations under the supervision of Kay and Gordon Stewart!  THANK YOU to all who have helped thus far!!

Highlights include:

• Electrical teams were here 3 evenings and will be returning Saturday morning to continue moving lights and wiring walls.
• Mechanical guys arrived before 7 am Thursday to continue the ductwork.
• Flower beds were weeded.
• The drywall arrived Friday at 7 am and a crew will begin installing it Saturday morning.

Research for pricing also continues…

• Plumbing prices are coming in
• Pricing coming in for “on demand heater” for the mechanical room
• Doors and insulation have been ordered

And even in the midst of renovations, we are able to make use of the facility!

• The Grand Opening Team held a meeting here to discuss preliminary plans for the festivities.

• The young adult group going on a mission trip with Samaritan’s Purse, will hold a book sale and barbeque fundraiser here on Saturday, August 1st.

* Great news from the City * The fire corridor in the youth room is not necessary, the inside landing and stairs at the new emergency door exit is being replaced by outside steps that will be easier and more economical for us.

Please Note:  We need YOU!  Volunteers are needed next week to help put up drywall.

Outlining the walls on the main floor

After a long process, the drawings have been approved by the City and we can plunge headlong into renovations!!  Praise God for this blessing!

It’s been fun working together over the the last few weeks on the little jobs.  Now there is more to do, so things should really get fun!  Here is an outline of our renovations so far…

• Thursday, July 23, a Mechanical team will be starting to put up the duct work. They should be finished in a day or two.
• Saturday, July 25, an electrical team of guys from our church, will be moving lights and rough wiring the building.
• Monday, July 27, we will begin putting up the steel studding for the walls. If you are free Monday during the day or during the evening come on over. The evening shift will be from 7 til 9:30. Remember you need steel toe safety boots. Contact kaygordstew@bellnet.ca for more details.
• Tuesday July 28, we will again be working all day and in the evening on studding and running electrical wires.

Wired!

The biggest job will be putting up the drywall, but we won’t get to that for a  couple weeks yet.

The cheque for the permit  was delivered to architect and application for renovation permit has been submitted!  The architect and the city are actively in touch these days and so we should have our permit any day now.  In an effort to use any down time while we wait, we continue to be busy…

• Back steps raised and stabilized
• 9 loads of granular A rock spread on parking lot
• The roof ladder has been secured and blocked off with plywood panel
• An exterior face lift is coming – red painted sliding will be repaired and repainted in an attractive neutral colour
• Flower beds are growing (see note below)
• Minor repairs and painting continues
• 16 bookcases donated from Alcatel/Lucent
• Chairs for auditorium, and chairs and tables for the classrooms have been chosen
• Kitchen designed and cabinets being chosen – cabinets are being donated
• 2 used stoves and 1 used fridge have been donated

And even more recently…

• Purchased a used commercial dishwasher  It has 4 trays and can wash a tray load of 64 mugs in 90 seconds. 
• Chair order for auditorium, youth and children’s chairs, has been prepared and ordered.
• Kitchen cabinets have been chosen and are set to be ordered – wild apple melamine cabinets with butterum granite formica laminate.  Wow!
• Materials are arriving to build the walls.

In preparation, track has been laid out on the floor of auditorium, so now have a good idea of room sizes etc.  We are also getting prices for doors, drywall and mechanical work.

Note from Shirley:  As you may notice the gardens at the new building are growing nicely, however, unfortunately so are the weeds!  in order to keep the garden looking its best we need to keep on top of picking those weeds so if you have a few free minutes please stop by the church and feel free to pick as many as you wish.  You can even take them home as a souvenir!  If each family picks a few, we will have the whole garden weeded in no time at all!

Our Project Manager, Kay

It has been a busy time since the purchase of the building. So far as we have waited for the drawings from the architect and the building permit from the City of Ottawa, many repairs have been made to the building. Three successful work days have been held. Drywall has been repaired, painting done, wiring and plumbing repaired, ceramic laid, floors cleaned, cabinets painted, laminate flooring laid and cleaning done. Outside the trees have been trimmed, grass cut, flower beds dug and planted, repairs made to the back wall, and the fence relocated.

Good job!

Thank you to all the volunteers who have helped make this happen!

A number of things have been donated over and above the pledges – a microwave oven, 2 fridges, and 1 stove for the kitchen; stacking, upholstered chairs for the prayer room, a counter for the nursery, 3 new couches, a new toaster and a cheque for $750 towards the purchase of a projector and screen for the youth room. The Lord is at work!

Whenever I get concerned and wonder if we’ll have the volunteer help that we need this summer, I re-read these verses: 1 Chronicles 28: 20, 21 – “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord….every willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service, also all the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command.”

Wow! Please pray about how you can be used by the Lord to fulfill this promise for us. ~ Kay

The below article was put into the local Stittsville newspaper which was published on May 19, 2009:

CHURCH BUYS MAIN STREET BUILDING

Pastor Steve Stewart in front of newly purchased CBC building

Community Bible Church has just bought the old Active Play building at 1600 Main Street, fulfilling a long-standing dream for a new church home.

The congregation of about 180 people is now applying for renovation permits from the City of Ottawa and hopes to move into the restructured building by September this year.

Already, teams of volunteers are repainting and cleaning up the interior and planting gardens outside the building.

The 17-year-old congregation has been holding Sunday services in schools since the church began – first A. Lorne Cassidy on Hobin Street and now A.Y. Jackson Secondary School in Kanata.

But Pastor Steve Stewart and church members have been exploring the possibility of building a permanent church home for years.  The congregation even bought land at the corner of Shea and Abbott streets, intending to build there in the next year or so.

Then, the church leaders saw that the Active Play building was available on Main Street and jumped at the chance to buy it.

“It seemed more economical, in the short term, to purchase a building than to build a new one,” Mr. Stewart said.

“We really like the location, right on Main Street.  We also were surprised at the size of the building, about 10,000 square feet.  We were looking at building a church about that size.”

The church will continue to hold the land at Shea and Abbott streets for the future.

The church has come a long way since it began as a seed in Mr. Stewart’s mind in the early 1990s.

While he was serving on the staff of a Kingston, Ontario church, Mr. Stewart was faced with a key decision: succeed the senior pastor of his church who was retiring, or strike out on his own with a brand new congregation.

He and his wife Pam prayed about it and became aware that his denomination – the Associated Gospel Churches of Canada – wanted to start a new church in Ottawa’s west end.  He and his wife had experience “planting” a new church in another country and had enjoyed it.  Important factors, such as finding worship leaders, fell into place so they took up the challenge.

Asked about the church’s mission, Mr. Stewart said: “We are helping people to grow with God.”

“This isn’t a country club,” he said.  “God is working here.  He wants us to grow closer to him.  He wants people to become part of his family.”

People will find that they can connect with God in a variety of ways at Community Bible Church.  For example:

• The church offers Sunday morning services with a contemporary music style.  There is sound Bible teaching in sermons, often supported by captivating dramas.
• There are strong children’s and youth programs.  Bev Saemisch designs and leads the Sunday School program while Chris McNaughton heads the junior and senior youth efforts and the college and careers group.
• There are adult “life groups”.  Typically, these involve small group study and prayer on spiritual and life issues from a Christian viewpoint.
• There are affinity groups where people sharing common interests can enjoy each other’s company.
• As well, there is a prayer ministry including after-service prayer for the needs of those attending the Sunday service.
• The church conducts play groups for children, using a Kanata church building.

Mr. Stewart also sees a role for the church in the community.  “We want to be a support, using children’s and youth ministries.  We see them as a real benefit to the community, helping people do wholesome things.”

The church has hosted marriage courses in the past and Mr. Stewart would like to see these courses and others life enhancing courses resume when the congregation moves into its new building.

The people of Community Bible Church are looking forward to having a church home, settling into the Stittsville community on Main Street and working with other area churches to assist others through faith and friendship.