Building Momentum

Praise God! We were given a Temp Certificate of Occupancy, and were able to have services the last weekend of September. It was awesome and we had 50% greater attendance then prior weekends. We had lots and lots of greeters and made a significant impression on those attending. We are a friendly church, and we want our services to reflect that!

We had 2 weeks to finish off the major work to be done on the church to qualify for the permanent Certificate of Occupancy. So, next week we hope to be mostly complete with the work and make a great showing for our Grand Opening. There will continue to be a few things that we are finishing off in the month of October before the construction crews complete the job. If you know Walter Renna, our contractor, let him know how great a job he did on the building. Obviously his crews had lots of help from our volunteers. The building turned out fantastic.

Allen will be mentioning that we are addressing sound and lighting issues, and trying to determine the best solution, as well as obtain the funds to make these very important improvements. We had no way of knowing what would be required until we moved in and tried it out. Now we know and we want to make the improvements that are needed as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

Please collect as many invitation postcards as you will pass out and make a walk this week around the neighborhood or around the workplace inviting everyone you can to the Grand Opening. Let's make it truly grand. If your friends and family are wired, then send them an electronic invite via email (click here).

It's been a few weeks since we've posted. Wow - what a blur!

It's Sat. Sept. 22, the last full Sat. before our first service in our new Home! There have been miracles and more miracles along every step of the way. Crews have been busy with last minute work to make the building ready to pass inspection and welcome our first service attenders.

Our goal is to have services there the last weekend of Sept., if we can pass inspection and get a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. We are hopeful and prayerful that this will happen next week. Please be praying that the work on safety systems, electrical, and other critical areas is complete in time to get the 'go ahead.' If we don't make it, we will finish up at Parkfield and be in the building for the first weekend in Oct.

We have planned two weeks to work out the bugs, finish the setup and cosmetic work, and then we will have a Grand Opening to welcome everyone who wants to attend. This 2 week low profile opening is what we're calling a "soft open." We hope that our advertising, the word of mouth and your invitations will result in a huge Grand Opening weekend.

Thanks to everyone who prayed, gave, volunteered or played a part in making this a reality. This was the biggest project our church has ever faced and it was awesome to see the unity and comradery, not to mention the "God Things" that made it all possible.

In case you don't know how to get to our new location, here's a map....

Pastor Allen told the church that if things go well we will be meeting in our NEW CHURCH the last weekend in September. That means 4 more weeks at Parkfield.

WOW! 4 more weeks ! It's totally hard to believe. We've been here at this location, every since I (Mike Hardcastle) started attending Calvary. I don't know any other site or location, other than our Satellite sites. I can't wait to move into our new location. I know that many people feel that same way. Not only is it going to be an awesome location and configuration\layout, but it's also OURS.

Our current series is Relocation, and we are in the midst of it. This week the media and sound teams have started disassembling the Parkfield auditorium in preparation for the move. Speakers are coming down, new sound boards are being used, and screens being replaced. We are even now realizing part of God's plan for doing Satellites. We have the equipment to support our move, experience in setup using temporary equipment, and for Children's Ministry they now have a very flexible and mobile system that they will be using as their system for ministry. Thanks Lord for directing us in ways that we didn't even understand, long before we knew we needed it.

So, is getting in the building a "Slam Dunk" at this point? No way! We have so much work to do and some many different aspects to manage to be able to get in on time. We are trusting the Lord and moving ahead best we can. How can you help? We need help at the new location with cleaning, painting, assisting others, and various other tasks. You can volunteer by letting us know your interest online <click here>.

Thank you to all who provided food and helped serve our crew this weekend. Your efforts are worth diamonds to the workers. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Fact: The food you provide will stand out as one of the things people remember when thinking about this project. Compare it to a wedding, what do you remember, the dress she spent 100's of dollars on or the music and good food?

I receive so many heart felt thanks from the volunteers. I always make it a point to give credit where credit is due and they all go to you. The smiles and all the thank you's we receive are endless. One volunteer this week said, "I like working on Saturdays most of all because of the meals, their so good, that's what I look forward to".

I want to share a miracle that happened on Saturday...
I know there are miracles happening all the time, but this weekend, I was blessed and awed. Knowing this weekend that the volunteer count would almost double what we normally get, I was a little worried about the amount we had. While I was getting myself ready to head out there, I felt weary about the quantities and said a quickie prayer, "Oh Lord, please multiply the food" and didn't give it another thought. When I arrived at the site, there were volunteers EVERYWHERE!

When I walked in, I was introduced to a man "this is Tony, he's our neighbor, he owns the pizza place in our complex (Barris Pasta & Pizza I think the name is) and he has offered to make us pizza for lunch today". Tony said to me in his cute Italian accent, "how many do you need, 10, whatever, how ever many you need is fine with me". If you would have taken a picture it would have lasted longer, my jaw was dropped in awe. "Uh, uh, uh I said oh 7 should be good".

Isn't God awesome! Like Allen said this weekend, God's blessing come just in time and not a minute sooner.

JoAnn Herrera

Yesterday we finally passed our plumbing inspection and wall inspections. Amen!

We have been battling plumbing issues for a month. We would have to block the system and put it under high water pressure and look for leaks. The existing plumbing in the building wasn't built to handle this sort of process and testing, and we would find leak after leak, all over the building. Once found, we generally had to cut out the cement, dig through the dirt, repair the leak and continue on testing. We found a number of major leaks through the building. Needless to say, this was time consuming and expensive. We could not advance until these issues were resolved and the inspections passed.

We will be focusing our efforts to complete outstanding items in the next 5 weeks and move in at the end of September. This is an aggressive schedule and we ask everyone to be praying. And for those that are able, to come out during the week or on Saturdays and help us get the work done.

This weekend was a busy weekend at the building. You'll note that by reviewing the sheer amount of pictures that were taken, and the various areas listed. I'll start with the description of a typical Saturday workday at the building and then outline some activities we are currently working on.

A typical Saturday begins at 7:30am with the supervisor for the day (from volunteer leadership team , see bottom of page), gathering everyone and opening in prayer. From there, he will provide some overview of the work for the day, the tools and equipment needed, and divide up the workers according to the work and number of people that show up. The teams will work up until lunch, and then around 11:30 a team of volunteers will deliver the lunch they have prepared for the team. Everyone takes a break, prays together, and enjoys a great meal and fellowship together. This is where some lifelong relationships will be forged. Then some will continue to work, and others will cycle in and they will continue working until approximately 4:30PM. They will gather and pray, and close down the building until Monday. (A standard weekday experience starts about 4:30-5PM and they work until about 8:30)

Currently, the work is winding down on the front end demo, and Walter's team is taking over for the construction phase. Most of our efforts are focused on the floors. We use a simple drilling machine to core the areas where pipes and other things come up out of the floor, so we can repour cement. We have hired a company to prep the floors for staining, by blasting it with metal chips, and then grinding it. Then we mop it a couple of times to remove the dust, and then apply stain with hand pumps, let it dry for 24 hours, and then mop up the residue 2-3x. Once it drys, we apply a seal coat with hand pumps and application rollers. Then we move on to the next area. We tackle one major area at a time and have to limit traffic in that area until completed.

The exterior painting is underway and with any luck will be completed in the next week or two. There are volunteer painters with spray gun experience, and a host of volunteers that mix and pour paint to keep the high pressure paint guns loaded. There is often a driver for the Skytrac lift, that gets the painters to the top of the building.

The next large project inside will be painting the walls. We will need a host of volunteers to support this effort. We will need experienced spray painters, roller and brush painters, and volunteers to prep, clean up and keep them supplied in paint. This will begin in August.

We have been so blessed by a contractor that has allowed us to participate in the project and reduce our expense, while increasing the amount of work we can afford on limited funds. We have had great volunteer support to make this project a possibility. There is such ownership by everyone of this new location, and that is really cool. There have been new and lasting relationships formed and we expect many more in the years to come.

If you want to volunteer online, click here and complete the form. Thanks!

Catchy title, ehhhh?

A group of committed volunteers worked hard all last Friday night, through the early morning hours and up to mid-day Saturday on the Children's Ministry floors. We were "stoning" the floors, to remove glue and any sealer, and expose the cement. From there, we would apply stain, let it dry for 24 hours, and then mop 3x to remove the residue, and then apply sealer. Only, the grinding went much slower than expected and was less effective than desired. This experience led us to consider other options and ultimately we hired a professional crew to come and prep the cement using other equipment suitable for the job.

Thanks everyone who worked on this shift and a special thanks to our Sr. Pastor Allen for coming and 'doing some time' on-site with Darren Brock, Associate Pastor. They got a chance to replace some lights in the lobby using the scissor lifts and grind at the floor for awhile. You can see pictures on the Projects Photo page.

We will still need a massive volunteer crew to assist with the staining, mopping and sealing efforts on approx. 40k sf of the building over the next couple of weeks. If you want to help, call Deedee at 759-2040 or volunteer online.

Things are really changing at the new church location. We have turned the corner and are working quickly to get all the walls framed and now sheetrocked. Check it out.

You can really start to get a feel for how things will look in our new church. The lobby area is well defined, open and expansive. I can imagine all the people gathering there between services, to get some information from Guest Services, sip on a cup of coffee, peruse the bookstore inventory, take a seat in a comfortable chair, and engage in conversation with old and new friends. Some will take the time to relax, pray and prepare for the service.

The future Administration area is framed, but won't be finished out in this phase. The Special Services Chapel will suffice for a temporary office space until funds can be raised for completion of the permanent office space.

The Children's Ministry area is framed and in the works. One day soon, it will be filled with all sorts of noises. There will be children playing, singing, and worshiping in this space.

The back of the building is unfinished in this stage, and it will one day house a Gym, dedicated Youth Space, Meeting Rooms, and a Kitchen.

The Auditorium and main bathrooms are in process. It will be awesome to have our space and have the freedom to configure it as we wish to provide the variety of services and worship opportunities that God inspires our creative staff and volunteers to create.

What a blessing it is to have a 'home!' Thank you Lord for your care and love.

Thought I'd share a story from a friend of mine, Ted Seidel, who worked at Calvary Ft. Lauderdale in Administration, and now works at Calvary Chattanooga. Here is the story in Ted's own words....

It is all a neat God story. We purchased the first property with a building to remodel. Before we finished the drawings the church was growing so fast that we realized we would out grow the building before we moved in. We put the property up for sale and currently have a contract on it. We purchased a shopping center in downtown Chattanooga for $1.5M. We had it a couple of weeks and were offered $2.5M for it. After much prayer we felt that God was telling that the offer was a distraction and He really wanted us there.

Shortly thereafter we learned that a one-acre lot adjoining the back of the property was up for tax sale. Purchasing through a tax sale is not a good thing because the original owner has a year to redeem it. Instead we went to the owner and made him an offer. In both cases we purchased the property for 75% of appraised value. Two days before closing on the one-acre lot the city told us that we didn't have enough parking for a 750 seat sanctuary. Two days later, no problem. God knows the building codes.

We own all the frontage for a whole block except for one lot. That lot contains the sign shop for Ruby Falls, a local attraction. A restaurant owner across the street (a messianic Jew), on his own, went to the owner of Ruby Falls a cut a deal whereby we would find him another location, purchase it and swap deeds. We found a vacant lot in the neighborhood, purchased it, subdivided it, sold off the remaining portion for almost the original cost of the land and we are in the process of erecting a metal building on it. The swap will take place on July 15th.
Now all we have to do is watch God provide the money to build out the shopping center.
Ted

WOW! Isn't God cool. Who says the Christian Life is boring? Hasn't been for me, and likely not for those of you who are His disciples.

Keep praying for God to continue to work the miracles He desires in our church and through our church.

We've received the construction permit and things are rapidly heating up in the kitchen or the building, as it may be. We have been praying and waiting for the permit, as it's required to get inspections on plumbing and finish pouring cement and to allow us to start to build in the space. Late last week we got our permit! Amen.

So, we have lots to do in a little time to get us ready to move-in in September. The next couple of weeks contain some volunteer intensive projects. We are praying that as many as possible will jump in and get involved. Much of the work out at the location is varied, so that everyone can play a role. It may be sweeping, picking up trash, making trash runs, driving equipment, caulking, cutting and cleaning up landscape, pulling off sheet metal, and so forth. Please join us in praying for God's resourcing for this project. We want to work like it all depends upon us, and pray like it all depends upon God. That is the formula for success. (Prayer + Diligence = Success)

Check out the Photo's page for the latest photos, taken just this week. You won't believe the progress. We've painted the interior back wall, put up metal studs for framing the walls, finished pouring cement, started pulling off the front roof\rock for a facelift, cleaned up the front islands and flower beds, and soon will start painting the exterior.

Next on the plan is ..... Front End Removal and Rebuild, Caulk and Paint Exterior, Remove Tile Floor, Prep Cement Floor and Stain.

Thanks for praying and giving to the Lord!

I thought I'd use this blog to highlight the Volunteer Leadership Team for our Building Momentum. See their pics at the bottom of this page. (click here)

The leader of this team is Johnny Arnold. Johnny has been in our church for 8 years, is married to Mary, and has 3 boys. He works in the remodeling business, and has served in many roles at Calvary. Johnny's primary role is to act as liaison to our contractor, and guide the team.

Cheryl Barrett is the Administrative lead on our project. She has been in the church over a year, is married to Steve, and has 3 children. She is the operation manager for a large service company. She is responsible for project communication and supports all necessary administrative tasks.

Susan Meyer is the Asst. Administrative person and she assists Cheryl. She will help with purchasing for furnishings and other needed items. She is married to Dean, and they have been in the church about a year, after moving from CA. They have 2 girls.

Andy Berke is one of the Site Supervisors. He is married to Toni, and they have 2 boys. They have been in the church 5+ years. Site Supervisors are responsible for work crews and planning.

Paul Schneider is also one of the Site Supervisors. He is married to Ange, and they have 5 children. They have been in the church 4 years.

Craig Bartley is a Site Supervisor. He is married to Lynda, and they have one daughter and two grand daughters in Lexington , SC. They have been at Calvary Austin for 6 years and a member of Calvary Lexington SC for two years before that. Lynda and Craig have also served on the Praise and Worship teams for the satellites at Cedar Park and Round Rock for the last 18 months.

Josh Enochs is responsible for Logistics and Moving, in addition to acting as a Site Supervisor. He is married to Carrie, and they have 1 daughter. They have been in the church for a couple of years.

We had almost 200 people say they wanted to help in some capacity with this project. That is totally awesome! We have actually built our building project budget with this volunteer labor in mind. As we contribute to critical aspects of the building we are achieving a greater result than our monetary contributions could purchase. We would love to see everyone working together on this project. We have lots of places to serve, from the very physical to the very administrative. Please volunteer, if you haven't already.

Once we are done with this project, we would also love to see everyone finding a place of ongoing service in the church. We have found that being a part of a small group (ie. Life Groups) and serving are the two most meaningful and fruitful activities a church member can participate in, and thus as church leadership we go to great lengths to communicate this and facilitate this at Calvary.

I thought I'd share some really cool testimonies I personally heard in the last week concerning the impact that we are having in the building spiritually.

Mr Shoppa
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The gentleman that purchased the equipment in the building for use by Super S stores, is named Mr. Shoppa. He's a really neat guy and we are blessed to have crossed paths. It was a miraculous story how he even heard that we wanted bids on our equipment, but nonetheless, he showed up and was the highest bidder. Working with his customer's crews was awesome. They were very professional and courteous. We have had a number of phone conversations and meetings with Mr S, and in my last conversation with him, he spontaneously added, "Mike, I thought I would share with you that being around your guys and your passion and great attitudes has inspired me to return to church. In fact, I've been the last two Sundays and my family has accompanied me. I surprised a number of people by my return." Apparently, it's been awhile since he's darkened the door of the church. I was so excited to hear that, and proud of all the people on our team, that he would pick up on our joy and passion for the Lord. Very cool! The next one is even better.

Tony
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Last Saturday while walking around the hustle and bustle of the volunteers working on the building and landscaping, I crossed paths with a man removing some equipment. He introduced himself as Tony, and said he worked for Mr Walter (our contractor). Then he proceeded to tell me straight away that, "I asked Jesus into my heart this weekend," with the biggest smile I think I've ever seen. He shared with me a story of a hard life and broken relationships, and then proudly told me that he had stopped smoking and drinking and cussing "in God's house" (ie. our church to be), and that he was reconciling with his wife. He told me how a couple that was working as volunteers in the building the week before had prayed for him and how a marriage conference had made him want to change, and that led to his asking Jesus to be his Lord. He was so excited to come back and tell that couple of his decision. WOW !!! Is that a cool story or what?!

That's the sort of influence we pray for. We want to influence people to return to the Lord or come to the Lord for the very first time. Our vision is to reach the unchurched of the Austin Metro area. Unchurched can either be those out of fellowship, or those who have never trusted Jesus to direct their lives.

I thought I'd share these killer stories with you, so you can be encouraged to pray, to be bold in your witness, and always aware that others are watching, and that others need to hear the good news. It CHANGES LIVES. Or shall I say, HE CHANGES LIVES !!!! Amen.

This last weekend we gathered at the new location to pray as a group, and tour the building. It was an awesome meeting, with approximately 170 people in attendance. We started with the traditional - Coffee and Donuts, heard from Pastor Allen about God's faithfulness in this project and in our lives, had a time of group prayer and impromptu worship, took a group photo, and then broke into three groups for tours of the building led by our pastoral staff. It was awesome. There's nothing quite like gathering with other believers to praise and worship our Lord. He has totally provided for us and guided us in our search for a new home. We will eternally be grateful.

Prayer is the most critical element in all we do. Instead of an afterthought, it needs to be a forethought. Instead of thinking of all else as "the work" we should see prayer as the most important 'work' we do. Anything of significance can only be done by God and through His Holy Spirit, and prayer is how we engage Him and seek His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. We need to view this as 'spiritual work.' It should precede anything we do, support anything we are doing, and follow anything that is done. That keeps our focus on the one doing the work (God), and fosters the most important relationship on earth. May we ask and keep asking. He tells us "we have not, because we ask not." Let's not leave anything on the table, because we didn't ask. Amen.

Please join us Thursday mornings (6AM) at Parkfield to pray for our church, our leadership, our ministries, and people. And, join the digital prayer chain to receive emailed prayer requests, praises and reports. Just send an email to this account asking to be added. ( prayer_calvaryaustin@yahoo.com )

After some unexpected expected setbacks after closing, we got started late the week of April 9th with demolition of the store interior. This included removing floor shelving, removal of sheet rock and paneling in a small area, and removal of ceiling tiles and portions of lighting. With the help of volunteers, we were able to assist in removal of debris and clean up activities. Also, there was a number of people who showed up Saturday AM to mow the grass and clean up the exterior. Our Volunteer Leadership Team met with our Contractor to sync schedules and plan how to utilize our volunteer labor force.

This last week we worked almost every evening after the day crews worked, to clean up, and further the demolition. The company that purchased the interior equipment completed the removal of all racks, and floor refrigeration and freezers. The place took on a totally new look. The floors were visible. Then Saturday, the Volunteer crews made huge progress, removing sheet rock and panels in almost all of the interior space, and filling up the dumpsters to overflowing. Thanks Calvary Austin for helping us build our future! Check out the photos section often to see the progress.

Wow, where do I start? How about we recap the last few months. Now that we have officially closed on the building, we are no longer under confidentiality restrictions! Did you catch that? We OWN the building! That's right. God has answered our prayers and provided for us a new home.

We have had some huge obstacles along the way, and every time, as we prayed, God answered our prayers in miraculous ways. Even today, the miracles still are happening. There were several points along the way when this deal wasn't going to happen. We can't go into great detail about it, but needless to say, God has been faithful.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and help along the way. Future posts will come more often and cover the construction project status.

It's been a few months since we've posted. It's taken that long to sort things out and have a story to tell.

It appears God has opened a huge door for us with this property, and put it on peoples hearts to give to support this project. Year end giving enabled us to get a larger loan, as well has have cash on hand to purchase the building and do enough build out to inhabit the building. We have a signed contract and are in the feasibility time set forth in the agreement to determine if this project can be a reality. We have 45 days to review the project and make ready, then we move into a funding period in which we prepare to close on the property and take possession. During this period, many details and final arrangements are being made and there is lots to pray about. Please keep the church leadership and the project team in your prayers for wisdom and favor with all those we must contact and come to agreements with.

God has blessed our church with this opportunity and we are so excited about the potential it provides. Check back soon for more updates.

Over the last month we have been presenting the unique opportunity we have to purchase and convert a stand-alone Albertsons into our new church home. We have presented the details of the project, including designs, financials, and our vision to impact lives. We asked everyone to pray about participating financially in the project through a special offering that we would collect the weekend of December 16 & 17, as well as consider ongoing support financially and in prayer.

Well, everyone is asking, "How'd we do?" We had a great response and everyone has been so generous and supportive. We had communicated that we need to raise approximately $1M to be able to convert the building to a usable space and accomplish our Phase 1 plan. This was based upon financing of approximately $3.25M. With the change to other financing institutions, we were able to consider Sept-Dec in our review, and not just our FY06 which ended in August 2006. This meant that the December offering would help us qualify for a better loan, which it has. The results of December giving was $250K in cash funds thus far. Also, there were pledges, equaling over $50k, promised by May 2007.

Preliminary reviews by our lending institution, suggest we could qualify for a loan of approximately $3.5. The increased funding plus cash offering may be enough to get us into the building with portions of the Phase 1 plan. This is still being evaluated, and we are waiting to see what happens through the last few weeks of December.

Please keep this in prayer, as there are many items still in the works that need to be finalized, such as the contract, the 2006 financial audit, the appraisal, and the financing.

Thank you so much church for your continued support and generosity to the Lord and His work through Calvary Austin.

It's been over a month since we last updated the BLOG. We have been wading through a variety of critical elements trying to secure the property in Pflugerville. We have been working on financing, on the contract, on design and construction estimates, and how to educate and communicate with the church body. We quickly realized that we have a very short window to help people understand the long-term and short-term goals for this project and the costs that are associated.

This weekend we begin corporate communication about the project. We are covering information about the location, the benefits and opportunities, as well as the design and how much it will cost to procure the building and complete construction so we can move in. Our desire is to communicate clearly, to answer questions, and ask people to participate. We want everyone praying. We want God's will and guidance in this. And, frankly, we need a miracle to pull this off. But, our God is a big God and He loves these sorts of odds. As we place our faith in Him, He will guide us through.

Each one of us should be asking God what He wants us to do in this project. Afterall, He owns all the resources, including the ones that He entrusts to us. He can ask us to distribute them differently, or He may ask us to believe Him to provide above and beyond our current budget for something He will provide in the future. Regardless, we need to be asking Him what He wants us to do. We are not giving to the church or the leaders, but back to God Himself, as an act of worship, obedience and faith. In the next 3 weeks we have a unique opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and in our faith and obedience as we act on what He tells us.

Looking forward to a great celebration, when God acts on our behalf. God bless you as you seek Him!

WOW! Patience and prayer pay off.

After a couple of months of waiting for some sort of word, TODAY we received the Purchase Contract for Albertson's Pflugerville. That's right, they accepted our offer and sent us a contract.

It's almost like Joshua has come into the camp and said, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.' (Jos 1:11)

God willing we will be able to execute this contract and purchase this building, and God will provide all the people and financial resources to finish it out, and move in. We can't wait to see what God is going to do. This will truly be a huge miracle.

Please keep this in prayer, and check back soon.

Thanks for checking back on the status of our building project, and the bids to aquire a local Albertsons store as our own. The last 2 updates have basically remained the same. And, I wish I could report that things are different as of this update, but they are not! This week's contact with our agent reveals that the whole process is stalled, that other customers interested in other regions (that they know) are experiencing the same wait game. Therefore, our prayers are still needed. Patience is still a part of this equation. God has yet to reveal His plan for us in this situation.

In our weekend series, ONE, we are learning about the great crossing of the Jordan by the Isrealites, and how God gave one man the vision and calling to take over a new land. Also, we read about the challenges of managing people, and how the fears and uncertainty of the leader and the people are addressed by God. First He gives the direction, second He gives encouragement, and third the people exercise faith, and fourth God works miracles. In this story God is speaking to us and telling us, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Amen.

Great news today from our realtor! The lack of feedback or response has nothing to do with anything negative, but only because the agents for the Albertson's stores haven't gotten 'a round to it' yet! I say we send them a 'round tuit' and they'll have no excuse. How many times have we not made progress or completed an action because we lacked one of these handy items? We should all order a couple of these for ourselves and others, so we can 'get around to it' and knock it out!

Stay tuned for the latest information. Keep on praying.

You've heard of 'weight training' and know that it's good for the body. But so is "wait training." Obviously, it's a play on the words of wait vs weight and the physical body vs body of Christ (us).

God wants to train us by waiting. The Bible is full of instruction for us to "Wait upon the Lord" and full of benefits that come by this waiting.

Calvary Austin has been 'waiting' for a long while for guidance and a final outcome to our building program. It's easy to grow faint hearted and get discouraged while we wait. Galations 6:9 has great encouragement for us when we feel this way.

This past week was supposed to be the time that the agents handling the Albertson's transactions were to communicate with the people who made favorable offers and determine if they could proceed. We waited patiently, but were never contacted. We are unsure what that means. It could be that they are behind in the process, running into problems with first choices and we might be second, or that they have made decisions and we haven't been notified? We don't know. So, we continue to pray and wait upon the Lord. Join us in praying and waiting. God is faithful and He will direct our paths, when we put Him first. (Prov 3:6, Matt 6:33)

Our agent contacted us this week to let us know that the realtors handling the Albertsons transactions and offers, would be reviewing those offers late this week and trying to contact those of interest next week. It's time to PRAY !!!!!

Please be in prayer that God would guide us to His Will by the response to our offer. If He desires us to have one of these buildings, that He would give us favor and work a miracle through our offer. If not, that we would find out that they are not interested, and we can continue to "Venture in Faith" looking for that opportunity that the Lord desires.

We know God is in control and we want to believe Him for great miracles and for His provision and guidance. What an awesome journey it is, when you are one of His.

Buckle up! Please be praying. Check back soon for another update.

This BLOG was recreated to provide project updates to those that are following our building search. There are historical blogs in the past blog entries page and much more in the archives section of Allen's BLOG if you want to follow the history of our search and project. It's a long story that spans over 2 years of searching and attempting to secure property, buildings and leases for a new home. Most recently, we were negotiating with Gold's Gym about a lease in Round Rock, when they decided not to move forward with us. About that time, we received news that Albertson's was closing stores in the area we are looking at and liquidating them. We began to inquire into these and the process to bid on them. We have been working with our realtor and have submitted a bid on 3 of the stores in the North Austin Metro area. We will be waiting patiently for a response and praying daily for a huge miracle. Please join us in praying. Please see the Relevant Links section for more information.

We are actively working with the Gold’s team to finalize the contract to sublease their space for the next 3.5 years. Once a contract is in place, we can begin the permitting and build out process to convert it from Gold’s Gym to God’s Gym! We are both in the business of ‘building the Body.’ We expect that the contract will be done the later part of June and the buildout process will take 8 to 10 weeks.

In case you missed it Sunday, I want to use my blog to give you an update about our building project called Building Momentum. After the seller reneged on our agreement for 20 acres at Wells Pointe (Proverbs 22:1), we felt led to take 40 days to pray and wait on the Lord. Coming out of that a couple weeks ago, the Lord spoke to my heart about the need for us to stay the course and work the plan He's already given us.

What does that mean? Our lender is prepared to loan us 75 percent of the appraised value of the finished project up to $4 million. That means we can do a $5.3 million project. To make this work, we've got to find 20 acres for about $1.00 a foot. (The Wells Pointe property was $2.50 a foot). We may also have to find a way to make about 30K square feet work. (We lease about 35K square feet now.) And finally, we've got to trust God for $1.3 million. We think we're going to need most of that now just to move forward.

Calvary Austin is dramatically impacting people's lives. In our weekend services just completed another 16 people received Christ! What God is doing through us matters. We're making a difference. God has given us unusual influence in our community which means that this is a unique opportunity to trust Him and partner with Him. Building Momentum is worth praying for and sacrificing for. Please join me in praying this week and in the weeks ahead that God would open a door for us (Revelation 3:8).

Last month we communicated that we had received a counter proposal from the seller of the Wells Pointe property. We were in the late stages of contract negotiations to buy this property. Basically, he withdrew the property from the sale. He waited about a week to consider our refusal of the counter offer and then finalized his response that he was not interested in selling the portion we wanted. Therefore, we are currently seeking the Lord and considering new opportunities for a location.

We are thankful that the Lord has clearly made His direction known in this matter, and we are assured of His continual leading in this project. As stated multiple times in our services, the leadership team developed a project plan and presented it to the congregation as a visionary plan, with the understanding that any part of it could be changed, as needed. One thing we stated was that we would adjust the project size according to the giving for Building Momentum. The 'communications cards' and current giving trends lead us to believe that the project should be resized to better fit the trends. So instead of a project total cost in the $9M range, we are looking more at something in the $5M range. We are in a season of prayer and seeking the Lord's will for this project and know that He will guide us to the perfect site and building for His church, Calvary Chapel of Austin.

Please join us in praying for wisdom, discernment, and guidance through this season of seeking and searching. We can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the future!

It's been a while since we've updated the 'project blog,' as we were patiently awaiting the finalization of our land contract. Our lawyer insisted on provisions for the roadways, and rightly so. We were finalizing this when out of the blue, the seller decided to withdraw the property from sale by making an alternate proposal for the back portion of the property. This happened last week, and after prayer and discussion amongst the leadership team, we decided that it was unacceptable. We refused the proposal. We have delivered that communication to him, and are awaiting a final decision. Initial indications are that he will not recant. We prayed about this corporately at the Wednesday July 21 service. We want God's Will! If this is God's directing us, we want to follow His lead. If this is a test, we want to show resolve and faith. Either way, it's a call to renewed and focused prayer. What better than depending on God?!

It's too early to say what we will do if this deal gets cancelled, but we are already reviewing other parcels of land and praying about the next steps. Join us in praying for this.

On a financial note, the giving to Building Momentum has been flowing in each week. Giving to date for the project has been $93,178 and expenses to date total $66,986, providing us a net of $26,192 in proceeds to be applied to future expenses. Our congregation communicated that they intended to provide over $550,000 dollars in giving toward the project over the next three years. If you are new to our church or have not decided to support this project as of yet, and you wish to now support it, you may do so by giving and designating your offerings to Building Momentum, using the special envelopes provided. Please also mark your memo line with BMO, for our records. We ask that you write separate checks if you are giving to general offerings and Building Momentum or any other split designations. Thank you.

We will update the congregation on the outcome of the contract and further developments when we know more. Check this blog frequently to get the latest news, and above all, don't stop praying for wisdom and provision in this project. We desire to reach Austin by Winning, Equipping and Sending.

Kick-Off Sunday for Building Momentum - our plan to meet critical space needs as Calvary Austin continues to grow - was a blast! We went from worship right into video filmed on location introducing a virtual tour of our proposed facility at Wells Branch Parkway and Heatherwilde. Afterward I dialogued onstage with two key staff members about some of the details(i.e. a 1,000-seat auditorium, 660 parking spaces, state-of-the art youth and children's space) and the calendar of events for Building Momentum.

But Building Momentum is more than a building project. It's a message series! From the Old Testament story about Nehemiah, we're learning how to be momentum-builders - MBs for short - in every area of our lives: as individuals, as families, and as a church. We learned Sunday that momentum begins with seeing, sensing, and seeking what God wants us to do. Sunday, April 18, we will learn how to go from praying about what is to planning for what could be.

But first we celebrate Easter! I'll update my blog with more about that in a day or two. In the meantime, check out www.easterservice.com!

This Sunday April 4, the first Sunday in April, is Kick-Off Sunday for Building Momentum - our plan to meet critical space needs as Calvary Austin continues to grow. For the next several weeks, we will take a small portion of our weekend services to communicate with you regarding Building Momentum. This Sunday we're going to show you a virtual tour of our new facility and tell you more about what to expect over the next several weeks.

I am very excited about the message series we've planned. For the last couple years I've wanted to do a series of messages from the book of Nehemiah. The series will be entitled (drum roll here) Building Momentum! It's about building momentum in every part of our lives: as individuals, as families, and as a church. Join us this weekend for an incredible time of worship, the virtual tour, and a Bible study from Nehemiah 1 as we kick off Building Momentum.

The final Building Momentum pre-event was, if possible, the best. It was the second of two mid-week services with a special prayer emphasis both of which followed Vision Sunday. David and the worship team opened with a three-song set followed by a time of directed silent prayer using I Corinthinans 11:23 as a guide. We then had a creative communion celebration. David led us in worship while pairs of Elders and Pastors were available for those with prayer needs. The bread and juice were on two tables at the front and worshipers were invited to partake as they felt led. That was followed by a time of conversational prayer that included prayers for Easter weekend and Building Momentum.

In case you don't know, Building Momentum is our plan to meet critical space needs as Calvary Austin continues to grow. Very soon information will be available at the link below. The campaign begins not this Sunday but next (April 4). This week we'll prepare our hearts for Easter weekend with a look at the crucifixion of Christ and His seven sayings from the cross.

Last night's Building Momentum pre-event was really special. It was the first of two mid-week services with a special prayer emphasis. David and the worship team opened with a couple songs followed by a very cool Building Momentum graphic. After a giving a short summary of Vision Sunday and a calendar of events for Building Momentum, I spoke for several minutes about prayer. James 4:2 says, "you do not have because you do not ask." That inspires me to ask! For the first time, I gave some specifics as to the magnitude of the project. Then we had a time of conversational prayer thanking God for His power, protection, and provision in our lives. After David led a three-song worship set, we broke into small groups and prayed asking God to bless our church spiritually, numerically, and financially. Then we closed with another three-song set.

Sunday we come to the place in Luke where the movie The Passion of the Christ begins. We'll look together at Jesus' arrest in the garden and Peter's denial. "DisPassion" is the title of the message. From Peter's experience, we learn five things we can do to keep from becoming dispassionate about Christ. Last week when we gave people an opportunity to come forward to receive - or recommit their life to - Christ, 26 people responded! My point? Don't miss what God wants to do in you this Sunday at church. And bring someone you care about!

Momentum is building for Building Momentum - our plan to meet critical space needs as Calvary Austin continues to grow. Kick-off Sunday is April 4 but you might think of the month of March as a pre-event. It began with Vision Sunday March 7 and continues with a special emphasis on prayer. We're distributed hundreds of Building Momentum Prayer Guides to people praying with us for God's special blessing on our church. This Wednesday and next we have transformed our mid-week service into a church-wide prayer meeting. Called "Stop & Seek" Wednesdays, what happens March 17 and 24 will be even more critical than pit stops at a NASCAR race. The margin of victory in Sunday's Golden Corral 500 was 4.584 seconds. Races can be won or lost in the pit! Come join the Building Momentum crew Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Vision Sunday was a great success! With around 1.000 in attendance, we were able to communicate our God-given purpose and do some vision-casting. Sunday, April 4, is kick-off Sunday for Building Momentum - our plan to meet critical space needs as Calvary Austin continues to grow. If you weren't here Sunday and didn't get a Building Momentum Prayer Guide, be sure to pick one up this week and commit yourself to praying with us throughout the month of March. Monday's opening devotional was cool as it suggested we imagine what it would be like if there were more Christians in Austin. I took it a step further. What if the facility we are going to build was like a spiritual ground zero with ridiculous numbers of people getting saved in the surrounding area? You get the idea ....

It's a first: Vision Sunday at Calvary. We've done a couple vision nights but never before have we set aside entire Sunday services to share our purpose and to vision-cast. You have to come! You just have to! Don't just plan to come, plan to come early. We're going to celebrate God's faithfulness and all the life-change that's taken place at Calvary over the last year. Then we're going to peek into the future and own our God-given vision. Don't forget that we'll also ordain the newest pastors added to our staff. You can't miss it. You just can't!