Connections Church Renovation Project

Last Minute Surprises...

2009-03-27T17:50:00.004-04:00

Today we got a call from the folks who own the space we've been renting on Sundays. They told us that the building is unexpectedly unavailable this week and we can't meet there this Sunday.

Bummer.

Although we know that Connections Church is bigger than a worship gathering- we still love hanging out with each other and seeking God together.

Then we got another call.

We heard that our new space had undergone it's final inspection. We didn't completely pass. The inspector found multiple minor issues that need to be resolved.

However...none of the fixes relate to life/safety issues.

So, we've been granted a temporary certificate of occupancy and can use the space this Sunday (3/29)!

Although we'd hoped to have a bit more notice and time to move in, we'll take it. =)

So, come hang out with us this Sunday at 1280 Buck Jones Rd (MAP) at 10:45am. The space will still be a work in progress and we'll be adding more touches in the coming weeks and months.

But we'll be in our own spot- together!

And if you are free tomorrow (3/28), we'll be having an all-hands-on-deck, last minute workday to try and get as much done as we can before Sunday. We'll get started at 10am. Feel free to come and go as your schedule allows.

Closer.. But Not Quite There

2009-03-26T11:04:00.008-04:00

This week brought us a couple of steps closer to being able to occupy our new space, but didn't get us all of the way there.

We had our final fire inspection on Monday and everything looked great. Until the fire marshal noticed that we didn't have an anti-tamper switch installed on a fixture connected to our new fire hydrant.

Our plans called for the switch, but somehow it never showed up. Our site contractor forgot to install it. Our General Contractor didn't notice it's absence. Nor did any of the 4 previous inspectors who came out at various times to check our new fire alarm system. Guess that's why multiple inspections are required.

So our contractor spent the last few days digging up the parking lot, installing this missing piece of gear and putting things back in place.

In the meantime, the local fire house came and tested our hydrant and declared it good for use by painting the top silver.

This means that as soon as we can get the fire marshal to sign off on the new anti-tamper switch we can move on to our final inspection for occupancy.

On another note (either positive or negative depending on how you choose to look at it), our building got its first taste of graffiti this week.

While this isn't a huge hassle since we have our painters coming back out to do final touch ups anyway- it is ironic that the building never attracted graffiti in it's old, run down condition. To look at the bright side of things- we prayed that God would place us in an area with needs- and He has.

THIS WEEKEND

Since we don't have our C.O. yet, we'll plan on meeting one final time at Delightful Inspirations this Sunday (3/29). Please join us in praying that we'll pass our final inspections quickly and be able to use our new building next Sunday (4/5).

Final Hurdles

2009-03-18T16:41:00.007-04:00

Our contractor completed the last official piece of work on the building early this week by pouring a new access ramp for the front sidewalk.

We also had a sign company install our sign- which had been permitted separately. Here are some shots of the process:

Now we're only lacking one test of our new fire hydrant and two inspections before we can use our new space. As it is highly unlikely that all of this will happen in time for this Sunday (3/22), we'll be meeting one last week (hopefully) at Delightful Inspirations.

So far we've hit a couple of small snags as different inspectors are asking us to do opposite things. Please pray that the rest of this process will go smoothly and quickly and that we'll be able to start using the building as soon as possible.

Coming Down The Home Stretch...

2009-03-12T14:17:00.010-04:00

The list of projects yet to be completed at our future space is getting really short.

The exterior of the building and the sidewalks attached to it have been completely repainted. No more green! The parking lot has also been re-striped.

We've had some of our folks working in the building over the last week and have able to finish a good number of our personal punch-list items: moving things out of storage units and into the new space, general cleaning, installing curtain rods and tv mounts, etc.

Here's a shot of the privacy film that one of our own installed on the Cry Room windows:

We are hoping to have our final inspection by next Tuesday. Please join us in praying that the inspection process will go quickly and smoothly.

Finally, we're continuing to round up the gear needed to make our new facility functional. If you'd like to contribute to this project, note "Upfit"on your check and place it in the green bucket on the building info table this Sunday. If you'd like to give electronically, you can make that happen HERE.

Thanks for your help!

So Close.....

2009-03-05T11:22:00.009-05:00

Our contractors are putting the finishing touches on our future space this week.

The new flooring (carpet and vct) is almost completely installed:

Our awning over the rear stairwell (required by code) went up as well.

Having finished the interior painting, the painters turned their focus to the exterior. The color on the far left is the existing paint, the middle color is a primer, and the color on the right is the neutral that will cover the outside of the building.

At this point we're incredibly close to applying for our final inspection to get our certificate of occupancy. Please pray that this process goes quickly and smoothly and that we are able to move in as soon as possible.

As much as we appreciate the folks at Delightful Inspirations who have been gracious enough to have us these last months, we're ready to start this next chapter of our life as a community.

Also, if you are free this Saturday, we'll be having another workday to finish our punch-list items. We'll start at 10am. Contact Shane Bazer (shanebazer@gmail.com) if you plan on helping.

Workday, Written Prayers, Carpet, Permits & Up-Fit

2009-02-25T21:36:00.017-05:00

Wow! A good bit has happened in the last week. We've got a lot to catch you up on.

For starters- some folks showed up on Saturday to invest some "sweat equity" in our new building. Thanks to all who pitched in. We got a lot done. But don't worry- if you missed this work day, they'll be another one you can get in on on Saturday March 7th.

On Sunday, we asked our community to come and write some prayers and thoughts on the concrete floor before our carpet went in. This was a way for us to lay a positive foundation for all that will happen in and through our new space. Here are a few shots:

I (Fred) was in the space today (Wednesday) and the carpet was starting to go down.

We're gearing up for a final inspection to get our occupancy permit in the next week or so. Please be praying that we'll find favor in the eyes of the inspectors and that things will go smoothly and quickly.

Finally, we could use some help pulling together items to make the space usable. Here's a list of some of the things we're trying to round up with approx. costs:

Projection screen for adult area- $1200

Sound system upgrades for adult area- $6500

Chairs for adult area- $30 x 200

Round tables for adult area- $150 x 12

Staging riser for adult area- $500

Rocking chairs for cry room- $150 x 2

Cover for rear awning (code requirement)- $1250

Refrigerator for hospitality area- $800

Digital cordless phone w/extra handset- $85

Whiteboard on wheels- $250 x 2

Materials for curtains for 2nd story space- $500

Adjustable tables for Kids’ Classrooms- $150 x 5

TVs for Kids’ Classrooms- $500 x 3

Parent paging system for Kids’ Ministry- $750

Song PlayStation 2 for Night Life Cafe- $130 x 2

Metal Dance Floor Pad for Night Life Cafe- $150 x 2

If you'd be willing to contribute financially to help us purchase some of these things or if you could help in another way, contact Fred Turner (fred.turner@connectionschurch.ws).

Looking Better All The Time...

2009-02-19T14:15:00.009-05:00

We're definitely in the home stretch now. The space is looking pretty pulled together as the paint continues to go up. While you can't beat seeing it in person, here are a few shots:

The painters are adding the blue background behind the curved walls that will front our adult gathering area.

The curved walls themselves will get painted a series of graduated neutrals.

If you've been in the space before, this was the ugly, red wall. Although it still needs a final coat, a little paint has made a huge difference. The metal staircase and railings have been painted too.

The last phase of work on the sprinklers was happening today (2/19) as well.

Traffic was re-routed on Buck Jones road so that we could dig into the street and tap the main water line.

Workers prepare to lay the pipe that will supply water for our fire suppression sprinklers.

We're opening up the space again this Sunday (2/22) from 12:30-3pm so that our church community can come and write some prayers and scriptures on the floor before the carpet gets put in place. We're viewing this as a chance to lay a foundation of prayer for our next season of life and all that will happen in and through this building. Feel free to stop by if you are interested in participating.

Isn't It Amazing...

2009-02-12T09:48:00.008-05:00

...how a little paint can dramatically change the feel of a room or building?

That's what happened in our future space this past week as the interior painting began. All of the surfaces have been prepped and primed. The previously multicolored palate of red, purple, dingy neutral, rust, etc. is GONE! The space looks very clean and new. Here are a few shots of the adult/common areas:

Our contractor also installed a new entry/exit door in the back, left hand side of the building. While it may not look too exciting, it certainly is a big upgrade over the plywood that had been covering this opening.

Thanks to all who took the time to stop by the building last Sunday to see the space in person. If you weren't able to make it, consider joining us next Saturday (2/21) at 10am for a workday. We'll be doing some cleaning and working on some punch list items. For more info, contact Orlando Ortiz (orlortiz@yahoo.com).

Come Tour The Space!

2009-02-05T15:54:00.003-05:00

In lieu of a blog post this week we're inviting you to come and tour the building in person. We'll have it open this Sunday between 1-3pm.

We'll have some folks available to talk with you about the different parts of the space and how we're dreaming God might use the bricks and mortar to make a difference in people's lives.

Note: The building isn't completed yet. While there won't be any work happening on Sunday, it is still a construction site. Please exercise caution and avoid bringing small children with you if possible.

Sprinklers! & Adult Gathering Space

2009-01-29T10:42:00.009-05:00

We've got fire suppression sprinklers going in!

While I admit that doesn't sound too exciting- and that we have no plans on ever using them- this does represent a crucial phase of our renovation process. Especially since we won't get our Occupancy Permit without them.

This week also saw the drywall work continue as the crews came back to tape and mud. Needless to say the space is looking MUCH different. As our designer said, "It actually is starting to look like a building again- instead of a skeleton." I agree.

Here are a couple of shots of our main adult gathering space. This is where our adults will come together on Sundays to connect with God and each other. The space should hold about 250 chairs- which gives us room to grow, but should also help us maintain a personal, intimate feel.

Here's a view looking down from the 2nd story loft.

A floor view from the back of the space.

Of course, this area will get plenty of use beyond Sunday mornings. Our teens will use it on Fridays for the Night Life Cafe. Different groups in CNX will have access when they need it. And since we're planning on sharing this facility with our neighbors, we envision groups outside of CNX making use of it too. After all, God didn't bless us with this building just to keep it to ourselves!

Check back next week for a peek inside our kid's areas.

Snow? No problem!

2009-01-22T14:14:00.010-05:00

The snow may have closed schools and kept most of us home for a couple of days, but plenty of work got done at our future facility this week.

For starters, we've got a new bike rack.

This was required by code, but could serve us well in an area that has a lot of foot and bike traffic. So feel free to bike in on Sundays. You'll save gas $ and get some exercise!

The drywall crews were also working hard this week. As you can see below, a little drywall makes things look radically different.

The High School side of the teen space pre-drywall

Same area with drywall

The back wall of the main adult gathering space

Same wall today- reverse view

The front walls in the adult gathering space.

Front walls w/drywall (view from 2nd story loft)

Please keep praying. It's working!

You Gotta Have It

2009-01-15T14:19:00.009-05:00

Some parts of a building project are exciting- watching walls go up, seeing spaces defined, choosing colors, etc. Other phases are essential- but not much to look at. That's the kind of work that took place this past week as the renovations of our future space moved onward.

POWER
The electrical work continued and we passed our first electrical inspection. With the new ramps poured last week, the workers were able to bring in a lift to start working on the second story wiring.

SAFETY
We're making changes to the building to ensure that our new space is safe for everyone. To that end we're installing fire suppression sprinklers and a new fire alarm. Progress was made on both of these items this week. Here are a couple of shots of some excavation that is happening to bring water pipes into the building to feed the sprinklers.

Digging up the parking lot and sidewalk.

The old men's locker room is being re-purposed to serve as the sprinkler riser room. New exterior doors will provide access to this area.

PRAY
As of today the project is still slightly ahead of schedule. If you're willing, please join us in praying for this work and the space. Here are some things you might ask God for:

That we’ll stay on schedule.
That our workers will stay safe.
That we’ll have a smooth inspection process.
That we'll have the finances needed to finish and use the new space in ways that help people and honor God.
That God will prepare us for all of the new opportunities this space will give us to love and serve people.
That God will be preparing new folks who will get involved with our faith community after we move to this space.

Be sure to check back next week for another update

Roof, Restrooms & Ramps

2009-01-08T13:50:00.009-05:00

The work has rolled on this week at our future meeting space. As of today we're slightly ahead of schedule. Please pray that this will continue and that we'll have a relatively easy inspection process. We're ready to get in there, begin the next phase of our life together and start getting to know our neighbors and learning how we can best love and serve them.

Here are a few of the areas of the building where we saw progress this week:

ROOF

A good portion of the roof on the building was compromised by water leaks and irreparable. Fortunately we were able to obtain a very reasonable bid for replacement and the workers are about half way done removing the old roof and installing the new one.

Off with the old.

RESTROOMS

The bathrooms in our new space will be a bit unique. Since the bldg used to house a health club we've actually got locker rooms (sans lockers) that have bathrooms in them. So we've made a couple of changes to try and maximize space and minimize expenses- all the while giving everyone a place to potty. In the men's room for example we've closed the original entrance and created a new one by removing one of the showers. Why? it allowed us to double the space in our infant nursery. But more on that later.

The new way in to the men's room.

A shower becomes an entrance.

RAMPS

A healthy portion of the cost to renovate the building goes toward updating it up to meet current codes. This week two concrete handicap accessible ramps were formed and poured to allow our friends in wheelchairs (and the rest of us) to be able to enter and exit the building in multiple ways. These new ramps both lead to doors in the back corners of the building. So if you don't get a parking place up front, don't sweat it. A door will be close by.

The back left corner of the building. Steps lead into the main adult area.

One turn at the bottom of this ramp will put you in the middle of the main adult area.

Thanks again for your interest in this project. Please keep praying for it/us and checking back for status updates. And if you want to come hang out with our community before we move to the new space we're meeting on Sundays @ 10:45 HERE.

Space Profile: The Teen Space

2008-12-31T08:46:00.011-05:00

Our church has a heart for teens. And for a community our size, we've been able to impact a good number of them. Early last year we'd have about 5o adults show up on Sunday mornings. At the same time we were connected to about 50 middle and high school students between the Nite Life Cafe and our Sunday morning teen gathering. So when we looked for a new space it was important to us to have room for teens. (See where this is headed?)

Our new building was a health club in a previous life. At some point the owners added a 2nd story to accommodate an aerobics room. While our new facility will be multi-purpose and multi-functional, this is the area we're designating as student space. Here are a couple of panoramic looks at the nearly 1800 square foot room:

This is the spot where our middle and high students will gather on Sunday mornings, play video games on Friday nights at the Nite Life Cafe and hang out at other times. With the recent addition of a couple of great student ministry interns (hey John & Lindsay!) we're now offering unique groups for middle and high school students. This room is being divided to create spaces for each group. Here are a few shots of the framing:

A full view of the room:

The middle school area:

The high school area:

The 2nd story also has a great open loft area:

This is where all the cardio machines used to sit. While most of us could use a good treadmill session, we're thinking this area will be better used as a space for people (teens and adults) to connect with each other. (Think comfy seats, a pool table, etc.)

When we moved our Sunday morning gatherings over to Delightful Inspirations early in the fall it gave our church room to grow as a whole. However, it also meant that our teens had to temporarily give up their weekly Friday night hang out (Nite Life Cafe). While we appreciate their ability to be flexible and to think of the whole church, we're excited to give our students tons more space to get back to this vibrant ministry and to dream about other ways to help other teens connect with God.

Want to know more about our ministry to middle & high school students? Start HERE.

Space Profile: The Welcome Area

2008-12-24T09:18:00.020-05:00

This week saw a lot of framing happening in our new building. It is exciting to see the different spaces getting defined as the walls go up. Of course, at this point the walls consist of metal studs (see the pic on left for an example). So you still have to use your imagination a bit. Drywall will happen towards the end of the renovation process.

In the weeks ahead we'll be filling you in more and more on the new facility. When it gets safe to do so, we'll have an open house and let you wander around and get a feel for things. For now, we'll feature different areas of the building on this blog and give you a sense of how they might be used. This week we'll focus on the Welcome Area (for lack of a better name).

We've had a bunch of people visit Connections this past year. Many of them have commented on the comfortable, community atmosphere they experienced. To me (Fred) this is a reflection of who we are as a people. Although walls and counters won't welcome anyone on their own, this part of our new building will help us connect people in a couple of different ways. Keep in mind that all cosmetic changes will come later.

As you enter the front door of the building you'll find the kid's classes on your right and left. They aren't pictured in this shot but would be on either side of what you see here. The adult and teen spaces will be straight ahead in the 2 story area you see in the background of this shot. (More on all of these areas later.) The Welcome Area is a central point for all groups and is just ahead on your left where you see the purple counter.

This counter will likely serve as a natural information or check in point for visitors and regulars- both on Sundays and as we open up the building to our neighbors during the week.

Walk past the info/check-in counter and you'll see the back side of the welcome area. This is where our coffee and snacks will end up- which means most of us will be stopping by this spot regularly and will be in a friendlier mood after we do so.

The view below is what you'd see if you walked past the counter into the area where our adults will gather on Sundays and looked back. The metal framing above the counter is for a curved wall that will hold lighting for this area, add some height and help with the acoustics of the space. You can also see the front doors and entrance hallway to the left.

Check back next week for a glimpse into another part of this great space God has provided for us.

Construction Zone & Open House

2008-12-15T18:33:00.002-05:00

We are very excited about the progress taking place at the new church space. We realize that many others are anxious to see the space.

In the next few weeks we hope to have a time where we can give tours of the facility while it is under renovation. However, for safety and other reasons, please don't go inside the building unless you need to for ministry reasons and have cleared it with Fred or Shane.

General Photos of the Space

2008-12-11T16:05:00.010-05:00

So many have heard about this project but have not had the chance to see the space.

I went over there today to check on the construction (some framing is already taking place!).

I have this nifty panoramic feature on my camera which proved to be quite useful. Click on any image to see a larger version.

The building doesn't look so big from the outside but it has over 13,400 sq feet on two levels.

Here is a photo looking down at the main "sanctuary" space from the balcony. To the right behind the glass windows is the former "yoga/exercise" room which will be the teen space.

Two photos of the teen space.

A look down from the balcony to the entry and welcome center. To the right is a room that is being enlarged to make a classroom.

And finally a shot of the sanctuary as you enter the room. You can see the walls going up on the "mother's room" under the balcony on the left. Under the balcony on the right will be a sizeable multi-purpose room.

The First Demo Pics

2008-12-11T14:44:00.008-05:00

Back in the summer, a bunch of folks from CNX did a good bit of front-end demolition work on our future facility. We pried up old floor coverings (grunt), took down about 1000 mirrors (with only 1 emergency room trip), cleaned up the parking lot and even knocked down a few walls. For posterity's sake, here's actual photographic proof:

The rest, we said, would be left to the professionals. You know- those folks who are actually licensed to mess with electricity. After months of waiting, the pros are finally getting their chance to tear some stuff up.

Yesterday (12/10) marked the first official day of work on the building. Here are a few shots taken last night. They may be blurry as I was a bit giddy and skipping around and taking pics with my phone. Ok- maybe not skipping- more like bounding.

Walls are taken down to create a larger space for elementary kids.

Three old tanning rooms (sorry the machines were long gone) were demo'd to create an open gathering space for teens, small groups, etc.

Invading the old men's locker room to double the size of the nursery. (We'll explain more later.)

Expanding the preschool space.

We'll post more pics as things progress. For now, keep praying that things will go smoothly and safely and that God will keep preparing us for this next chapter.

Connections Church's Renovation of 1280 Buck Jones Rd

2008-12-10T17:42:00.000-05:00

Those who have been around a little while will know that Connections has been growing at a pretty rapid clip as far as churches go. It became apparent about a year ago that we would soon outgrow our two storefronts at the Swift Creek Shopping Center (which we have and are at a temporary space until this renovation is complete). Although we had looked for new space before then, we really began in earnest searching for every possibility.

We're not your typical stained glass and pews church. We're pretty "organic". Come as you are. No need to "dress" things up to impress others. We're more interested in being the church than looking like a church. A lot of us are pretty considerate of the earth and our resources.

The thought of "recycling" a building had a great appeal for us so we were excited when a vacant fitness center (which used to be a movie theater before that) became available. The building is a little distressed having been vacant a while and we are going to breathe live back into it (kind of like what God does with us).

We are partnering with the current owners to renovate the building to bring it up to code (a sprinkler system, handicap ramps, etc) and to make it more habitable for our uses. Should all go well, we will be in by early Spring.

This blog will keep you posted on the progress.