Monday, November 25, 2013
Dear Antioch Church Family,
What an exciting time it is at Antioch Church! We have so much to be grateful for as we enter this Thanksgiving season!
Now that we have secured financing for the remaining portion of the first phase of our new church campus project, work is moving ahead quite rapidly.The latest word I have from Steve Howard, our General Contractor, is that he expects us to be able to hold our first worship service in our new church home within the first few weeks of the New Year. Click on the photo above to watch a brief, online video update.
The credit arrangements we have made with our bank provide us with funds to pay for the actual physical remodel of the first floor of the building itself. In order to begin using our new facility, we will also need funds for what architects call “fixtures and furnishings.” These include such things as chairs and a basic audiovisual system for the multi-purpose space we will use for our worship services and other public ministry events; furniture for our atrium and ladies lounge areas, including the coffee shop that will be open throughout the week in our lobby; external signage on the building; and equipment for our Children’s Ministry area, featuring a first-class indoor playland.
Instead of immediately borrowing the approximately $150,000 in additional funds we will need to pay for these items, I am calling upon you and every member of our church family to join Teresa and me in giving the most generous donation each of us possibly can toward this amount between now and December 15th. Every dollar we give toward this goal will directly reduce the amount of our overall indebtedness and the amount of our monthly debt service payments going forward. Everything we are able to contribute toward our Give to Grow campaign between now and then will be applied to this goal. This includes any remaining payments made toward earlier Give to Grow pledges.
I am so very thankful to all of you for the way you have faithfully stood by our church with your tithes and with the offerings you have already given toward our new building. Our church is infused with fresh excitement and new momentum. We are headed towards the “downhill stretch” of our capital campaign towards the “finish line,” when we will begin worshipping and ministering in our beautiful new church home.
As I given thanks to God for your commitment to our congregation and its ministries, the following Scripture came to my heart and spirit as a promise from Him to you,
God is always fair. He will remember how you helped his people in the past and how you are still helping them. You belong to God, and he won’t forget the love you have shown his people. (Hebrews 6:10 CEV)
Teresa and I love you and thank God for the privilege of serving you. We look forward to seeing you at our Thanksgiving morning outreach to needy families in West Dallas and during our worship service this coming Sunday as I preach a special message from my latest series entitled, “How to Steward the Fulfillment of the Dream.”
The very, very best is yet to come for Antioch Church! My prayer for you is that God’s most bountiful blessings would be upon your entire family during this holiday season and throughout the coming year in proportion to the sacrifices you have made to see this vision become reality!
Pastor Mark
