Signing Out!

I will be leaving town with the high school youth today for the Higher Things Conference in St. Louis, MO. Unfortunately this means that I won't be able to do any posting this week. I am certain that when I get back into town (Saturday, July 5) many things will have changed (change is happening quickly these days).

The scheduled date for the punch list is July 11 with a completion date of July 19. The remodel might carry on one more week. Wyatt said this morning that the cleaning crew will start work in the building early next week to get ready for July 11.

Can you believe that we broke ground on Sunday, November 11? How the Lord has blessed us these past months.

Awesome

It only took a few hours on Saturday to lay the carpet in the fellowship hall. It looks awesome. The colors along with the pattern is wonderful. What a great new space for the congregation.

Fellowship Hall Floor

The carpet installation is now underway in the fellowship hall. This morning I caught the installer laying the very first tiles. Although the room is large they will make quick work of laying the carpet. The fellowship hall has a very nice cross pattern in the floor which is repeated in the wall patterns and windows.

Landscaping Begins

Today also brings the start of the landscape work. Marty Thomas has done the design and Lamar Kennedy (Kennedy Cuts) is doing the work. It is a wonderful plan that will really bring the buildings to life. The crew has been blessed by the rain over the last days. Working the soil is a bit easier and the landscape should be complete in the next two weeks (along with sprinkler installation).

Post Framing

This morning (Saturday) they began framing up the load-bearing posts in the remodeled classroom. The MDF will be painted to match the accent color of the room. Another nice detail.

Carpet Tile

This afternoon they started laying the carpet tiles in the commons and main hallway. This work started because all of the broadloom carpet has been laid (in all the office and classroom spaces). The carpet is going in at an unbelievable speed. I talked with the head installer this afternoon and he says they plan to be finished with the carpet installation on Saturday.

The carpet tiles are beautiful (three different colors on the 1/4 turn with a very nice pattern). This is one of those moments when the building really starts to pull together (light fixtures, paint colors, trim, and door finishes). The color committee (along with the architect) have really done a wonderful job (yes, my wife was on the committee; no, she didn't pay me to say it, nor will it earn me any brownie points at home).

As I watched them I started to think about all the things that will take place in this new space: wedding receptions, anniversary dinners, school concerts, funeral luncheons, etc. The Lord has certainly blessed us these past years. Our decision to stay has kindled in us a deep desire to share the gospel from this place to the very ends of the earth. May the improvements to our earthly home reflect our work in the kingdom that will reap rewards in our heavenly mansion.

MLS Remodel

The classroom remodel is continuing at high speed. The HVAC was turned on today, the walls are being primed, the lights and cabinets installed. The ceiling tiles will be installed on Friday and the painters are scheduled to begin on Monday along with the floor tile installation. They are certainly making quick work of the remodel.

School Entrance

The new MLS entrance had the main concrete sidewalk poured early this morning. The new sidewalk, along with the metal roof and covered walk really help the old building look new and improved. On Monday the four columns will be bricked and a sign will be installed. "Let the little children come to Me."

Kitchen FRP

The kitchen walls have now been covered in FRP which will keep things clean and bright. The appliances are scheduled to arrive for installation early next week.

Carpet Installation

Yesterday (Wednesday) the carpet installation began. They started in the school office. Early this morning they began in the church office complex and will be finished this afternoon. They are planning to begin the installation of the carpet tiles in the main hallway spaces later this afternoon. The finish line is now in plain sight.

New Ceiling

Today they are working to install the new drop ceiling in the remodeled classrooms. The new ceilings will brighten the space and will also allow for new duct work and lighting.

Kitchen Floor

On Sunday (if you were around) you smelled the strong odor from the sealing of the kitchen floor. The floor is a special epoxy-resin floor that will wear like iron. It will be safe, clean, and long lasting. Today the FRP is going on the walls and the appliances will be soon to come.

It will be wonderful to have a nice place to gather for food and fellowship. So many groups will be able to make use of the new kitchen. And remember what Pat Hatteberg used to always say: Clean up your mess, your mother doesn't work here!

A-Frame Windows

The finishing touches have been done around the large A-Frame windows in the music room. It is very nice to have this image of the original sanctuary still on the new campus. It is a reminder of the past as we move into the future.

The proclaiming of the Gospel in Word and Sacraments is the heart and life of all generations. Buildings will come and go but the Word of the Lord remains forever.

Commons Counter

The counter was installed in the commons early this morning. This will be the counter for coffee, donuts, and other such things on a Sunday morning. As you can see the counter is very long and will give us plenty of space for spreading out (or perhaps collecting more stuff).

Painting the Doors

The sanctuary doors got a little assistance today with a new paint job. The doors have been worn and weathered for several years and the new paint will certainly help brighten them up again. The old doors facing Westheimer are soon to be replaced which will also help our curb appeal.

Fellowship Hall

Yesterday the wood framing was placed around front recess in the fellowship hall. This little detail really formalizes the space and make for a nice accent in the front of the room.

Early Childhood Play Room

The indoor play area in the new early childhood space is nearing completion. Yesterday they installed the wall for the space. The curved wall will help divide the play space from the entry area. Having an indoor play space for the small children will be wonderful.

MLS New Front

Yesterday saw a lot of work on the new covered walk across the front of the gymnasium. The face-lift to the front of the school building is a much needed improvement.

Metal Wall

The youth room has another "cool" feature: metal on the lower portion of the wall. The room certainly has a warehouse/loft type feel which is very hip with the kids. The bright colors and projection TV, along with the plasma TV for playing Wii will make this the "coolest" spot on campus.

Coffee Anyone?

The coffee bar arrived for the youth room today. I know it is hard to think about drinking coffee in the middle of June but kids will drink coffee anytime and anywhere. I think everyone in the church is going to want access to the "youth" room. It is going to be great space to gather for fun and fellowship.

Kitchen Serving Counter

This week the kitchen serving counter and the surrounding cabinets have been installed. The kitchen is in the back (north side) of the new fellowship hall. Again, the fine wood detail really helps to make the room look great.

MLS Metal Roof

After a wait of nearly six weeks the work on the school roof has finally started. The metal roof is going to help tie the look of the buildings all together.

With the roof exposed for the last several week we have had fun with the rain. Leaks in the school office (over the copy machine), the gymnasium, the upstairs school hallway, etc have kept everyone on their toes. We will be very happy to have the roof on and the rain out!

Westheimer Entrance Closed

Yesterday the Westheimer entrance was closed while they cut the road in preparation for a new approach onto the property from Westheimer. The new approach will be considerably wider than the old. This is the last of the drives to be finished and is about the very last of the site work. The parking lots are being framed up and will be ready in the coming weeks. Don't worry you can still enter and exit through the Bering side and the plan is for this entrance to be open by the end of the week (in time for Sunday morning traffic).

MLS Drinking Fountains

One of the late additions to the MLS remodel is the installation of two new drinking fountains: one on each floor. This wing of the school (with younger children) does not have drinking fountains and so we have been renting water coolers for the last several years. The installation of the fountains will certainly be a cost saver over time. The installation was simple because we used the water and drain lines from the old AC units in the classrooms. The fountains will be recessed into the hallway wall for safe hallway travel. So bring on the Houston heat we will soon have cold water.

The Anxious Bench

The youth room is also coming together with several more details. On Friday they installed a large window seat (bench) which is covered in red laminate that matches the coffee bar back splash. The plan is to have a special cushion made for the bench (I hope that Julie Zimmerman is reading this: please help us!). You will also notice a wall piece that will be nice for siting drinks, etc. I am very excited that we are giving our youth a special place of their own. How great it will be to see them gather (throughout the week) to share in study and fellowship.

Pastor's Office

Pastor Murray's office has seen more work this week. Most impressive are the new bookshelves in the office. Pastor's always have a lot of books and Pastor Murray is no exception. The office will give him plenty of room to spread out as he grows in the knowledge of God's holy Word and then imparts that life-giving Word to us all.

Make a Joyful Noise

The music room received flooring yesterday. The VCT is a nice color pattern that helps make the transition back into the existing school space. You will notice that the floor has three large crosses (the bases are moving toward the A-frame windows, not in the picture). The lights and new cabinets are making this a great space for our continually growing music program. Cantor Muth continues to do a wonderful job teaching the faith through song. I am very excited that our music program will have a new space for a new song.

Wooden Window Crosses

The fellowship hall now has the wooden cross finishes in the windows. The wood details in the room are very beautiful. As I have said before, this is going to be wonderful "formal" space for the church. I pictures all sorts of wonderful fellowship events taking place in this new space.

Bathroom Partition

One of the contractors is slow making it to the job site. This has caused some serious problems for those trying to use the bathroom. With the building completion date (July 12) coming quickly we really need the partitions: Jan please bring them soon, everyone will be most appreciative.

MLS Remodel

The classroom remodel in the school is quickly taking shape. Yesterday they had the final inspection so that the walls are being closed up today. They are also finishing up the last of the ceiling work. Because most of these changes are cosmetic they should be done in short order.

The Last Site Work

Early this morning they hauled away the last of the old parking lots. The final site work is now being completed leaving everything ready for the new parking.

Colorful Floors

Much of the VCT has now been installed in the early childhood wing of the new building. The colorful patterns look great with the cabinets. What a wonderful, clean, and bright space for our children.

Wood Base

This morning work began on the installation of the wood base that is in all of the formal areas of the new building (fellowship hall, commons, etc.) The wood base in the fellowship hall (pictured here) matches the wood cabinets in the room. It is certainly slow work making all of the cuts but the room is looking wonderful.

Interior Doors

Early this morning the interior doors arrived for the building. I didn't count them but there are certainly more than all my fingers and toes. While some are very colorful (matching the early childhood classroom colors) the main doors are very beautiful. This is another small detail that really helps bring things together.

Colorful Flooring

Today the VCT tiles are being installed in the new early childhood wing of the building. There are 13 different colors in the flooring. I teased the flooring supervisor about not drinking before he comes to work; on second thought, maybe he needs a drink sorting through all of those color patterns.

The classrooms (cabinets, walls, and floors) are all going to be bright and beautiful. This will be a wonderful space for our youngest children to learn and grow.

Working Hard . . . or Hardly Working

Caught Wyatt (our site foreman) working hard yesterday. Wyatt lost his home earlier this week. The construction trailer has been hauled away (making room for the parking lot work) and Wyatt has been forced to move into a small closet. The best thing about the new headquarters is that it is across from my office and I can keep a close eye on him.

As I have said before, Wyatt is doing a tremendous job orchestrating so many things happening all at once. I say he is working hard!

More Cool Lights

This follows my earlier post today concerning the cool lights in the building: here are a few more in the commons area.

Covered Drive

On Friday the crew began work on the covered walks and drop-off. The cover is on the west side of the sanctuary and attaches into the new building. There are two other covered areas in the project: the front of the gym stretching into the new building and in the courtyard between the library and the new building. The covered drop-off (in the picture) is going to be a most helpful part of the project. Now on a Sunday morning (or any other day) you can drop off under cover and get inside without getting wet!

Youth Room

The youth room has been taking shape the last two weeks. It has a real warehouse feel to it: blacked out ceiling, industrial light fixtures, bright colors and metal work. The picture shows the kitchen area with the fun cabinets and the red accent wall. This is going to be a great space for our youth to gather for fun and fellowship.

Site Work Continues

This week the site work is continuing at high speed. They are now working on the east side of the property grading the new parking lot in front of the gym and along the side of the new building. The picture shows them framing-up the new parking spaces.

The site work certainly has everything a mess (Westheimer is a constant dust-bowl) but this is one of those details that will really make things nice when the project is finished. Most have long ago forgotten the significant amount of dollars expended on site work. In the end these quiet improvements will benefit the facility for the long-term.

New Bering Approaches

On Friday they worked and poured the new parking lot approaches off of Bering. The best thing (probably not noticed by most) is that the grade has been improved on all three Bering parking approaches. In the past the approaches were very steep and were not always kind to the underside of the car.

Fellowship Lights

All of the lighting has now been installed in the fellowship hall. As this space is taking shape (lighting, brickwork, woodwork, glass, etc.) it is really going to be a wonderful formal space for the church; a space that we have never had.

I must say that the light fixtures in the building (as they are being installed) are really adding a lot to the space. It is amazing how the small details really bring things together.

Cleaning out the Line

Another task undertaken was to "jet-out" the main drainage pipe that runs from the school playground to the north-east edge of the property. The jet retrieved 25 gallons of sand and gravel from inside the pipe. This too will help keep water draining from along the north side of the school building.

Playground Drain Cleared

Although not part of the construction project the school is taking this time to do some work on the playground drainage. Over the last several years we have experienced several floods inside the school building because of inadequate drainage along the north side of the building and also a large lake (loving called Lake Memorial) that pools up in the playground.

This past week our plumbing contractor (Raven) cleaned out one of the large playground drains. The drain was dug-up and cleared of gravel and sand. This little bit of work will go a long way in helping with the problems.

Driveway Be Gone

This week the parking lots are being completely destroyed along with the driveways (off of Bering). This has made access to the school building impossible except for our new entry from Macaroni Grill's parking lot (thank you Mac Grill for working with us throughout this project).

Since we hit almost every other service possible it should only be fitting that when pulling out the center driveway they hit the main telephone service. As best I can understand they broke a line that has about 900 service lines. As of the writing of this post, the telephone company was still working to restart the service. The telephone cable has been underground since the early 1980's and there was no protection between the driveway concrete and the cable. Sorry to all who have been without phone service these days.

Metal Roof, Part II

About two months ago the decision was made to go ahead and place the metal roof on the existing school building. This is really going to help the look of the old school building. I appreciate the work of our architect and our construction contractor in helping to make this part of the project happen.

MLS Remodel

For the last week the MLS remodel has been under construction. Both floors of the front of the school building have been gutted while they are reconfigured into three classrooms on each floor. These "new" rooms will be a wonderful expansion for the school (K-2nd grade on the first floor; 3rd-5th grade on the second floor).

You will remember that originally there were four classrooms on each floor; four very small classrooms. Three classrooms will give a nice amount of space in each classroom. These rooms will also have new storage (for both students and teachers). There will be new ceiling, new lighting, and the rooms will have their HVAC run off of the new chiller system. The remodel is certainly helping to put a new and improved face on our school.