Blog Archives
Community Center in Slidell Almost Done!
Volunteers from First Christian Church, Kokomo, IN, arrived in Slidell a few weeks ago to a long punch list of work that needed done on the new Community Center. By the end of the week, they had completed the list! Included on the list were several large projects: hanging cabinets; installing countertops; and landscaping around the building and along the street. Smaller-scale work included completing the wrapping of porch posts, some exterior painting, touching up the interior paint, and laying and grouting a little more floor tile in the kitchen. With 10 additional trees and more than 100 shrubs planted, from the outside the building has an amazing, finished look. Also completed during some ‘off time’ was the carpet installation in the classrooms, thanks to the generous donation of labor & expertise by a member of nearby Grace Disciples of Christ Church, Covington. Besides a few small tweaks, the only work that remains is the sub-contractors’. The sidewalk will be poured next week, and then as soon as the electrician and plumber finish their work we’ll be submitting for final inspection and the certificate of occupancy. As always, we’ll keep you posted on the status and share information on the building dedication when the date is set.
Dispatch from Beaumont
It occasionally happens, for any number of reasons, that a scheduled mission group needs to cancel. This is unfortunate, but we certainly understand that situations arise that necessitate a change in everyone’s plans. If you’ve ever been on a Disciples Volunteering sponsored Mission Trip, you know how much we emphasize the importance of ‘flexibility’ to all our volunteers. You should know that we try to practice what we preach, including staying loose, limber, and flexible ourselves. Last week in Beaumont brought one of those weeks: a group cancellation requiring a bit of stretching from all on-site. Everyone flexed quite well, and while some work on major projects continued (especially hardieboard siding), the Long Term Volunteers and a number of church members, including the youth group, tackled several smaller projects, too. Volunteers installed panic bars on some of the doors, caulked around the outside of the building, wrapped cedar trim on the porch posts, and framed air conditioning duct chases.
Thanks to Summer Intern Alex for the pictures and the update!
Wrapping and Roofing at Northwood
Four mission teams are in Beaumont this week continuing work on the new sanctuary at Northwood Christian Church. They are: Central Christian Church, Columbus, GA; First Christian Church, Republic, MO; Community United Christian Church, Aledo, TX; and Park Hill Christian Church, North Little Rock, AR. The week began with wrapping Tyvek moisture barrier around the building, cementing over the new plumbing, and continuing to work on decking the roof. Tuesday was a full day as volunteers finished the Tyvek wrap, continued the cement work, loaded shingles on the roof and began shingling, installed some facia, and installed all the regular exterior windows plus half the sanctuary windows. Yesterday brought more roofing and the beginning of siding the building. It’s been a great week!
Thanks to Summer Intern Gabriel Davis for the pictures and update!
Update from Northwood CC
It’s amazing how much work can be accomplished when it’s not raining! Work on the new sanctuary at Northwood Christian Church the last few days has included lots of roofing, in sections. Volunteers are papering and installing drip edge on one part of the building while decking is nailed down in another section and trusses are straightened and plumbed in yet a third location. The building has also been wrapped, and the first window is in place!
Thanks to Summer Intern Alex for the pictures and progress update.
Regarding the Gulf Oil Disaster
Louisiana oil spill by U.S. Coast Guard
Leaders across the Church continue to monitor the impact of the oil catastrophe unfolding in the Gulf. The full impact of this disaster will not be known for months and possibly years. What is clear, however, is that communities across the Gulf are hurting. Fishing and tourist economies are devastated. Jobs are on hold or are being slashed, and up and down bayou country and in towns dotting the coast these job losses really mean the loss of a way of life. Communities built around the richness of fragile Gulf ecosystems are finding that fragility extends to include them as well. Yet the impact is not isolated to coastal residents. The fear, the anger, the anxiety, the sense of helplessness and the struggle for hope in the face of this disaster is felt far and wide. The following letter has been offered by leaders across the Gulf region and across the Church. It is written to Disciples in the Gulf region, but it is intended for all Disciples. For while we cannot all descend to the beaches and the bayous to stop this disaster, we can stand in solidarity, together. We can pray, together. And we can ask the tough questions, together, about how this disaster occurred and how we can faithfully respond. The letter:
Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry come to you.
Do not hide your face from me
In the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
Answer me speedily in the day when
I call.
–Psalm 102:1-2
Our Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry:
We write to you with hearts heavy with grief. Like most of the world, we have watched as the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf Coast has continued, seemingly unabated. We have watched as those we have entrusted to prevent such tragedies have puzzled over how this could have happened, and we have watched as attempt after attempt to stop the leak has failed.
We are angry, hurt, and disappointed. We are also well aware that your proximity to this disaster sharpens your emotions. Beaches marked by oil, wildlife sticky with oil, struggling economies—these are happening not just on your televisions, but in your communities, perhaps even in your backyards. We grieve with you, pray for you, and have hope for an end to the damage done by this spill and for the healing of the Gulf Coast.
Update from Northwood Christian Church
Nearly 5 years ago, Hurricane Rita destroyed the sanctuary at Northwood Christian Church in Beaumont, TX. Since that time, the congregation has been sharing their only remaining space, a fellowship hall/gym with kitchen, showers, and the youth room, with volunteers who have come to help the community recover. In June, Disciples Volunteering began leading volunteers in the reconstruction of their sanctuary. While the first month has seen lots of rain, including a race against storms spawned by Hurricane Alex, the work continues to progress. This week, volunteers from Kansas City and from Richlands, NC are continuing to work, focusing on the roof. Yesterday’s work included straightening trusses, decking, and installing drip edge and facia. The plumbers were also on site doing their foundation work (the slab was retained from the original building and is being modified to accommodate the new layout).
Here are a few recent pictures, including one of the volunteers this week. Click on any to go to an album that will be updated as pictures are sent.
Thanks to summer intern Alex Stewart for the pictures and work update.
Floored in Slidell
The new community center at First Christian Church, Slidell has a whole new look this week: the floor tile is in and grouted! Tile layout was begun by volunteers from Hillcrest Christian Church, Overland Park, KS two weeks ago. This past week, a Presbyterian youth group from north of Milwaukee extended the layout into the warming area and bathrooms. They finished the last of the grouting this morning, then cleaned the floors till they shined! Other work done the last few weeks has included spreading dirt around the building in preparation for landscaping, striping the parking lot, painting exterior doors, wrapping and painting porch posts, and installing more baseboard. It looks great!
