Building Process

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1d982570.jpg" border=0 width="130" height="87" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="1d8825c0.jpg" border=0 width="130" height="92" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0a082620.jpg" border=0 width="130" height="98" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="09f82620.jpg" border=0 width="130" height="98" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">          </div> <div> <IMG SRC="0b282610.jpg" border=0 width="130" height="97" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">                    </div> <div> <IMG SRC="1da82610.jpg" border=0 width="130" height="97" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Garamond" ><B>Faith Community Church & Faith Academy</B> </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Californian FB" >   </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Californian FB" >     </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Californian FB" > </FONT><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Faith Community Church Faith Academy"><U>Home</U></A>     <A HREF="church.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Faith Community Church"><U>Church</U></A>    <A HREF="academy.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U>Academy</U></A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Leap of Faith: An Emerging Church Story</B></div> <bR> <div> By Rev. Dr. Ardyth Kovacevich Johnson</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Californian FB" ><IMG SRC="1dcd58e0.jpg" border=0 width="213" height="142" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT>I have a new appreciation for those who have gone before us in the building of God's family in these days.  I have come to realize it has never been nor will it ever be easy to plant churches in the future.   The Great Commission of Jesus in Matthew 28: 19-20 says, <I>`Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you'</I> is our foundational scripture for who we are, whose we are, and what we are.  The purpose of Faith Community Church is<I>, `To reach, teach, and preach God's love through Jesus Christ.'</I>  </div> <bR> <div> Faith Community Church was chartered on June 7, 1998, in Franklin, Wisconsin.  I, Rev. Dr. Ardyth Kovacevich Johnson was installed as the founding pastor.  Today we are 205 baptized members with 82 pledging units and average about 73 in worship on Sunday mornings. Due to having to rent and share worship and education space with another church, we found ourselves limited in our program offerings. Our congregation took a <I>`Leap of Faith'</I> when we purchased ten acres of farmland in a prime location in Franklin, WI, in order to accommodate the needs of our church and community.</div> <bR> <div> When our architect first met with us he asked<I>, `What is your theology?'</I> My response then and today is, <I>`We are Easter people.'  </I>We are children of God, Disciples of Christ, and members of the church.  We are people of faith and as such we<I> </I>go forth in Christ's name even though there may be bumps in the road from time to time. That is why this is God's church and not my church or anyone else's.  We are simply God's instruments as long as we live.  </div> <bR> <div> It is vitally important that all our churches, both established and those recently planted, be attuned to our changing times.  As a result, we need to carefully and prayerfully welcome the unchurched into our church families and help them to grow in Christ.  We do that by our graciousness and welcoming spirit.  People are searching for a place to belong and not just another organization to join.  It is this vision of creating a church home for others to know Jesus Christ that motivates our ministry.</div> <bR> <div> One of our greatest challenges was to rezone the land in order for the meetinghouse to be planted. This process took 18 months and involved neighborhood meetings and a Planning Commission meeting that voted 4-0 against the church. We appealed their decision and as a result the Common Council overturned their original decision and voted in favor of the church in July of 2001.  We give thanks to God for this land and for the opportunity to witness to Christ in the struggle.</div> <bR> <div> Every church should be aware of the <I>`Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000'</I> and should have this in your church file.  This new bill put pressure on the Common Council and it was an effective means of helping our church to be rezoned.   There is no question that rezoning laws in our communities are a battleground for church planting today and tomorrow. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1dec8960.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="150" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Our vision of ministry includes the construction of four buildings.  The first is our educational/chapel for 250 worshippers.   This building will become home to our school called, <I>Faith Academy.</I>  It will be a licensed Day Care and Christian Education School for children from 6 weeks old to 5 years of age for about 80 children.  An after- school program will be implemented for children up to 5<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> grade.  In the summer we will be offering camps with specific themes for elementary children.  Christian Education is life long education from birth to death and it is our intention to provide an exciting and biblically based learning for all ages.  </div> <bR> <div> The second building will be our administrative offices, library, fellowship room for 200 people and a full-size kitchen.  This facility will be used for our special events like Children's Christian Theatre and other fellowship activities.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1e0c8960.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="150" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The third building is our sanctuary with a 344 theatre seating capacity.  A bell tower and steeple will rise 60' high in the air as a symbol of praising God now and forever. </div> <bR> <div> The inner courtyard of the complex will be an English garden where small weddings, funerals, baptisms or other worship services may take place. The remaining land will be groomed for a biblical memorial garden for people to walk through, ponder, meditate and be comforted.  </div> <bR> <div> Currently, we have hired McGill Construction Co. of Elkhorn, WI, to build our first meetinghouse.  Value engineering work is currently being done in order that our construction loan and costs are equalized.  Once our bidding is in order, we will be ready to secure our building permit to break ground for God's glory.  Alleluia!</div> <bR> <div> There are many wonderful ministries that our Congregational Church Development ministry is helping and nurturing.  As a new church in the NACCC, it is important to say thank you for your help, prayers, and offerings through the $10.00 club and Church Development.  Those offerings came at the right time in helping us to plant another congregational church here in Wisconsin.</div> <bR> <div> May the seeds we all plant bear fruit as we live our faith in Christ everyday.  Our church has a tradition of planting daffodil bulbs in the fall and soon many of us will transplant them to church land.  Someday there will be thousands of daffodils blooming for Easter.  People in our community will someday say<I>, `I can't wait to see the daffodils at Faith Community Church bloom.'</I>  And bloom they will . . . as a symbol of Easter . . . as we are Easter people.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" >       </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Californian FB" >                                            </FONT></div> <div>                     </div> <div>                              </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>7700 W. Faith Drive, Franklin, WI 53132</B></div> <bR> <div>   <B>414-433-0222   </B>                                    <B> </B><A HREF="mailto:office@faithcc.us" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:office@faithcc.us"><U><B>office@faithcc.us</B></U></A><B> </B> </div> <div>                      </div> <div>                                     </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>