Moving In - God's goodness and provision in our new building
Advent Denver
“Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forevermore.”
We began using this acclamation, a condensed version of Ephesians 3:20-21, at the beginning of our worship service a few months back. So wonderfully fitting! After a year of searching, praying, discussing and fundraising, we found a home that far exceeds what I imagined to be possible. I sometimes feel like pinch myself because it is so hard to believe.
The beauty of the sanctuary,
the joyous sound of our proclamations of faith and our songs of praise,
the room for our kids to learn and grow,
the fresh opportunity to connect with new neighbors,
and the financial freedom of having it cost even less
than we were paying at Mi Casa…is all amazing to me.
Of course, it has not been perfect. There have been challenges with the trash removal and with the renovation of various parts of the building, the sanctuary does not afford a lot of room to grow, and it remains sad to no longer be in Baker, but all these things pale in comparison to the gift we have been given.
But, perhaps more than any of this, I have been blessed to see so many invest so much in this new building. The hundreds of thousands of dollars we have raised, the small army of people who gathered to fix it up the day before our first service, the multitudes that have come by to help with envisioning, cleaning or fixing or painting or tearing things down during the week, the little team that went and met with neighbors, and the great group of people coming together each Monday to discuss how our new location impacts our mission as a church.
Our shared energy and enthusiasm has been beautiful to behold.
In the coming year, I pray that this church building not only gives us a greater sense of stability and a wonderful place to worship. I pray that it gives us a greater sense of ownership and togetherness as a church. This is a home we all share in together. It will be exciting to see how our family grows up here together: who God will add to us, how many kids will learn about Jesus among us, how many potlucks and parties and weddings and baptisms and funerals will be held here, and how we will share the hospitality of the gospel with our neighbors in Villa Park, West Denver, and throughout the Metro area.
There are still a number of finishing touches that will take shape over the coming months. If you have an aesthetic bent, let us know and we would love to get your input. If you have not been able to worship in the new building yet, I pray you will join us soon. I believe you will come away greatly thankful for this space.
Our “grand opening” complete with block party is scheduled for September 18th.
Hope you can make it…and that you might even consider inviting some friends!
- Pastor Rob Paris