Just today I was contacted by the good folks of Ellisville, MS.  Ellisville, some of you may remember, is a small town outside of Hattiesburg, MS.  It's not a big church.  But that small church has probably sent up over 100 people to Girdwood, Alaska to help us build our building over the last six years.  The rafters above the kitchen and bathroom wing of the church...that was them.  The major correction of the wall in the back of the narthex..that was them (with Raymond, MS as well).  The very high windows that are installed in the tippy-top of the front of the church...that was them.  And that beautiful picture of our old building in its old location that hangs in the back of the sanctuary...that was them (or at least one of them).

When people in our community ask us why teams like Ellisville...and Zionsville, and Brandon, and Cottonwood, and Oklahoma, and Griffith, and Elkhart, and Corinth, and Amory, and...well...there's a lot more...



When people in our community ask us why all of these folks have come up here to work and countless others have given their time, their talents, their money, their prayers to us we really have no good answer except grace.    All of these folks are persons and churches who recognize that they have been graced by God and choose to grace others as well.  They are sharing the grace that they have received and passing it on.  It's not just because they are nice or generous.  It's because they recognize all that God has done for them and that part of being a God-follower is doing the very things God has done for us...loving, giving, serving, and, yes, building.  As 1 Peter 4:10 says,

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

As Christians, we are called to be "Grace-Sharers."  That's how we're good stewards of God's grace.  So, all of these churches have shared the grace of Christ with us and we, in turn, are called to share the grace with others here in Girdwood.

So, if you who read this right now are one of our supporting churches.  Thank you.  I know we're running a few years behind schedule here and we have been praying that it wouldn't be so.  However, we had a couple delays that each took a year away from our process.  First, early on, our heavy timbers for our sanctuary were 11 months behind schedule, forcing us to build the bathroom/kitchen/mechanical side first.  Second, our water installation was 18 months behind schedule.  We thought it would be put in in April 2008 and it was not in the ground until October 2009.  It was not a matter of not having money but a matter of finding someone that would do it.  However, it's in now and the two issues we're dealing with in Spring 2010 are getting our electric hooked up and the doors constructed.

We see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel and, even though we don't expect to be legally in our building until the fall, we are thinking about what ministry will look like and be like and feel like once we're in the space and we're living into the ministry that God has planned for us.  There's still work to be done and your continued support is appreciated.  You can see pictures of our whole construction process on our website.

And if you, the reader, are one of our "Girdwoodchapelites," I invite you to remember and thank the folks who have helped us get as far as we have and will help us cross the threshold into mission and ministry in our space.  It has been a long road but we are grateful people.

So, thank you Work Teams and Supporting Churches.

Thank you from all of us


We are sharing the grace that we have received from you.

Peace,

Jim