Welcome, Banner, and Clean up

Well, we have our banner up. As such I hope you're a new reader to this blog about the Cleary Activities and Recreation Center (ARC). We will be making updates regularly regarding the progress of construction as well as planned activities, events, goings on, and anything else we can think of here at the ARC. If you have any questions about it please feel free to contact me. I encourage you to visit Cleary's website and if you're Youth oriented, Kevin Wade, the Associate Pastor for Youth and Activities, has a website, S.O.S. and a blog.

Several folks showed up today for a general clean up day. There was a bunch of cleaning going on. I worked for a bit in the Upper Room Cafe. That is going to be a really hot spot for The Youth! The carpet is not yet installed in that room. I believe it will be done next week.

The A/V Team is putting forth a proposal tomorrow to purchase and install a dual projector system for the Upper Room Cafe. In that room there will be a dual projector system, several intelligent lights, a smoking sound system, a large equipment room, and "the cafe". I have not seen the plans for the layout of the cafe; however, it looks like there will be plenty of seating as you'd expect in a cafe as well as a bar, non-alcoholic, of course!

There are several things left to do in order to open the doors: carpet in The Youth room, finish a few doors, touch up painting, finish the restrooms, and a few electrical loose ends.

All in all, God is so good! It is amazing so much has been done by so few in such a short time! Once again, thanks to God for using Eckels Evans, Newt Roberts, Roscoe Singletary, the contractors, all the volunteers, and whomever else has had a hand in building this ARC!

The excitement is here!

As we near completion of the ARC, I can't even begin to explain the excitement within my soul. What's so exciting you might ask? Is it the fact that we're going to have an amazing gym where hundreds of children, youth, and adults will come together and experience the love of Christ? Is it the new mega kitchen and dinning hall where hundreds of people will not only find the physical food we all require, but the food of the Spirit that changes lives? Is it the new classroom space where many who simply have no real place to call home in our church find the hope of a church family? Is it that I know we’ll have the largest youth worship center possibly in the state that will draw hundreds of teenagers? Is it that the cafe inside our youth worship center will serve hundreds of teenagers a drink of hot coffee while building Christian relationships? Is it just that the building and everything in it is simply unbelievable?

I'd have to say it's real simple. My excitement comes only because of just one; just one child, one teenager, or one adult who because of these awesome things will come to know my Savior Jesus Christ and the hope that only He can bring. Just one is worth all the money, sweat, and tears! Just one brings me the excitement that I can’t even begin to explain within my soul, however I'm convinced there will not only be just one, but hundreds! There are great days ahead for the kingdom and Cleary Baptist Church. I want to challenge you to look through each picture posted here and dream with me of how we can tell the world that Jesus lives through what He has given us!

Gym Floor

As many of you know the gym floor is not something that originally fit into the budget. However, by diligently watching our cost, Eckels has saved enough money to purchase and install a gym floor. This gym floor is a heat welded floor that is water washable. This is a great thing!

Additionally, a permanent volleyball setup will be installed in the floor. The sleeves for the volleyball net will have plugs which will be flush with the floor when installed.

God is so good!

The Big Circle

Ten feet. That's the diameter. That means the radius is five feet. PI times diameter gives us the circumference: nearly 31 1/2 feet. PI times the radius squared gives us the area: 78 1/2 square feet. What will become of that 78 1/2 square feet? Time will tell. I do know a special plan has been made for that focal point of the ARC. The big round window. Watch this space for enlightenment in the near future.