September 2020
Exciting progress continues on our construction projects for the GROW Across Generations Capital Campaign. The slab was poured at the new A&O house this week. Framing the walls of the new house is next on the agenda! The steps and ramp at north entry have been poured—handrails and cast stone signage will be installed the 2nd and 3rd weeks of October. We plan
to open the north doors to the Great Hall for use this weekend, September 27, but only the steps. Those requiring an accessible entrance will still need to use the south entry. The Lift outside of the Sanctuary is installed and operational, but we have to wait on a state inspection for congregational use. We would ask you to pray for that process so that we can get the Lift going and fully-functional for our members.
The Children’s Wing first floor demolition is complete and the mechanical trades are beginning work on plumbing, electrical, and HVAC rough-ins. There is a lot going on, but we can definitely see significant progress.
Please join us in prayer for the continued progress and how the Lord will use all of these improvements for His glory!
August 2020
Here is a quick update on our GROW Across Generations Capital Campaign improvements. The concrete pour for the AO house began this past week. Something about the concrete going in makes this feel like it's REALLY happening! The Lift outside of the Sanctuary should be received in about 3 weeks. It will take a few weeks to install, but we're getting closer here, too. If you've been by the church, you know that the 1st floor of the Children's Education building is completely sealed off as abatement and demo happen. All personnel, Opportunity School, and
Critter Land activities have been moved to the 2nd floor temporarily. While the North entrance is still not usable, it's coming together as well. We appreciate your continued prayer and your patience as we all deal with the construction in our building. It's exciting to anticipate how the Lord will use all of this for years to come.
July 2020
Construction for our "GROW Across Generations” capital campaign is in full swing and a big mound of dirt certainly isn’t all we have to show for it. The foundation prep for the new building is underway and the new personal lift system for the Great Hall has been ordered. The staff of Opportunity School and our own Children’s Ministry are preparing to shift their operations to make way for abatement and demolition in the the first floor of the Children’s Education building. Parking will be limited as work continues in the west parking lot on the new youth facilities.
As many members who have undergone renovations to their homes and businesses can attest, this is going to get messy. And though it seems the inertia of getting a multimillion dollar job off the ground is great, we serve a God who is greater! Now, as much as ever, is the time to lift this project to the Lord in prayer and supplication, asking for His wisdom and guidance for our general contractor, Casey Wood; our architects, Bill Merriman and John Montag; our friends at Opportunity School like Jill Goodrich and her staff; and our own staff here at First Presbyterian. We praise Him for the overwhelming support of you, the congregation, and your faithful insight, prayer, and monetary commitments to see this inspired vision come to reality.
We also want to thank all of you who are partnering with us on this project financially. These exciting changes will serve our community for years to come and grow the Kingdom of Christ!
North Entrance Under Construction
You may have noticed that our North Entrance is under construction at the moment. We're sorry for any inconvenience to those of you who normally park on the north side of the building, but we're looking forward to an updated North Entrance including an accessible ramp, a larger upper landing, and beautiful signage portraying our name along 11th Street. Once inside the Great Hall, a new single-person lift for ease of mobility will be featured on the north side of the Narthex entrance.
Here is what's included in Phase I of our
GROW Across Generations Capital Campaign
1) A new 5,500 square foot A&O House that accomplishes the stated goals of the Youth Ministry and is energy-efficient, easily accessed, and beautifully designed. It will be both completely modern in function and classically reminiscent of the architecture of the original structure.
2) A wonderful update to our North Entrance including an accessible ramp, a larger upper landing, and beautiful signage portraying our name along 11th Street. Once inside the Great Hall, a new single-person lift for ease of mobility will be featured on the north side of the Narthex entrance.
3) A renovated and updated Children’s Education wing complete with modern access control and security features, a fire suppression system, a more visitor-friendly and inviting aesthetic, and new interior and exterior play spaces for a wider range of ages. Much inquiry, thought, and planning has gone into the design of this remodeled first-floor, and it will be highly functional for our children, staff and parents.
4) New site work including: removal of the existing A&O house, replacement and expansion of the south parking lot to include more senior parking, removal of the storage facility along 10th Street to allow better viewing of the campus, and a new storage facility on the west block.
Murray's House on 6th Street
As a church, we made the important decision to give to missions a tithe of what money we raised. Part of that money will go to world missions, and part of it will stay here in Amarillo. We're all excited about Murray's House, the storefront on 6th street we purchased for an outreach center, that's being worked on and renovated so that it is ready to launch this fall. There has been significant progress made by adding two bathrooms, making it handicap accessible, LOTS of cosmetic upgrades, as well as new windows and doors. Our own members have done all the interior painting over the course of a few evenings and Saturday mornings. We’ve added a wonderful basketball and volleyball court in the lot behind the building as well as new fencing to keep it nice and secure. As the building starts to take shape, we are excited to see how God uses it to allow our church, as well as our missions partners Young Life, Speiro Legacies, and Square Mile Community Development, to meet the needs of the San Jacinto neighborhood. Ways Murray's house will be used include, but are not limited to health and nutrition classes and application, education support like tutoring, Bible studies, and after school programs… this building will truly represent the practical application of God’s love in a hurting and broken world.