It has begun!
Project Big construction is now underway! It was such a thrill to break ground at the site of the future school building. If you were able to join us for our groundbreaking, we’re sure you could feel the excitement and anticipation around what God is doing in our church, our school, and our city. Before we recap a few highlights from the groundbreaking event, let’s check in on the status of our fundraising efforts.
As of May 19th, 2022 we have received $4,683,817 and have an additional $2,195,581 committed towards the project. Thank you for continuing to partner with us in prayer and giving to see this project fully funded.
A BIG moment in our history
There have been many defining moments in the history of our church – You can visit the timeline section of our website to browse through some of these. This groundbreaking event was a defining moment for the future of our church and for the next generation to be part of building something for our children’s future. We shared photos of the early days of our church, including a similar moment when there was a groundbreaking for the first church building after the double-wide trailer. At that moment in time, there was no way for any of those people involved to imagine that over 30 years later there would be another group of people following in their footsteps to build yet again. They were simply doing what they knew was right, trusting and obeying God. That is what we, the next generation, are doing as well. Trusting and obeying God. We believe He has called us to dream bigger than we have ever dreamed, and we have faith that He will bring the provision necessary to see this project finished.
In reflecting on this groundbreaking, there is no better word to describe what God is doing than the word “BIG.” When we use the word “Big,” it isn’t just about the size of the buildings or the amount of money we need to raise. “Big” is about believing God for something beyond what we can accomplish on our own. When we chose the name for this project, we wanted something that would constantly remind us that this is only possible because of Him.
The Event
We were blown away at the turnout for this groundbreaking. By our conservative estimates we had well over 650 people in attendance (we thought we had overprepared by setting out 400 chairs). We had so much fun celebrating together. There were bounce houses, snow cones, hotdogs, and burgers. We spent time together worshiping and reflecting on our history. One of the most special moments was when we all stood in an outline around the footprint of the future building and prayed together. When it came time to break ground, we all crowded behind our leaders to be part of the moment together. This is truly something we cannot do alone, we need each other, and we need God.
We want to express gratitude to every person and organization that helped us celebrate this moment. Thank you to First United for bringing the grill and preparing food for everyone. Thank you to Joey McWilliams from the Bryan County Patriot for the news coverage and for streaming the event to the public. Thank you to the Durant Area Chamber of Commerce for being there and shooting some amazing pictures of the festivities. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers that worked hard to set up and tear down the event as well.
Our hearts are full as we look forward to the continued progress now that construction has officially begun. This is not the end, it’s only the beginning, and only through continued trust, obedience, and dependence on God will we see Project Big completed.
You can view more photos of the event by following this link.
You can also view a short recap video of the event by following this link.