2011

First let me apologize for not posting in a while. Since project 52 ended and the volunteers stopped coming we as a staff have been putting all our spare time into working at the Gathering Place. We have been doing anything from grout, concrete leveling, HVAC duct work, drywall and all kinds of projects in an effort to complete the building. This weekend we will be having a stucco party with our community to try to complete the outside of the building.
I was hoping that the end of January or even the beginning of February we would be able to start meeting inside the GP. Unfortunately after getting together our last punch list, it looks as though we are about $30,000 short to complete the building. So once again we are cinching our belts a little tighter and rolling up our sleeves as we work on what God puts before us. We have several little projects that will cost a couple thousand then a bunch of projects in the hundreds. So we are pulling together as a community and doing what we can to finish the construction. We will be doing everything from collecting cans for recycling to collecting spare change. We also will be looking for anything we can put our hands on to refurbish what we may be able to use for the final punch list.
Below is a list of everything that is needed if you are interested. Please keep us in your prayers as we wait on the Lord and obediently work as hard as we can for His will to be done. We know that this building will be opened in His time frame not ours, but we also know that apathy gets nothing done.
Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Grace and Peace,

Punch list:
Fire Alarm panel installation $3000
Carpet install $3000
Closet doors $2100
Restroom partitions $4000
drywall $500
Stucco $1000
Exterior Handrails $1000
Paint $1000
HVAC finish $6000
Exhaust fans $500
Thermostats and wire $400
Parking lot stripping $100
Large assembly room lights $500
Fire Suppression test $5500
Cove base $1000
MISC $2000

Project 52

Wow, after several weeks, many volunteers and thousands in donations we have come to the end of our 52 day time frame. We are so close to finishing and we couldn't have come this far without you. For those of you who came to NOLA, donated or prayed for us, we greatly appreciate all of you.
Our last volunteer group for the year left last week, so we as a community are rallying the troops and working on some of these projects as we speak. This weekend is our community work week in which we typically work in the community serving as the Church instead of having a traditional teaching service. This weekend we will have the bulk of our community working on the Gathering Place trying to get even closer to finishing. Our current projects that we will be working on are tile, insulating duct work, plumbing, drywall touch up and a few small projects.Please keep us in prayer as we are so close yet still have a few things to complete.

Joyful apology

OK i must apologize, it has been over a month since our last blog. As you can see the past three weeks have been consumed with something more precious to me than the building of project 52.
Not to take anything away from the project but we have been enjoying the birth of our little baby girl, Kennedy Eliana. I will make sure and get out another update on the building
later this week. Once again we want to thank everyone for your prayers, encouragement, generosity and energy in what God is doing here in New Orleans.

Grace and Peace,

Update on Project 52

Really, can words sum up these pictures. It is amazing to see what has happened in just a few days. Who would have thought toilets would have been such an exciting picture.
I will have a lot more pictures to show next week.
By the grace of God, we are moving so quickly in the completion of this
building. It is amazing to
watch the church in action, being
used by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Praise God, all Glory to HIM.

week 2

Wow, after a good start last week we have continued the momentum and the GP is progressing beautifully. With the help of our friends from Fern Creek in Louisville and some Gathering peeps here we have been able to accomplish a lot this week. So far we have three bathrooms tiled (the fourth may be done before Friday), ceiling grid wire hanging from the ceiling, a slab was poured this morning that will hold the HVAC units outside, outlets and emergency exit lighting were installed and the fire suppression sprinklers were completed in phase 2 and 3. It is amazing to see how much work is being done each day and we thank our God and King for everything that he is providing daily to complete this project. We have been blessed with tremendous people who have come to serve, others who have donated materials and others who have sacrificially given. We praise you Father for what you are doing.
Below is an updated list of the materials still needed for the completion of the building. As we have been asking we have found that some people have a lot of these things lying around in their warehouse or garage not being used. If you have a minute we appreciate you looking around.

Project 52 Materials Needed

HVAC

-5 ton split package system-3 phase (either 208 or 480)
-ductwork

-copper line sets

-wire

-refrigerant

-disconnects

Ceilings

-$3,000 to buy dropped ceiling material

Entry Door

-$2,500 to buy roll-up door

Interior Doors

-$5,000 includes handles, frames, hinges, and closers

Flooring

Epoxy

Cove base

Cove base glue

Fire Alarm

Wire

Panel

strobes

Go time

Labor day weekend came with a bang! Lots of banging actually as the jack hammer was pounding away digging up old concrete in order to prepare for our new handicap walkway into the Gathering Place. Several people from our community came together this weekend to work as we celebrated what God was doing in this place. Thanks to some great volunteers from Indian Creek and and a group from Texas the concrete steps and a first coat of paint will be completed this week. Next week we have several volunteers coming from Fern Creek and we look forward to the adventure continuing.
Keep checking us out as we will be posting weekly everything that God is doing through His people to complete the building of the Gathering Place, Project 52.

Project 52 update

We are approaching our launch date for project 52. Can you believe it? We have collected and/or received commitments for $24,000, almost half of our $52,000 goal. In a couple of weeks we begin this project of completing the building. Once again we find ourselves in an area of uncertainty. We know that completing such a task is almost impossible. Yet we know we serve a God that is all about mission impossible. We believe that our friends have been called by God to do the impossible, to complete the Gathering place in 52 days. It is this excitement of anticipation that overwhelms us as we prepare daily for what God has in store for us. These next two weeks we will be looking for God to provide the needed supplies for week one to be kicked off with a bang.
Please look over the below and let us know if there is anything or anybody you know that could help with the following. Also, please join us in prayer as we seek God's discernment, His direction and His guidance as we desire for His will to be done, not ours.
Grace and Peace,
Plumbing
-2 urinals
-2 handicap commercial floor mount toilets
-14 toilet flushometer valves w/1”supply
-13 ½” tubular p-trap kits (including trap adapter)
-11 ½” chrome escuchions
-24 ½”x3/8” angle stop compression connection
-24 ½” chrome escuchions
-24 3/8”x1/2” faucet supply line (16”or 20”)
-2 ½”x1/4” compression angle stops
-14 closet bolt kits
-14 extra thick no-seep wax rings (w/black plastic piece)
-3 urinal flange connectors
-3 urinal spud (3/4” or 1” tube)
-3 urinal wax rings
Electrical
emergency lights
exit signs
breakers
mc cable—12/2 w/ground
-50 20 amp light switches w/covers
-100 20amp outlets w/covers
HVA C
15 ton ahu
5 ton split package set
ductwork
copper line sets
wire
ductwrap insulation
piping insulation
regrigerant
disconnects
Ceilings
grid
mains: 2100’
1050 pieces 4’ tee
1050 pieces 2’ tee
2400’ wall mould
Entry door
9x12 roll up
aluminum doors
Paint
70 gal exterior stucco/masonry paint
interior paint (300sqft/gal) 50 gallons
roller naps
Interior doors
21 doors
Flooring
stain
carpet
thin set
grout
cove base
cove base glue
Fire alarm
wire
panel
strobes