It looks like the exciting day is just around the corner! What day, you ask? Well, I’m not talking about the Steelers’ season opener, though that is definitely exciting. I’m not talking about the day the Pirates are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, though sadly, that might be soon, too. The day I’m talking about is the opening of the new children’s wing!
If all goes according to plan, we should be in the new building THIS MONTH! It has been fun to watch the progress being made since the day we broke ground a little over a year ago. We have come a long way. But truthfully, what has been even more exciting has been anticipating what is going to take place within the walls as we seek to see children come to faith in Jesus and grow deeply in their relationship with Him. One of the last times I was in the building, I had the opportunity to do a personal prayer walk and ask for the Lord’s blessing over all that will take place in each classroom, large-group space, special needs room and even the play area.
Occupying the children’s space will be a great blessing, no doubt. However, even without the first scripture being recited or song sung in the new area, we have already been blessed. The blessing began when a congregation of faithful, generous people chose to go All In to make this project a reality. That was no small undertaking.
The people of Pathway Church decided they weren’t just going to fund a project to build a building, advance a global partnership and provide clean water (the All In initiatives), but they were going to make a choice to follow the Lord more fully as individuals. As a result, nearly 93 percent of our congregation engaged financially. When the nationwide average among churches is closer to 65 percent, that is noteworthy, to say the least. As a result, it’s not just the shape of our facility that is changing, it is our very hearts. I rarely consider any aspect of the project without thinking of the sacrifice being made by so many to minister to the families of our community and the needy around the world. And for it all, I’m grateful to God for the opportunity to serve among you.
While we celebrate the completion of the children’s wing, it takes only one pass through the church lobby to realize there’s more to do. The plan from the start has been to complete the children’s area and then launch the remodeling aspects of the project. Those will start soon. They include renovating the lobby and café, as well as the existing children’s ministry area and the A-wing. If you don’t know where all those spaces are that’s OK, just know that when we are finished, we will have provided for adult classes, youth ministry areas and administration offices. The renovations will take about one more year to complete.
These are indeed exciting days at Pathway Church. We are grateful for where the Lord has brought us and where He is taking us as we continue to go All In.