Building Update #3

Hey Team,

Wow, I’m simply amazed at how our MOMENTUM series went, and I’m in awe of how excited and supportive everyone is of the project.  For those of you who don’t yet know, we did reach our goal of $600,000 committed to the project over the next two years, and on our Big Give Sunday 25% of that amount came in, that’s just astounding by any measure!

Our hope was to break ground still in 2013, unfortunately do to some circumstances beyond our control that have recently taken place we will need to delay the groundbreaking a little bit.  We are still hoping to be able to get started early in 2014 if we can make some pieces move the way we want.  Here’s the skinny on what has happened and how it affects us:

• First thing that happened was that a Greenwood resident, East of us on Worthsville Rd, is fighting the Eminent Domain ruling.  This has put a six month delay on the construction of Worthsville Rd.  This does not affect us…directly, but as you’ll see below it has a pretty substantial domino effect.
• Because the City of Greenwood has had to delay the project for six months, they’ve chosen to start on the West end of the project across 31.  Again, this has no direct impact on us…but wait!
• The subdivision directly to the West of us across Emerson Ave needs to tie into the new storm water system that the City is building into Worthsville Rd, BUT that is also being delayed, so the subdivision has also decided to delay starting.  Now, this has a direct impact on us because our current drainage goes onto the property they are building on so they were going to have to take our drainage and connect it to the new City storm water system.  They also were going to bring Emerson up to a County Road designation (thicker pavement and a little wider lanes).

So, because all of this is delayed, that places all of the improvements (road, drainage, moving of utilities, etc…) squarely on our shoulders, which if it stands will mean a potential increase of $250,000…yes, that’s six figures!

We are in the process of working with our construction team to determine exactly what it might cost us, and if there is some way around, or some way to work with either the City or the subdivision to find a positive solution.  So, be praying very, very hard that God gives us a clear path and gives us precise directions!

 WARNING, SPIRITUAL APPLICATION COMING!!!

 As I think about this process I can’t help but think about the verse I began Sunday’s message with:

 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. – Proverbs 24:24 NIV

Rarely can we trace a path of ruined life back to one ‘huge, monstrous bad decision’.  Granted, there are some of those, but more often then not it’s a small decision, that leads to another, and another, and another.  Then one day you find yourself in a place you never wanted or intended to be, and it often impacts other people.

This gentleman who is fighting the City is not going to win.  If it were for a strip mall or another parking lot, yes he would have a small shot, but no one has ever won an Eminent Domain case when it involved a road.  So, not only will he lose his case, but he’ll also lose his money for the lawyer, which means the money that he would have gotten for his property will be significantly diminished or he could lose it all together.  His decision also affects all of the people who would benefit from the new road, the people who would be purchasing the new homes, the guys who would be employed to build those homes…well you get the picture.

Moral of the story folks, every decision and every choice matters which is why Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:16;

“Watch your life and doctrine closely!”

 Keep praying for God’s best team, because it’s on it’s way!!!