Construction of the Christian Life Center
June 22, 2003

People who qualify as gourmands tell me that one of the ways you can distinguish a basic brunch from a better brunch is the presence of an omelet station. My wife loves omelets made to order. As for me, I can pass right by the "egg stuff" in search of the carving station. Truth be told, the only eggs I eat are scrambled. And if heaven lives up to its promises, somebody will mix in a few morel mushrooms three or four days a week. I don't know who coined the phrase, "You can't make an omelet without first breaking eggs," but the implication is obvious. On the way to something delectable, one may have to endure some destruction. Which occurred to me a few days ago when our construction crew began jack hammering the asphalt in a couple of sections of our parking lot. So let me offer an update.  As concerns the turnaround driveway, it disappeared while most of us were planting flowers on somebody's grave for Memorial Day. But it will reappear within two or three weeks of reading this epistle. So what's happening out there? We are adding eight new handicapped parking places. That's what's happening. In fact, by the time you read this, there will be a base of crushed stone, which will be followed by curbing and sidewalks, then asphalt and decorative greenery. Shortly thereafter, you should see the same results along the east driveway.  As for the trench that has been cut from the new building to Pleasant Street, that asphalt has been destroyed to accommodate a new water line. Now that the city of Birmingham has installed a major conduit for water along Pleasant Street, they want us to tap into it (at least to satisfy the needs of the Christian Life Center). Even as I write, the pipes are being laid. And we have every expectation that no parking space will be surrendered, even for a single Sunday. But, for a few weeks, the path of the water line will be visible, albeit not unsightly. Our construction manager, Scott Jacobs, has been incredibly cooperative with us, relative to blending his work with ours. When we had to close the popular Pleasant Street parking area for a few days, Scott made sure that the work took place after the weekday nursery program ended and before Vacation Bible School began. Believe it or not, we really do discuss these things together. As for the building itself, masonry continues, with many marveling about the compatible color match between new bricks and old bricks. Moreover, the slate roof is not only functional, but beautiful. All interior brick and block work is complete and we are not that many days removed from welcoming the drywallers. Having donned my own personal hard hat for several walkthroughs, I keep coming back to the word "amazing" as the best adjective I can offer.  Meanwhile, Sue Chrostek and Patty Zikakis will begin working for us in July, helping us anticipate needs, coordinate wish lists, identify equipment, while dreaming about new initiatives in ministry. Already, they have been doing a lot of conversing with staff members and group leaders, an enterprise marked by careful listening. Toward that end, you will soon receive an informational survey from them, relative to the kinds of things that might interest you. Thanks to a hardworking staff, we will not open the doors to a new facility sometime in December and then have to ask: "Now what shall we do with it?"  From the June 22 issue of Steeple Notes