C@C Gathering Center

Gathering Center Construction

We broke ground on July 30th 2006, and construction began August 16, 2006. The Gathering Center is open and the Grand Opening and Dedication took place on November 1-2 2008.

Why is there a Ramada In(n)?

What’s a Ramada and why does the church need it since it probably cost quite a bit of money to build? “Ramada” is architect speak for the big timber structure that surrounds the cross and delineates the walkways. The timber structure indicates to people who have not been here before how to get into the building. The ramada leads people to the main entrances of the church. Architecturally, the ramada structure connects the front entrance of the Ministry Center with the Gathering Center and gives a cohesive look to the whole facility. The Ramada also is intended to bring the outside cross into scale with the rest of the building. Future plans, when funds are available, are to have a baptismal pool under the cross that will be framed by the ramada.

Construction and Gathering Center line up in July

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

Sunday June 29th will be our last Sunday Nite church service before we take a break and start with a new focus and a new night on Saturday night the 19th.

By July 10th we believe we will have our final inspections and Certificate of Occupancy (C/O). This will allow us one week to assemble furniture and get ready for the 19th (C@C Nite) and 20th (Sunday Service) which will be our first weekend in the Gathering Center. We will be asking some of you handy persons and folks with strong back to help us move and assemble this stuff. There will still be punch list items after the C/O so it will still take a little time for everything to work correctly and be finished even after we are in.

Sunday July 13th we would like some help right after church moving dishes and the remaining kitchen items over to the new kitchen so the Lindsay and her team can get it ready for the following Sunday.

Saturday July 19th Nite church will begin in the Gathering Center with a new format where we have a meal together in a church family like atmosphere then Pastor Doug’s teaching in a more interactive format.

Sunday July 20th the Gathering Center will be opened after church for fellowship. Lindsay and her team will be providing coffee; espresso/lattes and food for sale. The available items are still in the planning process but this will be something to look forward too.

During the second week of July construction of the Ramada timber structure that connects the new entryway and the GC entrance will begin and be completed three weeks later. We will be pouring the sidewalks and preparing the asphalt for the parking lots and driveway as soon as the Ramada is completed. The new Ministry Center entryway will begin electrical wiring work and then drywall after the week of July 10th.

Update: December 2007

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

At the time of this writing the concrete contractor is forming and getting ready to pour the outside fire pit area and amphitheater. Each time in this project when I see a new piece of the blueprint begin construction and go from an idea on paper to a physical reality, the dream of what the Gathering Center will do for people reignites. As the amphitheater and fire pits are constructed it is really fun to dream of the people that will be sitting in Adirondack chairs by the fire connecting on all kinds of relational and spiritual conversations.

As I sit on the outside stage area I can picture people riding their bikes from all over town on the bike path that borders the amphitheater and stopping to listen to an outdoor concert (we will definitely have bike racks in this location.). In my imagination I can see 100+ people sitting on the steps of the amphitheater and Pastor Doug standing next to the fire challenging people in their faith, just like he does out in the woods. I can picture Kevin speaking to piles of students all over the area at a Power Lunch. I can see one woman sitting eating a lunch sandwich in the sun, enjoying the view before she heads back to her job. As the Associate Pastor and one of the visionaries for the Gathering Center, it is very rewarding to see the vision become reality.

I would encourage every person in the C@C family over the next several months to walk through the project, stop in a particular space (i.e. the coffee bar, student ministry rooms, conference rooms, patios, living rooms, stage, sun room, playground, kitchen) and allow your imagination to vividly daydream about people using this space. As the picture gets clearer in your mind turn the image into a prayer so that just as we are seeing the blue print drawings become a physical reality we will see the “people dreams” become a reality.

Update: September 2007

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

This month you will see the outside excavation and hardscape work begin. This will include the construction of the outside amphitheater and fire pits as well as the beginning of the sidewalk modifications. There may be changes in how you enter the building on Sunday mornings so we will keep you informed as these changes occur.

I have asked Jan Bennett to head a team of really stylish people who can put the furniture plan together. Their job will be to help make sure the furnishings of the Gathering Center are just the right style and function to help us fulfill the vision of the center. After they determine the décor, we will know the estimated costs and will prepare to raise the money.

I listen to people who have toured the construction after church on Sundays and many can picture themselves using it and bringing their friends. This is so cool because we can see God starting to shape our hearts and vision for the use of this awesome gift.

Update: June 2007

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

Well, we are back on track and moving forward with the construction. Our scheduled finish date has moved back to the end of February but that includes the completion of The Gathering Center, the new entry way and all of the fabulous hardscapes and outdoor amphitheater. We are on budget and building full steam ahead. Framing should be finished by the 3rd week of June and then electrical/ plumbing/HVAC work start. It is fun to see each piece come together.

I am having so much fun going through the project and thinking of the ministry that is going to happen in each part of it. I can see all of us on Sunday morning after the service dispersing through The Gathering Center. People are having discipleship studies. First time attenders who were welcomed by friendly C@C people have moved in to have a coffee or sandwich at one of the tables by the fireplace with new friends. I like to stand where the stage will be and picture all of the people sitting throughout the Center on a Sunday night and just turning from wherever they are congregating and taking in C@C Church at Nite. I like to stand outside and look at Sopris and picture C@C folks stopping by and having a sandwich with some friend from town, maybe sitting by one of the gas fire pits on the patio. I like to scope out the conference rooms and picture people attending community meetings or having a company Christmas party. It is good to think about what they will see out the windows and become curious about a church who would provide this kind of setting.

As I walk upstairs through the student ministry rooms I can picture children from the locals schools hanging in the game room; playing foosball and air hockey with our student ministry leaders jumping into the games with them. It is really fun to think of the wild and crazy ministry time that will happen in an evening student group meeting. Even though there would be a whole group of students in the student area, several C@C small groups meeting would be going on in the various living rooms in other parts of The Gathering Center. I can see it in my mind. What an amazing picture!

As the building takes shape, the vision gets even clearer. If you would like to develop your vision of what this awesome ministry tool that God has given C@C looks like; look me up. I’d love to schedule a time to take you through the project and we can do some visioneering together. We’ll take a little time to pray in the various places for the people who will be developing a life transforming relationship with Jesus in that place.

May 2007

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

Each week our construction team meets to review what has been done and what needs to get done in the upcoming weeks. Our team Members are John Baker (Architect), Dan Taylor (Contractor), John Bauhen (project manager), Clyde Ebbs (construction advisor), and myself (Charley). Our meetings basically consist of three discussions.

1. Money: Where we are at in relation to the budget?

2. Schedule: Are we ahead of schedule or behind?

3. Design: Are there any structural and aesthetic changes needed?

When it comes to the first two points of each meeting, we have all been pretty frustrated because of concern for our budget due to the schedule delays from subcontractors.

It occurred to several of us that we have been treating these meetings as strictly business. We get started and get out of there. We deal with the challenges as they have come and do our best to handle them. We have realized (four months late) that we were missing something important. We have been leaving God out of our meetings!!??!!

In our effort to be sensitive to those who are involved but don’t go to church or are not Christians, we have not begun our meetings with prayer. While starting with prayer doesn’t mean we automatically have brought God onto our team, starting with prayer ought to set the tone that God has something to do with what we are doing here. Psalms 127:1 “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” I’m using this as a public confession of what seems like a bonehead move on our/my part. While we never did think we did this on our own; in the future, our construction team is going to be more overt than covert. We are going to be openly asking God to guide us and go before us as we continue to build this awesome facility.

We would also invite you to be in prayer as we build. Pray that we would have a clear path so we can build our building on time and on budget. Pray that the workers will be safe and that our construction team would have God’s heart for the project.

April 2007

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

As the construction has begun again and the structure is going up we are learning some great lessons not only about the physical aspects of construction but the spiritual aspects of construction. As we encounter different trades people and subcontractors through this project, many of them are not Christians and have various backgrounds and they relate to doing work for a church differently. Some, because it is a church project, have a sense of respect and give a little extra effort and value to the project because they feel like they are doing something for God. Others feel like since they are working on a church project that they can approach it with less intensity because they perceive we are supposed to act in a certain way and give them grace. Others have a degree of ambivalence towards church in general and increase the difficulty of the project and the process. While the reasons people act like they act and do what they do are only known to them and I cannot know any person’s true motives, we have certainly experienced these responses as we have been dealing with delays for the last number of months.

As we deal with each of these responses, it seems like this is a learning/ministry opportunity for us because we will be dealing with each of these types of responses from people as we seek to use our facility after it is built. It is our hope that not only will “The Gathering Center” enhance our own connection with each other but that it will also be a bridging tool for our church to connect and influence people in our local community. As we seek to invite those who are not Christians yet into this great facility, I suspect we will be able to apply what we are learning as we build.

We are learning to engage those who have adverse attitudes toward church and spiritual things in a way that is winsome and redemptive. We are learning that as we are dealing with folks who appear to be influenced by negative bias towards church that we need to pray for them as they perform their specific responsibilities in a timely and qualitative manner. We are also learning to pray that each of them in some way would encounter God through dealing with us. Pray for us as we encounter these challenges along the way and that we will give all of the people working on The Gathering Center an accurate representation of who Jesus is. Then pray that we as a church would have an increasing passion to engage our community with The Gathering Center and that through this many people would meet Jesus. Thanks for praying!

March 2007

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

You may have seen the construction crews and the progress on The Gathering Center. The floor is just about finished and we are waiting for our steel suppliers to get the steel on site and assembled. It feels like I could just cut and paste my last several months Gathering Center updates because we just keep waiting for the steel. We make our plans and schedules but God often has different timing. While I don’t think God is making the steel arrive late I do think that God is working on us as a church and preparing us to become the people who can use this great ministry tool. Here are three of the main functions The Gathering Center will provide:

1. A greater connection with each other so that we can have an effective location for relational discipleship.

2. A bridge and relationship building opportunity between us here at Church at Carbondale and our community.

3. Provide a great environment for our student ministries.

There is evidence on many different levels that God is doing the background work in us for these three areas. Pastor Doug’s teaching on the relationships we need to have for discipleship has been essential. To be ready for the Gathering Center will need to get a greater heart for outreach to our community. Also with a large part of the upstairs being built for student ministries we will need to press forward in faith as we develop our student ministry plan and search for the right staffing. It is my prayer that we at C@C are being changed into people that will intuitively be led by the Spirit to utilize the Gathering Center for his glory. It could be that these delays in construction are because God has us under construction. Keep Praying.

February 2007

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

Construction Preparation: Even though we haven’t seen construction activity out on that foundation there has been a lot of activity in the preparation for the materials to show up. With S.I.P. panel construction the walls are all poured foam in Montana and come ready to assemble so they are being prepared and the steel contractor is going to show up this month. Right now barring no more weather delays, all the steel and framing is still scheduled to be completed by the first week of April.

Church preparation: Several weeks ago our church hosted the Carbondale Rotary Club weekly breakfast meeting that Pastor Doug attends. As we served all of these community leaders my vision for how our new “Gathering Center” was getting clearer. While the Rotarians were just meeting in our foyer I think they enjoyed the setting and it made me think of what groups like this could experience in the wonderful ambience of our coffee shop, fireplace and lodge setting the Gathering Center will provide. One of our goals is that folks in the community would use the Gathering Center for these types of meetings then they would see that it is a great place to meet for smaller meetings and that our church could actually be a place where people can do life together not just when it is time for religious stuff. When people are doing life together that is the setting where our vision for relational discipleship can take place.

The framers are coming! The framers are coming! We are scheduling framers to come and begin that part of the Gathering Center project. These people come from the front range and live for several weeks. They have a housing allowance that we pay. In an attempt to keep these costs down as much as we can Linda Wylie is going to have these people live in the entire down stairs of her home and provide occasional dinners for them. There are some items we needed to accommodate the framing crew. If you have any of these items that you could lend the church to use for about seven weeks please get a hold of Dan Taylor at 618.4936, email at dtaylor@churchatcarbondale.com or call the church office 963.8773. We will come pick up any items if you cannot get them to us. The crew is set to be here the week of Feb. 5th.

We need:

3 Twin Beds
2 Twin Mattress Covers
3 Twin Blankets
2 Bedspreads—1 Twin, 1 Queen
1 Refrigerator
Extra towels and wash cloths
Food

December 2006

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

We are a bit discouraged right at the moment with snow flying and construction dragging. Dan Taylor our contractor and Church At Carbondale Elder is doing everything he can to get the project moving but we have been hung up on the architectural/engineering end. Everybody in the construction industry is so busy that it is difficult for some of the consultants to get their part done in a timely manner. The steel contractor has informed us that we have been moved to January. We are already adjusting our budget planning so that these delays in construction will not deter us from completing the “Gathering Center” within the amount of money given for this project. With the delays this will bring new construction challenges for Dan since he will be doing much of the structural work in the weather. We are thankful that the foundation is in and that we are not having to pour concrete in the winter weather. Pray for Dan as he has to deal with the weather. Pray that the steel contractors and SIP panel contractors will make us a priority and that we will be able to be back on schedule and moving forward. We believe God is in control and that these set backs build our faith and strengthen our resolve to be diligent and see this become the great ministry tool that God has intended.

November 2006

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

As you come to church on Sunday you may be noticing that the Gathering Center construction is not progressing very much. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to get ready for the framing. What looks like a lull right now is a time where the engineers are getting their final plans ready for the structural steel to be assembled off site as well as the walls and ceiling panels. Our scheduled date for framing completion is the end of January and even though it looks like we are behind with the type of construction we are using, Dan Taylor, our contractor believes we are still on schedule. During this time we are trying to make sure our costs are lining up in these early stages so that we complete this project with in budget. It’s an important time for our church body to cover our work in prayer so that God will guide us and we will walk in His provision for this awesome resource he is giving our Church.

September 2006

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

As you have probably noticed when you have come into church these last few Sunday’s, we are under construction. The foundation has been poured and the SIP panels are on their way. I can’t remember what that acronym stands for but they are the super energy-efficient pre-constructed walls that are trucked in and go up real fast. Dan Taylor our contractor (and elder/prayer warrior) is determined to have the Gathering Center dried in before December so we can save money by not having to do outside construction in the winter weather. I am assembling a team of key folks in our church and maybe even outside our church that can help develop a plan for how we will operate our new facility when it is finished next year. We really believe that all kinds of people from our community will come and get their coffee and a sandwich and hang at this place. We can see our people having a place to meet where we develop relationships both with each other and with people in our community, so that we can fulfill Pastor Doug’s vision for relational discipleship. If you’re interested in helping on this team let me know. As you are praying for the Church, please pray that the Gathering Center will be dried in by December, that the workers are safe, that we stay in budget and that God will prepare us for the ministry that will happen with the new facility.

March 2006

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

We want to thank you all for your valuable input in the feedback that we have conducted in the month of February.

Also thanks for your input on the surveys we sent out in January. We’ve had some great ideas come up and some things we really needed to consider . While the primary purpose of the Gathering Center is to facilitate relational discipleship; we’ve learned from many of you that there is great desire to make our new gathering Center an effective outreach tool. A number of our folks have indicated some great ideas about how the community might use our new facility for chamber meetings, community gatherings and coffee shop ministry. We also received great feedback on how the new entry way could be used to better communicate how things work at the church and to what is going on in the church’s schedule.

Great stuff!!! While at the time of this writing we have not conducted our building plans feedback meeting I am anticipating great ideas and considerations from that meeting also.

I and our purpose leaders really want to thank you for your feedback and our ministry through the gathering center will be even more blessed because of it. If you haven’t had a chance to look at the plans and provide feedback please fill out the Online Survey and leave any other comments that you think might be helpful for the gathering Center.

January 2006

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

The Purpose Leaders and our architect have arrived at the conceptual plan and determined that the estimated cost will be in the neighborhood of several million dollars. The donors have reviewed the plans/cost and are excited about going ahead with the project. (Ministry note: we all can have this much fun as we use our spiritual gifts and talents serving the Lord). The donors are figuring out the timeline that works for them to release the funds. The architect is beginning the technical drawings.

This is completely funded by several donors and will not require any funding from the church body. Our Finance Team’s main financial goal for the church body is to pay off the 730k building debt as soon as we can. Prayerfully consider following the generosity of the folks on the Gathering Center and consider making a large donation to the building fund for debt reduction. Praise God we paid an additional 100k last year because of your generosity!!!!

In the next couple of weeks we will have a model of the Gathering Center available to display in the lobby. Everybody will be able to see the plans and get a picture of how this new ministry tool might benefit each ministry. We’ll send out a survey so we can get your response to how you might use “The Gathering Center” seven days a week to reach our community.

Dec. 2005

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

I have been asked by several people; “Why is this new addition called the ‘Gathering Center’ isn’t it just a fellowship hall like lots of regular churches have?” That’s a great question because the name is an important one as it explains the vision for this new space. We do not need more space so that we can facilitate ‘fellowship hall’ pot lucks better; we already do that very well. What God is calling us too here at C@C is get connected with other people in our Church and Community and engage in a much deeper ongoing conversation about our lives and our faith. If your less than 35 years of age, your probably very aware of the desire for people in our area to connect. The Gathering Center will be that place to meet, study and disciple each other. I believe it will feel very much like the culture of a very nice coffee shop. Many of our folks and community will make stopping by a part of their day, through out the week. Open mic nights will give our people a place to hang out and bring their friends.

This month our architect should be finishing up the conceptual design so that we can determine how much this will cost. The purpose leaders will be reviewing the plans to make sure it fits the needs of our ministry. Then, the folks that have been led to fund the project will decide if it fits their budget (remember we are staying focused on paying of our existing building and therefore this new project will be funded by several folks who have been lead specifically to be a part of this). Then we we’ll send out surveys to get your input on how you think this new Gathering Center might help your ministry.

Sept. 2005

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

The purpose Leaders have contracted with a local architectural firm to begin drawing the building plans for the new “Gathering Center Wing” on the Southside of our present building. This will be a great place for Students ministry and adults to gather after church or all week long to meet a friend, have a bible study, small group.

As many of you know Lance Allee was the architect on our present building and did a wonderful service to our church in his spare time; evenings and weekends. Since Lance is working fulltime for an architectural firm in Aspen it would be pretty hard to keep up with the quick pace that we need to have to complete the Gathering center. We are very appreciative for all Lance has done for our church and helping to make our present building a beautiful reality. Thanks again Lance you’re a gifted architect a great Man of God.

July 2005

by Charley Hill, Associate Pastor

God gives us opportunities to follow him step by step into an adventure as he accomplishes his redemptive work in our Valley. One of the “next step” opportunities that God has put before us is to look at our present facilities and put together plans for how our campus here at 110 Snowmass Drive could best help us accomplish our Mission.

Since our mission is to help the people of our church and community to develop a life transforming relationship with Jesus Christ, we ought to make sure everything that we are doing helps facilitate that vision. Our purpose leaders have determined how an addition to our present facility might help us do that.

While our present Ministry Center certainly helps contribute to our vision, we are lacking a place to gather more informally in one on one, small groups or more intimate church services. Our vision for this new addition would provide flexible space for adult ministry, fit our mountain environment and culture, and allow our present facility to accommodate a children’s ministry at all the developmental levels.

Can you imagine how neat it would be for people to gather in a place where they can get a latte, sit by a fire, look at our Sopris views, spend time talking with friends, study the word or meet with a mentor. Think of how it would be to have student ministry worship services and alternative church services in a setting that feels like a mountain lodge or restaurant. Compelling!!!

You may be asking, “How would we pay for a project like this when we have a large debt on our present facility?”

Ephesians 2:20 says that God has prepared works for us in advance. Then he provides for us to accomplish those good works. That is what is happening here. The necessary funds are being made available for complete architectural drawings. Once the drawings are complete and the final price is determined it will be decided when the funds will become available for the project. These funds will be provided by a specific donor without increasing our present debt. This will allow all of us to faithfully continue giving our tithes and gifts to our church ministries and reducing of our present debt. (You may want to read this paragraph again and then give a prayer of thanks on how cool God is. Then pray that we as Church at Carbondale would be ready to not only build this new “Gathering Center” but use it for the good works that God has prepared for us.) Sometimes it is in his provision that he begins to reveal what the “good works” will be.

Our present Ministry Center was built as a church home; this new “Gathering Center” will be a ministry tool that will give us the opportunity to reach our Valley more effectively. This is more evidence that Church at Carbondale is a “fun place to get serious with God.”

Gathering Center Survey

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