zack
Content
Resources:
Many of us at Citylight are eager to see progress on our future worship center, and are patiently and prayerfully awaiting the day we can have our first services in the place the Lord has provided for us. Below are a few updates on the current progress of construction, as well as specific ways we can pray during this time.
Construction on 4050 Main Street is coming along well, with our contractors continuing to strengthen the structure of the building. A lot of the work over the next several weeks is focused on removing unnecessary stone walls, removing concrete in areas where new stairwells will be placed, and putting in new masonry, steel beams, and concrete in other areas.
Demolition in an old building from the 1800’s has produced some interesting finds. In the spring, there was a large crack that was discovered on the side of the building that was projected to halt the project. Members of our church prayed this wouldn’t delay our project, and the Lord answered our prayers with news from the structural engineers that no further work was needed on the crack. Another unique discovery occurred when the contractors came across a large round “object” while digging a pit for the future elevator. This unknown “object” was a large round metal disk that was filled with concrete and buried underground (viewable in a photo below). Other discoveries include random underground stone walls that will need to be torn out, voids in the ground that need to be filled, and other unpredictable aspects that were discovered.
While these discoveries have been interesting, they have also led to delays in the overall schedule. The projected construction finish date is currently set for February 6th, 2025. While this date is later than what we have been praying for, our contractor is still looking for ways to recover from the delays. We will have a better understanding and a more accurate projection of the schedule by the end of summer.
Despite the projected delays, we will continue to pray for the Lord’s provision with this project. There are many things that Citylight is dependent on the Lord for to get us into this facility. Here are specific ways that we can pray during this time:
- Pray for the safety of all our contractors and vendors working on the facility.
- Pray for continued financial support for this project.
- Pray that we will have our first worship service in our new facility in December, that the timeline is not further delayed, and that our contractors are able to find paths to make up for the current delays.
- Pray for discernment and guidance for our pastors, staff, project managers, and members who have been involved as they navigate decisions.
Resources:
Welcome to our facility update page, where we can keep our members and attendees up to date with the progress on our facility at 4050 Main Street.
In early March, we were thrilled to see the Norwood Company, our trusted contractor, mobilize at our site and kick off construction. We are still in the early phases of the project, and much of March and April dedicated to crucial planning, assessments, and some necessary demolition work. The contractors are currently working on the “bones” of the building by reinforcing the core structure, or “shoring,” to continue to prepare for more construction ahead. This process of strengthening and developing the core structure while also demoing out certain parts of the building will continue for the rest of May.
As construction progresses, we’ve also begun envisioning the layout and design of each room within our new home. From furniture choices to signage placement, every detail matters, and we’re grateful for the valuable input from our church members in shaping these decisions. in addition to our pastors, we’ve enlisted teams of experts from within Citylight to help us make these crucial decisions.
We are still on track to finish the project in December. However, many things can happen between now and then that could delay the timeline. Which is why we still need your prayers! One of our bold prayers for this year is that Citylight will have a worship gathering inside our new home by Christmas. Here are some specific prayer points:
- Pray for the safety of all our contractors and vendors working on this project.
- Pray that the supply chains of the materials needed for this project are not hindered.
- Pray for discernment and guidance for our pastors, staff, and project managers as they navigate decisions.
- Pray that there are no delays to our timeline so that we can worship in our new home by Christmas.
Resources:
Dear Downhearted,
This year, 2020, has been one of the toughest and most troubling. It doesn’t seem to be ending well either. We are seeing a far greater number of Covid-19 cases than before. With new lockdown measures in Philadelphia, many have new concerns about their job security. It seems that the waves of troubles are far from over. It can be all too easy to slip into fear.
In Matthew 8:23-25, we see the following events: 23 And when he (Jesus) got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
This is a terrifying storm, one that strikes fear in even the most experienced fisherman among the disciples. It is in this storm that they have fear on their faces and terror in their eyes that they cry out to their Messiah: “Save us, Lord; WE ARE PERISHING!” Then we see Jesus rebuke them for their fear. Why? What was so wrong with their statement? We know that crying out for salvation from Christ is always the right thing to do. It wasn’t the first part that is the issue; the issue is with the second part of their plea. It is with the certainty they had of their fate, “We are perishing.” Their fear led them to believe that they were about to enter a deep dark abyss, lost forever. Fear can make us think that the worst of the worst possible outcomes is going to happen.
But they had Christ in the boat with them. It is through this same Christ that all things have been created (Hebrews 1:2). We also see in John 3:35 that, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.” When we have Christ with us, we have nothing to fear because we can have comfort knowing that the King of kings and the Lord of Lords is with us. Neither waves, nor a virus, nor a storm can escape his authority.
It is also interesting to see that the disciples were shocked at how Jesus rescued them. When they asked for his help, did they think he was going to help them swim to shore? Perhaps he had stellar rowing abilities that would get them to land? Whatever they thought, having the power to stop the storm was not one of them. Friend, Christ is far more powerful than you and I can possibly imagine.
Does this mean that we are free from storms with terrifying waves? No, because, even with Christ in the boat, the disciples still went through the storm. The waves still crashed against them. But with Christ in your boat, in your heart and in your life, there is no need to fear an impending doom. Christ is far more powerful than we realize.
In Christ,
Zack