"Happy, Happy, Happy"

Scenes from our dedication service, Sunday, September 15, follow.  The Rev. Paul Summer, Assistant to the Bishop of the Southeastern Synod, presided, and was assisted by Rev. Sandy Niiler, Rev. Bob Lashuertos, and Rev. Don Stradlund.  Special thanks to the choir of Faith Lutheran Church, Clay, Alabama, under the direction of Fred Ehrensberger, and members of the Faith congregation, who made the trip.

If you're reading this, special thanks to you, too, for your interest, your thoughts, and your prayers. You have helped us more than you will ever know.  If we have learned anything over the last couple of years, it's that we are not a chapel.  We cannot stand alone.  And we are not alone--in fact, we were never alone to begin with.  We are who we are, now more than ever, because we have connected and will continue to connect with others in a community of hope.  We are part of the body of Christ, joined across the miles, the ages, with you and with all the saints.

Worshipers sing 'Jesus Loves Me' outside the new church building at the start of the service.  That hymn was last sung during our first service after the 2011 tornado.

Rev. Paul Summer addresses the congregation outside the church at the start of the service.

Ken Peters, Church Council Chair, addresses the congregation.

Elaine Kreps, Building Committee Chair, addresses the congregation.

Mary Jo Lakin, Organist, Christ Lutheran.

Dr. Adam Bowles, Accompanist, Faith Lutheran Church.

Fred Ehrensberger, Director, Faith Lutheran choir.

Rev. Donald Stradlund reads. 

Rev. Paul Summer preaches.

The processional cross, bent but unbroken, was recovered by a neighboring church and returned to Christ Lutheran.

Rev. Sandy Niiler with assistants and the choir of Faith Lutheran.

Our hope in ages past/Our hope for years to come.

We Are Gathered

Home at last!  The City of Cullman issued our occupancy permit on Friday, July 26, and we held our first worship service on Sunday, July 28.  Scenes from the event are shown above.  As you can tell, it was a very happy morning.

We'll hold an open house soon--please watch this space for details.  And thank you, now as always, for your support and prayers.

Yes, It's Been Awhile!

Yes, it's been awhile, but I think you'll see that the wait has been worth it! The church building is almost complete, down to the organ, pews, and stained glass window behind the altar.

Pastor Sandy leads a tour of the sanctuary.

The pews show the motif of the Good Shepherd window.

The baptismal font, altar, altar railing, pulpit and other wordwork were created by a parishioner.  What a gift!

You might want to look back in this blog to April 2011:  That was the last time this hymnboard was pictured.

This is the floor of the fellowship hall:  polished concrete, including the  motif of the Good Shepherd window.

The exterior of the sanctuary.  Before we can move in, sidewalks and landscaping need to be completed.  That time will come soon!

The building exterior, looking northeast.

Finally, a Luther seal will be spray-painted onto the floor of the narthex. Cool!

A coda:  As I post this good news today, I ask that anyone reading this please keep in prayer the good people of Oklahoma, Texas, and much of the central United States.  Devastating storms--on the scale of the storms that devastated us two years ago--have taken many lives, homes, and livelihoods.

Foundation

The Good Shepherd congregation gathered early on a cold Reformation Sunday morning to tour the construction site and witness a baptism.

An exterior view of the new building, facing northeast.  The sanctuary sits on the right; the new fellowship hall is on the left.

The new building is coming right along.  The roof is on.  The foundation is thick.  Even on a cold morning, the new building had a warm, inviting feel.  Part of the sanctuary is shown, above.

The 'Good Shepherd' stained glass window will fit into the custom-cut frame, above.

The corridor linking the sanctuary to the fellowship hall is shown above.  Offices and Sunday school rooms will go to the right; storage and bathrooms, to the left.

The fellowship hall is shown above.

 

Pastor Sandy Niiler baptizes a young church member, above. 

The smile says it all:  It's a great time to be a part of Christ Lutheran Church!

Upward

Framing of the sanctuary has begun (pictures courtesy Pam Kreps). 

We've had some wet weather recently, but work is progressing steadily.

Sanctuary

More pictures from Pam Kreps:  These show the site of the new sanctuary.  The view immediately below is facing east.

Office space and Sunday School rooms will connect to the sanctuary.  Fellowship space will adjoin the office/Sunday school portion of the building.

The large brick building located directly to the east of the building site is the Klein Building, which used to house a dairy.

The Sunday School and office section is shown above.

The site of the fellowship hall.