Throughout Phase 1 of the Building Project, Brayton Construction regularly provided us with pictures of the campus, updating us on the progress they were making. 

This page is a historical progression of those pictures.

(To see the campus site plan, some floor plans, and renderings of what we thought the building project might look like when completed, click HERE.)

Some work has begun on the land in preparation of church construction. In the pictures below, you'll be able to see that the house and some barns have been demolished and removed from the property, and ground has been moved for the future detention pond. 

In these pictures, you can see that the outline for the chapel building has been dug out to prepare for the foundation. You can also see the size of the eventual detention pond, as well as the layout for some roads and parking lots.

In these pictures, you can see the following:

The construction area doesn't look significantly different this week compared to last week.

This week the work on campus was focused almost exclusively on getting ready for the pouring of the chapel's concrete foundation.  In the pictures below  you can see that the underground utility lines have been installed. You can also see the careful work necessary to prepare the rebar. The concrete foundation is scheduled to be poured beginning at 3:00am Tuesday morning, September 24th. 

We reached a significant point of the project this week when the chapel foundation was poured on Tuesday morning September 24th starting at 3:00 AM.  The pictures below show the finished product, as well as an arial shot taken while the foundation was being poured (fun fact: the drone taking that picture got stuck in a tree shortly after taking that shot - but don't worry, the drone was later rescued without being damaged).

Next week they'll be getting ready to frame the building! As of now, the project is slightly ahead of schedule. 

Running utilities (water, gas, electric) to and through a campus of the size of ours (21.5 acres) requires a great deal of planning and work. The utility lines underneath the concrete foundation were set in place many weeks ago, but this week the work of installing the longer underground utility runs throughout the campus began. You can see pictures of that process here.

You can also see in the last picture that the workers have graded the area around the building foundation, giving it a nice clean look.

The builders continue to prepare for the framing of the chapel building by marking the exact wall locations on the foundation pad. We should begin to see walls going up shortly.

The building is beginning to look like, well, a building :) Interior and exterior wall framing for the office and gathering spaces is well underway. Next week, the framing for the much taller walls of the worship space will make the building site look quite different.

Interior and exterior wall framing for the office and gathering spaces continues. This week the framing for the much taller walls of the worship space have added quite a bit to the look of the site.

You may recall that, in addition to the chapel that is being constructed, we are also installing sewer and utility lines for all of the buildings that may eventually be on this campus. According to the Master Site Plan, that includes a preschool, elementary school, high school, and an eventual larger church building. As a result, the campus is a bit of a mess right now as these lines are being installed. But it's a beautiful mess when we consider the many souls this campus will eventually serve once these phases are complete. :)

Additionally, interior and exterior wall framing for the chapel, office, and gathering spaces continues. We are expecting that the very large trusses for the worship space will be installed by the end of next week. We'll be sure to include pictures next week if that does indeed happen.

The pictures below may not look like much, but a lot of work - both underground and above ground - has gone into preparing this level dirt path, which will eventually become a concrete road and the main entry to our campus and chapel. That makes it a pretty important road. God-willing, over the next many years, it will bring many new individuals and families to the message of God's love for them in Jesus. 

This road is scheduled to completed over the next few weeks. Once it is, it will be the road on which you'll drive to see the construction project with your own eyes for the first time.

Additionally, when this road is done, construction on the campus pickleball courts will begin, and we'll have access to the small renovated house on the property, which will be used for meetings and smaller Bible study groups. 

The full shape of the building is much closer to being in place after many of the roof trusses were installed this week. This work will continue through next week and the week after, and soon, we will have a fully enclosed building!

As work continues on the roof trusses, we're getting ready for our next concrete pour. One of the main roads on the campus, along with what will be the main parking, was being prepared this week for a concrete pour that will take place in the next 1-2 weeks. Once this part of the project is complete, we will have much better access to the campus - and we will be able to start using the renovated church house for meetings and Bible studies.

This week sheathing began.  Sheathing is the process of adding boards to the exterior walls and roof of the frame.  Soon, we will have a fully enclosed building!

This week sheathing continued.  

Below, you can see some new aerial pictures of the campus. These were taken as some of the concrete work for the road and parking lot were being finished. 

No pictures to share from this week other than the Beam Signing Event on Dec 15th.  

Below are just a few of the many pictures from the Beam Signing (Holy Graffiti) Event on Sunday Dec 15th at the church construction site.

The primary work of this week and the last half of last week was installing the large roof trusses over the sanctuary worship space. Just a few of these were installed at the time of last week's Beam Signing Event, and it provided a great feel for how large the worship space will be. Work will continue on the trusses next week.

This week has been very productive on the campus. Nearly all the roof trusses for the worship space were installed, and more than a few concrete trucks returned to campus to finish the main roads we're installing as part of our Phase 1 campus plan. 

The Lord has blessed us with a great building team and, so far, good weather that has allowed them to work steadily on this very large project.

"How big is the worship space?" is a question we've been asked frequently. It seems that when the questions is asked, there's another question behind the question; namely, "Is the worship space big enough?"

We've included a picture below that may provide some perspective. This first picture was taken from the back of the worship space. Standing at the 'front' of the church in this picture, wearing a construction vest, is Carson Mattek. He's standing at the place where the pastor would stand when leading worship. Carson is a few inches taller than his dad, but he looks pretty small compared to the building around him. If you've been to our weekly worship at the funeral home, we think you'll easily see that Carson here looks quite a bit smaller in this picture than Pastor Mattek does when you're standing at the back of the funeral home chapel looking toward the front. In other words, the chapel under construction has a great deal more space than the chapel in which we've been worshiping. 

That doesn't mean it won't one day be too small for just one Sunday morning worship service. But for now, our current average worship attendance would need to more than triple in order for us to begin to feel cramped in the new space. 

Also, you may notice the new steel beams at the front of church (behind Carson). These were installed this week and will hold the large windows that will allow us to enjoy the God-created beauty of the campus while we worship.

The campus is developing nicely - both the chapel itself, as well as the roads and infrastructure.

As of this weekend (i.e. Jan 19), the building is nearly closed in entirely (just in time for some potential snow) as installing the roof decking has been the primary task lately. Additionally, the campus electrical is being installed, and concrete sidewalks have been poured. The campus and building are certainly taking shape. 

On Saturday, January 25th the electrical walk-through took place. This is when we walk through every part of the project to make sure every aspect of the electrical work is exactly where we want it to be.

Joining the construction team for the walk-through was Elisabeth Schaser, the designer of our project, from Front Porch Design Studio.  She led the team through every room in the building making sure the design of the building will complement the practical needs of the day-to-day ministry. 

Besides the electrical walk-through, this week we also had site visits from the civil engineers for the project and the landscapers.  Both were asked to come and evaluate if the project is moving along according to their expectations. Their initial on-site evaluations were very positive.  Both will provide a more formal report that may ask us to consider some specific steps that could help preserve the long-term health of the building and the beautiful oak trees that surround it.

Weather-permitting, the exterior of the building will take some significant steps toward its final look next week as the exterior brick is on-site and scheduled to begin installation.

As of the latest calendar update from Brayton Construction, the project is still on schedule. They anticipate a project completion date of June 27th, though, of course, much can change between now and then.

As anticipated, the exterior of the building is taking some significant steps toward its final look this week as the exterior brick is on-site and being installed.

Both the exterior and the interior of the building looked significantly different by the end of this week compared to last week. 

Many of the interior walls are taking shape with drywall sheets being hung over the insulation. Additionally, the windows for the gathering space and office wings were installed.

This week also marked the beginning of the pickleball court installation. A space large enough to hold three pickleball courts was cleared and is now ready for the next steps of laying the foundation for the courts and building them. It's anticipated that the pickleball courts will be ready for use quite a few weeks (maybe even months) before the chapel construction is completed.

Weather-permitting, roof shingles will arrive next week and be installed.

As anticipated, shingles started being installed on the roof this week.  Most of the west side of the office/gathering wing was completed by the end of the week. The rest of the building will be completed throughout next week - weather-permitting. Getting the shingles on the building is a significant step as it allows work to be done inside the building regardless of the weather outside.

We welcomed a special guest to our campus on Saturday Feb 15th.  Brian Roser (pictured) from the WELS Church Church Extension Fund (CEF) was visiting the area from Wisconsin and requested a site visit. CEF is the organization that is financing our construction loan. As part of their ministry to WELS home mission churches, they provide sizable grants to help keep costs down. Our church received a $750,000 grant from CEF for this project - a very generous blessing from our Lord through the faithful ministry of Mr. Roser and all who work at CEF.

The work done this week is incredibly helpful in giving us a picture of what we will see during worship each week. In the pictures, you can see the space designated for the windows that will be installed in the chancel area (the area from which the pastor leads worship).

As you look out those windows from the inside (the first picture), you will see much greenery from the trees behind it. This is intentional as part of the design to help us more easily rest in the solitude of God's nature as we gather for worship to rest our souls in the solitude of our Savior's love.

The window frames and windows for those openings will be installed within the next few weeks.

This week all of the roofing shingles were placed and some of the sanctuary windows were installed, as was a great deal of the exterior brick, making quite a difference in the overall look of the building.  It really looks like a building! 

Next week work will continue on the exterior finishes and major work will begin on the interior insulation and drywall.  Additionally, construction on the pickleball courts is scheduled to next week.

Installation of our campus pickleball courts began this week and is scheduled to complete around the end of April - which means we'll be able to play pickleball on campus a few months before the building is done!

The first picture below shows what the construction of the courts on campus currently looks like.  In the picture, you can see the pad on which the courts will be installed, as well as some of the fence posts that will hold the fencing and wind nets. Because the completed courts might be difficult to picture from that view, we've also included a rendering of completed courts that will look similar to ours. One major difference between the courts in the picture and ours is that our courts will have lights so that we're able to play when it's dark outside.

We plan to use the courts not only for church events, but also as a way to invite our neighbors onto the campus and help them feel like our campus is a very comfortable place for them. We are in the process of planning how court time will be scheduled, both for church members and community members. But the goal is that this will be a place where our community will easily interact with our church and, God-willing, create great relationships that will lead to opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus.

It may have been a while since you've looked at our church brochure. But there we say that we're building "A Campus for the Community - where all ages can worship, learn, rest, play, connect and grow." The installation of these courts helps us accomplish many of those things

The church building looks very different from day to day as dozens of workers are typically there each day doing their work. Most recently, installation of the window framing for the large windows at the front of church has begun and will continue early next week. Additionally, the hallway, office, and gathering space walls are nearly completely covered with sheet rock. They'll begin hanging the sheet rock on the walls and ceiling of the worship space next week!

This isn't pictured here, but the concrete base for the pickleball courts was poured late this week. The courts are scheduled to be completed and ready for use in just over a month.

Brayton Construction has provided us with another group of aerial photos. You can see that the building is progressing nicely. The weather has been great lately, so they've been able to accomplish a lot over the last couple of weeks. Since the below pictures were taken, the large open field near the front of campus has been seeded for grass, more exterior brick has been placed, and the interior sheetrock installation has continued.

The front entrance of the chapel has recently received a lot of attention as the brick work was completed this week. The circular and arched entrance ways set a visual tone that is matched throughout the building. Once the building is completed, you will see that the front entrance circle, in particular, will easily draw your attention to the sanctuary (worship space) as you enter the building.

The worship space (sanctuary) interior walls are almost entirely covered now with sheetrock (drywall). Behind those walls are thousands of yards of wires, conduit, pipes, insulation, wood framing, and various parts of the heating/cooling system - all installed in just the right place and way that we won't notice them when we gather to worship.

Installation of the interior beams began this week. You can see two pictures below - one that shows the actual progress, as of this weekend, and one that shows a rendering of the completed worship space (without the chancel furniture). You can see that the project is coming along nicely compared to our initial expectations.

You'll have to look a bit more closely at the other two pictures to see the updates there. The updates include installation of the exterior lights. They are turned on in these pictures, though in the daylight they may be difficult to see.

Since the building is now fully enclosed and protected from the weather, a great deal of work has begun on the interior finishes. Here's what you're looking at in the following pictures:

A lot of progress was made this week on the installation of the large interior wooden beams. You can see that progress in the first two pictures below.

Next week the landscaping will begin to look considerably different each day (weather-permitting).  Framing for the patio area is in place, and a very robust team of landscapers will be working every day to install what will be a beautiful and beneficial outdoor space for the church.

Also next week, we anticipate sharing pictures of our nearly-finished pickleball courts. As anticipated, the courts will be ready for use a few months before the building is ready. 

We'll show more pictures of the chapel construction next week, but we wanted to use this week to update you on the pickleball court progress. There are two remaining parts of this project - painting the courts and getting electricity to the site, both of which are near. Once the forecast gives us a few days without rain, the courts will be painted. Electricity will be needed for the lights, which will be useful for those playing in the morning and evening. 

You can also see in the pictures below that there is a sitting area connected with these courts. That area includes four picnic tables and one garbage receptacle, all of which are secured to the concrete so we don't easily lose track of them :)

We're installing these courts to serve two purposes - fellowship and outreach. Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the country right now, and many of our church members, friends, and family already enjoying playing it. We've already had church pickleball events on other local courts at which players of all skill levels and all ages have had a great time together. We plan to use our own courts regularly for these types of fellowship events. 

Because of the sport's popularity, we also anticipate that the courts will bring many of our neighbors onto the campus and give us opportunities to interact with them and, God-willing, serve them in meaningful ways with the Gospel. The courts are directly across the parking lot from the new chapel. Anyone who plays won't be able to miss it! 

The courts will be open to the public, but we will have the ability to easily reserve them for church events when needed. 

The building is changing significantly day by day! 

This week was one of preparation - getting ready for some significant next steps on campus. 

The steeple cross was installed on Friday May 23rd. This relatively small part of the project makes a big impact on the building, giving the community a highly-visible reminder of what our church is about. "We preach Christ crucified," the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians chapter 1.

We've mentioned the high quality of our building team many times since the beginning of the project. It's worth mentioning here again. The cross was fabricated and installed by Stonemark Designs out of Huntsville. This is their first contribution to the project, and they were outstanding from beginning to end. Their team cares about churches, values our ministry, and gladly invested far more hours into this project than any of us thought would be necessary to install this significant feature of our campus. At one point, one of their workers spent about 6 hours in a tiny, humid crawl space beneath the steeple to install the proper attachments for the cross.

The pickleball courts are nearly complete!  The nets have been installed. All the lines have been painted.  Some touch-up work will be completed on Monday June 2nd of next week and the power for the court lights is yet to be connected. But after that, we will be able to start using the courts.

The interior flooring took some major steps forward this week as installation in the visiting areas and chapel began and will likely be completed next week sometime.

The concrete for the front entry walkway received a lot of attention this week. The pictures here show various parts of the installation process, which include pouring, coloring, stamping, and sealing the concrete. None of these pictures show the completed detail of the walkway. Those pictures will be available in the next week or two.

You may not immediately notice in the below pictures what we're highlighting this week, but ... well, that's kind of the point. We don't want security to be the first thing people think about when they come to church. But we want everyone to feel safe.

That's why we're investing in cameras and a security system for our campus and building. 10 cameras are being installed inside and outside our chapel that will give us the ability to monitor all campus activities, even when we're not on campus, as well as the ability to respond in real-time to any incidents that would require immediate attention. 

Additionally, we are in the process of assembling and training a Security Team of church members that will regularly oversee and evaluate the security of our campus. This is one team we, of course, pray will never have to jump into action. But we live in a world that has a very real need for a Savior from sin - sin that sometimes shows up in unexpected places. We want you to know that your safety, and the safety of those you love, is very much on our minds. That's why we have cameras and a security system. That's also why we regularly offer prayers for you and your loved ones. Your safety, and the safety of those you love, is always on our heavenly Father's mind. 

Now that the weather seems to have calmed down a bit, the campus landscaping will be receiving a great deal of attention. We should have some great pictures to share soon!

Brayton Construction has provided us with some recent aerial pictures that show how close we're getting to the finish line of this project. One of the pictures is a nice shot of our completed pickleball courts.

The next set of aerial pictures will likely look very different. Outdoor landscaping work is beginning and, weather-allowing, will receive many hours of attention next week from dozens of landscape artists. We should have some exciting progress pictures to share sometime very soon.

Outdoor landscaping work began in earnest this week and will continue next week. The outdoor landscaping project will install many different types of bushes, shrubs, trees, and flowers around the chapel. The outdoor patio will be a large space for gathering and will include an outdoor fireplace, an outdoor grill, and multiple seating locations. An irrigation system is being installed as well, to keep our new greenery healthy with regular watering.

This week had more workers on campus than any previous week, as many different aspects of the chapel building project were being completed. Besides the work that's being done to complete the building and landscape, many items that we will use for ministry on a regular basis are being delivered and installed next week.

The first picture shows the piano that was delivered last week Monday June 30th. It's a Kawai baby grand piano.

The second picture shows many of the Audio-Visual components that will be installed next week, starting early Monday morning. This is a very complex and important part of the project, as we will be using the sound and video system for every worship service, Bible class, and event held in the chapel.

The remaining pictures show the ongoing work of the outdoor patio installation. You can see that much has been completed, though much more will be done next week to complete what we hope will be a very comfortable and enjoyable gathering space for all ages.

Though we're a couple of weeks away from the first scheduled worship service in the new chapel (August 17th), this will be the last weekly update. The look of the building and landscaping will still change slightly, but not substantially after this point.

This week, representatives from TheMission, the building team, and the architectural firm met on campus for the first of two punch list walk-throughs. This is where we evaluate every aspect o the project down to the smallest details and identify any items that need to be fixed or adjusted by the builder prior to considering the project completed. While the list had a couple of dozen items, there was nothing substantial. It was mostly cosmetic fixes. Our builders have done a great job! The chapel is nearly ready! Another walk-through will take place next week to evaluate progress once again.

The pictures below show the latest exterior updates. The patio and landscaping are nearly complete. Our outdoor space will be a wonderful area for gathering. It will soon include seating for dozens of people. The landscaping provides a very 'finished' look to the campus.

We don't have any updated pictures of the interior to share, but it was a very busy week in the worship space as the Audio-Visual installation put in many hours. They installed speakers (inside and outside), lighting, projectors, televisions, and connected our audio connections to the soundboard, which sits next to the camera controls (there are five livestream cameras installed in the worship space) and lighting controls (you'll be amazed by how we'll be able to control and adjust the lighting in the worship space). Much of what they installed will be basically invisible to the average worshiper's eyes. In other words, they won't get in the way of anyone being able to focus on the message from God's Word that will be shared each week. All of this is installed to enhance that.

There is one particular part of the audio system that is worth mentioning. We are installing a system that will easily provide sound directly to a person's hearing aids in order to help those who have hearing difficulties to get the most out of worship each week. 

Because there will be very few parts of the project that will change over the next few weeks, we are anticipating that there won't be new pictures to share as we move forward. 

We are grateful to God for how he has guided this project.