“Without a vision the people perish...” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV)Over the last year or so, I’ve shared several “In The Works” articles about various ministry and facility-related initiatives that are currently in various stages of development at East Cobb UMC. Today I again want to share a brief update about just a few of these that may be of interest to you:
● First, let’s remember a few Recently Completed Initiatives that I hope you’ve already been enjoying, including our e-newsletter (launched last summer 2010); our new logo and some initial pieces of marketing for it (like our car magnets, shopping bags, and pens); and our new Education and Activities building doors (installed last December 2010 as part of our long range facility development plan).
● In preparation for our new permanent outdoor monument sign, our church property was recently rezoned “commercial” so that we could obtain permits for an LCD/color electronic sign that will be a focal-point of our property from Roswell Rd. The sub-committee working on this project is currently soliciting plans from three companies and will be meeting soon to decide on one that we will bid out. It is possible that work could then begin on construction of this new sign as early as this summer. The new sign is a second part of our long-range facility development plan.
● Redevelopment of our church website– currently we are researching companies that are offering comprehensive, integrated “Content Management Systems” that would help us overhaul not only the website content itself, but potentially offer us an improved online giving site, interactive online calendar capability, a confidential congregational directory, a new communication platform for our e-newsletter, cyberspace document storage, a cell phone app, and more. The Web Design Ministry Team hopes to have some kind of recommendation for a new site by summer, with implementation as soon as funding for the project can be found (this is not in our annual ministry budget)
● Georgia D.O.T. Roswell Road Construction – our top (west) entrance is almost complete, with the sidewalks poured and deceleration lane and entrance initially paved. Final pavement will come after they complete the Roswell Rd. median. Also still to come is work on a new two-way commercial lower (east) entrance, as well.
● Our Strategic Planning Team continues its work on a 5-year Strategic Plan for our entire church. We have met with an architect who helping provide us with a process by which we can determine what facility development and expansion priorities are most needed, and in what order. Our plan is to have some recommendations ready to share with the congregation by late Spring or early Summer of this year. As mentioned above, two pieces of the plan that are already in place or in progress are the new doors and our upcoming new outdoor/monument sign.
● Narthex Bathroom Renovations – the long-range facility development plans will most likely include recommendations for a new set of state-of-the-art restrooms near our Sanctuary. In the meantime, however, our Trustees this year are currently working on plans to renovate the current Restrooms located just off the Narthex. Look for these renovations to occur later this Spring.
● Parking Lot Blacktop Resurfacing and Restriping -- now that we have a new single top (west) entrance, we are exploring what it will take to both resurface the entire parking lot (or at least temporarily patch pieces) and to restripe the parking areas to reflect our new traffic patterns entering from and exiting to Roswell Rd.
● Fellowship Hall Wi-Fi... is now available! Complimentary use is now open and available to any individual or group who needs use of Wi-fi in that facility, upstairs and down. Thanks to Richard McCauley and Robert Mantell of the Tech Support Committee for making this possible.
As I’ve said before, all of these are in various stages of development, and some will require approval from various levels of our church’s leadership along the way. To find out more detail about any of these initiatives (or if you have input, ideas, or expertise that you’re willing to share to help accomplish them), please email or call the church office (770-971-3643 or email here), and we’ll have someone from the appropriate group respond to your specific question(s).
In the meantime, continue to pray for your church leaders as they seek God’s will and wisdom for all of us, and remember that God’s mission for us of being “A Mosaic of God’s Family: Gathering, Growing, and Going” is one that will require all of us to do our part in order for it to be accomplished. Remember that God loves you and I do, too!
● First, let’s remember a few Recently Completed Initiatives that I hope you’ve already been enjoying, including our e-newsletter (launched last summer 2010); our new logo and some initial pieces of marketing for it (like our car magnets, shopping bags, and pens); and our new Education and Activities building doors (installed last December 2010 as part of our long range facility development plan).
● In preparation for our new permanent outdoor monument sign, our church property was recently rezoned “commercial” so that we could obtain permits for an LCD/color electronic sign that will be a focal-point of our property from Roswell Rd. The sub-committee working on this project is currently soliciting plans from three companies and will be meeting soon to decide on one that we will bid out. It is possible that work could then begin on construction of this new sign as early as this summer. The new sign is a second part of our long-range facility development plan.
● Redevelopment of our church website– currently we are researching companies that are offering comprehensive, integrated “Content Management Systems” that would help us overhaul not only the website content itself, but potentially offer us an improved online giving site, interactive online calendar capability, a confidential congregational directory, a new communication platform for our e-newsletter, cyberspace document storage, a cell phone app, and more. The Web Design Ministry Team hopes to have some kind of recommendation for a new site by summer, with implementation as soon as funding for the project can be found (this is not in our annual ministry budget)
● Georgia D.O.T. Roswell Road Construction – our top (west) entrance is almost complete, with the sidewalks poured and deceleration lane and entrance initially paved. Final pavement will come after they complete the Roswell Rd. median. Also still to come is work on a new two-way commercial lower (east) entrance, as well.
● Our Strategic Planning Team continues its work on a 5-year Strategic Plan for our entire church. We have met with an architect who helping provide us with a process by which we can determine what facility development and expansion priorities are most needed, and in what order. Our plan is to have some recommendations ready to share with the congregation by late Spring or early Summer of this year. As mentioned above, two pieces of the plan that are already in place or in progress are the new doors and our upcoming new outdoor/monument sign.
● Narthex Bathroom Renovations – the long-range facility development plans will most likely include recommendations for a new set of state-of-the-art restrooms near our Sanctuary. In the meantime, however, our Trustees this year are currently working on plans to renovate the current Restrooms located just off the Narthex. Look for these renovations to occur later this Spring.
● Parking Lot Blacktop Resurfacing and Restriping -- now that we have a new single top (west) entrance, we are exploring what it will take to both resurface the entire parking lot (or at least temporarily patch pieces) and to restripe the parking areas to reflect our new traffic patterns entering from and exiting to Roswell Rd.
● Fellowship Hall Wi-Fi... is now available! Complimentary use is now open and available to any individual or group who needs use of Wi-fi in that facility, upstairs and down. Thanks to Richard McCauley and Robert Mantell of the Tech Support Committee for making this possible.
As I’ve said before, all of these are in various stages of development, and some will require approval from various levels of our church’s leadership along the way. To find out more detail about any of these initiatives (or if you have input, ideas, or expertise that you’re willing to share to help accomplish them), please email or call the church office (770-971-3643 or email here), and we’ll have someone from the appropriate group respond to your specific question(s).
In the meantime, continue to pray for your church leaders as they seek God’s will and wisdom for all of us, and remember that God’s mission for us of being “A Mosaic of God’s Family: Gathering, Growing, and Going” is one that will require all of us to do our part in order for it to be accomplished. Remember that God loves you and I do, too!
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