We moved into our present location in June 2016 after operating in rental accommodation for about 6 years. Then, the general consensus among the members was that a permanent place of worship for the church would significantly aid our growth. We will be able to hold all our regular weekly services unhindered, and it will help us to restructure our children’s and teenage churches programs (which are presently underdeveloped due to lack of space). We also believe that a permanent place, especially one that is owned by us will afford us a great opportunity to once again engage in community based activities such as shelter for the homeless, a group home, food pantry, summer feeding, provision of kindergarten education for children in the community, engagement in community education and GED for our youths and others who did not make it through the High School System for one reason or the other and conduct of other evangelistic programs. We are also planning to set up physical exercise rooms for members of the church and the community at large in order to encourage healthy living in the community.
However upon securing the building new challenges (city regulations, bills, building code enactments, insurance etc.) that we did not anticipate arose but we thank God that we have been able to place our heads above ‘trouble waters’ so far.
- Our remittance remains a top priority in the management of our funds and we have not and we pray we will never be backwards in the payment of our remittances.
- Payment of our mortgage has also been consistent and we thank God for His faithfulness.
- We have serious personnel (workforce) challenges in all our Departments particularly in the choir, children, teenage and technical departments and this have been a serious concern for me, which I continue to pray about.
- This acute shortage of work force has been a principal barrier in the establishment of new parish (church planting) and the question always arises as to where and how to source for workers.
- A sizable percentage of the work force (65%) is made up of teenagers and young adults and this has made the turn-over to be very high because we literarily lose them once they head for college in the city and other places within the country.
- Right now, due to lack of funds, we have not been able to engage in those laudable programs we had in mind before the purchase of the present facility. We are of the greatest hope that these programs will be launched one by one in the coming years.
Continue to remember us in your prayers
Pastor Oluwadare Durowade
Minister-in-charge