Harvest Christian Church

I've mentioned a few times that we were scrambling to get things ready for our grand opening. We did it....
Saturday there was an open house with free BBQ lunch and tours of the building. No one counted how many people came through, but I would guess around 500. Then Sunday we had our first services in the new building. I did count the people in the sanctuary, but not all the kids or people working... still, we are guessing about 600 people showed up!

I was able to get some photos of the building and wanted to share them with you....

This is what you see when you walk in the front doors...

looking down at the foyer and across at the offices...behind that staircase is the cafe

looking down from the other side. The open door you see is the library / bookstore (I'm the head of that) and then behind the staircase is the children's wing. There is a Bible study / meeting room on the upper level and a sound proof recording studio.

the sanctuary

Children's wing...I think it would be so much fun to be 5 or 6 years old and walk down this hallway for the first time. It's done so creatively and colorfully!

At the end of that long hallway is a staircase that takes you up to "The Bridge" - this is where the 3rd - 6th graders meet on Sunday mornings, and where my girls go.

Back on the main floor there is a "wedding room" or nursing room. It's a beautiful space where brides and bridesmaids can get ready for the wedding - or where nursing moms can relax and feed their babies in private if they wish.

Our new building also has a full-size gymnasium! It's gorgeous and the plan is to have it open twice a week for community use - a family night and a men's night. There is also a track that runs around the top,  and a lounge on the upper level and weight room on the lower level. Also...locker rooms with showers!

The gym is on the lower level of the building and just outside the gym are the jr. high and high school youth rooms. One is more of a meeting room where they have services on Wednesday nights and the other is more of a lounge / game room.

Back upstairs...this is the counter at the cafe.

Overall the church is serving coffee from I Have a Bean located in Wheaton, IL. Not only is it good coffee, it has a cool mission. The roasting company exists to provide former inmates a second chance at integrating into society by providing them employment. Also, the majority of drinks served are done so in real mugs, so we are cutting down on waste. So the coffee we serve in the foyer on Sunday morning is free-trade, mission supporting, environmentally friendly and delicious!

The cafe offers a few espresso drinks and there is a minimal charge for them. There is also a stage in the cafe and Kevin and I got to be the first to perform on it at the open house.

This is the fellowship hall...didn't get a good photo of it. There is a small dance floor for wedding receptions.

Now we are at the bookstore / library. This is primarily a library, but we are selling a few things. I scored these bookshelves from the Christian bookstore at our local outlet mall that went out of business this summer. It was a lot of work setting this up, but I loved it. I'm such a nerd when it comes to books and organization!

First time visitors are given a card with a coupon for either a free coffee drink and mug OR a free Bible - so that's what you are looking at here...the free Bible supply.

Sign on the information desk right inside the front doors. Why is coffee bigger than baptism?

Here's a little display I set up for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes...

And our newest missionaries were at our opening services. Jim and Kathy Tierney are headed to Kenya full time to live among and minister to the Pokot people. We are their sending church and it was an honor to have them celebrate with us on our opening day. They live in Redmond (Bend)...about 3 hours away.

There is actually quite a bit more I didn't show you.... the kitchen is nice (it was a mess so I didn't take a photo), many storage rooms, a green room (for guests and worship team), an apartment where our friends are living, many offices and classrooms and a large meeting room for the Spanish speaking church that will meet in our building eventually.

If you saw where we have been meeting, you would be even more amazed at just how incredible this new building is ... and what a step of faith it was for us to build it!