Bittersweet

As of Monday morning 6/3, 2019, we have received our C.O. and are allowed to use the new building. We will be worshiping in the new building starting this Sunday 6/9 @ 10:00. There is still quite a bit of “stuff” that needs to be done before we meet Sunday AND as Pastor Tom has mentioned, “This is just the beginning. We are not done.”

This news is bittersweet as Pastor Tom mentioned in his message this past Sunday. Though the building of the new building was done quite expeditiously, the journey to this point has been a long time in the making. About 40 years ago, the UMC churches on the North Fork started to notice and understand the decline in the worshiping community. Talks started as to what could and should be done in the congregations but nothing proceeded. It wasn’t until just recently, 5 years ago, that we started to move forward. It was God’s time for this part of our journey to occur. We stand solidly on the foundation of Jesus Christ but we also “stand on the shoulders” of the saints that have come before us. All the people who have stood firm in the resolve that we, as a body of Christ, WILL NOT let the message that JESUS CHRIST, OUR SAVIOR, is ALIVE and WELL on the North Fork of Long Island fade away.

In the formation of the NFUMC, we remember those who have come before us. Those who built the congregations, that built the buildings, that were sold as each congregation closed. We have heard the story many times before of churches closing due to declining membership and failing buildings , BUT this story was different. To honor God and Give Him glory, This church REFUSED TO DIE. We are humbled by the sacrifices that have been made to get us where we stand today, in the presence of God in this blessed place we call the North Fork of Long Island. We are the North Fork United Methodist Church and we are better together.

May we always go with God!

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Moving Day

We are extremely close to moving in to the new building. We are praying to solve the exterior lighting issues early on in the week and get signed off for our C.O. by the end of the week allowing us to worship in the new building. The A/V equipment has been pulled from the old building and will be installed in the new building this week. Watch here for updated information. If we receive our C.O. awe will need help to move the Sanctuary, nursery and Sunday school furnishings into the new building Thursday, Friday and Saturday in preparation for Sunday worship. If we do NOT get our C.O. we will be worshipping in the Cutchogue location (old school). Keep checking the website and your email for updates.

So Close

The doors are in, the tress and plants are planted, the irrigation is irrigating and everything has been given a good cleaning. Just a few more things to check off the list and we will receive our CO and we will be IN. so my question to you is……Are you ready? Are you ready to be a witness? Are you ready to open up and share you life with the people who are drawn into our presence? Are you ready to share the love of the Lord with the community that is in such need of it? If not, you better get ready because it’s coming soon. This is not q finishing point but a step into our next chapter of members of the NFUMC. Let’s be prepared to join God in this wonderful mission

peace

Counters and Communications

We are seeing more progress on the building every day.  It won’t be long now.  Exterior railing for the stairs has been installed.  The Granite tops in the Kitchen are installed (and looking lovely I might add).  And the communications grid is filling up more each day.  Phones are installed and we have WiFi working.

I have a question for you.  Are you Ready?  Are you prepared to talk about our missions and ministries to the community that shows up? if not, talk to someone who was at the service this past Sunday.  Amy gave a wonderful overview of most of the ministries we are involved in (or check out our ministries tab).  Are you Ready?  Are you ready to welcome the community to worship?  Are you Ready? Are you ready to tell the community about your relationship with Christ?  Are you Ready?  Are you ready to help someone have that same relationship with Christ?  I’ll ask you once more.  ARE YOU READY?


Prayer Warriors

Today, we were visited by the NYAC Prayer walk. Members from the New York Annual Conference of the UMC visit all of the churches in our conference and prayer for each church, their locations and their ministries. At 4:00 we all gathered and walked through each room of the building, praying for the ministries that will occur in this place.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for all you have given us. Please allow us to stop and listen for your word so that your will may be done here on the North Fork and that Christ may be made real for all those that we come in contact with. AMEN

Let's Have a Seat

Saturday April 6, a large group of members from the NFUMC gathered at the new church building to “move some chairs”. Many workers made for light work and we all felt the presence of the Holy Spirit amongst us as we worked and fellowshipped together. Enjoy the pictures from the day

Getting Closer

For those of you that were able to join us for the service this past Sunday, we were met with pieces of green masking tape placed on items in the Sanctuary and throughout the building.  These are the items that we are taking with us when we move.  Pastor Tom opened the service by asking who was going to come with us to our new home, at which point he handed out some more green tape that everyone applied to themselves as a reminder that things are moving along and so are we. 

The solar panels are installed and generating electricity.  Most of the lighting is installed and working. The bathroom plumbing has been installed. The cabinets have been delivered and should be installed this week. Countertops are being measured and ordered.  The flooring should be finished by the end of the week.  The Sanctuary seating is being delivered this week.  The air conditioning units have been delivered.  Let me repeat that…..AIR CONDITIONING……. That will be a pleasure.   Target date is still the middle of May but that all depends on us getting our CO that will allow us to worship.  Let’s fire up the prayer warriors and pray for smooth sailing through the rest of the process with the town and the inspectors.

Next time you run into Pastor Tom or one of the church trustees, thank them for the wonderful job they have done moving this along.

Enjoy some newer pictures. 

Until next time,

Peace



"All Church Meeting" - The next chapter

It’s another beautiful day in the neighborhood.  Snow is falling and more to come, which can only mean one thing.  Easter is coming!  But seriously, we are nearing the end of the build and the beginning of a new chapter in the life of the North Fork UMC.  Last Easter, we received the good news that we were ready to build and we are on schedule to be receiving the new building around Easter this year.  A great big “Thank you” to all involved (Trustees, Pastor Tom, Seifert Const. and so many more) But above all a giant Thank You to GOD for providing us with all that we have. 

At this point in the build, we are getting to the finishing aspects and are planning on the “move” to the new location.  To keep the congregation informed and answer any question that there may be, we will be holding an All Church Meeting in the Cutchogue sanctuary after a short Admin Council meeting.  The meeting will be March 5th starting @ 6PM.  Caroline has been great at keeping all of our meetings to 1 hour, so we expect to be done and on our way home around 7.

In the mean time, here are some pics taken yesterday.

Looking Good

I stopped by the new building to get some pictures.  Looking good.  But more than looking good, it FELT good.  I walked in the doors and felt peace flow through me.  I felt comfort and awe.  And you know what….it made my day.  I could feel the presence of God in this place and it’s my prayer that the people working on the construction also feel this presence and comfort while they are there.

It's Picture Time

Here’s some pictures of the progress inside. Rock is in. Taping and priming is being done and we should start to see some millwork being installed soon.


We're Rockin

I stopped by the site last night and the rockers and tapers are having a field day. The Sheetrock inside looks to be done. Spackling, taping, sanding and priming is in progress and all I can say is WOW. I can’t wait to see it all in the light and get some pictures to share with everyone. Coming soon.

I don’t know about you but I’ve been hearing a lot of “scuttlebutt” around town about the new building and 99.9% of it has been positive. People around town are getting excited and questions are being asked. Are you ready to answer them? As I stood in the middle of the new sanctuary last night taking in the enormity of what is happening on the North Fork, I said a little prayer of Thanksgiving to God. Then taking to heart what we have been talking a lot about lately, the fact that this is a listening place, I stopped and listened for God and heard SILENCE. (Not for the first time I might add).

I knew that God was telling me something in that silence. I was missing something. So I walked the rest of the building and was amazed. As I walked into the fellowship hall, the kitchen, the class rooms and finally the gathering space, the same thought kept on coming back into my mind. WOW, THANK YOU GOD! This is going to make an impact on what we can do!

Walking back into the sanctuary, I said a final prayer thanking God for the silence and the time to open my eyes so I could hear Him (If you can’t wrap your mind around that statement, check out the “God Speaks” sermon).

After walking the building, seeing what we have and reflecting on the “scuttlebutt”, God’s voice came through loud and clear…….

“Alright, I got their attention……What are WE going to do with it?”

Brothers and Sisters, What are we going to do when this building is ready? Are we going to move inside and keep this Amazing gift of God’s grace to ourselves? Or are we prepared to throw open the doors and invite the seekers, the lost, the lonely, and those who have yet to hear about Our Savior, in to experience the wonder and love that God Has for ALL His children. God has gotten their attention, it is now up to us to invite them in to meet their Savior.

When the building is done, the work has just begun

The Fence is Down

Just a quick update. The fence is down. The landscaping is looking good and we have the first layer of asphalt laid in the parking lot. Drywall is going up as we speak (type & read). Now that the site is cleaned up a little, we can schedule a member walk through. For those interested, we will meet in the parking lot this Saturday 12/9 @ 10:00 AM. Dress warmly.

Looking Good

Wow! Things have been moving along quite well on the new building. The outside is looking great with the first layer of parking lot being prepared. The inside is really shaping up with all the utilities going in, appliances being ordered, cabinets being designed, flooring selected and millwork being discussed. A great big THANK YOU goes out to Pastor Tom for taking the extra measures to keep things moving.

So now here’s my question for you. Are you prepared? How are you getting ready for the attention we will be receiving once we move? Are we listening for God’s voice? Are we giving God all the Glory in all that we do? As we prepare to come into the season of Advent, let us remember that this is a season of beginnings and of new birth, a season of anticipation and expectations. A season of preparation. Let us prepare ourselves for this “new beginning” by listening for God’s voice.

Peace

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Been a Long Time

It’s been a long time since our last post and I don’t want anyone thinking that we have fallen off the face of the earth. This is just to give you a quick update on the status of construction and we’ll have pictures and more info later on in the week. The steeple is getting a trial today with a Nor’easter working its way up (or is it down) the North Fork today. Don’t think there will be too many Punkin’ pickers in the fields today. Anyway, 99 % of the exterior siding and trim is done. We’ve buried quite a bit ion money in the ground recently with all of the drainage that has been put in and we should have a rudimentary parking lot in soon. Electric, HVAC, plumbing, and media contractors are hard at work installing all the that they need to get in and Thank You God we are just about on schedule. I’ll try to get some pictures when I won’t be in the way of the contractors. Until next time……KEEP PRAYING and most of all listen for God’s response. He has a big job ahead for us and we want to make sure we are ready when He calls.

Topping Out

Well, yesterday was the day.  Beautiful calm weather allowed us to raise the steeple to the top of the cupola.  8:00 arrived and with the crane in place, the steeple began its ascent to the roof.  Rebecca was there getting pictures and was highly impressed with the expertise and cooperation between the crane operators and the crew from Seifert Construction.  It's all bolted in and looking good.  Great job guys!

Til next time here are some pictures

Peace

Moving on up

So the summer is moving along and this past weekend was absolutely gorgeous.  But,  over the next few days, summer plans on reminding us that it hasn't given up yet .  Hazy, Hot, and Humid, Oh My!  But it's not just the temperature that is on the rise.   Our steeple has arrived and the plan is to have it raised and installed sometime during the week after Labor Day.  Information on when that may occur will be sent out on Faithlink as soon as we get it and I'll try to post it on the website.  Word is that this will put the height to the top of the cross right at around 50'.  A beacon to the community.

Gee, where have I heard that before?  To be a beacon to the community is what our mission is.  We have been given the great commission by Christ,  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  We are called to be a beacon TO ALL, a lighthouse in the storm, assisting people in any way that will draw them closer to the Lord.  My prayer is that whenever we see the cross high in the sky we will be reminded of our mission.  And that whenever the lost, the least or the lonely, the seekers, see that cross they'll know that they can come to this listening place and find a warm welcome.

Prayer request for the day: Pray that the steeple may be a reminder to all that this is a place where all are welcome.

Prayer quote for the day: I'm feeling called to share this with you today

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
― Francis of Assisi

Enjoy the pics

We're coming along

It's been a while since I have posted.  The framing is up, and the building is almost completely sheathed (covered in plywood) at this time.  Exterior trim work should be going up soon along with the roofing. Windows are expected to come in in the middle of August and the steeple should be arriving near the end of the month.  Things are moving along nicely so let's keep up the prayers that they continue to do so.  Small glitches and hitches, which are always expected, have occurred but for the most part we are right on course.  Give a great big "Thank You " to God for that.  

People around town are noticing and are commenting (most positive) and are asking questions.  Here is your opportunity to help build the church.  When people ask you how the church is coming along mention the building BUT more importantly mention what the CHURCH is doing.  Talk about worship. Talk about ministries and missions. Talk about visitations. Talk about the food pantry, angel tree, Operation Christmas child, Backpack ministry, Heifer international, the prayer shawl ministry, and all the other works that the CHURCH is doing. Let them know that the NFUMC is here for them. By building this church building, God is giving us the opportunity to build HIS CHURCH.  Let's not miss out on this gift from God.

Prayer request for the day: Prayer of thanks to God for the opportunity He has blessed us with

Prayer quote for the day:  Everything you need for your destiny is within reach. Pray that God will open your eyes to opportunities, people and resources. - Malika Nura

Peace

 

Video Tour of Where we are now

On June 30, Pastor Tom led us on a tour of where we are in the building process.  the heat of the day reminded us all of how welcoming AIR CONDITIONING is going to be in the new building.  Rebecca stayed behind after the tour and took some videos and we made a youtube video that was shared on Sunday.  For those of you who missed it or would like to share it with friends, you can find it on our GALLERY page under VIDEOS or the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s3LacQ9P_0&feature=youtu.be

For those of you interested in how the material gets to our site, here is a good link to a delivery we received.  Thank you Riverhead Building Supply

https://www.facebook.com/rbscorp/videos/1989548837746551/

Until next time........Peace