Downtown Update


FUMC Downtown has become a reality, something that we were only dreaming about a few weeks ago. The Lease Agreements are in, we have the keys and we are ready to begin working.

We checked out a place in Mt. Airy last night to get some ideas and a shopping trip is being planned for this weekend. We are looking for Bar Stools as a Coffee Bar is going to be built in front of the cabinets that you see in the picture. We are in need of a nice but COOL sitting area that will be in the front window area. Couch or couches, chairs, stools, coffee table. Smaller table and chairs for study areas and just places to drink your coffee and fellowship with friends. Maybe some area rugs to place on the floor in various spots.

The plan is to get wireless going so that the teens and college students can come in and work on homework or just surf the net as they often do. We will be planning Coffee House nights with SouledOut and other local groups and individuals who like what we are doing. There could be open mic nights, the possibilities are unlimited.

This is the Youth Downtown Center but the building will never define who we are as a group of Christians,it is only a place for us to meet and introduce opthers to Jesus Christ. Therefore we will be opening the building for other groups to meet. I have the desire to start a Bible Study for just out of high school and 20 somethings. Again the possibilities are only limited to our imagination.

My office will also be in the downtown location. I am going to need bookshelves and several of them. I plan to box some of the books I no longer use and try to sell them on Amazon. You will likely see me running downtown some days on my lunch break.

What a way to meet new people.

Let me know if you want to help out in any way. We are excited as Christians to be a part of a larger church with a great vision to see lost people come to know Jesus Christ.

Ronnie

 

 

 

9 comments on “Downtown Update

  1. August 19, 2008 Chuck Dawn

    Ronnie, I would suggest that one could have bookshelves that are for sharing. As you know we as people and Christians get overloaded in books. With this in mind your place could also be a place that people leave books that they no longer read so others can read them. A free library check out system could be used just for friendly reminders of how long they think they will need the book, and someone could call to see if they are finished with it. Looks like a great work for the Kingdom.
    God Bless this project.
    Peace in Christ,
    Chuck

    Reply
  2. August 19, 2008 Chuck Dawn

    Ronnie,
    I also viewed a show on TV about home office remodling. In this show they gave an idea that “old doors” could be used as desks. In this idea the door is mounted to the wall via hinges, the door hole in th edoor for the door knob is a place where cords could be put through for computers and electronics. The legs they suggested to be two drawer file cabinets. I thought this was a good idea for my home office and it may be a good cost cutter in this outreach. I have found “used doors” here (where I live)for less then $10, the file cabinets can be found for AROUND $20 with locks for storage. This is $70 for a desk top that would seat two work stations, with a latch installed (a hook latch is $1 the doors could be folded up on the wall for the use of space during special events. Also this is a way that you could recycle some materials instead of them ending up in the landfills.
    Just a thought about a show I viewed.

    Reply
  3. August 19, 2008 Dina Slusher

    Praise the Lord!

    As a previous youth minister, I know what the benefits of the project can do for the youth and adults of our community. I commend your efforts of getting out of the aquarium to go soul fishing. What a tool you can be to reach others for Christ, to uplift those who are discouraged, to be a friend to those who feel they have none, and to share the Good News! Please know that I will be praying for God to bless your efforts and am already thanking God for what He is going to do there in His name!

    Reply
  4. August 19, 2008 Chuck Dawn

    Ronnie, in reply to your email I would love to be there, but as we both know the geographical placement of us in ministry is in God’s hands (as it should be). Maybe you guys could use another Associate Pastor. Ha. Ha. Ha.
    Man I have a million ideas, and one big one was it being the outreach center and an “off campus” worship center. To reach the people that are afraid of or have been pushed away from the church “building”.
    The desk Idea was one that if you held worship services then you could fold up the desks and put out chairs.
    An idea of a coffee house, using the coffee beans from places that we (as a church) support, and they even have flavors to make the flavor coffees that have became popular (I had some this summer at a school that I attended and it was very good, and the cost was cheaper then out in town by half). The Conference could help you with that information. The money would help support the ministry in your area and also the purchase of the beans would help support the poor farmers of other countries.
    The outreach office being in the off site location, this is a good place for offering Celebrate Recovery (which is a great program not sure if you are aware of it), and it is so easy to get professional counselors to donate time for this.
    Having an afterschool hangout, I thought of a nickname of “detention” this is a place for kids to come and not run the streets.
    Having t-shirts for the youth group ours was called
    G. A. N. G. Gods Awesome New Generation. Or S. O. A. R. S. could be a good one Saints Of A Risen Savior. Man you could have hundreds of these.
    A Latino service would go well anywhere.

    So many ideas. So easy to do. All we have to do is get out of the pew.

    I am jealous. I am very jealous.

    Reply
  5. August 21, 2008 Kallie

    As one of the privleged youth that attend the FUMC I am completely and 100% ready for this step “out of the box.” For any youht readers: dont miss out on this chance to help change our schools, our county, our state, heck THE WORLD!!! Dive in, the waters great!

    Reply
  6. September 2, 2008 Barb

    Call LSNet for wireless service. They are 4 doors away from you!

    Reply
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