The Chadron Church in Chadron, Nebraska, has been rebuilt from the ground up. In only four years, the needed funds of over $2 million were secured or pledged, allowing us to break ground this past April.
What began as a meeting to address needed repairs and updates to our aging church building resulted in a mission for a brand-new facility. Personal sacrifices paired with blessings and miracles from God proceeded to rally us on throughout the process.
One of our crucial cost reduction strategies was to utilize Maranatha Volunteers International. In July, over 30 volunteers arrived from all over the United States and abroad to frame the new church and install the sheathing. This group, along with our own members, dedicated their time and wide range of skills to the construction. Though most helped at the building site, others were in the kitchen preparing the 58 large meals needed during this three-week endeavor.
The Maranatha volunteers not only helped our church financially, but also impacted our members in a deeper way. Our gratitude is impossible to fully express for each volunteer and the Maranatha organization. However, our appreciation will continue to influence the outreach projects our members are involved in, both inside and outside our new church’s doors.
The community has also taken notice during the construction process. The local radio station and newspaper featured updates on our project, and our members are asked about our new church on a regular basis.
People in the community post excited comments on our church’s Facebook page and even share pictures taken of our new building. It gives us marvelous witnessing opportunities.
On the final Sabbath with Maranatha volunteers, the first baptism in the new church took place. Performed in a borrowed stock tank placed on a cement stage and surrounded by bare stud walls, our members and new friends all witnessed the ultimate purpose for working on this project—to lead people to Christ.
Each step of this project has been moving for our Chadron congregation. Most of all, it is amazing to see what God can do when we make Him and His mission our priority.
Kimmie Owen is a member of the Chadron Church in Chadron, Nebraska.
