UPDATE FROM PASTOR JOEY AND THE GOVERNING BOARD
MAY 24, 2024
Happy (almost) Summer, Bear Valley! I cannot believe that the 2023-24 school year has officially come to an end. We have some fun summery things planned over the next few months, beginning with red, white, and blue popsicles that will be available for you to enjoy after the service this weekend. As we move into a time of the year when some of our ministries wind down, and others slow down, I have three important updates I want to share with you.
UPCOMING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
First, I want to update you on some upcoming capital projects made possible by your generous giving to the Strengthening Our Place to Stand capital campaign. To recap, there were several major projects that were included as part of the plans for this campaign. The first and most significant piece of the campaign was the replacement of the water cooling towers and Worship Center air units that were at risk of failure. The final cost of procuring and installing these HVAC components was over $1.3 million, which we were able to pay for without taking on any debt. Praise the Lord!!!
However, there were several other projects that were included in the total campaign goal, including resurfacing and restriping the parking lot, replacing all flooring on the upper and lower levels of the building (with the exception of the Worship Center), replacing the exterior emergency exit stairs, and modernizing the elevator. These capital projects were put on hold due to prices that were cost-prohibitive at the time the original bids were received.
With this update, I wanted to share some exciting news about the next phase of projects we are looking to complete this summer and fall that have been made possible by the Lord’s provision through your faithful generosity. The Board has approved the allocation of a portion of our cash reserves, combined with your continued campaign contributions, to complete the following projects (in order of estimated completion dates):
- Flooring: We have contracted with Carpet in Motion to replace the upstairs flooring in the Gathering Place, hallways, and stairs. To ensure longevity and aesthetic appeal, the current carpet and linoleum squares will be replaced with vinyl plank, and the rolled carpet on the stairs will be replaced with carpet squares and a rubber bullnose that will prevent wear and tear and slipping. This project also includes replacing the flooring in two Preschool Ministry rooms downstairs. This project will begin immediately after the close of Kids Camp, and there will be minimal impact to our schedule while installation takes place. (Estimated Cost: $67,000 // Estimated Completion: June 2024)
- Exterior Painting: We have received three competitive bids for repainting the exterior painted metal flashing, tower, doors, and downspouts. This project will also address any rust issues that have been identified. (Estimated Cost: up to $16,500 // Estimated Completion: Summer 2024)
- Parking Lot: We have received three competitive bids for milling, resurfacing, and restriping the parking lot (Estimated Cost: up to $248,000 // Estimated Completion: Fall 2024)
- East Exit Stairs: We have hired an engineer who will assess our options before moving forward with a final decision on repair or replacement (Estimated Cost: up to $80,000 // Estimated Completion: Fall/Winter 2024)
SEARCH UPDATE: STUDENT PASTOR
As we announced in March, Pastor Austin will be stepping out of the Student Pastor role at the end of July to follow God's leadership for his next steps in ministry, which means we will be in need of a new person to step into this role. We officially launched the search for our next Student Pastor on May 2 and have already received a healthy number of resumes for this position. I have been reaching out to qualified candidates to continue assessing their potential fit for this important role, and I will keep you up to date as this search progresses.
SEARCH UPDATE: CONNECTIONS PASTOR
I want to start by recapping the update I gave on this search earlier this year. In January, the Governing Board appointed a five-person Search Team to receive and review resumes for the newly created Connections Pastor role. Over 140 resumes were received, and after reviewing the candidates that met the minimum qualifications for this position, the team conducted multiple interviews with the final candidates. On the recommendation of the Search Team, the Governing Board met with a final candidate on Wednesday, May 15. After further discussion at a Board meeting on May 20, the decision was made to extend an offer to this candidate to become the Connections Pastor, pending their acceptance of the position and the church’s affirmation at a Special Called Meeting.
I am excited to inform you that Jeremy Hart has accepted the offer to become the Connections Pastor at Bear Valley Church. For 25 years, Jeremy served in local churches in Littleton and Kansas, thirteen of which were as the Adult Ministries and Growth Groups Pastor at Foothills Bible Church. Jeremy currently serves on the staff at OMF International (formerly China Inland Mission, founded by missionary Hudson Taylor) based in Littleton. Jeremy and his wife, Jill, have been married for 30 years, and they have two adult children. A bio with more information about Jeremy will be available soon!
The next step in this process is for the members of Bear Valley who are 16 years of age and older to affirm the Board’s recommendation that we bring Jeremy on as our Connections Pastor. You will have an opportunity to vote to affirm Jeremy for this position at the end of the service on Sunday, June 9. I want to encourage you to make plans to join us on June 9 so you can participate in this important step!
WAYS TO PRAY
In closing, I want to provide a few prayer points as we enter the summer:
- Pray for God to move powerfully in the lives of our elementary children and volunteers through our upcoming Kids Camp (June 3-5).
- Pray for unity around Jeremy Hart, our candidate for Connections Pastor, whom we will be voting to affirm at the end of the service on June 9.
- Pray for the person God is preparing to serve as our next Student Pastor. My prayer is that the Lord will make it possible for this individual to kick off their ministry with us as close to the new school year as possible.
- Pray for our students as God prepares their hearts for this new Student Pastor who will support them and their families as they seek to know, love, and follow Jesus.
- Pray for Pastor Austin, Darcy, and Charlie as they complete their ministry at Bear Valley and continue preparing for the next step that God is leading them to take.
- Pray for our Student Ministry mission teams heading to Camp Barnabas (June 7-14) and Cambodia (June 15-28) next month.
I know this was a lot of information, but I believe all of it is important and exciting. As always, feel free to let me know if you have any questions!
Blessings
Joey Jernigan
Lead Pastor