At the Lakeville City Council Meeting on Monday, September 18 …

City Council Chair:
... There’s a motion and a second [to grant Bethlehem Baptist Church approval to build a church facility in Lakeville], any further discussion or questions?

... Roll call please.

Clerk reading roll call [each council member said “AYE”]:
Anderson: aye
Mueller: aye
[and so on …]

City Council Chair:
Motion carries. Congratulations!
When do you anticipate breaking ground?

City Council Member:
Tomorrow!

—laughter—

Jon Hendricks:
Before the end of the month.

City Council Member:
OK, great! We’re excited for you!

See full clip ...

On behalf of the South Campus Building Committee, we are thrilled to announce a Groundbreaking Ceremony for our new 24/7 ministry facility!

Immediately following Monday night's unanimous city council approval, our South Campus building team, Jon Hendricks, Klaas Van Zee, and Ron Vrieze (Pastor Chuck was in Nashville for a worship conference), met with general contractor Norm Schroeder from Anderson Construction to review details on the construction contract for site preparation and grading.

We want to invite you, our church family, to gather with members of the building committee, the builder, financial lender, Lakeville city officials, elders, and pastors as we don hard hats and take up shovels to praise God and inaugurate this long-awaited step forward in the “Fill These Cities: 25 x ’25” vision.

Please join us this Sunday, Sept 24, at 3pm for a Groundbreaking Ceremony on the land on Kenrick Avenue. (Note: There is no parking available at the building site; shuttles will be available from Lakeville South High School; sign up for a shuttle by Sept 21.)

Under the Old Testament priest Ezra, all the Levites and people gathered to give thanks for God’s goodness to his people. As a people, let us unite to magnify his goodness.

And they sang responsively,
praising and giving thanks to the Lord,
“For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house
of the Lord was laid.
—Ezra 3:11–12

Rejoice with us as God leads us in the vision to “Fill These Cities” south of the river.

I look forward to seeing you there!