Church prepares to move from school

The Rock UMC continues to live into its mission statement even though it is now entering its ninth year worshiping at Running Brushy Middle School in Cedar Park.
The church’s mission statement is “Meeting the needs of Christians and non-Christians by working through the love and teaching of Jesus Christ.”
During the past year the congregation has initiated a Linus Project knitting circle and made arrangements so that its limited office facilities could be used by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (see more at www.dbsalliance.org).
The church shares its limited space with a Girl Scout Troop. Members are looking forward to the United Methodist Action Reach-Out Mission by Youth (U.M. ARMY) this summer, and they continue to support local ministries, including Hill Country Community Ministries.
As a growing church, with more than 100 people in worship each week, The Rock has purchased property at 1901 W. New Hope Road, right around the corner from the middle school where it has been worshiping.
The church has erected a steel building on the property. Now members are trying to finish out the building interior so that they can move worship out of the school and into their first sanctuary.
The Rock has been overwhelmed by the power of the Holy Spirit. To date, the church has completed site preparation, constructed the shell of the first building and begun interior framing. From within the congregation, the church has been able to do, or obtain, most of the following:
> Master planning coordination services.
> Initial site and building design.
> Architectural services.
n Engineering services.
> General contractor services (throughout the project).
> Full-time on-site construction management (throughout the project).
> Site clearance and preparation.
> Turnkey construction of foundation base and retaining wall.
> Turnkey interior wood framing (donated materials and labor).
> Donation of all sheetrock for the project.
> Donation of some floor covering, lighting and plumbing fixtures for the project.
With those donations the church is constructing the interior walls (using donated labor). As members work toward finishing the building, they need the help of all the laity and clergy in the conference.
To finish the building the church is going to need to sell a portion of its land.
(Members have not taken this decision lightly.)
Friends at the Austin District Property and Location Committee, Texas Methodist Foundation, and Bethany UMC, Austin, as well as other churches in the district, have reviewed the plans to sell part of the property to finance finish-out of the interior of the building. All concur that selling part of the property is the current best option.
Please pray for the sale of the land, and talk about it with your friends.
Continue to pray in grateful thanksgiving for all that God has already done for The Rock UMC. This church has survived so many devastating loses, including the loss of its founding pastor, who left in 2001 and died this past November.
The spirit of God continues to be strongly present at this temporarily homeless church. The people of The Rock UMC continue to preach the gospel and spread God’s love.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us at (512) 259-1805 or therockumc@ austin.rr.com. You can see our Web site at www.therockumc.org.