Sonrise Building Update and Opportunity to Help!

Update from December 26, 2019

As we reach the last week of the year, we wanted to give an update to those who have a heart for our ministry. Thank you for your prayer and support. Please remember that all gifts postmarked (by mail) or given this week online (see links below) are tax deductible.

We enjoyed a few days of beautiful weather and great progress on the building. I have included some pictures below. The updated date for finishing now looks to be in February. Of course that is disappointing; however, we rejoice in the faithfulness of God throughout this project. We trust His providential timing better than our own!

I encourage you to look below to read our story of this property and building if you have never done so before.

Here is the information again if you would like to be part of this project and help extend what God is doing in and through Sonrise.

You have three opportunities to help us.

First, please pray with us!! Pray that God not just provide this financial need but that God will also use this new building and acreage as a tool to help provide hope and help through Christ for those in our community. We look forward to the days ahead serving Christ and this community together.

Second, you can give toward our gap of $80,000. There are two ways you can do this. Here is a link in order to securely give online. Or, if you desire to give anonymously, you can fill out the form below and the member of our church handling the financing will contact you directly. Your gift can then be given anonymously if that is what you desire. For those of you who want to mail a check, the address is: Sonrise Baptist Church PO Box 903 Ozark, MO 65721.

Third, you can shop on Amazon or at Walmart and purchase a gift off our Amazon wish list or Walmart wish list. A few friends asked for opportunities to shop for Sonrise so our team went together and put some key items on two different lists. You can check it out here for Amazon or here for Walmart.

Here are the most recent pictures which show how much work the finishers have been able to do since the last update. Click on any image to enlarge it.

Update from December 13, 2019

Many people have asked for an update on Sonrise’s building. We eagerly anticipate worshiping in this new space very soon. We as a church consider this property and building a gift from God for which we are responsible. We take our stewardship of the ministry opportunities before us seriously. We can’t wait to love people by showing them the love of Jesus and sharing with them the Gospel. It is hard to imagine at this point all the lives God will change in this space, on this property, and as a result of future ministry here. What a joy to have a front row seat as to what God is doing through His Word and by His Spirit in our community through us!

Update on the Building

Sonrise broke ground just over one year ago. We enjoyed one of the wettest winters and springs in some time. Because of that, construction companies got behind. Yet, in spite of it, Base Construction keep striving to get this building completed – for which our church family is happy. The deadline was this week, but as you can see, we are still a few weeks out. We hope to be in the building just after the new year.

The picture above is from last evening. As they finish the outside portico, the front awaits stucco. Inside, finishers work hard on walls, flooring, restrooms, and the like.

The building consists of 14,500 square feet. The gym/auditorium combo will initially seat 250 and has a capacity of over 400. In addition to the auditorium, there are eight other classrooms, a kitchen, offices, and large atrium area. The building sits on twenty beautiful acres on the northwest corner of Ozark at the corner of Highway CC and Fremont Road.

I have included various pictures below of stages in the building progress.

The Story

God provided us the property several years ago through His incredible providence. A close friend and builder sat with me in his truck across the street from the property in West Elementary School’s parking lot discussing several possible locations for the church. We were finishing our morning together after surveying several properties. As we sat there, he remembered he had heard something from his wife about this property across the street.

This part is unbelievable. Within two phone calls, we were talking with the owners of the property. The twenty acres were the last part of a century farm owned by a brother and sister who both lived in other states. However, they planned to meet at the property the next morning to discuss next steps. They invited me to join them. The next morning I shared with them our vision for Sonrise and ministering to Ozark. We drove around the property, dreamed together, and discussed the possibilities. When I left, I just asked to let me know the sell price before they put the property on the market.

Several weeks later I was at the Ford dealership getting some work done on my vehicle when an unknown number called. I answered. The person said who he was but I did not initially recognize the name. Long story short, I figured it out. He asked me how much we were willing to pay for the other properties we had looked at that weekend. I told him the price. It was essentially about 10% of what his property was worth. He said quickly, “We’ll take it. My grandparents would love to know that our farm became a future home to a church.”

As you can imagine, all of us were ecstatic. In fact, I wanted to get a contract written as soon as possible. He and his sister said there was no need because it was ours. We moved forward and within about 60 days from that phone call, God graciously allowed us to raise enough money to pay cash for the property.

The total building project costs around $2.2 million.

Opportunity to Help

Again, many have asked to let them know where we are toward the end of the building project and how they can help us in the final push to get into the new building. For your kindness and persistence of asking, we are grateful. Some have asked for specifics and others wanted an Amazon gift list so that they can purchase specific items. For your willingness and desire to help, we are so grateful.

God has graciously provided for us financially throughout this entire project. We limited our loan to what we thought we could afford wisely into the future ($1.3 million). Through the faithful giving of our church family and a few special friends, we have raised all but the final $80,000.00. We trust God to help us get that raised in these final weeks of the building program.

You have three opportunities to help us.

Glory to God

We desire nothing more than for God to receive the glory as we strive to love God supremely and love people sincerely in our community. Thank you for praying for us!

If you want more information about giving anonymously, please fill out this contact form.