God is our refuge and strength
an ever-present help in trouble.
~ Psalm 46:1 ~
In November of last year I visited International Church with my wife to candidate as the next Lead Pastor. I preached out of Psalm 46. The main idea was: In times of trouble we trust God’s presence and God’s promise. This flood is an opportunity to put that lesson into practice. We know that the Lord is with us in this trial and we trust him to continue guiding us through it!
We know that many people have been praying (MAHALO!) and eagerly awaiting some news about the flooding and its aftermath. Thanks for your patience and caring! We will do our best to keep you in the loop with accurate information.
What’s the latest?
As of yesterday morning, a professional excavation and restoration crew has been working diligently to remove all water, waste, damaged carpet and wet walls, in order to dry and sanitize the first floor. They will be finished on Saturday.
So we’re good to go for Sunday morning?
Yes! In the sanctuary and other areas of the first floor you will walk on concrete instead of carpet. But we are able to use the facility as we normally would, for which we are very grateful.
What about the bathroom renovation?
Unfortunately, the flooding has caused a delay in our timeline for completing the first-floor restrooms. Our awesome volunteers haven’t been able to access it. We have now received the green light from the restoration company to get back in there. Thank you for your patience! Our volunteer crew is working hard to finish the project.
When will everything be ‘fixed’?
Excellent question! Honestly, we don’t know. It will take some time to assess the situation and determine what the right steps forward are from here. Our pastors and deacons will be working on that. It’s difficult to give a timeline at this point, but we should prepare ourselves for ‘months,’ not just ‘weeks.’
What can you do?
Thanks for asking! 🙂 As always, the best thing you can do is PRAY! We are trusting that God has something great in store for our church and we want to follow his direction. Pray for unity, wisdom, and clarity in how to move forward.
Some of you have graciously asked about making a financial contribution to help International pay for the restoration. You can give in whatever way works best for you! (Giving online is safe and easy.) Please don’t feel pressure to give to this restoration project; but if God leads you to do so, we appreciate your generosity and obedience to Him!
If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to serve you however we can!
Thank you for your understanding, flexibility and prayer!
With you, for Him,
Scott Custer
Lead Pastor
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