Get in the Game :: Progress

A Setback in the Building

As most of you already know, we experienced a setback at The Fields at Carrollton Parkway. During the ice, snow and cold weather that hit the area during the first week of February, the ministry building sustained significant water damage. Pipes in the ceiling that controlled our fire suppression system burst and flooded the building. I received a call from our alarm company around 4:45 pm on February 4 that the fire alarm had gone off. When I arrived at the complex, I went to the door and discovered around two feet of water in the building. Needless to say, I was devastated.

Over the next few days, the process of cleanup and recovery began and we tried to figure out what our next step would be. We have begun the process of meeting with the builder, subcontractors and the insurance company to see what all needs to be done. Best estimates are that we will reopen in 2-3 months..

Ministry Has Begun

The first month of operations at The Fields has been wonderful. Many people are already using the facility and our church is getting the chance to build relationships with those who are visiting. Many of those who come are also asking questions about the church and its ministries. The best part is that most of these people do not have a church home.

Our guests cover the spectrum of ages and family makeup. We have a 10-year-old girls’ soccer team, young families using the playground, people practicing on the baseball fields and basketball courts and individuals walking on the trail. While all these people are coming to meet a recreational need in their life, we are looking for the opportunity to meet their spiritual needs.

We're Open

Hundreds of people joined us on October 24 for the Grand Opening of The Fields at Carrollton Parkway.

Sixth Inning Goal: $ 2,685,000 by November 30
The “Sixth Inning” of our Get in the Game capital campaign will be over at the end of November. Our goal is to raise $185,623 during this three-month period and to reach a total amount of $2,685,000 by November 30. The construction of The Fields is almost complete, but the construction costs still remain. We encourage you to “get in the game” and to give to this exciting new ministry. The money you give will play a significant role in reaching people for Jesus Christ through our sports and recreation ministry. You can give with your offering envelope or online.

Total Amount Received to Date: $ 2,532,335 Amount Needed: $ 3,467,664

Grand Opening

Believe it or not we are only two weeks away from the grand opening of The Fields at Carrollton Parkway. On Sunday, October 24, we would like for everyone to come out and join us for the grand opening ceremony. We will begin at 5:00 pm with a brief ceremony to dedicate the facility and to celebrate what God has done. Following that, from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, we will have a time when you can experience the many activities that we will be offering on a regular basis.

A variety of sports options will be set up for you to participate in or you can just take a leisurely stroll around the facilities and see what everything looks like. The playgrounds will be available to play on or you may want to shoot some basketball or play volleyball. You may even want to step up to the plate and try your luck against Casey, our pitching machine and see if you can hit a homerun!

We're Almost Home

As the saying goes, we are rounding third and heading for home. We are entering the final stages of construction of The Fields at Carrollton Parkway and the excitement is building. The planning and dreams of the past ten years as well as the months of construction are nearing the point of completion. Work continues to progress around the site. The ministry building is undergoing the finishing touch, the plaza continues to take shape and installation will begin on the playgrounds next week. Even though the building process is coming to a close, the true work is only just beginning.

The work of ministering to the community will begin once The Fields is open. The Fields has peaked the interest of many who have seen it or have heard about it. We have received numerous phone calls, e-mails and inquiries wanting to know what the facility will offer, who will be allowed to use it and when it will open. All of this has come from a facility that is under construction. Can you imagine the response once everything is completed and the complex is operational? Pray now for what your role will be in serving through this ministry.

The Fields at Carrollton Parkway

With each passing week, changes are taking place at the sports complex and we continue to move forward. To begin with, we now have a name – The Fields at Carrollton Parkway. Please visit our Facebook page and see our new logo which we will use to publicize this ministry to the community.

The look of the construction area is changing as well. Most of the common area has been hydro-seeded so we should soon have grass over most of the property. The fences that are required along Carrollton Parkway and Hwy 121 have been installed and the landscaping around it is finished. The plaza is beginning to take shape as well. The subsurface work for the sprayground has been installed and the steps leading to the baseball and soccer fields were poured.

Taking Shape

The Sports Complex is really starting to take shape. We are able to see more and more of what the finished product is going to look like each day. The soccer fields are complete and look beautiful. All of the sod has been laid on the baseball fields and the infield work has been completed. The only steps left in the process are installing covers over the dugouts and finishing the area behind the backstops where fans can watch the games.

Areas outside of the fields are getting finishing touches as well. The volleyball and basketball courts are completed and will soon have nets and goals installed. The most visible change has been laying out the 3⁄4 mile walking trail that will encircle the complex. Both subsurface layers are about 80% complete and once it is finished, a layer of crushed granite will be put over the top to give us the finishing touch. We are also finishing work on the retention pond and have this week begun work on drilling the well that will be the primary source of water for irrigating the property.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like a Sports Complex

The progress on the Sports Ministry Complex is moving rapidly. In the past month, the sod has been laid on the soccer and baseball fields, the sand has been spread on the volleyball courts, the concrete has been poured for the basketball courts, the parking lots have been finished, landscaping around the roadways has been planted, and the baseball fences and backstops have been installed. In addition, significant work has begun on the Sports Ministry Building, having been framed and roofed. Further south on the property, workers dug the retention pond, and will soon be drilling a water well so that we have the ability to water the fields using our own water.

Let There Be Light(s)

A lot of things have been happening these past few weeks in the Sports Ministry Complex construction. The most obvious change is the raising of the sports lights on the fields. But that’s not all. The posts for the fencing around the baseball fields have been set, including the posts for the backstops. The concrete for the parking lots has almost been completely poured. The foundation for the pavilion has been poured. Sand has been put on the volleyball courts. The soccer fields have been leveled with sand spread over the entire area, awaiting the actual sod to be laid in the next couple of weeks. Trees have been planted along Carrollton Parkway and Hwy 121. There have been many significant changes to the property as the construction progresses rapidly now. What has so long seemed to be only a dream is fast becoming a reality.

From Abstract to Concrete

Now it’s really getting exciting. The idea of a Sports Ministry Complex is more than just moving dirt around. This week, the concrete is being poured for the foundations of the buildings, the parking lot, and the interior road on the property. The turn lane off of Carrollton Parkway was constructed last week, and the turn lane from the Hwy 121 access road onto our property should be built in the next week. Once the concrete is poured, then construction on the buildings can begin and the weather will not have quite as negative an impact on our ability to continue construction. We should be seeing major progress over these next few weeks. In addition, a lot of work has been done on the ball fields. Irrigation lines have been laid and electrical work is beginning. Within the next month or month-and-a-half, the actual sod should be rolled out onto the soccer fields and baseball fields. We hope you are engaged in the process through your prayers, your giving, and your involvement. Continue to pray for all of the workers who are making this happen and for the Building Committee members as they work and plan with our architects and contractors.

Progress: Slowly but Surely

The rain and snow continue to hinder the construction work on the Sports Ministry Complex, but our contractors are using every bit of dry weather as they can to push the work forward. The main progress for the past month has been the installation of utilities onto the property. Our utility contractor is still working on the installation of the storm sewers. We have also completed the injection of water into the soil for stabilization purposes. If the weather will cooperate, we hope to seal the soil with a lime cap. That procedure requires the ground to be dry and to remain dry for 72 hours. Once the lime cap is in place, weather will not affect the future construction quite so much. After the lime work is done, we can then begin laying foundations for the buildings, putting in fire lanes and turn lanes from Carrollton Parkway and the Hwy 121 access road, and pouring concrete for parking lots and sidewalks. Continue to pray for good, dry weather to allow our contractors to get these phases done in the next two weeks.

Coming Soon...

In January, we installed a new sign on the Hwy 121 Land announcing the future home of the Sports Ministry Complex of First Baptist Carrollton. As construction continues, we are thrilled to let people who are driving by know about this exciting new ministry that is almost here. With regard to the construction work on the land, our contractors are still working on the installation of utilities. And soon the contractors will be laying the concrete for the parking lots, fire lanes, and the foundations of the buildings. Once the fire lanes are in, we will be able to begin construction on the buildings themselves. We anticipate all of the concrete and utility work will be done within the next thirty days, if the weather cooperates. We hope to see the construction “going vertical” (as the contractors all say) in the next 30 to 60 days. Please continue to pray for the construction process and for our church’s preparation for this exciting new ministry to our community.

Progress Continues: Building Permit Received

The month of December saw a lot of progress made in the construction of the Sports Ministry Complex. The grading was virtually completed. The picture shows the outline of the Sports Ministry Complex very clearly now. The water injection process also continued, and more still needs to be done to ensure that the soil is made as stable as possible. The City of Carrollton issued a building permit in December, which gives the green light for the remainder of the construction. With that permit issued now, we should begin seeing actual construction on the Sports Ministry Building sometime within the next month or so, assuming the weather will cooperate. It is an exciting time and your continued support and prayers are essential.

Work on the Land Continues

The grading and soil preparation work continues on the land. The latest work involves injecting water into the soil and then sealing it with a lime cap. This process essentially pre-swells the soil to minimize the expansion and contraction of the soil as the weather changes, preventing the concrete foundations and the concrete in the plaza area from cracking in the future. Soon, the utility work will begin on the land and next will be concrete and paving work. Once these processes are complete, construction of the buildings and fields will begin.

Please continue to pray for the project. Pray for safety for all of our contractors and workers. Pray for good weather to enable us to get the work done on time, and pray for the people in our community who will be reached through our Sports Ministry.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

The earthwork and clearing process on the land began several weeks ago, but has been delayed quite a bit due to all of the rain we have had. The tractors are running just as much as they can, though, and are probably moving more mud than dirt right now. The work they have done so far is beginning to show a rough outline of the property and the fields, which is exciting to see.

We hope to have a sign on the property soon showing that it is the “Future Home of the First Baptist Carrollton Sports Ministry Complex.” And we hope finally to receive our building permit from the City of Carrollton in the next couple of weeks. Please continue to pray for the whole process. Our next 100 years is going to have an exciting start!

Construction Begins

On September 23, the actual construction of the Sports Ministry Complex began. The tractors began clearing the land and leveling the ground for the sports fields and buildings. Utility work on the land should begin very soon and the foundation of the Sports Ministry Building should be laid not too long after that.

On the reverse side of this Update are pictures of what the Sports Ministry Complex should look like after it is completed. We are excited about the plans and how beautiful the entire Complex will be. We believe that this facility will become a place, not only for playing sports, but for families and individuals to hang out and to relax – for Bible study classes to meet and to fellowship together – for neighbors to picnic – for our community to gather. It will be a place to worship God and to develop new relationships with people from our community.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

Okay, so the title sounds like the beginning of a Nascar race, and we’re not building a race track. But we are finally at the starting line for our new Sports Ministry Complex. The tractors and bulldozers are on the land, the surveyors have staked out the property, and the engineers have put together the plans. Once the City of Carrollton approves our request for an early grading permit, the tractors and bulldozers will “start their engines” to begin leveling the grounds and preparing them for construction. Continue to watch fbcc.org for pictures of the construction process.

The Building Committee selected Kart Construction & Equipment Company to do all of the earthwork on the property and Llano Utility Services to put in all of the utilities for the Sports Ministry Complex. The Building Committee is working with the Sports Design Group to design and build the sports fields. Simeone Residential is the contractor for the Sports Ministry Building.The Committee has not yet selected a concrete contractor who will lay the sidewalks and parking lot or a landscaper to design and install the landscaping. So the team of contractors is almost all in place. Once the “gun sounds” with the grading permit, the construction will be going “full speed ahead” (which is not actually a race car term, but it ought to be).

When we started the Get in the Game capital campaign, Dr. Taylor challenged the church to pay off the full cost of the construction of the Sports Ministry Complex in 27 months. He divided that time period into 9 “innings.” Every three months is one “inning.” At the end of the first inning, we now have enough to pay off all of the initial preparatory work (such as the grading and utility installation) and a portion of the landscaping. As we begin the second inning, we are challenging the church to give at least another $185,000 before the end of November. That amount will pay for the cost of the remainder of the landscaping and the construction of the walking trail that surrounds the entire complex.

The Bottom of the "First Inning"

We are at the bottom of the first ... for Get in the Game, that is. We have just completed the first half of the First Inning for Get in the Game. As you remember, every three months begins a new inning as we seek to financially support this first phase of construction on our land. So far, the total raised through your gifts and from the proceeds from the sale of a portion of the land is $1,755,773. That is 29% of our total goal of $6 million. We also set a more immediate goal for the First Inning of raising $1,960,000 to cover the cost of infrastructure and landscaping. To meet the First Inning goal, we need an additional $204,227 by the end of August. After we complete this goal, we will begin raising the amounts that would cover the cost of the Sports Ministry Complex and sports fields.

What’s really exciting is that we should begin actually “turning dirt” sometime in August. We continue to work with the City of Carrollton to obtain the necessary permits to begin construction and believe that the permits will be issued very soon. Watch for pictures on our website of the construction process.

We are also still in the process of interviewing candidates for the Sports Outreach Minister. We have some highly qualified candidates. As you know, the person selected to lead this ministry has a great opportunity before him and we want to make sure we pick God’s person to lead. Please be in prayer about this.

If you have yet to give financially to Get in the Game, we need you. Please pray about getting involved through your regular giving. There is no pledge card to fill out. Your generosity will allow the church to accomplish more through this ministry even sooner than we might have expected. But for this to happen, it will take everyone. Giving is easy. Simply designate your gift on an offering envelope or give online at getinthegame.fbcc.org. We need everyone engaged to make this vision a reality. Now is the time for us all to “Get in the Game!”

The Work Continues

We are getting close to the time when we can actually begin “moving dirt” on our property. Before that can happen, though, all of the paperwork has to get completed, documents have to be filed with the City, and permits have to be obtained. We are in that stage of construction right now. Hopefully, this stage of work will be completed soon so that actual work on the property can begin. Right now, the main things that are happening are:

Our architects have submitted their drawings to the City of Carrollton. We are waiting to see if the City will make comments on the drawings or will approve them and issue a grading permit. Once we receive the grading permit, we will be able to begin moving dirt on the property.
Our engineers are receiving bids on the utilities and earthwork.
The Building Committee selected New Havens Homes as the contractor for construction of the Sports Ministry Building.
The Building Committee also selected Sports Design Group and Fields as the designers and contractors for the ball fields.
The interview process continues for the Sports Minister position. We hope to be able to bring a candidate to the church in view of a call within the next 60-90 days.

Your prayers for the Building Committee are needed and appreciated at this critical time. Keep on praying for God’s wisdom and guidance for them throughout this whole process.

A Fast Ball Down the Middle

On May 31, First Baptist Carrollton reconfirmed its support for the Sports Ministry vision with a large “Opening Pitch” offering: $116,832.42 – one of the largest single-day offerings in the church's history. With that initial offering, our Get in the Game emphasis has officially begun.

Our pastor challenged every member of the church to give – above and beyond his or her regular tithe and gifts – to the Get in the Game emphasis over the next 27 months. The goal is to raise $6 million in 27 months, which will pay for the construction costs of the Sports Ministry Complex and the first two years of its operations.

It is a tremendous challenge – hopefully, a God-sized challenge. No doubt, it would be more money than we have ever raised in such a short time period, and the accountants are scratching their heads trying to figure out how it can be done. (Head-scratching is a good sign! Read Judges 7. Gideon probably did some head-scratching of his own.) So, we will trust God to take care of the challenge, be faithful to do our own part by giving generously, and prepare our hearts to be ready to respond to the opportunities God puts in front of us.

Meanwhile, the work on the Sports Ministry Complex advances. Here’s what’s happening:

Our architects have almost finished all of their drawings for submittal to the city of Carrollton. We hope to submit everything to the city within the next week or so and anticipate that we will receive the permits necessary to begin actual construction sometime in the next 8-9 weeks. We could begin actual construction on the land in August.
The city has approved the engineer’s plats.
The Building Committee will begin reviewing bids for the construction of the Sports Ministry building at its next meeting.
We are currently receiving resumes of potential candidates for a Sports and Recreation Minister. Interviews for that position will also start this month.

Keep on praying for our Building Committee, for the architects and engineers, and for the whole process. Your support is so important, and your prayers are vital.

Work is underway

It will be a few weeks before we actually start “moving dirt,” but all of the preliminary work is happening right now:

Our engineers are working with the city of Carrollton to get approval of our plats so that the City will issue the permits we need in order to begin construction.
The engineers are also working on the grading and utility packages for our property.
Our architect has transitioned from the design development phase of his work and is now in the early phases of developing construction documents.
The architect and the Building Committee are identifying and contacting prospective builders for the various parts of the construction project.

There is a lot of activity going on in preparation for the actual construction to begin. What can you do during this time? Pray for the Building Committee as it oversees all of this work. Pray that the plat approval process with the city will go smoothly and quickly. Pray for God’s direction and guidance throughout this entire project. And pray for God’s guidance to show you what you can do to Get in the Game.