God continues to bless us with thousands of visitors each year from across the United States and around the world. An estimated 20,000 guests share worship with us each year. Some Sundays our attendance exceeds 500. many of you worship with us frequently and some of you spend several weeks or months in the Smoky Mountains each year. We greatly appreciate our visitors and consider you an integral part of our congregation.

Our congregation has about 50 families with about 140 adults and children. When those five families first met on August 30, 1992 it was difficult to envision all that God had planned. We have added to our existing building twice in the past few years doubling the seating capacity, but some Sundays it is still barely adequate. We purchased 0.8 of an acre for parking at the cost of $350,000. This debt was retired early in about 3 years with the help of many of you.

However, we are again facing a critical need for expansion. We do not have enough classroom space to serve the needs of our children and those who visit, or to meet our teaching program objectives. We are also filling our auditorium to capacity, and sometimes over capacity much of the year and the current restrooms are inadequate. The men of the congregation have evaluated our needs and have concluded that we must look at building options to meet this growing need.

The city and state will not allow another addition to the existing facility without meeting major building codes and addressing major drainage problems which would be created with this kind of expansion. These costs for renovation and minor expansion have been estimated to be extremely expensive and would still not solve all of our problems. We believe the most viable an most effective solution is to build another facility on our existing property.

We have engaged an architect and engineer to assist us in making a determination as to the best course of action. Work thus far is preliminary, but it has been determined that we can build a new facility on our property, complete with auditorium and classrooms, for approximately $1.5 million. To convert our existing facility into classrooms and build a new auditorium is estimated to cost $1.1 million, if the city codes will allow. We are reviewing all options and it is our intention too find the best value possible. However, regardless of which option is chosen, we strongly believe we must act now to begin raising the necessary funds to meet this challenge.

Our goal is to raise $500,000 before we begin construction. We are asking our members to do everything possible to support this building program, with funds as well as personal resources. In addition, we are asking our visitors to also consider assisting us in raising the capital needed to make this goal. Your fervent prayers are coveted as we seek to let God lead us in this effort. We request the assistance of our visitors through personal gifts, or through taking this need back to your home congregation,

With visitors from 25%-35% of the states most Sundays, as well as many foreign countries, we are strategically placed to share the gospel with many of the 11 million who come to the Great Smoky Mountains each year. We are a small group of Christians with faith in a big and capable God. With His guidance and your help we can meet this challenge. Will you join us in this effort?

Check back often to see how we are doing with our fund raising efforts!

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