Lincoln Christian Center Update to Prairie Partners Baptist Association, October 18, 2008 Submitted by John M. Miller

The new work/restart of Lincoln Christian Center is the primary new work focus of Prairie Partners Baptist Association. This is a summary of the busy summer of activates.
Capitol Heights Baptist Church--has given much support to these activities. They have housed teams, prayed, and shared people to help with this new start. The building at Capitol Heights was developed and equipped to take care of large teams and it has been used many times this summer. Teams for Lincoln have been a primary beneficiary of their generosity. Capitol Heights has a mission vision for Bismarck.
Riverwood Baptist – housed the team from Akron Ohio, led by Eric Thoman, this year and for the other years he has brought a team. Riverwood has developed a lasting relationship with that team. Financial Support – for which we are very thankful. A significant anonymous gift provided about half the funds needed for the building. A gift from one PPBA congregation has been received, plus gifts from several individuals. In addition, two congregations in Mississippi sent gifts. Some local contractors lent equipment without charge. Gabe and Mildred Churchwell--have given their time and resources to coordinate the building construction work at Lincoln. Gabe and Mildred, who live at Leakesville, MS, have made several trips to help with the work at Lincoln, Capitol Heights, Ft. Yates and Cannonball. They have pulled trailers full of tools, bedding for teams, gifts for Ft. Yates and Cannonball. They have put many, many miles on their diesel truck to help us. They became connected with the work here through Roger and Ruth Gilbert, former interim pastor at Capitol Heights.
Work and ministry teams-- have been a part of Lincoln this summer. The slab was poured in early May.

The first building team came in early June. The George and Green Associations, of Mississippi, sent a team of 25 people who stayed at Capitol Heights. They completed the frame, roof, outside doors and part of the siding.
The second building team was a combination building/ministry team of about 30 people from the Grand Crossing and Crossroads Associations, Missouri, coming in July. They hung sheet rock and worked on the interior of the building. They also teamed with the group from Akron to do VBS, youth and other types of ministry.
The third team came from Akron, Ohio. Eric Thoman has led this team the last four years. They completed VBS, youth and door-to-door contacting every home in Lincoln at least 4 times during the week. A celebration time at the church site registered 175 people from Lincoln. The fourth team was led by the second team leader, Wes Hammond, who brought nine men from the church where he is pastor, FBC Paris, Missouri. They completed hanging sheet rock, finished the stairway, and completed the ceiling and part of the outside siding.
The fifth team was from Prairie Partner churches on October 4. Twenty people from North Hill, Cross Roads, FBC Mandan and Capitol Heights completed installing the siding, cleaned and carried materials upstairs, seeded the lawn, worked on sheetrock finishing and hung interior doors. Work and individuals--Luke Bell, Charles Woody, John Miller, Jake Ehli and Berna Miller have given many hours of labor helping complete the building. Henry Kaelberer, Word of Life, New Salem, landscaped the building site and helped with the siding. He borrowed his son’s truck and landscaping tractor to haul 20+ loads of dirt put around the building. What is still needed:

Finances & work needed: about $35,000 to finish the building and repay a private loan. A boiler needs to be purchased to heat the building, outside siding needs to be caulked/sealed, soffit and fascia needs to be installed, outside needs to be painted. Sheetrock needs to be sanded, primed and painted. Floors need to be sealed. Locks need to be installed. Exterior doors need to be painted.
Services being held in the building:
TeamKid has been held at the Park Building for a couple years, and met for the first time in the building on October 1.
Adult Bible Study has met for about a year at a pizza place, and met in the building for the first time on September 30.
Sunday Morning Worship has been meeting at the pizza place since early this year. They met in the building for the first time on Sunday October 5, after the Association work day.
Community will use the building: The Lincoln Administration Building is being renovated, and our building will be used as Polling Place for the general election. People of Lincoln are looking forward to having a community meeting place.
Eric Thoman--has expressed his interest in coming to the area as a Church Starting/Catalyst Missionary. He would be an employee of the DBC and work in Region 2. Badlands is willing to help fund Eric. He will only be funded at half time (about $16,000) so will have to find other employment, which is a challenge for him.
New Work launch and building dedication-- We have set the date, March 15, 2009 to be the dedication date and new work launch. David Sealy, former pastor at FBC, Mandan, will be a guest musician for this special event.