Last Day at the Warehouse

Well, today marks the end of an era. You long time readers know that GCC has a separate facility just for the students - the Warehouse. And because of the impending move to a brand new building, today was the last time middle school and high school will meet in the Warehouse. After the CpR (high school) service today, a bunch of people came and tore down the bleachers with chainsaws and moved everything out. (There is another facility for the next two Sundays before the new building on January 1.)

When D and I first came to GCC in 1996, we had no intention of getting involved with students. We had already done that, for 10 years, at our old church. We were toasty fried burned out, and needed to just go to church. But once a youthworker, always one I think. We, like a lot of people, couldn't help but be impressed with what the church was investing in students. At that point, both LC and CpR were meeting in room 100 - a large classroom. A few months later, the body was asked to give a little extra to renovate a warehouse space across the parking lot - just for students. D tells me that it was $40K and the body came up with it in one month. That was enough to tell us that we should maybe check out the student ministry and see whether it was a place for us.

Too many memories for me to recount, but all of them center around an environment - not just a building - where students feel safe, where there is passionate and dynamic worship, where a community exists where they and their friends want to be. And even more to me, the building will always remind me of a place where we took some students, gave them a vision of who God is and His passion for their friends, and sent them out to change the world.

To the Warehouse and all who made it what it is, thanks for being integral in the launch.

And have no fear, GCC's new building also has space for students too, also called the Warehouse.

Photo: the Warehouse in it's 2nd of 3 configurations (stage is to the left, note the soundboard in the top center), April 2003. Click for larger view.