If you’ve been wondering when we’ll start seeing dirt move on the new Children’s Wing and Parking Lot - you're not alone. I’ve been through the commercial building process twice before, and I still hoped things would move faster than they are. While ground hasn’t yet been broken, here’s an update on the behind-the-scenes progress.

First, What’s Still the Same?

Our direction hasn’t changed since Dreams and Desserts, or the updates shared in worship. We’re moving through the necessary steps to complete final building plans, get estimates from our contractor, and send everything to the bank for the loan. As soon as we have firm construction dates or final plans, we’ll schedule a church-wide meeting to share more.

Now, What’s New?

We’ve had a sweet opportunity: a local excavating company—one that already has a strong relationship with our contractor—has offered to donate fill dirt and build the pad for the future Auditorium. This wasn’t part of the original Phase 2 timeline, but it will save us tens of thousands of dollars. That’s a big win, and it’s worth adjusting for.

We’ve also been fine-tuning the Children’s Wing design, and it’s nearly finalized. Once the construction documents catch up, that piece will be ready to move on.

What’s Already Happening?

• Civil engineering drawings for both the Children’s Wing and the Parking Lot are either complete or nearly complete.

• Survey crews have already been out at the property doing critical prep work where the new parking lot will be.

• Civil planning for the Auditorium pad is underway (again, thanks to that donated work).

I know it really feels slow because we’re ready to go - and that’s a good thing.

No one feels the urgency more than our Children’s Ministry and Parking Team. They’re excited…and constrained from overcapacity. That’s no fun and they were ready yesterday. To our volunteers that deal with overcrowding issues every Sunday, thank you for dealing with this while you serve God to love others. We are pushing harder than ever and haven’t forgotten you.   

But as we’ve experienced before, God does important work in seasons of waiting. When we built Phase 1, we prayed and saved for three years before breaking ground and it was better in the long run. We’re not waiting that long this time. I still believe we’ll see construction begin this summer, but allow God to mature us during the waiting. 

So, stay hopeful—we’re closer and God is faithful to those who go ALL In with Him. 

Jeff

This weekend, families all across our community will gather to celebrate their graduates. These HUGE milestones are a celebration of the hard work, time, and talent of students who are filled with excitement and anticipation for what their Next Chapter might hold.

Not wanting to miss an opportunity to celebrate with families, our church came together to honor a remarkable group of students stepping into the next season of their lives.

It wasn’t easy to find space on the calendar for one more event, and we knew it would be a challenge to ask already-busy families to add one more thing to their weekend—but I’m so thankful we did. Next Chapter wasn’t just another ceremony. It was a night that reflected who we are, what we value, and our commitment to celebrating God’s work in the lives of our students.

We transformed the Gathering Area into a space of celebration and reflection. We shared testimonies of how God has shaped our graduates. It was a powerful reminder that the church isn’t just a place we attend. 

One of the most meaningful parts of the night was how each graduate was recognized individually. We didn’t just list names or show a slideshow—we celebrated them personally. Confetti popped, their favorite snacks were waiting, and each one had a moment in the spotlight. We got to hear their stories, honor their unique journeys, and celebrate who God has made them to be. And we got to cheerly loudly for each one– we did not hold the applause until the end. 

We have some incredible students—future nurses, pilots, welders, and doctors. You would be so proud of how dedicated they are to making a difference in the world around them.

What made this event especially unique was how it showcased the heart of our church. Just like we’ve repurposed our building for events like Christmas Wishes and summer camps, this graduation celebration was another example of how we use every part of our space for connection, community, and celebration.

This night was more than a milestone—it was a declaration of our investment in the next generation. As we look ahead to future expansions,, we’re reminded that our mission is to create spaces—both physical and relational—where people can encounter Jesus and grow in their faith.

To our graduates: we’re proud of you, we’re cheering for you, and we’re here when you need us.
To our church family: thank you for being All In. Thank you for saying yes to the next generation, and for allowing us to throw the kind of party you’d be proud of.

- BCC Family Ministries Team

In February, my husband, Bartley, and I had the honor and privilege of hosting the First Step Baby/Child Dedication event. It was such a heartwarming experience, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of this special day. We dedicated 18 precious children to the Lord, and it was a powerful reminder of the commitment we, as a church community, share to guide and nurture the next generation in faith.

During the ceremony, the parents made a vow to raise their children to love God and love others. It was so moving to see each family stand before the congregation, pledging to create a home where God’s love is the foundation. As a parent myself, I know how challenging yet rewarding this journey can be, and it was incredible to see the dedication and love these parents have for their little ones.

But it wasn’t just the parents making a vow—grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends also promised to pray for the parents and children as they continue to learn and grow as a family.  Watching loved ones surround these families with support was truly touching. It reminded me that we are never alone in this journey of faith.

The ceremony was full of joy, especially as we had the privilege of seeing these adorable children up close! There were so many precious moments filled with giggles, smiles, waves, and even a few curious stares (and tears due to confetti cannons). Each child was blessed and prayed over, and it was such a beautiful sight to see these little ones surrounded by love and faith. Afterward, we gave the families dedication certificates to commemorate this special day, along with thoughtful gifts as a token of our love and support. To wrap up the celebration, we had a lovely reception where families had the chance to connect, share stories, and celebrate this milestone together. It was a lovely time of fellowship and joy.

I’m so thankful for every family who took part in this event, and I am excited to see how God will work in the lives of these children as they grow. I pray for each of them—that they would come to know God’s love deeply, and that their parents would be given strength, wisdom, and grace as they raise them. Let’s continue to pray for these families, supporting them as they take this First Step in their journey of faith.

- Natasha McMurray | Preschool

We shared an update this past Sunday. In case you missed it, here's what we discussed:

• Great start to All In giving with a total of $271,190 to date. The All In section on BCC's website will keep a running total.

• If you made a pledge, you can see the goal, your giving, and the total given to All In on BCC's Church Center App. (pictured below)

• Big News: To finish the master plan (kids, students, parking, and auditorium), the expected cost is more than is wise for us to do all simultaneously. So, we will build in two phases: Phase 1 includes a new kid's wing, a new parking lot, and temporary student space. Phase 2 includes a new auditorium, a redesign of the existing auditorium for students, and spaces for administration, volunteers, adults, and guests.

• We will start Phase 1 as soon as soon as possible. The kid's wing and parking lot will be two independent projects, so we can use them as soon as they are finished, and will not depend on the completion of other construction. My guess (Jeff) is Summer/June.

• The cost estimate of Phase 1 is 4 – 4.5 million dollars. 

• The start of Phase 2 is contingent on finances, so it depends on our giving. When debt is reduced to "wisely manageable," we'll begin. Wisely manageable means that the remaining debt from Phase 1, plus the added debt from Phase 2, is not more than what is healthy for our church. 

• WHAT'S NEXT? After the completion of construction documents for Phase 1 Children's Wing are complete, we'll schedule a meeting to show you the updated plans and answer questions.

• On February 26, our architect provided the updated plan pictured below. It's getting close. After our last meeting, we have more confidence than ever in the final adjustments needed for a fantastic kid's wing. 

  
  

Have you heard of Nothing Too Fancy?

If not, let me introduce you to one of the most unforgettable nights of the year!

This incredible event brings together our BCCKids and Transit ministries (6th/7th graders) for a Valentine’s-themed night like no other. Yes, there’s dressing up— fancy outfits, styled hair, coats, ties—but don’t be fooled. It’s called Nothing Too Fancy for a reason. Why? Because what’s planned is pure, organized chaos! 

Imagine this: 72 students throwing paint at a giant canvas—all at the same time—INSIDE the auditorium. Yep, the very same place you sit on Sunday mornings. And that’s just the beginning! From brain-freezing ice cream challenges to pea soup tastings (yes, that happened!), from grabbing their favorite candy to climbing a 64-foot inflatable—inside the auditorium! It. Was. EPIC. 🚀

But you know what made it truly special? As we sorted through the registrations and printed name tags, something amazing stood out: so many of these students were brand new. Not just new to this event—new to BCC entirely.

Think about that. Preteen students felt so at home in our community that they invited their friends, cousins, neighbors, and classmates—some of whom hadn’t stepped into a church since Christmas or even last Easter. And here’s the best part: they didn’t even know about the inflatable, the paint-throwing, or the wild ice cream flavors. They just knew one thing: walking through our doors meant stepping into smiling faces, laughter, and an environment where they were welcomed with open arms.

To the students, it was all fun, fun, and more fun. But to our leaders? We saw walls breaking down, friendships forming, hearts opening, and stereotypes fading away.

Events like this don’t just happen. They take planning, dedication, generosity, and hearts that are ALL IN. And wow, was it worth it! Nothing Too Fancy? More like Nothing Short of Amazing!

Until next time… get ready, because the Best Is Yet To Come! 

-Steven Whitehead

Christmas Wishes is one of my favorite December events. I don’t say that lightly, because as you probably know if you’ve spent a December with BCC,  we have a whole lot going on around Christmas. What I love most is how we completely transform our building. For real, it looks like the North Pole here. Most of the chairs are moved out of the auditorium to make space for games and crafts. The Large Group Room, where kids will hear the Christmas Story on Sunday, is now set up for kids to pick out gifts for their parents—and there’s so much for them to choose from! I heard a rumor Kenny is trying to make our snowmachine work so it can be a true winter wonderland. And right now, we’ve got people cooking spaghetti and baking cakes for our guests, because what’s a better way to end a celebration than with a home-cooked meal. The kids all go home with gifts purchased and packaged just for them- straight off their wishlist. 

It’s going to be such a fun night: dinner, the Christmas Story, and a sweet, festive atmosphere– all so kids and their families can feel the love of Jesus at Christmas. 

One of my favorite parts about Christmas Wishes is that it’s a community event, not just a BCC event. While we do help collect gifts with our church, people, businesses, and groups all over town are all in, collecting and preparing for this big night too. We partner with Community Works, and we would not want to do it without them. It feels like the whole community is going all in to come together for families—which is exactly what Blount Community Church is all about.

I’m grateful for the space we have to do events like this. But as we think about the future, I’m even more excited to share our space and dream about what more space could mean. If we want to keep going all in and making nights like this even better, we’re going to need all the space we can get.  And while Christmas Wishes is just one of our many Christmas events, it’s the big event for many of the kids and families who will attend. That makes all the practicing and chair moving and gift wrapping and cake baking worth it. 

Thanks for being All In about Christmas. 

I am grateful to serve and celebrate with you, SarahBeth

As I write this, I can’t help but think the idea I’m about to share is a little cheesy. But HEY! That’s kind of my thing! Just go with me here. :)

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7)

I know there has been much discussion about how this scene really looked, but as I read this scripture; I think of how Mary and Joseph must have felt on their obligatory trip to Bethlehem. I can assume that they really didn’t want to go there. I’m sure they were tired. They (especially Mary) were probably hurting or at least very, very sore. They may have felt shame and embarrassment even though they both knew what had (or hadn’t) happened. Maybe they felt the need to explain themselves to those who were talking about them and doubting their faithfulness to each other or their strength to do what needed to be done. 

Then, they just need a place to stay; a place for Mary to deliver their little boy (not to mention the Savior of the World)...... No Room.  

Sorry. We’re full. Can’t sit here…(Ok, Forest Gump reference went too far, I know.)

I know it’s a little bit of a stretch, but now think of a family coming to BCC. Maybe they are the family that people usually look past or even worse they may be the family that others whisper about. Maybe this family has been hurt. Maybe they are tired. Maybe they don’t even know if they want to be at church at all. They know they are hungry and thirsty for something. It might be God, but they don’t even know if church can be trusted. In my mind, they might say, “Ok, I’ll give church one more chance”. That’s kind of our thing. So many times, God uses BCC to help heal a broken heart and to help lead people to the loving arms of Christ, as well as surrounding them with real and safe people who are trying their best. BCC was that for me, actually.

However, one Sunday, this family gets up the courage to come to church. They may come in late. Maybe they are looking for a reason to say, “Well, we tried. Church isn’t for us.” 

We all know that BCC’s Volunteers are wonderful, Sundays are a great experience, and we are doing our very best with the space that we have. However, our new family comes in and all they can think is…No Room. Not enough parking. No room in the classrooms. So many people in the children’s hallway. I don’t want to sit so close to strangers in the auditorium. I’m already stressed about all this. No Room. No thanks. 

That’s why being All-In is so important. Yes, nothing is impossible with God and He continues to pursue. However, many times He uses us to remove obstacles for those coming to know Him. Like the song that we have sung so many times at church; it is most important for us to “Make Room” for Christ and whatever He wants to do. Just so happens that by being “All In”, we are also making (more) room for those whom He loves. 

- Danny Bright

Blueprints may be more spiritual than we realize. By blueprints, I mean calculated plans to construct a preferred future (Luke 14:28-29; Proverbs 16:9, 19:21, and 21:5). 

I think when you stop dreaming about a better future, hope fades. It may even be lost. God-sized dreams and deliberate plans make for a fulfilling life. 

At Dreams & Desserts, we presented three conceivable “preferred futures” for completing BCC’s facility. Professionals refer to these as blueprints, but we know they’re much more than prints on paper that are blue in color. 

They’re hopes and dreams. They’re a means to accomplish God’s Mission. They’re one of the most significant investments we will make.

We’ve been through this before. Each blueprint has pros and cons. There’s a difference in cost between them. No plan has been processed thoroughly except the “shell” or footprint. This is intentional. 

Once we identify the most appropriate and efficient square footage, steel structure, and location, we’ll process our needs with the architect and contractor and begin focusing on the inside. In other words, don’t get bogged down on inside details yet. It’s not time.

These represent three likely concepts after meeting with the architect and contractor. The final plan will not look exactly like any of these. It probably will look similar to one or a combination of two.

As you look them over, please pray. As you pray, please dream. Remember, for ten years, God allowed BCC to be portable to teach us that His Church is not a building. We know that well. Church is His people. A building is a powerful tool to help us better accomplish His mission.

BCC has been more effective with half a building than when we were portable. We’ll be even more effective when we finish what we started.

What a special time to be here. Enjoy what’s going on. It will be over before we know it.

- Pastor Jeff  

It’s hard for me to wrap my head around it being the first week of December, but it is. November has come and gone, it seems like we bounced right over Thanksgiving and have fallen headfirst into the Christmas season. 

Maybe it has a little bit to do with all the awesome news, and excitement we were part of a couple of weeks ago as we discussed plans to expand our building. Plans that include new parking, a new worship area, new children’s classrooms, also student’s area and classrooms. The fact is it’s news several of us have been patiently waiting on as we have seen BCC grow over the past couple of years. We’ve seen so many people from all over the US coming to our community and becoming a part of our BCC Family. Our number of groups have pretty much doubled over the past couple of years, and we have new ones starting all the time as people come and look to connect with other believers.

A larger building means not only more space but an opportunity to have a bigger Kingdom Impact in our community. I can’t wait to see how many new ways BCC will be able to love on Blount County, the sky’s the limit. New people, new ideas, new volunteers, creates new vision, and new life change. Sounds awesome to me.

The thing is for all of this to come to fruition, we need all or our current BCC family to be “All In”, and we want everyone, of all ages to be a part of this exciting, awesome undertaking. Christmas is a time we celebrate Jesus and the fact that he came to earth to give us opportunities like these, not just to follow Him, and receive the gift of salvation but to also share it with as many people as we can. 

Jesus Himself commissioned us in Matthew 28 to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”, we can do that and more if we just come together “All In” and get this party started. I believe that is what it will be, once we get started, the excitement will be overflowing, and we will be enjoying and worshipping in our newly updated facility before we know it. It will seem like the month of November when we look back and say, where did the time go?

Maybe the month of November flew by because I was dreaming of all of the awesome things coming in the future to BCC and because of that to Blount County.

I invite you to join me in dreaming and committing to be “All In” as we embark on this great adventure together. God has huge plans for BCC and I can’t wait to see what He’s up to.

-Pastor David

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