Call to Worship
Ensemble

Invocation
Gene Lawrence, Chairman of Deacons at Time of Land Purchase

Hymn: Trust and Obey
Congregation

Statement of Purpose

Introduction of Special Guests
Glen Baggett

Remarks by the Architects

Responsive Scripture Reading

Singing Together: Congregation
(Find Us Faithful, Lord, Be Glorified, Surely the Presence)

Challenge - "And Next to Them" - Nehemiah 3

Act of Groundbreaking & Wallbuilding

Prayer Upon the Beginning of the Work
Dr. Russell Chandler, Chairman of Deacons

Responsive Scripture Reading

Leader: Come, let's rebuild Jerusalem's wall
People: I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me

Leader: They said, "Let's start rebuilding"
People: And they were encouraged to do this good work.

Leader: The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success.
People: We, his servants will start building

Leader: The work is enormous and spread out
People: And we are separated far from one another

Leader: Wherever you hear the trumpet sound
People: Rally to us there

Leader: Don't be afraid
People: Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord

Leader: I am doing a great work and cannot come down
People: Why should the work cease?

Leader: So we rebuilt the wall
People: For the people had a will to keep working.

Scripture in responsive reading taken from an advance draft copy of Nehemiah and is used by special arrangement with LifeWay. This is the first public use of this book of the Bible from this translation. The Holman Christian Standard Bible (c) 2001, Broadman & Holman Publishers, Lifeway Christian Resources, 127 Ninth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37234. The New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs are now available in various editions, and the complete Bible will be released in early 2004.

As they entered the site, each church member was given a brick to be used during the groundbreaking. Markers were passed around for them to write their names on their bricks. At the end of the service, members went as families to a designated place to stack their bricks into a wall. [Some of our men devised a safe way to do this and were there to assist.] This wall served as a temporary monument symbolizing that all of us must work together to complete this building to bless this and future generations. After the wall was completed, all members, shovels in hand, posed for one large group shot. Members were encouraged to stay after the service to have their photographs taken as a families as they posed by the wall. These photographs will serve as a lasting memorial.