Shortcuts: Apr '11 - May '11 - Jun/Jul '11 - Aug '11 - Sep '11 - Oct '11 - Nov/Dec '11
                 Jan/Feb '12 - Plan diagrams

Please keep this project in your prayers! Thank-you so much for your ongoing support of the Building to Serve capital campaign. Gifts and pledges continue to come in and we are grateful for those contributions. As the year progresses please do your best to keep current on your Building to Serve pledges. We will be using Building to Serve funds first, and then begin drawing on our loan from the Mission Investment Fund. If you are new to University Lutheran, and would like to make a gift or pledge to our building fund, please talk with Debbie Downey. Building to Serve envelopes are also available in the church entryway.

"Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received." 1 Peter 4:10

January-February 2012 - Making a Mess

Our building project is moving along! The crews have installed new electrical boxes outside by the play area. They are digging up the ground and concrete sidewalk at our back entrances to pull the electric cables through. Inside the building, they are connecting the electricty, installing the drop ceilings and installing overhead lights. The walls have been painted and the rooms are taking shape. Stop by and see the progress!

November-December 2011 - Preparing for Colder Weather

The inside walls have been framed out, and you can see what the finished product is going to be like. The temperature is falling, so the workers are trying to get the outside, heat ducts, electrical, and plumbing completed, so they can work inside the building during the cold winter months.

October 2011 - A Roof Deck

Now that the framing and roof deck are up it will continue to look more and more like a finished building! The upcoming projects include putting the roofing on, bricking the exterior and a bunch of plumbing work. Soon we will see insulation going in and window frames installed.

September 2011 - A Frame!

The ground has been added and leveled, and the concrete has been poured and cured. The walls will be up within a month or two as well as a roof to protect the inside. There has been a small set-back. Some of the braces were not the correct size, so they have to be re-made. This could set us back about a month.

August 2011 - Continued Progress

The sewer line has been relocated and the gas line has been moved. Some of the footings have been poured, and it’s beginning to take shape. Other obstacles are being resolved. While this has been frustrating to all involved, the truth is, obstacles are not uncommon in building projects.

June-July 2011 - More Snags - but then Progress!

Set-backs continued to slow the construction of the new Education and Office Addition. The problems were related to the relocation of the sewer line, and unanticipated challenges to that project. When excavation for the new sewer line began, we encountered a gas line that needed to be moved. We continue to work with ONG to get that done. Other obstacles are being resolved. While this has been frustrating to all involved, the truth is, obstacles are not uncommon in building projects. But, the basic issues with the sewer line have been resolved and the contractor has prepared the pad for the new building!

May 2011 - Some Snags...

So... not much seems to have happened in the past month. On the surface, at least, that has been true. All construction projects run into little snags and bumps in the road. Ours just happened to come on day one. Several things have slowed down progress on our building project. First, final approval for the sewer line relocation was slowed down. Then, we needed to work out road closure plans for Elm Street with the city. The street needs to be closed for several days to tie the sewer line into the main line that runs down Elm. The city didn't want to shut off the street until after OU's semester was over. Finally, we discovered that a gas line needs to be moved. That required going through ONG's process to have the work approved, scheduled and completed. At the last meeting with the contractor, a plan was worked out to work around some of these things. Hopefully, we'll be seeing more activity in the coming weeks.

While all that has been going on... the Council and congregation committees have been brainstorming and discussing ways to use the new facility for mission and ministry once it has been completed. Each "program" committee has been asked to think about how the new space can be used for ministry. The Education committee has already been discussing various programs (i.e. a "Mother's Day Out") for the new education space. Campus Ministry has been imagining ways to use the new SOUL space. If you have thoughts about ways to put our new addition to good use for God's Kingdom... talk with a council member or the appropriate committee chair! Your ideas are welcome!

April 2011 - Building is underway!

The loan papers are signed, the building permit was secured and our builder is on-site! Our building project started on Wednesday, April 13 with the erection of construction fencing. By week's end the relocation of the sewer line, and "dirt work" will begin. This work will take several weeks to complete. According to the schedule, the construction of the building will begin sometime in mid-May. If everything goes as planned, the project should be completed by the beginning of December. Hopefully, we will be ready to use the new facility when the second semester begins after Christmas!

We are planning on taking lots of pictures as the project unfolds. Plans are being made to set up a web cam so you can follow the progress. We'll let you know when that is done.

Over the next months, we will be stepping up our discussions of how we are going to use this new facility to further our mission and ministry in Norman. Be looking in the Shalom, bulletin and here on the website for information! Be thinking about ways we can use this new building to reach out in Christ's name, as, together, we Build to Serve.

Building Plans

We have some images of the architectural drawings and a file with the more detailed current building plans available here.

• Interior view 1
• Interior view 2
• Exterior view - front of church
• Exterior view - back of church
• Floor plan (you may wish to rotate the image on screen - it is made for printing)

Questions? Call Eva McGinnis or the church office at 321-1584.