Update on Schedule Changes

The Lord has taken care of us!  After speaking with the police this morning, we can move forward with the Adoption Conference on Saturday and Church Services on Sunday.  

Two things will be different:

1. The frontage road will continue to be blocked at the 360 bridge through next week.  From north 183, you need to turn right on 360, go down the hill and make a U-turn.  Then, come in by way of the Jollyville Road access.  The only exit path will be south on Jollyville toward MOPAC.
2. Echelon III, where we hold our adult communities, will be closed through the weekend.  Classes that meet there will not meet unless the class directors set up to meet off campus.
   

There are not restrictions in our church facilities.  We will still have access to most of the Echelon parking lot.  Yesterday we cut off the HVAC systems of our buildings so that they would not be filled with the smoke from the fire.  The Lord has given us with just enough rain here to dampen the ashes from the building.  There is no longer a smell of smoke or ash around campus.

On a funnier note: Yesterday I was talking with one of our tenants in the Grace360 building.  He had called is mother to tell her that he was safe and that the church was between where he was and where the explosion had taken place.  Then he said to her, “So I guess I can say the church saved me!”

Please continue to pray for the families affected by there tragic events.  I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday!

Map of Access to Grace

A Word from the Executive Pastor

You probably have heard by now that a small plane flew into one of the Echelon Office Buildings. It was not the one next to the Cornerstone Building or the one we use for our Adult Communities on Sunday. We had some volunteers and staff in the Cornerstone building and workmen in the Worship Center at the time of the explosion.  They felt the blast in those buildings.  No one was injured.
 
Police have blocked off all access roads to the church at this time.  We have cancelled all activities at the church for the evening. This includes Celebrate Recovery, AWANA, band practices, and a shower.  
 
We are making our facilities available to the police and rescue workers by providing restrooms and water.  The Unit Director for the nearest HEB brought water bottles for us to distribute.
 
We will keep you informed as we can.  At this point, unless it is necessary, please don’t flood the church office with calls.  The church offices may not be able to be open tomorrow, if they block our access to the office. We will know more as this unfolds.
 
Should this affect us being able to have church on Sunday, we will do all we can to get the word out.  At minimum, there will be some limits to where we can park in the Echelon lots.  
 
Pray for the people that were in the building at the time and their families.  Pray that we would have an opportunity to service the police, fire, and rescue workers.

Ray Anderson
Executive Pastor