Wednesday the steel erectors finished hanging the roof trusses.  These precisely prefabricated amalgamations of angle iron are the backbone of the roof, or the fifth wall, as some call it.  The contractor brought in a 90-ton crane to set the last of these.  Last week they used a 40-ton crane and were able to place that crane on the slab and work inside the four walls.  However, the last of the trusses had to be set from outside the walls because the space to lift kept getting smaller and smaller as the roof closed in.  Now that the truss job is done, progressively smaller components will be added to the roof, until sheet metal covers the whole (or holes).

The concrete folks worked extra-hard on Wednesday, with a rain-out on Monday and another predicted for Thursday.  They are pouring the remainder of the concrete seating tiers today, which will allow the steel erectors to begin work on the steel stadium seating structure.

We learned on Wednesday that the arches will be poured individually, but that none of the forms will be dismantled until the entire arch entry and adjoining concrete walls are fully poured.  It is like the builder will be keeping a secret for a time.

It is interesting to contemplate.  The steel structure is a very public statement of the presence of the building.  As it is completed and the crown element is added, there will be more to allude to its purpose.  The unveiling of the arches and the building entry will begin to show the warmth and welcome we hope to extend to all who come.

Many modern worship centers have basically one public face, with the “back side” being enclosed by additional construction or building that is used for other purposes.  Some would say our site presents an obstacle to efficiency.  Another way to look at it is to say our site affords a different opportunity, and during the planning process it became clear that this worship center must have two faces, or two fully planned and finished exposures.  It is inspiring to see this start to take shape in a physical form.  Please pray for continued smooth progress and safety.