Week J is in Eau Claire

Welcome to the 16 folks from the Kansas City area along with the 5-6 members from Jacob's Well. We look forward to another good week. Here are the projects being worked on the building:

• Most of the remaining sheet rock is going to be hung
• Finishing up of the sprinkler installation
• Jeb continues on with a couple of volunteers working on electrical
• Lighting fixtures will be installed in the cafe and other areas of the building
• Much of the classrooms and children's theater will be sanded, textured and painted
• Siding on the front of the building
• Beginning to lay ceiling grid
• Installing of exterior doors around the building

Should be another busy week on site!

New Team - Week I

The two Builders For Christ volunteer teams got a special treat this weekend. Jacob's Well held our annual baptism service at a nearby park. God held off the rain and it was a wonderful time of worship outdoors along with a great message from Paul on salvation and baptism. After service, 37 people took their next step and got baptized! BFC teams were among the 500 who attended the outdoor service.

Two groups are here this week along with some Jacob's Well volunteers. About 35 people are serving on site. Welcome to Redeemer Baptist Church, from Aurora, Colorado, and Sycamore Ridge Baptist Church from Brookville, Ohio. We are grateful to have you join our project this week and look forward to meeting all of you. You have been given a perfect WI summer day to work.....low 80s and little humidity.

Thanks Team!

Thanks to all who were on site this week. We weren't sure all 100 volunteers would have work to do this week, but after Monday morning, everyone spread out to the different corners of the building. It is evident to see all the work they got done. The siding is nearly complete on three sides of the building....with only the front remaining. Construction on the tower continues to go on with sheeting and the roof going on. Nearly all of the interior walls, doorways, children's theater and hallway framing is finished. You see in the picture the backstage hallway in our future children's theater.

We pray for safe travel for the team's return trip....especially those on the 24 hr bus ride. Thank you for all you've done this week.

Next week the site will be quiet with the exception of some sub-contractors finishing up some projects. We're excited to have a team from CO and OH visiting us the following week and hope they can make it to our baptism service at a nearby park. Should be a great service!!

Siding Going On!!

Check out the brick around most of the building is done and siding is going on around the back of the building. Great working weather for the folks yesterday!!!

Welcome Week G Teams

Among the 90 people here this week, over 40 traveled via coach bus over 22 hours (stopping only for food and gas) from North and South Carolina. Needless to say, they were happy to see Jacob's Well this morning! Many of the Builders For Christ folks joined in our second service, which was full...must have had over 500 kids and adults for second service this morning.

Welcome to teams from Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan and Nebraska! We are glad you are here and we look forward to your work on the building this week. Next on the work schedule is hanging more sheetrock, siding the exterior, and more duct work.

Good Bye Texas Teams

A big thank you goes out to all the folks from Texas who came last week. As you can see from the pictures the group were skilled at hanging sheetrock, stuffing insulation everywhere, framing out what is going to be a beautiful front tower entrance along with many other interior projects.

The children who were here for the week visited a cheese factory (run by members of Jacob's Well) in Cadott, Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls, and our local children's museum. We're glad they got to see some of the sites in our area.

At the end of the week, the team gave out some special awards....and I even got one =)!! Thanks for being here this week! - Patrick

Week F Team

Happy 4th of July!

Welcome to our teams from Texas! Today, we have on site groups from two different churches.

49 people from Parkside Baptist Church from Denison, TX (north of Dallas)
16 people from First Baptist Church from Cedar Hill, TX (south of Dallas)
Over 10 people from Jacob's Well are working alongside the Builders For Christ teams.

Besides working on the building project, the teams brought some of their children, and they are doing VBS activities with them. It's going to be a fun week.

Thanks Week E Team

A big thank you for the work, the cooking and the community to all of the Builders For Christ volunteers this week. Here are the four church teams that were on site and a brief description of what they accomplished....besides helping me gain five pounds with all the good food we've been eating this week.

Gardendale Baptist Church from Gardendale, AL
First Baptist Church from Tallahassee, FL
Immanual Baptist Church from Tallahassee, FL
First Baptist Church from Waterloo, IL

This Week's Progress...

• Insulation and more insulation in the walls (we need it warm in the winter)
• Front tower is being framed out. It's going to look awesome!
• General Jeb led an electrical team around all week
• Interior window frames being set in place
• Both the auditorium and children's theaters have more framing and sheetrock
• Mudding and taping in the classrooms
• Masonry brick by our mason contractor is making its way around the building

Great work, Team!!

Builders for Christ Profiles

We thought it would be nice to learn a little more about some of our Builders for Christ team members.  We'd love to feature everyone, but we'll have to be content with just a couple people.  Here are two members from Week D.

Scott Siegler is from First Baptist Church in Eustis, Florida.  There were 16 people who came in his group last week.  He was working on electrical installation.  His team worked on electrical, framing, and in the kitchen.  Scott has worked with Builders for Christ for 11 years.  His favorite part of his experience at Jacob's Well last week was the testimony from Lucas from youth group about his mom and her growth in the things she struggled with.  Lucas, his brother and mom have grown into a close Christian family.  Scott also commented, "It was special to see a side of Jacob's Well most of us as adults do not see in our own church.  The youth and their testimonies throughout the week encouraged me and showed that your walk with Jesus is never complete but a work in progress."

Kim Taylor is also from First Baptist Church in Eustis, Florida.  She was working on cooking and serving the meals for volunteers alongside those from Ebenezer Baptist.  She's been working with Builders for Christ for 3 years.  Her favorite part of her week at Jacob's Well was all the connections that have been made and to see how God orchestrates everything perfectly.  As a mom of 2 teens, she will be able to share with them what God has put on her heart through the awesome testimonies of the youth and what this means to them.  Praise God! 

Thank you to Scott and Kim for sharing your hearts with us.  We're so grateful to you and to all of those who were a part of the Week D teams who worked long and hard hours for us.  God Bless you all!

Article in the Newspaper

We have been so blessed by the media coverage. They are really supporting us by sharing our story in this community. Staff writer, Christena O'Brien from Eau Claire's, Leader-Telegram, ran an article about the project and interviewed one of last week's leaders Ed Wills from Mt. Brook Baptist of Birmingham, AL. Awesome!!

Click on link. Leader Telegram Article - June 19th

Week D is quickly approaching!

As fast as we say good-bye to 110 friends, another group of new friends are coming. Please pray for safe travels for both those leaving and those coming. We have a busy transportation weekend for our logistics team. Pray for them and all the pick ups and drop offs that need to take place over the next few days. Below is a list of churches we believe will be here this coming week. Welcome Team D!

• Ebenezer Baptist Church of Logan, OH
• First Baptist Church of Eustis, FL
• North Valley Community Church of Odenville, AL
• First Baptist Church of Birmingham, AL
• Watson Chapel Baptist Church of Pine Bluff,  Arkansas
• Highland Crest Baptist Church of Green Bay, WI

Week C Winding Down

We have had a great week with the teams from Birmingham and Southaven. Our construction manager, Greg, continues to be impressed at the heart Builders For Christ have to serve and the pace that everyone works.

The local newspaper was out here today, so we hope to have our story in the paper over the weekend!

There are updated pictures in our "Construction Photo Gallery". Check out the progress for yourself. Just to summarize, the roof is completely shingled, all exterior windows have been installed, insulation and sheetrock are going on, electrical conduit is being run, heating and cooling duct work is being assembled, and the front tower was raised!!

Everyone from Week C, thank you on behalf of the congregation from Jacob's Well. You've blessed us with your hard work as well as your wonderful friendship. Come back to visit us if you are ever in WI!!

Roof is Shingled & Windows are In

The entire roof is now shingled and all the windows have been installed today. They are bringing in stacks of insulation. It is so fun to see these amazing volunteers in action!

B Week's Progress

With the 35 volunteers on site or in the kitchen this week, they have a lot to feel good about. Here's some of what got accomplished by Friday morning....

• Much of the roof framing work has been accomplished. The ends of the building are time consuming and tricky.
• The two connecting hallways are looking good. Both have completed roofs and shingles are already on.
• Most of the roof is tar papered.
• Several parts of the roof have shingle rows started. This was designed, so the roofers next week can make quick work of laying shingles.
• The inside framing is coming along. Walls are up in the classrooms!
• Many little loose ends have been completed this week including trying to keep the site picked up and piles of wood organized. Construction is messy.

We are excited to show the Week C volunteers. Many will be arriving on Saturday and attending one of the weekend services. Pray for safety and ease of travel. Over 110 people are rolling in from...

• Meadowbrook Church of Birmingham, AL
• Mountain Brook Church of Birmingham, AL
• Valleydale Baptist Church of Birmingham, AL  
• Gracewood Church of Southaven, MS

We can't wait to meet the volunteers of Week C. See you soon!

Week B - Update

We are grateful to see the weather break today...rather nice out there actually. We are having a great week. 15-20 local volunteers have been on site each day. People are coming to work hard and are determined to accomplish the tasks for the day. We've had 7-8 experienced carpenters or roofers each day leading the way. Here are some of the interesting things I've seen or heard:

• Seeing the guys on the roof sweating off 5 lbs.


• Tara climbing a ladder securing the roof to the building frame with hurrican clips. Go Tara!


• Tina razzing our construction manager, Greg. (Don't worry, Tina, he deserves it)


• Watching people who didn't know each other's names at 7am by 10am working together to put up a wall. Awesome work!

Thanks to the tradesmen who have served on site themselves or had some of their crew on site. Your leadership has been invaluable. We know how precious your time is. And thanks to those who didn't have a lot of construction experience but have made up for it with a heart to serve and eagerness to learn something new. We would not have made the progress we did without your efforts.

A doctor & a firefighter built that wall behind them

Hot day at the work site

Meet the Week A Team

This week we've had close to 100 Builders For Christ volunteers on site. Here is where our fellow ministry partners have come from...

Birmingham, AL
Prattville, AL
Gardendale, AL
Fairhope, AL
Springfield, VA
Purvis, MS
Groton, CT
Bremen, GA
Ripon, WI
Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Praise God

The weather has missed us. Storms seem to be going north. Keep praying church. The work is going very well. About 30 JW folks working with about 100 folks from BFC. Go God! Display your glory.

Putting Wall Together. JW volunteers are working on building tonight with our BFC friends. Come get hands dirty.