Rebuild Lakeshore

If you have been following our progress, you know that we have had a mullti-building master plan in place for the last few years. The church office, bunk house, the Mercy House, and the warehouse are all complete. As we prepared to break ground on the Fellowship Hall / Sunday School building we decided to reassess the overall design before moving forward on the final stage. Long story short, we have made a slight change in our construction strategy . Among other considerations, the new plan will save a considerable amount of money compared to the original proposal. We have received word from the Hancock County Building Department that they will allow us to use the undercroft of the Sanctuary for Sunday School classroom space, provided we build with flood resistant materials and follow all the FEMA guidelines for spaces below the BFE (Base Flood Elevation). This came as wonderful news and allows us to begin construction on our sanctuary sooner rather than later.

Over the next few months we will turn the lower level of the bunk house into an outdoor kitchen, dismantle the old camp dining hall, and prepare the site for construction. Meanwhile, we will hammer out the details for the new church building. We are leaning toward an old fashioned “Puritan Meeting House” style. Lord willing, we could break ground as early as March 2012.

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After nearly 6 years of community relief, recovery, and rebuilding, Lakeshore Baptist Church looks to begin construction of our main church complex. We plan to begin with a Fellowship Hall and Sunday School classroom building and follow that with the attached sanctuary.

The vision of the building grew out of numerous congregational meetings, input from church members, and prayerful considerations on the future of ministry of Lakeshore Baptist Church. We have enlisted the assistance of a local draftsman, Mark Madison, who has done a tremendous job at turning our vision into construction documents.

However…

We have run into one obstacle we need to overcome before obtaining a permit. Because the structure exceeds 5,000 sq ft we need a Mississippi licensed architect or structural engineer to give some input to, approve, and stamp the plans.

In the event we can not find someone in state, I do not know what is involved in obtaining a Mississippi license for those already licensed in another jurisdiction, but if anyone would be willing to go through that process, we would be forever grateful. Please contact me if you would be interested in volunteering your services for this project.

Here are the plans:

• G101 Cover Sheet
• C1.0 Proposed Site Plan
• A0.1 Accessible Heights, Details, and Elevations
• A0.2 Elevation (Notation and Details)
• A1.0 Foundation Plan and Notes
• A1.1 Floor Framing Plan and Notes
• A1.2 Shear Detail Plan and Notes
• A1.3 Ground Floor Plan and Notes
• A1.4 Floor Plan, Wall Legend, and Notes
• A1.5 Roof Framing Plan and Notes
• A1.6 Roof Plan and Notes
• A2.1 Exterior Elevations
• A2.2 Exterior Elevations, Details and Notes
• A3.1 Building Section
• A3.2 Building Section
• A3.3 Wall Sections, Details, and Construction Notes
• A4.1 Reflective Ceiling Plan
• E1.3 Ground Level Electrical Plan, Electrical Legend and Notes
• E1.4 Main Floors Electrical Plan, Electrical Legend and Notes
• Boise Cascade Floor System
• Quality Truss Roof System

UPDATE: We found someone to stamp the plans… stay tuned for construction details.

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Lakeshore Baptist Church invites the entire community to celebrate the completion of their newest building, affectionately known as “The Mercy House.” The “Grand Opening” scheduled for 9:15 am Thursday May 19 will include an open house tour, refreshments, door prizes, and a Couponing Seminar led by Jeni Ward.

The Mercy House stands on the corner of Lakeshore Road and Third Street in Lakeshore. The 4,000 square foot structure, built almost entirely by volunteers will allow the church to expand her ministry to the community. A bricked pump house out front and a secondary storage building in the rear, complement the main facility along with a limestone parking lot. The church plans to landscape the property over the course of the summer.

The lower level, enclosed with flood resistant materials, serves as storage for the items distributed through the church’s benevolence ministry. The Distribution Center” operates Wednesday-Friday from 9:00 am - 3:00 PM weekly. Clothing and other donated items stock the shelves. The church also provides food for families experiencing emergency needs.

The upper level boasts a large meeting room, a kitchenette, and restroom facilaties. The space will host various church and community outreach functions. For example, the church sponsors a free monthly luncheon for senior adults in the community which includes various activities and special speakers.

“Its a beautiful yet practical building,” said Pastor Don Elbourne. “Now that we have completed the main construction of the facility, this building opens the door to a multitude of ministry possibilities as we continue to serve as a conduit of blessing to our community for the glory of God.”

In addition to the May 19th “Grand Opening,” the church will dedicate this new building with an old fashioned pot-luck dinner on the grounds following their 11:00 Sunday morning service on May 22, 2011. The congregation invites the entire community to these two open house events.

The Lakeshore Baptist Church Mercy House is located at 6077 Lakeshore Road, Bay St. Louis MS 39520. For more information call the church office at (228) 469-0110 or visit their web site at www.lakeshorebaptist.net.

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I want to thank all of our friends from across the country for praying for us as we have been hammering out the master plan for the buildings on the Lakeshore Baptist Church property. As you probably know, when Hurricane Katrina leveled our old church buildings we did not immediately begin rebuilding our permanent facilities. Instead, we quickly erected temporary structures as we moved forward. We had a few reasons for taking this strategy. The one that has received the most publicity has been our strong desire to minister to the needs of our community before focusing on our own needs. At the same time we realized that God’s church buildings deserved more thought, vision casting, and planning than we were capable of while undertaking a massive disaster relief and recovery effort.

Any church facility consultant will tell you that a church needs a clear vision of its future ministry before moving forward with brick and mortar plans. That kind of clarity proved impossible in the immediate aftermath of the storm while we literally dug out from under the rubble and stood in need of temporary shelter. Everything in our community had changed. For weeks and weeks we did not even know whether most of our families, friends, and church members were alive or dead. In the past five and a half years of intense recovery God has begun giving us a long term vision for the ministry of Lakeshore Baptist Church. A couple of years ago, we sketched out the building needs that will serve the ministry for years to come.

The master plan of the Lakeshore Baptist Church property rebuild includes 6 buildings: the church office, a bunk house, the mercy house, a storage building, a fellowship hall and the main sanctuary. The first two buildings, the office and the Bunk House are complete. The third and fourth buildings near completion. The fifth and and sixth buildings, the fellowship hall and sanctuary are on the drawing board. Site plans for the entire church property have already been approved by the Hancock County Planning and Zoning Commission.

1. The Church Office:

The current church office, already completed, houses two main offices (one for the pastor and one for his administrative assistant), a multi-purpose conference room, a closet, a wide hallway, a bathroom, a spacious front porch, and a screened in back porch. The cozy 670 sq’ building serves as a hub for all the church ministries.

2. The Bunk House:

A 1,500 square foot bunk house sleeps up to 38 people in two large bunk rooms. The two accompanying bathrooms have three sinks, commodes, and showers each. A large wrap-around porch surrounds the building that sits 11′ above grade. This structure will allow us to expand our housing capacity as we continue hosting volunteers in our mercy ministry. Long term, the facility will open the door to numerous ministry possibilities, such as camps, retreats, seminars, conferences, and of course visiting friends we have made in the last four years from across the country.

3. The Mercy House:

Lakeshore Baptist Church has a strong desire to continue and expand our mercy ministry of providing food, clothing, and household items to those in need. The 2000 square foot building sits about 11′ off grade. We have enclosed the bottom half of the building, in compliance with the county’s flood mitigation policy, and use this area to store the items distributed through our mercy ministry. The upper level will house a bathroom and one large multi-purpose room for various types of community outreach and educational activities.

As of February 2011, the building stands very close to completion. Last month we moved all our distribution center inventory to the new location and dismantled the two quonset huts and removed nine sheds we have been using for that ministry. When the walls and ceilings receive their texture and final coat of paint, we hang some cabinets and lights, and hook up the plumbing fixtures, the building will be ready for final inspection. I look forward to a grand opening to celebrate this milestone in our progress.

4. A Storage Building:

While not as glamorous as the other five buildings, we see the need for a good sized storage facility to serve the ongoing needs of the ministry. This bare-bones 1200 square foot building will sit behind the mercy house. We have erected the structure and just need to build some back steps to complete the project.

5. The Fellowship Hall:

After completion of four out of the six proposed buildings, we look forward to breaking ground on the main church complex, which comprise the next two buildings. Construction will proceed in a two phase process. First the Fellowship Hall building, followed by the main Sanctuary.

The fellowship hall building will house a great room, kitchen, restroom facilities, and classrooms. This structure will connect to the proposed sanctuary on the upper level via a wide hallway. This configuration will allow the two buildings to share an elevator and restroom facilities. The basic footprint will span approximately 100′ X 70′ with a jut out the back of one side for the kitchen area and the hallway connecting to the sanctuary to the north. For those familiar with our church property, the fellowship hall will sit adjacent to the metal building and in front of the former location of the two quonset huts used as our old distribution center.

Last month we began site prep as enthusiasm grows for this project. The church recently voted and approved the proposed floorplan. We currently are drawing up the final construction documents and hope to apply for a building permit very soon.

6. The Sanctuary:

After we complete the fellowship hall, construction on the new sanctuary can begin. This building will sit in place of the existing camp kitchen, along Second Street. We envision a place to accommodate growth and special events as we continue to reach Hancock County for Christ. The inviting entryway will open into a spacious lobby with a welcome center. A wide hallway to the right will give easy access to the restrooms and the fellowship hall. The public worship space will replace the metal building currently being used for this purpose. Ongoing discussions, planning, and prayer on the exact design of this building continues as work on the other buildings progress.

We will need help to complete all these construction projects, so feel free to contact us to schedule your next mission trip or to contribute to our building fund. We believe God has great plans to continue working through Lakeshore Baptist Church to the praise of his glory and grace. Please continue to remember us in prayer as we seek to follow the Lord’s leadership for the spread of his fame in Hancock County and around the world.

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We broke ground for the Mercy House about 16 months ago. Progress has been somewhat slow for a number of reasons, not the least of which has been our priority to help folks in our community get a roof over their head. Most of our volunteer efforts have been focused in the direction of homes for local residence and that has been by design. We do, however, finally have the end in sight on the Mercy House project.

In the last few weeks teams have set the cabinets downstairs and built shelving for the distribution center ministry. If we can get the rough in plumbing inspected this week, we should be able to move forward with the insulation and sheet rock in the upper level. A generous cabinet builder from Louisiana has the kitchenette ready to install. The tile flooring has already been laid, and other than the soffett under the downstairs porch and a little paint here and there, the outside of the building is done.

Lord willing, the team here this week will erect the metal storage building out back. We still need to lay out the parking lot and spread the limestone. The fence and a few other details will probably have to wait until after the first of the year, but as we inch closer to the goal, my excitement builds. I’m looking forward to moving in and seeing the ministry here continue to grow to the glory of God on the gulf coast.

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The Fellowship Hall project of Lakeshore Baptist Church constitutes the next phase in the church facility master plan. The building will include a large multi-purpose room, kitchen, restrooms, and educational space. The structure will sit approximately 12 feet above grade to exceed the flood zone requirements. The enclosed lower level will provide miscellaneous storage space as well as give appearance of a beautiful two story structure instead of an awkward building precariously perched atop stilts.

The configuration of the building, as seen in the attached drawings, allows for a central great hall with the kitchen protruding to the east and a restroom and hallway off to the north. This north wing will eventually connect to the proposed sanctuary building to provide seamless access between the two structures.

Movable walls within the main room will section the space off into smaller rooms as needed. These areas will serve the educational ministry of the church, allowing for flexible and efficient use of available square footage.

The large wrap around shaded gallery will aid in the energy efficiency of the building, provide overflow seating in nice weather, and set the building in the historic French Creole vernacular architecture of the gulf coast region.

Design Details:

Dimensions:

The dimensions on the drawing represent a general vision for the buildings. The final plans may vary a few feet here or there in order to best use dimensional lumber and take into account other design considerations as the plans unfold.

The Restrooms:

This preliminary drawing does not include the exact layout of the restroom facilities. The restrooms will include sinks, commodes, and urinals, as well as showers. The showers should be hidden behind a secondary interior door since they will not be used on a regular basis. A drinking fountain can be located in the alcove, just outside the restroom doors.

Bridal Room:

The women’s restroom is located to the north in-order to connect to a multi-purpose room in the forthcoming sanctuary building. This room can serve as Sunday school class space and other small group meetings, but with direct access to the women’s restroom, it can also serve as a bridal room for weddings.

The Hallway:

The hallway connecting the two buildings has the restrooms to the west allowing for a large bank of windows facing east overlooking the courtyard and giving a view of the side of the sanctuary and the kitchen balcony.

The Great Room:

The high ceilinged main room of the building will serve as multi-purpose space, especially as a dining hall area for fellowship meals. Movable partition walls can allow for flexible configuration of Sunday School classrooms. Tall French doors, with transoms, symmetrically located around the room, will provide natural light into the building.

The Kitchen:

A spacious, well equipped commercial kitchen, will provide for the food preparation needs for the church’s various events and ministries. A serving window will open into the main room. The layout allows for traffic flow from the sanctuary, through the hallway, past the serving window, and then into the main dining area.

Storage:

The area labeled “kitchen” in the drawing will also need to include 2 storage areas. One for kitchen and food preparation needs and a second, for miscellaneous items, especially chairs and unused tables. The lower level will provide additional storage.

Utilities:

A platform out the back of the kitchen (east) can serve to elevate the HV/AC equipment, the walk-in freezer, and the main meter box for the building.

Building Access:

A stairwell situated at the north-west corner of the building will provide exterior access to the second level from the sanctuary side of the building. A double staircase on the south side of the building will face the main parking area. Another set of stairs (not pictured) will need to be located at the north east corner of the building to provide easy access to the kitchen area and to the utility platform.

Look and Feel:

R. C. Sproul says, “every form is an art form and every art form communicates something.” We want our fellowship hall to communicate the glory of God to our community as a place where his people gather together for fellowship with one another, pass along the “faith once delivered to the saints” and to welcome others to savor the supremacy of Christ over all things. To that end, the old south ambiance of the building will tie the congregation to its historic past rooted in the community as we pass along a legacy to the next generation. The multi-purpose space will host church fellowship meals, wedding receptions, banquets, as well as other events. The overall impression of a large family home rather than an industrial complex or commercial structure will speak to our identity as the family of God living life under his Lordship, on the gulf coast; to the praise of his glorious name and the spread of his matchless fame.

(your comments are welcome as we hammer out more details)

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In 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated our gulf coast community in Hancock County Mississippi. With five years of relief, recovery, and rebuilding, many still struggle to get back on their feet. Now, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill has left even the most sure footed on slippery ground. Many fear that the long term economic effects of the oil spill could prove more damaging than Katrina for our area.

Here on the gulf coast our entire culture and economy is tied to the water. Commercial, charter, and leisure fisherman; ancillary businesses like, ice houses, bait shops, and fueling stations, boat repair, seafood restaurants, tourism, and on and on. The anxiety level runs high, and folks fear their way of life will never be the same.

After Katrina, most on the Mississippi gulf coast immediately rolled up their sleeves and got to work in the rebuilding of their homes and community. The oil spill brings a completely different dynamic. The nature of this disaster leaves most people helpless without any hope of concrete action towards recovery. As one local resident put it, “its one thing to loose your house. You can rebuild that. But when your source of lively hood is gone, what do you do? I feel helpless.”

In the wake of hurricane Katrina, Lakeshore Baptist Church launched a massive mercy ministry. To date, we have hosted literally hundreds of volunteer mission teams involved with storm clean-up, rebuilding, and relief efforts of various sorts.

Now, with the oil spill challenge, we have a strong desire to continue ministering to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of local residence. This commitment will require a sustained effort and prolonged partnerships.

In an effort to minister to the long term needs of our community we have begun building a facility, affectionally known as “The Mercy House.” This permanent structure will replace the aging makeshift collection of storage sheds and quonset huts our ministry has been operating out of for the last 5 years as we continue providing food, clothing, household items, and encouragement to those in need.

Located just one mile from the beach on our major road leading to the waters edge, the Mercy House will serve as a community hub of hope providing a wide range of services

Currently we touch the lives of approximately 300 families a month through our food distribution and other benevolence ministries. The Mercy House will allow us to expand the ministry with regular educational opportunities, like our recent “How to Stretch Your Grocery Budget” seminar, encouragement events, and other resources aimed to aid families going through difficulty and uncertainty.

To help build this new facility send your tax deductible donation to:

Lakeshore Baptist church
PO Box 293
Lakeshore MS 39558

(make sure to put “Mercy House” in the memo line)

Thank you so much for being a part of the work God continues to accomplish on the gulf coast to the praise of his name.

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If you made a donation to Lakeshore Baptist Church last year, you should have received a year-end contribution receipt by now. If you have not, please let us know and we will get one to you asap.

In the mail out, I took the opportunity to include a 2009 update letter, recapping the progress of the year and looking forward to the future. I know many of you contributed to the efforts here through your local church and those finances were forwarded to us. In that case, you did not receive a letter from us, so let me include the update here for everyone.

Dear friend and partner of Rebuild Lakeshore,

Almost four and a half years ago Hurricane Katrina slammed into the gulf coast and devastated the small community of Lakeshore MS. Early optimistic estimates predicted 5-10 years of rebuilding and recovery. As Lakeshore Baptist Church approaches that 5 year mark, we see that we still have a long long road ahead. We could not have made it this far without financial partners, like you, who have stood along side of us as we minister help and hope in the name of Jesus Christ to our storm ravaged community. We praise God for your long term commitment to the cause and we continue to pray for God’s sustaining grace to press on.

Last year, 2009, rebuilding ministry in the community moved forward as we hosted 172 churches or groups and approximately 2,300 volunteers. With your help, several families finally moved back into their homes. We also began building permanent structures on the Lakeshore Baptist Church property to facilitate ministry for years to come. This time last year God gave us the vision for the first two buildings, a housing facility for volunteers and a building to accommodate our long-term mercy ministry.

The Bunk House nears completion. Sleeping 38 people the building is equipped with restrooms and showers. The raised 1,500 square foot structure sits approximately 10′ above grade. The screened in lower level provides a spacious multi-functional area. Your church can help fund this project by sponsoring one of the 33 pilings for $1,500. Each piling will carry a plaque with the name of the sponsoring church, giving a wonderful testimony to God’s people from across the country helping in this great hour of need. Please talk to your church leadership about this possibility. I would love for your church name to grace one of the wood columns supporting the building.

The second building we began this past year, The Mercy House, will serve our ongoing mercy ministry. The lower level will provide storage for goods, such as food, clothing, and household items, distributed to those in need. A large multi-purpose area on the second level will allow for a variety of gatherings, such as Bible studies, financial management classes, small groups, seminars, and various activities associated with the growing mercy ministry. You can contribute and help see this project to completion by putting “The Mercy House” in the memo line and making checks payable to:

Lakeshore Baptist Church
6028 Lakeshore Road
Bay St. Louis MS 39520

We also depend on un designated gifts to cover the regular costs of electricity, propane, sewer, garbage pick-up, phone, intenret access, gasoline, vehicle insurance, maintenance, staff support, office supplies, etc. Please consider making a one time gift to kick-start 2010, and/or a monthly financial commitment toward the ministry here.
Keep us in your prayers and check up on the progress online at http://rebuildlakeshore.com. Thank you so much for being a part of the work God continues to accomplish on the gulf coast to the praise of his name.

By grace alone,

Pastor Don A. Elbourne Jr.

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Although our new “Base Flood Elevation” required us to raise the Mercy House almost 10′ off grade, my design envisioned a two-story structure instead of a building set up on beach front piers. Last week we hid the 12X12 pilings with an enclosure which achieved the desired look. Recommended FEMA Hydrostatic flood vents on the lower level, NFIP code compliant building techniques, and a little visual consistency, brought the building together. I’m looking forward to siding the building with Stucco and hanging the shutters to complete the buildings exterior.

God forbid we see another catastrophic weather event in my life-time, but if we do, this building should resist a 9′ surge without compromising structural integrity. We plan to use the lower level for storage needs in conjunction with our Mercy Ministry; food, clothing, and household item distribution. The exposed beams of the interior reveal the buildings strength with architectural honesty. Lord willing, we will move into the facility very soon.

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