What does it look like to see a vision given more than 40 years ago turn into victory? For Sister Mary Deloatch the Nehemiah Project is proof that dreams can come true no matter how long they take. Back in 1962 when Sister Deloatch became a member of FCBC, the late Thomas H. McKinzie, Sr. placed a vision in the mind of the congregants.

“McKinzie said one day the choir stands would be filled and the church would be standing room only,” said Sister Deloatch. “We thought he was crazy. Not that we doubted him but we had a congregation of less than 300 people coming from a storefront church.”

The first part of the dream for FCBC came to fruition when the congregation moved into its current location. Like many dreams it did not come without challenges. The first challenge was how to pay off the building with a small, working class congregation.

“To be honest, we couldn’t tell you how it was done. God did it,” Sister Deloatch said. “In those times we were housekeepers, day laborers and brick masons. We didn’t have a lot of money.”

Back then, people would give a dollar for offering so if the offering was $200 for the week it was a blessing. Yet that money had to go a long way. Musicians were being paid $25 a week along with McKinzie’s weekly pay of $75-$100. When there was a lack the congregants pulled their own resources together to pay the bills, including McKinzie who sometimes would give his entire pay back to the church for bills. This was on top of trying to support the finances that arose with the new building. Still they did it.

Turning a theatre into a church required renovations that Deloatch admits were not all done right. They did the best they could with the resources available. This is why Sister Deloatch has so much respect for Pastor Michael A. Walrond, Sr.

“He is so involved with the Nehemiah Project and has the patience of Job,” she said. “He wants to make sure everything is done right. He is fulfilling a dream that is embedded in him.”

The second challenge came in the lack of support from others outside the church in what FCBC was trying to achieve. People doubted that they would be able to keep the church.

“Other preachers asked what he was doing. They said we were just giving our money away to white people since we would not be able to pay for the church,” Sister Deloatch said.

With no help or encouragement for the endeavor, the work continued and because of that perseverance the church still stands today. The Nehemiah Campaign is the continuation of God’s dream for FCBC. Sister Deloatch is anxious to see the work start.

“I am very excited. I just pray I am around to see the finished product,” said Deloatch. “I just want to see it started. If it starts I know it has to end.”

The end or completion of the work will only come when people begin to sacrifice.

“We have to believe in pastor’s vision until we see it ourselves. I am looking at it as a child would. They may not be able to see or understand something but because mommy or daddy said it, you did it. We have to believe in Pastor’s vision as children would,” Deloatch said.

Do you believe?

–Desiree Allen

…there was banging, knocking, cutting and smashing, signaling the start of the Fellowship Hall demolition. FCBC’s restoration has begun! And seemingly in the blink of an eye, sheetrock walls, ceiling tiles, and old light fixtures were removed and discarded. What was evident from the outside became apparent from the inside–the Fellowship Hall is filled with several beautiful arched windows flanking the main window. Workers removed all the old walls covering the windows and immediately the space felt more vast, open and brilliant.

Artech workers continued demoliton this week with the lobby and several restrooms–chopping, scraping, cutting–revealing two-by-fours, bare walls, but also stunning architecture long hidden by renovations completed almost 50 years ago. Think marble window boxes, remnants of columns, and an ornate vaulted ceiling have been exposed in the now bare lobby.

Each new discovery presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the architect and construction team to modify the design and incorporate as many of the original design elements as possible. While demolition continues and the team preps for construction and installation work, FCBC and the design team will be working at a rapid pace to make adjustments to maintain the integrity of our new design and capture the remaining features of the stately original design.

-Candace Jackson, Project Manager

A very significant moment in the life of this campaign and project has taken place: THE WORK BEGAN!

Having been involved with the Nehemiah Project from its very humble inception and heavily involved with the intricate details over the last two months, I was not sure if the actual beginning of the project would have a noticeable effect on me. I thought it would be an “oh that’s cool” moment and proceed to the next thing.

However, when I ventured into the fellowship hall last week and saw that it had been utterly demolished, I stood in complete awe. I tried to take inventory of what I was feeling–excitement, joy, relief, anxiety and reality all at the same time. We have begun to become what we believe. We have begun what will be a great renewal in this special place! We have begun, after months of planning and push backs! We have begun…this is really real!

After spending some alone time on my second visit to the fellowship hall, it really hit me how powerful this moment is. It is a real life example of what it means to truly step out in faith to become all that you believe. We did not negate the prayer, planning or professional consultations, but we took a step together in faith and belief. As our pastor often says, we did not get stuck in the paralysis of analysis.

Now that the work on the church has begun, it does not mean our work is finished. Quite the opposite, in fact. We must now kick it into high gear. Seeing the work underway illustrates the FCBC community  is not afraid to take steps to become what it believes and that means that we cannot be afraid of becoming what we believe. My participation in this community is thoroughly impacting my engagement with life. Bible study is great, but life application is transformational!

Thank you, God!

–Pastor T

In just 10 more days, FCBC will kick off Visionaries & Dreamers weekend. Are you excited?

We certainly are. We know the FCBC family is full of gifted individuals and it’s time to tap into those talents. It’s time to become what you believe–creating is waiting!

The purpose of Visionaries & Dreamers weekend is critical. We must identify the individual visions, dreams and gifts of the FCBC Family so that we can enhance the livelihood of FCBC and impact the Harlem community.

So if you haven’t already, mark your calendars. Visionaries & Dreamers weekend begins on October 22, 2010 and it isn’t complete without you!

Friday 10/22
7 p.m.-9 p.m.
CREATION IS WAITING
Location: FCBC Sanctuary
Take an interactive journey through music, drama and dance to personally explore identifying your dreams and visions, acknowledge your issues, and release barriers preventing you from turning your dreams into reality. Come with an open mind and a willing spirit to participate in your own growth & development. CREATION IS WAITING for you to BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE!

Saturday 10/23
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
ADOPT-A-BLOCK: PRAYER STATIONS
Location: Harlem Community
Over 20 FCBC ministries will be stationed on blocks throughout Harlem from 110th street to 145th street, crossing from Lexington Avenue to Broadway, offering prayer to the community. This will give FCBC an opportunity to address community needs when developing community programs. Prayer is very intimate, and is an opportunity for FCBC ministries to connect with, and embrace the community. FCBC ministry is extending beyond its walls and putting into action what we have been commissioned to do…SERVE!

6 p.m.-9 p.m.
BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE: A GATHERING OF THE GIFTS
Location: FCBC Sanctuary
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Luke 10:2
The Harlem Community is waiting for us to walk fully in the gifts we have been given and to actualize our visions and dreams. The Gathering of the Gifts assembly will kick-off with Pastor Michael A. Walrond, Jr. initiating a call to action. After receiving the charge, those in attendance will break out into smaller groups, based on their gifts, to meet new people and collectively brainstorm ways in which their gifts, dreams, talents, and skills can enhance the livelihood of FCBC. Each group will come together to establish a commitment as to what they will do in 2011 to serve the FCBC Family and the Harlem Community. If you are still dreaming or figuring out your gifts, there is still a place for you. It is our hope that the Visionaries and Dreamers Weekend will motivate you to reach deep, search your hearts and minds, and uncover your dreams, gifts and visions!

Sunday 10/24
8 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.
The Time Is Now
Location: FCBC Sanctuary
Worship with us as we celebrate the closing of Visionaries and Dreamers weekend, and the beginning of new dreams, visions, and gifts birthed within the FCBC Family. The Word will be brought forth by guest preacher Pastor A. Byron Coleman, of the Fifth Street Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In the Middle Ages, Dante wrote in his Italian poetic epic The Divine Comedy, “The secret to getting things done is to act.” I guess this is not a newsflash to a consumer-market society driven to “just do it.”  However, getting things done is still an enigma at times.

The tendency to be occupied with the persons, the places, and the things of this world often stagnate the actualization of achieving a dream.  In the Bible, Nehemiah brought God’s vision to victory. Therefore, I can no longer tolerate my own complacency and procrastination when it comes to taking action.  Instead it’s time to employ the transformative effects of service and sacrifice. Nehemiah was action! I too, want to be action.

Participation in the Nehemiah Project is the epitome of action. The opportunities this movement can create for the FCBC family and the community of Harlem are boundless. Before the 20^th century, Harlem’s innovative progress promoted residential expansion and opportunities for religious, educational, and artistic institutions (including theaters.) In the 20^th century Harlem reawakened a Renaissance that changed the way people experienced the world forever.  Harlem is special.

The historical significance of our Nehemiah Project cannot go unrecognized.  FCBC resides in what used to be one of the most strikingly beautiful “movie palaces” of its time. In the early 1900s, the motion picture industry was experiencing a surge in technology and production.  In order to accommodate this growth Harlem became the entertainment citadel of New York City.  The Regent Theater (located on 116^th and Seventh Avenue) personified the luxury, expansion and innovation of its time.

The act of restoring, rebuilding and renewing “the walls” of FCBC’s spiritual community will have profound influences on generations to come.  The effects of action through stewardship are prodigious and pious. “In His will is our peace” Dante writes as his character ascends through the narrative.  So as my actions of typing conclude and this moment of service unwinds — I realize, I’m one step closer to God’s dream (my dream.)

–Lisa D.

Though FCBC is now one of the largest churches in Harlem, it was not always that way. In 1952 when Sister Dorothy V. Clark joined FCBC it was a small church housed on 137th street. When the people next door refused to sell their building, Thomas McKinzie Sr. was shown a large vacant theater. He declared it their new home though the congregation was small.

He was right! FCBC moved to its current location in June of 1964 with approximately 250 members. It was bought for $250,000 and paid off in two years. When asked how that was possible Clark replied, “We were in love with First Corinthian. It was a family. It was a sacrifice and we did it.”

The Nehemiah Campaign that FCBC commenced on September 5 is reminiscent of our effort to pool together our resources nearly 50 years ago. Back then people were not making as much money as we make now, but the members knew what had to be done to stay in their new home, and they did it!

Now, under the leadership of our current pastor, Michael A. Walrond Jr., FCBC has grown and brought with it eager young people who are the lifeline of the church, said Clark. A lifeline that is necessary for the completion of the Nehemiah Campaign that hopes to raise $500,000 in 52 days to renovate the interior of the church. No one in the 5,000 member body can look around and think that the little they are giving is enough. Clark believes this is possible if everyone sacrifices.

“It should not take forever to get the money Pastor is asking for. Back then we sold dinners, cakes and worked. If we had to dip into our pockets then that’s just what we did,” she said.

Clark is hoping the same love that enabled FCBC to move into this the building will be the same love that is strong enough to renovate it. She loves her pastors and feels they will be just as excited as she is to see the end result.

“I just want to be around to see it,” she jokes. When Clark speaks of FCBC, then and now, the joy in her heart and glimmer in her eyes is evidence that she will not be going anywhere anytime soon.

Sister Clark believes wholeheartedly that the Nehemiah Campaign will be successful and that we as a family will reach our goal. “I believe we can do it if we all sacrifice. If one is sacrificing, we all should sacrifice.”

What will you sacrifice?

–Desiree Allen, Ministerial Intern

You’d be surprised to see and hear of all of the samples, swatches, and general options that we review to build in all of the details around one room, one wall, or even one restroom stall.

Week after week, in the midst of the technical reviews, planning and scheduling, the FCBC Nehemiah team looks at various design concepts and function requirements in order to build a seamless plan for each space. A good example of this process at work has been the restroom upgrades.

We will maintain the basic “envelope” of the restrooms–in other words the walls, floors, and ceilings will remain mostly unchanged. All their contents and fixture details, however, will be upgraded. The floors, while visually appealing, must be super durable and slip resistant for all of the water that inevitably accumulates. The sinks, while modern and stylish, must be mounted to withstand considerable weight and allow for comfortable and easy access for persons of various heights. The individual stall partitions will match the new design and also allow for as much space and increased privacy that can be achieved within code. And the lighting must be visually consistent, but strategically located so it’s not distracting and allows for even coverage over the stalls and the mirrors.

A few details remain to be selected for the restrooms over the next week or so–and perhaps a couple of others will change. Hopefully, when you visit the finished rooms, you’ll be able to see all of the particular choices and have a better understanding of how it all comes together to create a fully functional, yet comfortable space.

–Candace Jackson, Project Manager

With our second week of the Nehemiah Campaign coming to a close, it’s important that we all remember no one person is going to help FCBC actualize our goal of raising $500,000 in 52 days. Rather, moving from Vision to Victory will require our collective sacrifice. Each and every one of us needs to reflect on why it’s so critical for our church to meet this goal and what sacrifices we can make to help.

So we want to know what are you sacrificing in order to contribute to FCBC’s Nehemiah Campaign? Are you giving up your Starbucks habit? Or maybe you’ve committed to taking the train so you can donate all that gas money you’ll be saving?

Whatever your sacrifice, we want to know about it. Email what you’re sacrificing for Nehemiah and why to editor@fcbcnyc.org and you could be selected for the Nehemiah Spotlight.

The most creative sacrificers will not only have the opportunity to share their story right here on FCBCSermons.com, but you’ll also be entered to win one of five great gift cards. For the fashion-lovers, there’s a Juicy Couture, a JCPenney and a Brooks Brothers gift card up for grabs; you could also win over $50 to spend on Drugstore.com.

So get creative and email us your sacrifice asap! We’ll be accepting and featuring submissions through 10/23/2010, and the gift card winners will be announced on 10/24/2010.

This week’s work on the Nehemiah Project was largely focused on color choices. After viewing multiple color samples, photos of similar sites, and mixing and matching paint ideas, FCBC’s leadership and Caples Jefferson Architects have created a straight-forward, monochromatic palate.

Simply put, the design will feature one primary color scheme which will include slight variations to highlight and accent intricate architectural details. This approach will illuminate the space more fully with radiant, inviting hues, and will simultaneously recapture the majestic decorative wall and column patterns which were likely apparent in the original design. Though layering multiple dramatic colors can be a great design attribute, this technique can sometimes overshadow the fine architectural details that can be seen in areas like the ceiling and the columns alongside the box seats. The new design will be a clear shift away from the existing mixed color scheme to a more streamlined look.

The pictures depict a corner of the arch above the box seats and the arch or “proscenium” around the pulpit, will give you a hint of the direction in which we are heading. The full color image is a heightened, bolder representation of the current detail seen throughout the Sanctuary. The solid color photo is a sample representation which shows how choosing more subtle, soft colors creates a more luminous and elegant feel. Next, we’ll begin to choose various beige, cream, and gold accent colors in order to put our design idea to the test in a ‘live’ wall sample.

–Candace Jackson, Project Manager

Think you don’t have enough to donate to the Nehemiah Campaign? Well, you do. Simple sacrifices in your everyday life will allow you to contribute to this project that will propel our church from Vision to Victory. Here are 5 ways you can get started today:

1. Make your own coffee. Instead of stopping by Starbucks every morning before work, make your own coffee at home. Bank the $5 daily savings and you’ll be able to contribute $260 to the Nehemiah Campaign.

2. Brown bag your lunch. On average we spend $7-$10 every day on lunch. Rather than giving that cash to the local delicatessen, pack your own lunch for free. At the end of the Nehemiah Campaign you’ll have saved up to $520, which makes for a pretty significant contribution.

3. Do your own nails. Get your girlfriends together every Thursday night for an at-home spa session. Treat each other to manicures and pedicures, so when Sunday comes you can put the $30 you saved in the offering basket. At the end of 52 days you’ll have given over $300.

4. Turn off the TV. Commit to going TV-free for the next two months and you could save as much as $250 that you could donate to the Nehemiah Campaign. Need something to occupy your time? Take a look at Pastor Mike’s fall reading list.

5. Take the train…or the bus… or walk! Before you hop in that taxi, consider how all those $7 dollar rides add up. Giving up just 2 cab rides a week will allow you give more than $100 to the Nehemiah Campaign.

Know more simple ways to sacrifice? Share them in the comments or email them to us at editor@fcbcnyc.org.