Gastonia
A Time of Thanks at First ARP Church – Gastonia O
By Trip McGill
n Sunday Night, November 19, 2023, there was a special Thanksgiving Service, Dinner, and program at First ARP Church in Gastonia. Our church gives thanks to God for his goodness to our congregation. For
many years, there was talk about whether to stay in the York Chester area of Gastonia or to move to another site outside of Gastonia. During this process of discussion and much prayer, over a period of years, the entire block at 317 S. Chester Street in Gastonia, became available to our church and it was evident that God’s will be for us to stay in the York Chester area. There were many issues that needed to be addressed if we stayed at the cur- rent location. We needed better parking, restrooms in closer proximity to the Sanctuary, handicapped accessibility and an updated youth space that would allow our middle school and high schoolers to grow more effectively in Christ. a welcome area that would allow for proper greeting folks to worship and also a place to visit after worship. We began a capital campaign and a building fund process. Again, God is
faithful. Enough money was pledged so that after much prayer and clearly see- ing God’s hand in the process of acquiring the entire city block, groundbreaking took place on March 11, 2018.
The demolition began and then the building of our Ministry Activity Center
and Welcome Center began. On October 27, 2019, we held a dedication of our new facilities. After the dedication, there were many other inspections of all of the areas which prevented us from moving into our facility until late January of 2020. Then Covid hit. We had a new facility and we weren’t able to meet and use it like we had planned. However, God is faithful. Our folks continued to follow through with the payment of pledges and we have been able to use our Welcome Center for visi- tations, receptions, gatherings as well as registration for many events. Our Min- istry Activity Center (MAC), has been used for many events as well. We have hosted concerts, congregational meetings, dinners, presbytery, seasonal events, children’s musicals, basketball and other games and many youth events. This building also houses our youth meeting spaces for Sunday School and Youth Groups for Middle School and High School groups. The building also houses Through God’s faithfulness and the faithfulness of our members, on October 6, 2023, at the special Thanksgiving event, we were able to burn the note and it was announced that $7,032,002.58 had been contributed and the loan had been paid off. What a joy it was to see the physical evidence of God’s faithfulness as the note for these new facilities was burned at this event. God continues to be faithful to First ARP Church in Gastonia.
It says in
Psalm 127, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.” We give thanks to God for his overseeing the building of these facilities. The faithful work of over 136 years at First ARP Church Gastonia continues. We are thankful for the many pastors, missionaries, church leaders, and other ministry- oriented leaders that God has allowed this church to be the place where all have grown in Christ and are equipped for ministry locally and abroad. We pray that God will allow his church here in Gastonia to continue to lead with Deep Roots and Wide Reach in order that God’s kingdom will be furthered for many years to come.
Trip McGill is camp director of the Bonclarken Music Drama Camp, Co-Director of Camp Bonclarken and Co-Conference Director of the Bonclarken Music Conference. He is also Organist and Director of Music at First ARP Church, Gastonia, NC and is the former choral director at Ashbrook High School, Gastonia, NC.
28 Photos by Jim Poag The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
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