The first time Charlie had the honor of constructing a building for church was 7 years ago. When I say The Church I’m referencing the body of Christ, but the body has lots of bodies that need places to gather for worship, to learn, grow, eat, drink, encourage, challenge, marry and bury. 7 years ago, Charlie said it 1000 times if he said it once, I can’t believe I get to build my church. He felt honored to use his gifts and talents for God in a whole new yet familiar way. In the process, and even remembering, he knew he had been entrusted with something that was bigger than construction and greater than the work he did for a job.
Coming Home To Build
During that time, Kole came home from college. Claiborne, Kole’s friend and brother from college, also came for the summer to help build. Construction has been a business our family has done for generations; it made a lot of sense to teach the next generation, starting with church.
At the same time as the church building project, God was building on our family. He was adding to our family through adoption, birth and marriage in a short span of time. As the structure was being built for people to gather and grow in their faith, God was growing our family, building new additions and strengthening our foundation.
People and Places Come Together
That building gave us a place to gather and commemorate some of life’s greatest moments of celebration and sorrows. We married, baptized and buried some of our closest family and friends, right in that exact building. Charsie and Jesse were married there; and several of our kids and friends were baptized there. In the Spring of 2020 we traveled back to congregate with friends and family, who worked on that exact structure, and we celebrated the life and grieved the death of a great friend and building buddy.
Yes, a church is people, but a building, a place to fellowship, is special. Seven years after that honor and privilege with a whole bunch of joy and heartbreak in between, Charlie has the honor to build for our church in Montana. It feels full circle, like God knows how to build our faith, encourage our walk with Him; redeem everything, use everything and work it all together for our good and His glory.
Jesus Shows Up On The Job Site
Jesus called his disciples as they were doing their jobs and working the family business. When Jesus died, and rose again, he found them once again working their job, not knowing what else to do. He met them right there, on the job site, and provided abundantly through their work and restored the things that needed restoring.
Brewer Built has gone to a new job site. Jesus has already shown up and provided in miraculous ways. We are honored to be trusted with this building, and to be a part of the story being written. Story House is being built, at Camp on the Boulder, in the beautiful mountains of Montana. It is scenic, wild and full of life. Children and adults go there to serve and draw near to Jesus, and have a blast doing it.
The Story Behind The Story House
The vision behind Story House is; a beautiful place for small groups to gather and share life and give testimony to God’s goodness and His faithfulness, through the struggles and victories in each person’s story. Being with the body of Christ in His beautiful creation opens people’s hearts and eyes to know, see and share who God is and what He is doing.
Charlie and Kole, father and son, will be working side by side on the Story House, just like they did 7 years ago, building something so much bigger than the square footage they construct. God knows each of our stories inside and out; He cares about the details of how we are built and what we need to be strong and house His presence. This project is another testimony in the works.
All Things Work Together
This time around, seven years later, it feels a lot the same, and very different. God brings things back around to redeem anything and everything that has been lost, he restores all things. Last time, in the process of building for God’s purposes, the enemy tried to destroy us, in every area of our lives. We know from Scripture and from experience, when we open yourself up to partner with God, and His work, we have a target on us. The target tips off the enemy, and also flashes as a beacon of light and life. The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. The God we serve, came to bring life and life abundantly. John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. The battle is real and we know who is victorious. God wins, we win.
As Our Story Goes
As our story goes, here we are; different place and time, partnering with our church, asking God to work in us as building is happening. Every project over the last thirty years is marked with this, Hebrews 3:4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) God, who is the builder of all things cares about our story. He cares about the lives He has given to us, and the testimony we share about what He is doing in and through us. To sum up where we are; God is building and we are thrilled to be a part of it.
