Thanksgiving thoughts

We have so much for which to be thankful. Certainly near the top of that list is what the Lord has done for us in making a place for the future of our school. I visited the new building on Thursday, it had been a couple of weeks since I was there. What exciting progress.

The high school walls are almost all finished. Only some strategic points at the south end have not yet been raised to their full height. Both the inner and outer layer of block has been done. There is still work underway on the cafeteria walls, and that is also moving forward. The concrete floor has been poured in the hallway. Very soon we will be able to place the roof beams!

Thank you for praying for OCA, and supporting this exciting project with your gifts and pledges. The Lord provides through people who obey Him!

Keith

Why are we here?

A question which can be answered at many different levels. We can read Genesis and ask why we are here. We might answer that with 'To glorify God and worship Him. Students can ask the same question during the day in school, and the answer might be "because I have to be" (or more optimistically, to learn and be prepared for life.)

How about OCA. Clearly, we are not here to make money, or to raise cash. Though clearly, raising cash is a part of our needs as we prepare for our new location. At our most recent board meeting a board member challenged us all to remember that we are here to minister to the community, by providing high quality education, from a Christ centered view. The second part of that challenge, is that we should be able to do that to a much larger audience than we currently have. In a metro area our size, the Christian school population should be several thousand instead of in the hundreds.

As a board, we are beginning to think about how to grow Christian education in Omaha. A new location with quality classroom space is one step on that journey.

Keith

More nice days, more blocks in place

Steady progress is happening. I visited the site on Sunday evening this weekend. The West wall of the building is starting to grow, while at least 75% of the East wall block work appears to be finished with both the inner and outer blocks being in place.

The North wall is at its full height for the inner layer of blocks, exterior are not all in place yet. The South is going more slowly by design, as there are mechanical and practical reasons to finish those walls a little later in the project.

It is now very easy to see the layout of the rooms, the size of the hallway, and so forth. Warm dry days like today go a long ways at this point in the project.

I have not talked about money for a while. All indications are that we are running on budget at this point, and we praise the Lord for that. The diligent work of the construction team also needs to be recognized.

We do still have some cash needs for the building. We have pledges outstanding which we need to collect. In addition, gifts now will help us to furnish the new building a little more completely than we could right now. Those final touches will make the new space more comfortable, and will assist with marketing efforts as well.

We are preparing a letter to be mailed to those who have made pledges. That should go out very soon. Please include that mailing in your prayers for OCA. We do need to continue to collect money pledged toward this project.

Radical Renovations 081030.pdf

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Progress

I visited the site Monday night, and it is just so exciting to me to see a real building there. The outside wall on the East side appears to be at or near full height, and some of the exterior later of block is up. There are lots of openings for windows. North wall is coming along too.

It looks to my untrained eye that preparations are well underway to pour cement over the storm shelter spaces. Not sure exactly what the timing is for that step, but the progress is good.

Today, some board members, building project managers, and school administration was to meet at the site to review the renovation on the existing building. While the largest part of the work is done there, there are still numerous tasks before we can say that building is done. Some of those tasks are simply on hold so that the new construction work next door cannot cause any problems with the renovation work. For example, muddy shoes on new carpet would be disappointing to us all.

There may be volunteer opportunities with some of those tasks, so be aware, and enjoy the chance to be part of preparing this site for OCA in the future.

Thanks for praying, thanks for reading.

Keith

Radical Renovation 081023.pdf

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Useful candidate information for voters

While doing some study for the upcoming election, I found a very useful web site. This site is non-partisan, and does not endorse any candidates. It was put together to provide voters information about candidates in specific areas of Nebraska.

http://www.voterinformation.org/

It took me just a bit to figure out the site, so I will give some hints. When you visit this site, go to the right hand side of your screen, and click where it says "Check Out answers from candidates..." After you click that link, go to the upper left of your screen, where it says choose, and click on your county, then click "go".

When I did this, I was able to find every election on the ballot for my area. There was information about many of the candidates, including comments by attorneys about the judges. The site asked at least 17 local attorneys who are pro life and pro family what they think of the judges.

Hope you find this as useful as I did!

Keith

Quick update

Once again, it has been too long between updates. I had a week long business trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Then a week to catch up on my regular work, and these combined to put me a little behind.

Just a quick note to let you know that there was progress, even with a few wet days. Dryer is definitely better at this point, so pray for dry weather!

There most notable progress was on the exterior walls on the north and east sides of the building. Those walls will have two layers of cement block, with insulation in between. Right now, the work is on the inner layer. The walls have spaces for windows which will be installed at a later date.

For any who may be interested, I have started another blog specifically for an Adult Sunday School class I am teaching. The subject is creation and the flood as taught in Genesis chapters one through 6. That blog is located at www.creationclass.blogspot.com

Thanks for checking in on the building project blog.

Keith

New Pictures!

I visited the building today, and it has been a good week! To my untrained eye, it appears that the block work for the hallway is nearly finished. Block work on the outside walls is also moving forward. I tried to capture the hallways as they stand in the pictures. It is now very easy to see what it will be like to walk those halls.

We are in the process of installing the security cameras and planning secure, hi-tech lock systems to maximize security. That process is underway, and I am confident that the
result will be one which we can all be very comfortable with. Thanks to Mr. Crawford, and his sons for helping install the systems, and Mr. Adams for providing his security knowledge to designing a comprehensive system.

I need to mention too how very important our executive director, Mr. Tim Thompson has been to the building project, and the entire operation of the school. Thanks Tim!

Let us all be diligent before the Lord to thank Him for his grace to us, and pray for His continued mercy on us.

Keith

Building Update

A lot is happening up on Wiesman Drive! Last weekend I visited the site, but we also had Lauren, our college student daughter home with us, so I did not take the time to write an update. There was visible progress with walls getting taller.

I had a brief meeting with some other board members yesterday afternoon, (Sept. 25) and this was a good week for the block work even with the rainy weather. The first priority is getting the cement block for the hallway done. , and I can report that the east wall of the main hallway is nearly complete. The North wall of the North hallway is also at full height.

There is also work starting on the outside walls on the East side of the building. I noticed that there is a start on both the inner and outer blocks there.

This week Mr. Thompson hosted an ACSI meeting at the new facility. This was possible because some work in the renovation project is nearly finished. We made it a priority to have one classroom carpeted, and ceiling tile installed for this meeting. While there are still a number of things to complete there, the progress is exciting. I know that more ceiling tile is going in, and that really gives a finished look to the space.

It is exciting to see the progress. Now, we do still have some financial needs to finish this project well. Please be in prayer asking the Lord to provide. I'll provide some additional information on the financial position soon.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for praying.

Praise the Lord for his goodness to us!
Keith

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A Nice Evening

We had a very nice Association meeting on Tuesday night. The only improvement I would have made would have been a better turn out. Those who came seemed excited about where OCA is right now, and where we are headed.

Jeff Bebee prepared a nice slide show of the progress on the building since we started the renovation work last February. It has certainly changed a great deal over these few months, and is becoming a very comfortable looking school building. I have not visited the site since last weekend, but the nice weather should be ideal for putting the block in place.

At the meeting, Paula shared some about what we can expect over the next weeks in construction. She made a great point that it will seem like just cement block work for quite a while, but cement block is really the largest part of the construction of this building.

We currently expect block work on the hall way, which is the storm shelter to continue into the first or second week of October. Then we can set the cement top on those blocks, and pour cement on top to finish the storm shelter. Next, cement block walls will go up, and there are actually two layers of block.

Our current expectation is to have the building finished by about mid - January, with a move shortly after. Now, a lot can happen in that amount of time, and we need some volunteer efforts along the way. Please watch for Radical Renovations and opportunities to volunteer, and come lend a hand when those come about.

Thank you, and keep praying for God's grace and favor on OCA as we establish a new home for our ministry to the Omaha community.

Keith

A rainy week

Progress is ongoing, but the rain is not our friend at this stage of the construction. On Saturday afternoon, there was water standing in some places, and heavy clay mud everywhere. It was easy to see why the block layers were not able to work on rainy days. I understand that they did try to work on Friday, but the rain became too heavy. Things get slippery with rain and mud, and it is not a safe place to work.

Never the less, there were some days dry enough, and one section of hallway wall grew a few feet taller. The progress is encouraging, even when it comes a little at a time. The forecast is good for this coming week, so we should see more progress in the next few days. Jeff Bebee has been taking a lot of pictures at the building, and is preparing a slide show for the Association meeting on Tuesday. Hope you can be there!

Saturday there was also a work day, and a few people came and did some clean up in the elementary and middle school space. That is really coming along, nicely!

We have done a financial review and things are looking pretty good. We do still have some needs, both financially and for volunteers. We'll talk more about that Tuesday as well.

God Bless
Keith

Leaving Comments

I have had a few people say that they tried to leave comments, but were not able. I have tried from at least three different computers, and it seems to work fine for me. Let me tell you how I have made it work. Perhaps it will help someone.

To leave a comment, just look below any posting, and there should be a place that says "0 Comments" or perhaps some other number if someone else has already commented. That should open a window where you can write a comment, then after writing your comment, you can choose either your Google/Blogger identity if you have a Google account, or you can choose Name/URL if you want to leave your name, or anonymous if you rather.

Once you submit your comment, I will see it is there, and either post it or not depending on the nature of the comment.

Hope you have a great week, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the Association meeting next week, September 16th.

Keith

New Photos

Monday afternoon, September 8, I added some new photos to the building slide show on the right side of the screen.

Just wanted to point out that you can double click on the slide shows and they will appear full size on your screen. They are much easier to view in that larger format.

I'll try to add pics every week or so!

Keith

Growing Walls

It is so exciting to see progress at the new location. I stopped there with my family on Saturday during a light sprinkle, and really enjoyed walking through the space that will be the new high school. The progress over the last week was encouraging, and was most evident on the wall of one side of the hallway.

As a reminder, the hallway will be the storm shelter space, and so has extra heavy duty construction. The cement blocks on one side of the hallway are probably about one third of their final height. There is rebar every few inches, and the inside of each cement block is filled with cement. As you walk down the hall, you see the doors standing upright for a number of the classrooms.

Another step completed this week was the installation of some plumbing lines. Some classrooms certainly need running water and drains. These include science labs, family consumer science, and art. Those rooms have sinks and drains planned, and now the drain lines are laid for those rooms.

One of our computer consultants, Phil, was also at the site on Saturday. He was planning the wireless network access points which will be installed there. Thanks, Phil!

We all know that OCA needs to get this move completed, and as quickly as possible. Please continue to pray for the fastest possible completion of this building.

Thank you,
Keith

Disclaimers and Exhortation

I appreciate a number of you who read my blog, and comment on it from time to time. It has been a lot of fun to write these comments, and especially fun to hear from my readers.


I should point out that the thoughts in this blog are my own opinions. The school board and administration are not consulted with what I post here, so it is simply my ideas and observations. I provide it to help keep people aware of the progress on our new facility.


Because of recent events, there has been some media coverage of Liberty Christian Center (LCC). I would like to take a moment to clarify that LCC and Omaha Christian Academy are separate organizations. Each has its own leadership, management and objectives. The only relationship is a landlord and tenant. Omaha Christian pays rent to LCC each month.

I recently heard a rumor that we must pay rent to LCC for this entire school year. Throughout this process we have kept LCC informed about our building project, and they have indicated that they will work with us as the Lord provides. As a result, we expect to pay rent only until we move out. If you hear something about the building project, and want to know if it is right, please contact me, and I will look into it, and get back to you.

Today, the truth can be hard to find in our society. Please be like the Bereans, in Acts 17:11. They "...searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." (NKJV) I urge you to do the same, where ever you go, and what ever you hear, think about it in light of God's unchanging Word.

Keith

High Tech, Energy Efficient

Remember the Jetson's? I used to love that cartoon as a child. They would walk into a room, and things just happened automatically. Time to get dressed? A machine brought their clothes, and put them on for each person. It was pretty cool. Well, OCA staff and students will still continue to dress themselves, but when you walk into a classroom, the lights will go on for you, and they will go off by themselves when the room is empty.

When I recently walked through the elementary building. What I noticed most is that the classroom lighting is installed, and I had a pleasant surprise! The lighting is set up on automated switches. With the light switch set properly, the lights turn on when you walk into a room. After a while, the lights in an empty room will turn themselves off. Of course, lights can be turned on and off on command as well. Perhaps I am easily amused by technology, but I think this is both Jetson's cool, and it is energy efficient as well.

As you walk through the building, it is clear that the Step Out team which served at OCA did a nice job of cleaning up the building. While there are still some things to be done before move in, the building is quickly moving toward being ready for move in. Some things yet to be completed are setting the bathroom fixtures, placing the ceiling tiles, and installing carpet, and doors. These are all in the plan, it is just not yet time for those steps. For example, we are told that the ceiling tiles should not be installed until the Heating and Air Conditioning are turned on. The humidity and temperature changes can cause them to change shape, so we plan to install those as late as possible. Also, the carpet installation will be late in the project, so that construction dirt is not a problem on the new carpet.

We also need to complete the data and phone network. Cable has been pulled into all of the elementary classrooms, but the cable needs to be connected to equipment at each end before it will be functional.

This building looks really sharp inside. I am eager for you all to see where our students will be going to school after the move. Now is a time when we simply practice patience and prayer. I also expect there will be opportunity for service at work days at the building. Please be willing to come and help.

OCA families are encouraged to come to the Association meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16th in the Cafeteria space at 56th and L. The Spring meeting should be in the new building!

Thanks for reading!

Keith

Walking the Halls

Yesterday the family went to visit the building site, just to see what is going on. We had seen the "Radical Renovations" newsletter sent out by the school, so knew there was some block work underway. There is something special about walking through the space.

One part of the construction which is evident is the hallway of the high school, which is designed as the storm shelter for the whole school. Since it is a shelter, the construction needs cement footings, and the footings for that hallway are done. As a result, it is easy to see the hallway, and so I walked down the hall, picturing what it will be like to walk through the doorways, and into the classrooms.

Some of the cement block wall work is underway, at the north end of the building. In some of those rooms, the door frames are standing upright and giving a third dimension to what can be seen.

I hope that you are as excited as I am to see this building being raised up. The Lord has blessed us with a place to build our school, and now with the building actually happening. Please continue to pray for great construction weather, wisdom for those managing the project, and the Lord's continued provision to OCA.

I will add another note soon with some neat things already done in the renovation of the elementary and middle school building.

Keith

Radical Renovation - August 26

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Progress Report

One of the problems with a blog, is keeping some new material here. Sorry for the long delay, but there is an exciting development this week. The dirt work was done for the footings of the high school. Please continue to pray for good weather over the next couple of months.

Renovation is going well too. The grid work for the ceiling is being installed, and that means that light fixtures can go in. The construction team is expecting that we will be able to host some ACSI meetings in this renovated space in the last days of September.

Thanks for reading and praying.

Keith

Upcoming school events

As we get closer to the fall, we move into a busy time for schools. Along with the preparation for the first day of class, please be aware that there are some school business matters which will come up as well.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2nd. We have been meeting at the 56th street location, but with the progress on the building, we may decide to meet at the new location on that date. Watch both this blog, the OCA web site, and Sycamore Education for more information as we near that date.

Shortly after the board meeting, the fall OCA Association meeting will be held, tentatively scheduled for September 16. More details will follow on that as well. The fall meeting is important as we kick off the school year, review our current financial position, and conduct the business of the organization.

Last fall we selected a nominating committee during the fall meeting. The nominating committee worked to find individuals who were willing to serve as school board members. I think that worked out very well, and I plan to do that again this fall. If you have interest in either being on the nominating committee, or serving on the board, you can either let me know, or contact the school office.

There is never a shortage of things to do. If you have a passion for something about OCA, and I hope that you all do, let a board member or the office know. We would love to get you involved.

Thank you,

Keith

What is next

With the painting is coming along very nicely, thanks to a generous donation of labor by a parent. We are ready to install the grid work for the suspended ceiling. That grid work will allow for the completion of a couple things, including installation of overhead lights in each room, and the vents for the heating and air system.

For the new construction, we are currently expected to dig for the footings on August 6. After that, there should be a rush of activity at the building including concrete and steel work to finish the outer shell of the building. During this time, we all need to pray for great weather to facilitate a speedy construction project.

While it is still too early to schedule our move to this building, the interior work on this renovation is nearly finished. One event is tentatively scheduled in the new space already. OCA will host an ACSI meeting with other area schools in September. We hope and plan for that event to be in the new building.

ACSI is short for the Association of Christian Schools International, and is one of our accrediting bodies. Along with accreditation by the State of Nebraska, we meet the standards of the ACSI. This dual accreditation is unique for area schools. Read more about ACSI at http://www.acsi.org/. There are some great articles here which always remind me of how important our mission is.

I added some new pictures, including some of the volunteer team installing computer cable. This cable, donated by CommScope, Inc. will provide both data and phone service to each room. In addition to the cable, we will include some wireless access points. This will allow controlled access to the Internet for authorized users anywhere on our property.

A few comments

First thanks for checking in for updates. Sorry that it has been so long. I know people drive by the property from time to time. So in case you wonder what happened to the parking lot on the west, a contractor with a big crane accidentally did some damage. I think it was just a combination of the wetter than usual weather, along with heavy equipment and a parking lot designed for cars. The contractor is aware of the damage, and will be making repairs, or compensating the school.

Also, some of you may have noticed a school bus parked on the lot. That bus is there by permission. It is being used by a detasseling crew operating out of Omaha. There are a number of OCA students on the crew, and we agreed to let them use the lot overnight. Checkout the detasseling company at www.notafraidtosweat.com. My wife and younger daughter are both involved, and it has been a good company to work with. If you want to enjoy the warm summer weather and earn some money too, keep them in mind for next summer!

The lot on the east is now level and ready for footings. There was a design and plan problem which needed to be resolved. That has delayed us for a little while, but footings and construction should start up soon. Pray for good construction weather!

The interior is being painted, and next week we should see the installation of some ceiling work. Then the renovation will be almost finished! What a joy to see the efforts of so many come together for this great project.

Stop back again!
Keith

Progress report

There are probably three important things to note about our progress.
1. We have now received the final building permits which will allow completion of the entire school facility. Paula reported to me this week that the city granted the permit which allows for the construction of the interior walls in the high school building. Praise the Lord!

2. Last Thursday, we signed our construction loan with Security National bank. This loan is needed to construct the new space for the cafeteria and high school building.

3. After a visit to the building on Friday night, it is a pleasure to report progress there. Fager Excavating has been working with the needed dirt work on the east side of the property. They will be hauling dirt in soon. Inside, the drywall work is coming very nicely, and I can also report that there are some walls where primer has been applied. That really makes things look like finished space.

Paula tells me that the walls will be painted over the next week or so, and that the ceiling tile work will begin after that. As I looked around the building, I could see Heating and Air work going on. The construction plans call for completion of all all except the flooring within really the next two or three weeks. Flooring will be left for a while, as there will be a lot of dirt from the new construction which will get tracked into the existing building.

This is a key time for us to continue to raise funds for this project. While we have a construction plan funded, any added amounts raised will help with a few key things. These needs include upgrading some floor coverings, and updating furniture in some key areas. Also, anything more we can raise in cash now would allow us to go into our permanent financing after construction with lower debt. Lower debt would lower operating costs, and be a great help over the next several years.

Please pray for our Lord to richly bless the school financially. Tell lots of people about OCA. I believe we have a great thing going, lets share that news!

By His Grace
Keith

Poll - Telling others about OCA

I am always surprised at how people answer. In an 8 or 9 day poll question, I have had as many as 14, and as few as 4 answers.


Most recently, the poll question was about how frequently people tell others about OCA. Four people answered that they tell others at least once per month. (I know one of those people was my wife!). No one else answered!

Now I realize that this is not a scientific poll, so the numbers themselves don't mean a great deal. But I wonder, how do parents perceive OCA, and how actively do current families market the school to their friends at Church, at work, or their neighborhoods.

With the new facility, there will be no reason to hold back in telling others about the school. We have a good thing going at OCA. Please help us to get the word out. A fortune could be spent on advertising, but your simple statement to a friend will be much more effective.

Thank you!
Keith Strasser

Independence Day

As I reflect on our national holiday today, I am impressed with how very important, and relatively rare that our freedom is around the world. Not only do we have the legal freedom to pursue what is most important. We also have an economy that provides most people with financial ability to pursue their dreams to at least some degree.

Each of us can pursue what we view as important. For OCA, that is providing our children a fully integrated, Bible based educational experience. I touched on that during the ground breaking. My comments are copied below.

Thanks for reading, and have a happy and safe holiday.

Keith


July 2, 2008

Omaha Christian Academy has a 35 year history of educating students across the Omaha metro area. Started by Temple Baptist Church at 61st and Miami, Temple Christian Academy drew students from around Omaha. My wife attended TCA for her forth through tenth grades! She rode each day from near highway 370 and Fort Crook road in Bellevue to 61st and Miami. During that entire time, the school has operated in space that was either shared with its host Church or rented.

In 1978 a building project was started, but was not completed. Ironically, that building was just south of Crown Point Avenue. Today, we are standing just one half block south of Crown Point Avenue. 30 years later, and 20 blocks further West, we stand here on the future home of the school. The past 25 years have seen the school operate in four locations, and we are more than ready for a place to call our own.

OCA has a great history, and has produced high quality graduates over the years. Test scores and scholarship results demonstrate our academic standards, but OCA is more than that. We stand as a unique school in Omaha, as an accredited, non-denominational school for all grades.

The standards we hold most high, are those taught to us in God’s Holy word, the Bible. The truths found there are fully integrated into everything we do at OCA. Bible is much more than just a class that is added into our daily schedule. It is the very foundation of the way we approach knowledge and education.

Ladies and Gentlemen, lets break ground!

A Beautiful Day

Wednesday was a beautiful warm summer day here, and that provided exactly what we needed for the ground breaking at the school building. We had a nice turn out, probably around 100 people, including city officials, and OCA families both past and present, and friends of OCA.

Ground was broken, visitors signed a steel beam which will be included in the construction of the building, and toured the renovation work underway in the existing building. Security National Bank, and Hy Vee sponsored the event by providing light refreshments.

The renovation work is progressing so very nicely. A big thanks to Kim Palmer of KLP, Inc. for his continued efforts managing the renovation work. Consider contacting Kim if you have any remodel or construction projects. He does great work!

I spoke with our construction team about the schedule for the new structure. The deadline for finishing the grading work is in two weeks. During that time, fill dirt will be brought to the site, so that the floor of both buildings will be at the same level. Please pray for good weather during this phase. Rebar is to be delivered in two weeks, and the dirt work needs to be done so that footings can be constructed.

Have a safe and happy holiday. Praise the Lord for in nation we live in, where we are free to educate our children in the ways of His Holy Word.

Keith Strasser

Ground Breaking

Hope you are planning to attend. The OCA band, under the leadership of Mrs. Cloyd is planning to perform, at least a few local dignitaries are planning to attend, and our banking partner, Security National Bank is providing some light refreshments.

The fun all starts at 11:00 on Wednesday. Stop by for a cookie, and a look at the progress on the renovation of the younger grade space.

Keith

Exciting Progress

Have you heard? There will be a ground breaking event on July 2, at 11:00 at the new building. I hope that you can make it! This will be a great time to see what progress has been made in the existing building, and to praise the Lord with us for the progress which has happened at 10244 Wiesman Drive.

Weather permitting some work will have already taken place by the time we have the event, but it will still be a great opportunity to show our project and plans for the property to the Omaha community.

I stopped at the building today, and it is amazing to see! Most of the drywall is up, and a good part of that is already taped and appear to be nearly ready for paint. The rooms are certainly beginning to look like classrooms, and the offices look like offices. Check out the newest pictures in the slide show!

Thanks to whomever mowed the lawn this week!

Keith

Trees

The work day on June 14 did not go too well. We had equipment problems, and so will need to try again sometime. Please leave a comment, or send me an email or pass a note if you are interested in helping in any way at the property.

Thank you!

Work Day

You are invited! Please see the Radical Renovations in the link below. Also, we are planning to take care of some projects on this Saturday, June 14, beginning at 9:00 am, weather permitting. We will have a wood chipper there to take care of some "weed trees". Since we just got another 3 + inches of rain, the lawn could be mowed again, and the building could use a good sweep to clean up construction dust.

I'll be there, and I hope to see you too!

Click the link below to view the file. RadicalRenovationsJune9 ** Note: You may need to right click the above link and select 'Open Link in Window' File Updated on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 File Size 1501 kb Uploaded File Name Radical_Renovations_080609.pdf This file was uploaded using GReports.com

Poll Restults

Thanks for participating in the creation question poll. The question read "Regarding creation as described in Genesis: How important do you believe creation is to other aspects of your faith?". There were fourteen answers entered. 12 answered "Extremely important - pivotal to understanding the Bible properly". One answered "Important but not pivotal" one "Not too important, God could have used evolution just as well" and no one answered "I don't believe in the Biblical creation account"

Good News!

God does answer prayer. We have seen it so many times with this project. Paula Wells just called with the good news that our building permit has been approved. We now have the official permission to move forward with adding the new space which will be the high school and cafeteria at the new location. More to follow soon, including news about an official ground breaking to be held in the near future, along with a chance to see the progress in the new building.

Please continue to pray for the financial needs of the project. More money raised now and throughout the construction process means lower debt service in the future. Pray that God will bless this project with even more generous donations.

Praise the Lord,
Keith

Prayer Opportunity

Dear OCA friends,

We have another opportunity for prayer. Please join in praying that the shell permit for the new space will clear all the necessary reviews at the city quickly. There are a number of thing which hinge on getting that approval, and these things take time.

Pray too for the Lord to bless the school financially with both general fund and building fund gifts. There are some important donor opportunities from which we will hear results during June and July. The Lord is able to provide, I trust Him to!

On a praise note, OCA did receive a donation of computer networking supplies from CommScope, Inc. The company donated Cat 6 computer network cable, outlets, and panels for the entire project. I expect to receive the shipment of cable tomorrow, and begin planning the installation in the renovated space in the next few days. This donation will allow us to have a computer network for today's needs, and to meet more demanding technology needs in the future. Praise the Lord!

Keith

Radical Renovations

After a request from a reader, I have added the most recent issue of Radical Renovations to the blog.

Keith

Click the link below to view the file. RedRen080603 ** Note: You may need to right click the above link and select 'Open Link in Window' File Updated on Wednesday, June 04, 2008 File Size 1745 kb Uploaded File Name RadicalRenovation080603.pdf This file was uploaded using GReports.com

Permits and Inspections

The entire building process can perhaps be summarized as obtain permits, build, and inspect. We have now completed the first two inspections in the renovation work. Both the structural and electrical inspections were completed. This means that work can move forward on some aspects of the work. If you saw Jeffrey Bebee's Radical Renovation newsletter already today, you can see that we need some help.

We are trying to conserve on this project, and one way we have done that is to save the old insulation from the demolition work started in February. That insulation will be recycled into the new structure, specifically it will be used used in the walls between classrooms to help with noise reduction. Each wall will have five layers of material to deaden sound. The insulation, two layers of OSB (oriented strand board), and two layers of drywall. Jeffrey is coordinating volunteer efforts on this project, and is looking for help.

We are still working with city offices to get the structural permit to begin construction of the new space. We do plan to have a ground breaking ceremony when that is complete, but cannot schedule it before the permits are in hand. We are allowed to remove the existing parking lot on the east side of the building before the permit is obtained, and that work will begin soon.

Still one more day to vote on the most recent poll question. Hope you can help at the building soon!

Keith Strasser

Sweat Equity

I have mentioned before the great work of our contract management team, Paula Wells and Tom Slobodnik. They have worked extensively to bring the price of this building project down to where we can afford it.

There is a price to pay for this lower cost.

We need volunteers to assist with some aspects of the building project. For those who helped prepare the LCC space in 2005, you can be assured that this will be less intense than that effort. When the heavy construction begins on the new space, we will be seeking volunteers to do sight clean up, picking up construction scrap and debris, sweeping floors, and other tasks. Jeff Bebee has agreed to help coordinate the volunteer efforts, and OCA families have likely seen Jeff's "Radical Renovation" newsletters over the past few weeks.

One upcoming job will be helping to install the computer and phone network in the building. Network cable and plugs have been requested from a donor, with promising results. (More on that when everything is final). We will need labor to lay the cable into the buildings, and later to connect the cables so that they are ready for computer and telephone connections. Cable could be installed in the elementary building pretty soon after the cable arrives.

An ongoing need is lawn care. There is a good lawn on most of the property, and it is growing nicely. It has been mowed once or twice already, but we need to establish a consistent pattern for mowing this yard. Please contact Jeff or the school office if you can help.

Poll Results

The poll question for the past week or so related to a service OCA is considering. This would be a voluntary electronic payment drafted from the bank account of your choice. Benefits to you are saving a stamp, (or remembering to write a check and send it with a child). Benefit to the school is more predictable cash flow, and automatic deposit into our bank account.


The poll question read "If OCA offered a voluntary automatic draft from your checking or savings account, would you choose to use the service?" There were 4 "yes," 3 "no," and 2 "depends on cost" answers.

We had looked at one company that provides this service, and they have a good product. However, they were not as flexible with allowing voluntary participation, and so we are looking into another option with our new banking partner, Security National Bank.

Thanks for answering the poll. I'll try to keep a question open most of the time!

Keith

Top Ten Reasons

Why are we doing all of this? Without a property we could call home, OCA has needed to move several times over the past years. The board believes that this mobile nature has made attracting and retaining families difficult. So below are some reasons I think the new location and owning our own building is an important step in the life of OCA.

Delivered in the popular late show manner...


10. The whole school on one floor, no more stairs to the third floor!

9. Security. The new location is next to a police station.

8. Located next door to a pleasant residential neighborhood.

7. Room for our current students plus room to grow.

6. Room to add a gym in the future!

5. Only a few blocks from I-680.

4. OCA has first choice on use of rooms.

3. No more 60th street traffic!

2. People will be assured that we are not moving again

1. No more stairs to the third floor at LCC!

Graduation Day

Saturday May 24th, my older daughter graduated from OCA! This is a new experience for her mother and I. Graduation has been a big event at OCA for the four years we have been a part of the family. We are excited for the event, proud of our girl, and of course a little sad about the change in our home which is just around the corner.

The graduation was wonderful. The students were honored by the school, and the students honored their parents in return. We had over 120 people visit our home for an open house Saturday evening, and we'll be finishing leftovers for quite a while. A big thanks to several people who helped during the event, and cleaning up after.

Progress Report

Construction is happening at 10244 Wiesman Drive. The stud framing of the walls for the classrooms and administrative area are in place. Most of those walls have one side covered with the first of two layers of wall material.

The classroom walls will have two layers of material on each side to assist in sound control between classrooms. Some electrical work is also underway. Electrical boxes and conduit have been installed. Plumbing work is being done as well.

In your prayer time, please pray for safety of each person who is working at the building. I looked through the building Friday night, and it is so exciting to see this progress. Praise the Lord!

Partners

I have mentioned earlier that this building project has been a matter of many hands. Multiple individuals within our current OCA family, our alumni, and in the community, along with many businesses have played a role in moving this project forward. We are building a list of just some of the key business partners who are lending their expertise to our school. Many at prices which are below market rates. I feel blessed to be in touch with many of these businesses.

One of our key business partners is Security National Bank. SNB is a locally owned and operated bank, and is our financing partner for the project. They have provided some creative ideas which will provide a lower than market interest rate for the long term financing of the building. Over the next short while we will be moving all of our banking relationships to SNB. They have expressed a desire to get to know the employees and families of our school. Of course they would like people to consider banking with SNB. Watch for SNB representatives at upcoming events at the new building.

SNB has some great technology tools and we will be exploring ways to utilize the technology in our school operations. One possibility includes making a voluntary electronic tuition service which would be available to parents.

We earnestly want to get the name OCA out into the community more, and aspect of that publicity is joining the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. We believe that there are a number of Chamber members who may be interested in either enrolling their children at OCA, or perhaps business relationships we can leverage for cost savings on goods and services.

The Lord's blessings to you!
Keith

Stay Tuned

Just a quick note to say thanks for reading the blog. This is new to me, and I realize that the concept of a blog is not new, maybe I a little behind the times. I am committed to keeping this alive during the coming months of construction. Watch for updates on the project soon.

I do want to note just a quick point about the fall schedule. Our construction team is eager to move on the new space, and we are getting everything ready for that to happen. Continue to watch for a ground breaking event, probably the first week of June.

Our best plan for the fall for several reasons is to open the school year, for Pre-K through 12th grade, in our current location, at Liberty Christian Center, 5612 L Street. We expect that the construction of the new space will not be finished until a little while after school starts. Mr. Thompson has built the school calendar so that we can take a fall break and do our move. Our current expectation is that the move will take place in October. As construction moves forward, we will know more about that schedule.

Please know that we are doing all we can to make this an excellent facility. The building will have about 36,000 square feet of space, which is equal or slightly more than we have now. That includes a cafeteria and assembly room and all the classrooms you expect at OCA, including Math, Bible, History, Art, Family consumer science, Spanish, Music, 2 English and 2 Science rooms, and a Library.

We will be asking for volunteer labor to help on this project. The office will be circulating information about volunteer projects beginning very soon.

More to come. Keep praying!

Great News from City Hall!

This picture was provided by our construction team. It is a rendering of what our building will look like when it is finished. The view is from Wiesman drive, near the South East corner of our property.

To the far left is the existing building which will be the elementary building. The gray building on the far right is the high school building. The reddish tone in the middle is the cafeteria and assembly room.

The assembly room is about 3,600 square feet, which should be seating room for about 300 people. The main entrance is between the elementary and the cafeteria. The parking lot is west of the visible area, and a sidewalk will connect the lot to this main entrance.

Thanks to Tom Slobodnik and his son Jake for providing these renderings. Tom is our General contractor, and Jake is finishing his college degree in Architecture. Jake will also be building a three dimensional model of the project. When it is available, I will post pictures, and the model will be available to see.

A lot has happened this week. More visible signs of work that has been underway for a number of weeks. Let me summarize some key events from Wednesday.

The city planning board met and approved a use permit which allows for both elementary and high school use on this property. This was a necessary piece of compliance with city building codes, and now it is finished. Until the use permit was in hand, our building permit for renovation of the elementary space could not be approved. Now, the building permit is approved, and renovation work can begin in earnest.

Finally, Paula Wells had a great meeting with the city works department. They will need to approve our engineering work for the shell permit. The meeting went very well, and Paula is optimistic of getting the approval through the city process quickly. With Paula's input, we are still optimistic of breaking ground in the first week of June. Please pray with us that the permit can be granted quickly.

We are continuing to work on the financing for the building, and at our next board meeting Tuesday May 13 we expect to review and approve a loan proposal. Please continue to pray for this entire process.

These are key times for OCA. The Lord has provided financially, and has provided partners to help us in the process. Without the Lord's people, we would not own this property, and we would not be building for the fall of 2008.

Take a moment today to praise the Lord for his provision to OCA!

Keith

On a Different Note

No special building project news today. Things are happening, but these need to be kept to myself for now. Instead, let me tell you about last night.

Each year one of my favorite events at OCA is the spring music concert and performing arts recognition night. That event was held last night, and as in previous years it was a great night. After opening performances by soloists and small groups, the band opened the evening, performing several selections. The band is in fine form this year, and was really a delight. Mrs. Cloyd received a plaque recognizing the 1+ rating received at the contest earlier this year, noting the same in 2001, and with room for more 1+ ratings to come.

The drama department recognized achievements of the year, and provided a short demo of their upcoming melodrama.

Next the vocal ensemble sang two songs, and received recognition for their efforts. Including learning of and receiving a first place trophy they earned on a cold Saturday at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City earlier this spring.

The choir closed the evening singing several selections. Mr. Larry Nilius, choir director and head of the music department was presented with a plaque recognizing 12 straight years of 1+ ratings at district music. It has become tradition to close this concert with a song titled 'Benediction'. That song always gets me, "God be with you 'til we meet again...at Jesus feet". This song tells of the hope we have in Christ.

Whenever a group of 200-300 people are gathered together, it is highly unlikely that the exact group will ever meet again here. People move away, get busy, or even die in a short time. Last night I thought of at least one person absent due to death since last year, and I thought of a co-worker, just 29, who died in his home just a week ago. Life is short, man's sinful condition makes it difficult, and death is all around, the penalty of sin. Yet, we rejoice in knowing that we will see our brothers and sisters in Christ again. We do not grieve as those who have no hope, (1 Thes. 4:13). Praise the Lord!

There were about 300 chairs set up in the auditorium, plus room for the groups to perform. The planned cafeteria space at our new facility should facilitate a crowd about that size. Lord willing next year's sprint concert will be in that new space. We did have some wonderful computer generated renderings of what our new space will look like from the outside. I am working on getting those in a format to put on the blog. I also hope to have some exciting news about building permits, and maybe some early photos of progress in a couple of days. Check back again soon!

Be sure to answer my poll question at the upper right, and feel free to leave a comment or question by clicking on the comment link below.

Keith

Good News

We had a successful day with our building permits. With the work of our project manager Paula Wells, and our attorney Camille Hawk, we were able to demonstrate that we qualified for the exemption. We were about to pay about $2,800 for the application we filed today, but we were able to file the application with no fees, and we believe that we will be able to recover the fees we have paid already. Well done Paula and Camille!

The permit we applied for today is an exciting step. This application is for a shell permit for the new space we plan to build for the high school. The shell includes the structural steel and concrete work which is the skeleton for that new space, and forms the high school hallway, which will be the storm shelter for the school.

We are planning to have a ground breaking event at the new location. Watch the OCA web site and this blog for more information. The date is still to be determined, but we think that it could be about June first.

I don't know how often I have said this, but this really is an exciting time in OCA history. Keep praying, and give thanks to Him.

Keith

City Hall

I think everyone has heard the saying "You can't fight city hall". I don't really think this saying is true, and I hope not. I like to think that many public servants at city hall want to do their best to help the citizens they serve. I know that I enjoy doing my job well, and serving my customers, and I am sure people at city hall do that too.

Today we learned from city hall that there is some good news, and some bad news. The good news is that we should qualify for an exemption from paying fees for our building permits. The bad news is that it may take a while to get that exemption properly recorded in all of the right computer systems at the city and county governments. Until that happens, we may have to pay for permits, or slow down our progress. Neither of these options is ideal. Our attorney is working with city hall to find a solution.

You might join me in praying for a quick easy solution to this, and pray to that some fees we have already paid might be refunded to us. Pray that all the building permits we need will be granted quickly and soon so that we can move forward quickly. Please also continue to pray for the donations for this project. More funds raised now will mean less debt to service and repay in the future. Less debt will mean lower operating costs.

O.C.A. has not always been very proactive in raising money. The current board believes that it is important for us to become an active fund raising organization. The Lord has blessed these efforts as evidenced by the building project money pledged and donated in these past two years. That money is carefully accounted for and separated from the operating budget. (This would be a nice place to point out that you can donate to our project through our web site.)

We are also working to raise money for our general operating fund. Last week was our second annual "walk-a-thon". Students would walk for a while and sent out a mailing to family and friends asking for contributions to support our school in response to their walk. Along with the walk was a festival, and a lunch was provided for all the students and families who helped. The event was a great time of fellowship for all of those who attended. That day you could find me behind the grill. We grilled about 400 hamburgers and hot dogs. Thank you to Community Bible Church here in Omaha for lending us the big grill, it worked great!

In Him,
Keith Strasser

OCA boys soccer team

I stopped by the building for a few minutes yesterday. Things continue to move forward. A big thank you to the OCA boys soccer team for the community service work yesterday. The team did a bit of hand trench work which will allow the electricians to run some necessary lines. They also hauled some construction debris to a dumpster, and took care of some clean up. Thanks to coach Larry Nilius for putting their work together on the building.

Within the next couple of weeks we will be reaching out to the neighbors near the new building. We will be doing a mailing to a number of house holds, and we hope to follow that with a personal visit at the door of those closest to the building. We need to let the people closest to our building know what education at OCA is about. If you would like to help canvas the neighborhood, please let me know. Just click comment here, or drop me an email. (My email address is on the OCA web site).

I was not able to attend the event Monday night, but I heard that it went well. The silent auction bidding on two signed prints is open until Friday. Contact the school office if you wish to place a bid.

Keep praying for OCA!
Keith

Raising the money

The fund raising for this project has been pretty amazing. We started the calendar year 2007 with less than $100,000 for the building project. That amount was raised during 2006 as we looked at land, and considered how to move forward. During all of our fundraising we tried to make it clear that we did not yet know what property we would eventually purchase.

At a board meeting in early 2007, a friend of the school who was consulting with the board challenged the board to pledge some funds toward this issue, and several board members made pledges at that time. I extended an invitation to the rest of the school family to join with us in this pledge. The result of this pledge effort was nearly $300,000 pledged toward the property. This was an amazing result, and we praised the Lord for his provision.

in September of 2007 we announced the specifics of our property plan. After announcing this plan, people began to give and pledge. Now, about 12 months after the initial pledge, we have raised over one million in cash and pledges.

The fund raising continues regularly. Right now, our Kindergarten class is working to gather a million pennies, the proceeds will go to this project. On Monday April 28, at a fund raiser dinner, Jerry Tagge will speak, and there is a silent auction at this event to help raise funds as well. Five dollars gets you a spaghetti meal, a chance to hear Jerry, and a chance to bid on memorabilia. Call the school office if you have questions.

God bless.
Keith

Visible Progress

Today, I visited the building to see the progress, and I was amazed. Perhaps I should provide a little background. When we bought this building it was office space, and was actually divided into two separate office bays. A while later, we had a few work days, and a team removed the old walls, ceiling tile, and wiring. That makes it sound calm. They really ripped the guts out of the building in a few short hours.

I have been in the building a few times since then. It was really just a messy empty shell last time I was there just a few weeks ago. That is why I was amazed today. Most of the framing for walls is complete. Kim Palmer and Chuck Hooley were still at work doing some wall board installation. This building looks like a school today! What has only been a dream, then a drawing has real substance with three dimensions.

The Executive Director at OCA is Tim Thompson. He invited the employees at school to come for a tour today, so those who were available came to see. It was fun to see people respond to what has been accomplished.

The Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1). Until today, it was only through faith that we could see that this office building could be a home for OCA. Today, we could see the walls, and have our faith in Him rewarded with visible progress.

Keith

Geographic Irony

Earlier, I wrote that OCA never operated school in a permanent home. That is true, but there was a time when property was owned, and some construction work was even done. The location of that property was just south of Crown Point Avenue, near 83rd street. It is ironic that the property we now own is less than a block south of Crown Point Avenue, at 103rd. Thirty one years later, and 20 blocks further west.

This building used to be executive office space for a telemarketing firm, then was vacant for a number of years. One of our school board members was seeking office space for his company, and saw this space. We discussed it, and started thinking about how we could use the space for the school. After looking, thinking and praying about it for a while, we were convinced that it could be a good property for OCA. We started planning how we could buy this property, plus we had interest in some other properties in the neighborhood.

I went on vacation with my family, and checked in with another board member while away. The sellers had reduced their asking price, and OCA had made an offer, below the new asking price. This was a great answer to prayer. We were on the way toward buying a building, at a great price.

By early December, we had raised enough cash, and secured a loan to purchase our property at 10244 Wiesman Drive. God's work was evident throughout the process. We have seen many people give and pledge generously. In about one year, God has blessed our building project with gifts and pledges totalling nearly one million dollars.

God is able to provide, and has shown his blessing on us. We praise Him for sustaining us, guiding us, and showering His blessings on both this project. Perhaps I am focusing too much on this project, I wish that you could spend a day with our faculty or students. They are the people who make this building project worth doing.

Keith

In the beginning was the Word

Omaha Christian Academy has existed since 1972. During that time the school has been in four different locations, but has never had school in a place it could call home permanently. Over the past couple of years, the school board has been working to move the school into a permanent home.

After first looking at a large parcel of undeveloped land in 2006, we took a different approach in 2007. We located a vacant office building, on a lot with nearly 3 acres of land in northwest Omaha. The property is just a few blocks from the Fort Street exit from I-680, and we believe will be a great spot for our school.

We have purchased the property, and are already working on the renovation needed to convert the exiting office space into classrooms for preschool through 8th grade. We are also working on the plans for adding 20,000 square feet of space which will be the high school and cafeteria.

So, what about the title of this entry? Clearly, the Word is important to us in a variety of ways. The quote is from John 1, and refers to our Lord Jesus Christ. The word is also God's written word, the foundation of how we study all truth at O.C.A. Finally, this blog is written word to keep our friends up to date on the project. I will get some photos loaded soon, and hope to post updates at least once a week. Hope you enjoy reading them.

God has provided in amazing ways to get us to this point. I'll try to tell some of those stories in the future.

Take care,
Keith Strasser