Christian Village breaks ground on $6 million expansion project

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[May 14, 2015]  LINCOLN - On Tuesday afternoon representatives from Christian Village were joined by members of the Logan County Alliance, the city of Lincoln, and the general public for a ground breaking ceremony on a $6,000,000 new project.

The project will include the addition of new buildings, offering new services to the community, as well as a remodel of some of the existing buildings. A new 12-bed residential building is being built for those who suffer with memory loss at the corner of Sixth and Main Streets. That work will include closing off Seventh Street at the east end of the village, erecting a new structure and creating a cul-de-sac.

The ceremony began at the intersection of Sixth and Main with Christian Village Administrator Jo Hilliard welcoming all those who had come for the celebration. She then invited Christian Village Chaplain Ryan Edgecomb to come forward to offer the opening prayer.

Edgecomb began with Psalms 92. “The righteous shall flourish shall flourish like a palm tree, shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age. They shall be fresh and flourishing and declare that the Lord is upright, He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

Edgecomb said that this verse reminded him that as we grow old, we are still growing and thriving and sharing our knowledge and experience with the generations after us. He said this was the goal of the Christian Village, to see our older generations thrive.

Edgecomb then offered a prayer of praise to the Lord for the seniors at the Village and for the Village on the whole.

The Village hosted an essay contest on grandparents in honor of National Nursing Home Week. The first place winner was Lexie Phillips. Lexie read her essay aloud to the audience.
Lexie read her essay about her grandparents and their strong Christian faith. She described how that her grandparents were dear to her and how that in her young like they had influenced her through their own Christian values, making her a be person and leading her in her own Christian faith.

Second and third place winners Sarah Starasta and Logan McDonald, respectively, were present and acknowledged also.

Dr. Keith Ray, former president of Lincoln Christian University, now a Christian Home Administrator based in St. Louis, also spoke.

Dr. Ray spoke on the faithful past and thriving future of the Village. He said that the dirt turning of the day was a message to Mother Earth to make way for something new.

He said there had been many challenges in bringing the day to fruition, and also constant prayer for guidance along the way. He said all those present were friends of the Village who share in the Village’s aspirations. He said the project was a celebration of the leaders of the past and the present.

Ray said that in this expansion, the Village was honoring the leaders and founders of the Village as their efforts were carried on into the future. He said the future of the Village included the broad smiles and healthy bodies of the senior population. He said, “When it is all said and done, we hope for vibrant living. Vibrant living spaces and social interaction will give rise to a brand new zest for life.”

He concluded by reciting some words from a favorite song by Casting Crowns, entitled ‘Thrive,’ “we were made for so much more than ordinary lives, it's time for us to more than just survive, we were made to thrive. Joy Unspeakable, Faith Unsinkable, Love Unstoppable, Anything is possible”

Hilliard then introduced Tim Searby. Searby is a former administrator at the Village. Hilliard said when she began work for Christian Village, she met and got to know Searby and that he was the kind of administrator she aspired to be.

Searby brought forward a special song for the day. He said that the song should be the prayer for everyone on this day. He asked that everyone bow their heads in prayer as he performed “Great is thy faithfulness.”

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When executive director for the Logan County Alliance representing the Alliance and the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce Andi Hake spoke, she noted that the census confirmed that the population of Lincoln is aging. She said that services such as those offered by Christian Village were much needed in the community. She said the community was excited to see a new addition to the village and she thanked them for their investment in Lincoln and its citizens.

On behalf of the city of Lincoln, Alderman Scott Cooper commended the Village on its vision for the expansion.

The last speaker of the day was Jeff Hills, Vice President of Development for the Christian Village. Hills in recognition of the 50th anniversary year of the original Christian Nursing Home, spoke about the first committee of seven, men of God, who through their faith and dedication had founded the first organization. He noted that with only about $10.00 in their budget, they had decided to move forward with creating a nursing facility with God as its foundation.

The project now at hand, Hills said, was going to cost $6 million, and the Christian Village will have to raise that money. There is currently a fundraising effort going on, and the Village has been blessed with approximately $500,000 thus far.

Hills noted the great appreciation the Village has for a gift given by the Woods Foundation of Lincoln. The Foundation has contributed $400,000 to be earmarked for the building of the Memory Care Villa.

As the array of speakers came to an end, Hilliard invited everyone to participate in the symbolic turning of the soil. Those who were invited to turn the first soil included Hake and Cooper along with Lincoln city administrator Clay Johnson, Dr. Ray, Hilliard, and Hills.

The second group to come forward included Ray, Hilliard, Hills, and a large representation from the Chamber Ambassadors. Group three was then open to everyone in the audience who wished to participate. Among those were members of the Christian Village staff. It should be noted that in celebration of Nursing Home Week, it was “Western Day” at the village. Many members of the staff dressed in their interpretation of western attire. Some of those in the third round were happy to show off their western themed outfits.



Before the groundbreaking, Hilliard shared that there had been a pie baking contest held at 1 p.m. It had been her intention to announce the winners at the groundbreaking. However, with 13 entries, the seven member judge’s panel had only made it to pie number ten before the groundbreaking began. She said that the judges would soon return to their judging and that winners would be announced at a later time.

In addition, freshly baked pies were made by Susan Shaw of Sweet Betty Jane’s Catering. All guests were invited to visit the dining areas of the Nursing facility or the congregate living facility to enjoy a slice.

[Nila Smith]

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