Published May 29, 2019
SAN JOSE — “Extreme Makeover” was an American reality TV show from 2003-12 that showcased homes that were radically remodeled in a very short time. What recently transpired at Foxworthy Baptist Church in San Jose is a similar “extreme makeover.”
Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope.”
This verse was made manifest at Foxworthy during the “Beautiful Day” event May 4 and 5, noted Don Fugate, Foxworthy pastor.
“During those two days 900 members from Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos joined Foxworthy members to perform an ‘extreme makeover’ of the church campus.”
The weekend of work utilized 400 gallons of paint; 400 plants and trees, and 2,200 square feet of sod; a 2,000-square-foot composite deck; new planters for the courtyard; trees trimmed, railings welded and new lights installed in many areas, Fugate recounted.
Additionally, the worship center, family
life center and church kitchen were remodeled.
It is one of those miracle events that can only be explained in terms of “look what God has done!” the pastor exulted.
Beautiful Day is the umbrella under which local churches serve the community by cleaning up parks, beautifying schools and helping non-profits in the Silicon Valley. However, an unintended consequence of the recent school bonds that have passed in California is that painters’ and landscapers’ unions no longer welcome churches to paint and plant on local school campuses.
So Venture Christian Church, as part of their community ministry, was looking for a church to bless.
“Interestingly,” Fugate said, “12 years ago Foxworthy opened its arms to provide free office space for the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where Rigo Lopez is the South Bay director. In October 2018, Billy Jowers (who heads up Beautiful Day for Venture Church) called his good friend, Rigo, and asked if he knew of a local church that was impacting the community with the love of Jesus Christ.”
Rigo recommended Foxworthy.
“The great preacher Joel Gregory once said, ‘God can hang the weightiest of consequences on the thinnest thread of decision,’” Fugate noted. “Who could have known that a decision made 12 years earlier would be the seed for a blessing in 2019!”
Last October, Foxworthy voted to support a church plant in Greenville, AL for one year, and two weeks later the Beautiful Day team walked the Foxworthy campus to consider it for the makeover.
Fugate was encouraged by the team to “dream the dream” of what he would like to see improved, above painting all the exterior buildings and landscaping the campus. Venture Church committed $42,000 to the project, and Kelley-Moore donated much of the paint, Fugate said.
In addition, a lumber company donated $10,000 worth of composite decking and a major flooring company donated new carpet and LVT planking for the worship center and new tile for the Family Life Center.
Logistics for the weekend involved every participant registering, signing an insurance waiver, being given a wristband and t-shirt, then sent to the next canopy where they were assigned a gathering area to await their supervisor.
Jobs were assigned, paint or landscaping equipment issued from the staging room, and groups of 15-20 began their four-hour shift. More than 400 volunteers worked the first four hours, including Tim Lundy, lead pastor of Venture Church.
“Lunch was served and the second shift worked from 1-5 p.m.” Fugate said.
On Sunday morning at 8:00 the pastor and worship team from Venture en Español led everyone in praise and worship in the Foxworthy parking lot before another day of work began.
“By 5 p.m. the work was completed, and the group stopped to praise the Lord for His blessings,” Fugate said.
The next morning the flooring crew came in and by Wednesday night, the worship center and family life center were finished. On Saturday, a small group met to assemble 200 new chairs for the worship center.
On Sunday, May 19, “Foxworthy held a Beautiful Day celebration and rededication service,” Fugate said. Leaders from Venture Church were presented with gift cards and a Shutterfly book commemorating the event.
“The service concluded with Foxworthy members at the altar recommitting themselves to do ‘whatever it takes’ to reach the community for Jesus Christ,” Fugate said.