The Building Program:
Foundations of Faith - Faces of Promise
Background to the building project
On April 17, 1971, fire completely destroyed the Mission’s primary building that contained classrooms, church sanctuary and staff residences. The facilities were partially rebuilt in 1972 and four portable units and two modular homes were moved onto the campus to serve as “temporary” classrooms and housing. For 40+ years, these aging and deteriorating portable units continued to serve as the primary facilities for the school. The quickly constructed main building with space for the gym/auditorium/church, library, and offices for church and school had also outlived utility. Similarly, the parsonage built in 1914 and another residence built in 1925 were old and deteriorating. Operational and maintenance costs for the facilities had grown cost prohibitive and the limited space restricted the initiation of any new church, school or community programs.
In 2010, after many years of planning and preparation, the mission embarked on a landmark capital project to completely reconfigure and reconstruct the buildings that house the Zuni Christian Reformed Church and Zuni Christian Mission School. What an adventure it has been!
The beautiful school on the main campus was completed in September 2012.
Two duplexes, residences for mission staff, were built in Blackrock on another small parcel of land leased from the Zuni Tribe. The first duplex was completed in January 2013 and the second in September 2014.
After a two-year delay awaiting a building permit from the Zuni Tribal authorities, we began the final phase of construction for the gym/ministry center housing the gym, church sanctuary, church offices, community spaces and kitchen; staff housing including a parsonage and triplex; as well as the playground and parking lot.
With the prayers and faithful help of many friends, the final phase was completed in 2017-2018!
Like all the ministries of Zuni Christian Reformed Mission, the building program is God’s work entrusted to His people. Many have prayed; many have given counsel and encouragement; many have given generously of their financial resources. From the very inception of the rebuilding idea, we have marveled at God’s provision of resources—people, funding and materials. God has honored the prayers of his faithful people.
This is the only major capital campaign that the Zuni Christian Reformed Mission has undertaken. Previous building projects were done when the mission was under the auspices of Christian Reformed Home Mission.
With the complete rebuilding of our campus, we pray that the buildings will be a visible reminder to the Zuni people that they are God’s dearly loved people and that they will be drawn by God’s Spirit inside the buildings where grace-filled truth is proclaimed and lived.