Shovels flashed and dirt flew Oct. 15, 2005, as members of North Hill Christian Fellowship broke ground on their long-anticipated church building project in Edgewood, Wash.

Just weeks before, the city of Edgewood had threatened yet another indefinite delay in the permit process. At church that week, members broke into small groups and prayed for God to intervene. “Three days later,” says John McLarty, North Hill pastor, “we had the building permit in our hands.”

A “gold” shovel was presented to Barbara Ford by her church family in recognition of her tireless efforts over the past five years as chair of the building committee. The projected completion date for the construction is May 1, 2006.

NHCF has been “breaking ground” since it began in 1992. Pursuing the ideals of love, acceptance and forgiveness, the members of NHCF have created a place of rest and healing for people with spiritual battle scars. The church has built a unique ministry, serving both questioning intellectuals and people who struggle with emotional and relational wounds.