New Building Dedication Service
February 20, 2022
On Sunday, February 20, 2022, Cavanaugh Free Will Baptist Church dedicated our new building to the Lord. The church family, along with friends and special guests, joined together in worshipping God and committing to live out His purpose for the church.
The new addition includes a state-of-the-art worship center that can seat up to 800 people, four new Wee Worship classrooms with a secure check-in entrance for all children, and the new church lobby. The expansion adds 24,000 square feet and 215 new parking spots to Cavanaugh’s existing campus located at 2828 Briarcliff Avenue in Fort Smith, AR.
Guests at the dedication service included Fort Smith Mayor George McGill; Dr. Eddie Moody, Executive Secretary of the National Association of Free Will Baptists; Rev. David Taylor, Executive Director of the Arkansas State Association of Free Will Baptists; and former Cavanaugh Church senior pastor Rev. Carl Cheshier. The service also honored all of the businesses and individuals involved in construction of the new building, as well as the Cavanaugh Church board and the church’s building committee.
Festivities kicked off at 9:00 AM when all were invited into the church lobby to enjoy coffee, donuts, and other refreshments. Volunteers gave visitors tours of the new facility while kids of all ages were treated to balloon animals in Cavanaugh’s Kids Territory. It was a wonderful time of fellowship.
Then at 10:00 AM, the worship service began with Cavanaugh’s traditional-style praise team leading the congregation in classic hymns like “I’ll Fly Away” and “Just A Little Talk With Jesus.” After greetings from each of our special guests, Pastor Will Harmon invited every contractor and subcontractor who participated in construction up onto the stage to be recognized and receive a gift from the church. Next, Cavanaugh’s contemporary-style praise team led worship songs including “Glorious Day” and “God So Loved” followed by a powerful, special rendition of “My Jesus” performed by Sheri Stell and the praise team.
Bro. Will delivered a short message on what makes a great church in God’s eyes, challenging Cavanaugh to be all that God has called us to be. He then invited Dr. Eddie Moody back onstage for the prayer of dedication, and the service ended with a surprise: Cavanaugh Church board chairman Steve Jones snuck onstage to give special honor to Pastor Will and his wife Angie and present them with a gift.
Cavanaugh Church would like to thank everyone who took part in making our dedication service such a blessed and special day! But most of all, we thank God for His blessings on Cavanaugh Church and the calling He’s placed on us to serve the River Valley and the world in His name.
