Bridge Rebuild

UPDATE
As of January 19, 2025

After interviewing and receiving bids from several bridge-building engineering firms,  Church Council has recommended to the congregation the bridge-building engineering firm of BAX Engineering.

The congregation has approved the selection of BAX and they has begun the groundwork of determining the best location for and design of the new bridge.

See "Archive" below for past announcements.

ARCHIVES

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The Bridge Collapse of 2024

July 16, 2024 - Heavy rains brought flooding which overwhelmed our iconic bridge. Members of the Femme Osage congregation immediately went into action securing the perimeter of the bridge for safety purposes and meeting to put together an Immediate Action Plan.

The Femme Osage Church Council held an emergency meeting to 1) identify resources within the congregation, community, and our denomination; and 2) take immediate steps to begin the rebuilding process.

SCOPE and COSTS

Within 24 hours, members of the Church Council began meeting with Bridge-building Contractors to get an idea of the scope of the project and potential cost of rebuilding the bridge. To no one's surprise, both the scope and the cost are outside the congregation's resources. But as the old hymn goes, "Our Father Owns the Cattle on a Thousand Hills." We're praying He'll sell off a few head for our behalf. 

Financial Resources

Flood insurance premiums (even through FEMA) were prohibitive for our little congregation, so here's what we going to do:

1) Petition our Heavenly Father to give us wisdom and financial prudence in managing the rebuild.

2) Look first to the resources the Lord has provided INSIDE the congregation. 

3) Begin developing fund-raising ideas, including adding a small fund-raising element to the upcoming Annual Picnic.

4) "Lift up our eyes to the hills; From where shall my help come?" (Psalm 121:1) and welcome those whom God sends to help. 

Here is the reality. It's not a matter of IF the bridge will be rebuilt, it's simply WHEN. The Lord already has the people and resources He wants us to utilize for the project and He will raise them in His time. The real question is: will the Femme Osage congregation exercise TRUST in His provision and see the whole process as a way to build our FAITH in Him, or will we try to shoulder the burden by ourselves? To His glory and praise, may those around us see our trust and faith in Him!

September 26, 2024 - Since the bridge collapse on July 16, the Femme Osage Church Council has been very busy contacting and responding to potential contractors, bridge builders, and person's familiar with the bridge-rebuilding process. Currently, the Council is focusing on the hiring of a bridge engineer who will spearhead the project.

To this end, at a called congregational meeting on August 25, the congregation approved the appropriate expenditure for the Council to engage an engineer of their choosing. The Council is currently gathering bids from interested bridge engineers.