July 2024 Special Edition

Friends, family, and ministry partners have been eagerly awaiting news concerning the cost for the reconstruction of 115 N. Wayne Avenue. The numbers are finally in!

In 2022 we completed Phase 1, a “Home for the Metanoia Center,” with a cost totaling $182,838.70. In 2023 we completed Phase 2, the upstairs apartments, with a cost totaling 176,675.40. Phases 3 and 4 have been estimated to cost $750,000.00. Yes…we know that’s A LOT of money…and that total does not include the cost of the washers and dryers.  The plans include adding a laundromat in the rear of 115 necessitating the replacement of ALL electrical, gas, plumbing, and HVAC, some of which did not have to be replaced in Phases 1 and 2. In Phases 3 and 4, the replacement of these necessary upgrades totals nearly $300,000.00!

We were blessed with a $50,000 loan by an individual family (which is to be repaid at a future date), as well as a gift totaling $50,000.00. We ask that you prayerfully consider how you might partner with us on this project. We believe God desires for us to complete what He started in 2020. We believe the funds are available, despite our current economy. God’s economy is limitless! We will not start construction until all the funds are secured. We believe all funding can be completed before year’s end.

Sponsorship Levels
Bronze – $5,000-$10,000 — Silver – $11,000-$20,000

Gold – $21,000-$49,000 — Platinum – $50,000 and up

Special recognition will be given to those donating through Sponsorship Levels. We will have a dedicated donor wall in the new building. Please consider participating in this endeavor through prayer and giving. Donations can be made in the form of a check written to the Metanoia Center with a note of Phases 3 and 4, or by going to this link and choosing Phase 3 & 4 from the drop-down menu under “Select a Campaign.”  You don’t have to choose a sponsorship level to donate…any donation amount will be put toward the renovation of Phases 3 & 4.

Phase 3&4 Donations

About Us

 Jim and Phyllis are faith-based independent missionaries commissioned by Faith Bible Church, Cincinnati, Ohio serving with the Metanoia Center. Donations to their ministry may be made through the Metanoia Center, 113 N. Wayne Ave., Lockland, OH, 45215 or online by visiting https://www.metanoiacenter.net/donate.php. If sent by postal mail, please include a note with your donation indicating your desire to direct it to Jim and Phyllis Null’s Ministry Area.  The Metanoia Center is recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 organization, thus your donation is eligible to be considered for tax exemption – please consult with your tax professional for details.

Jim and Phyllis
Galatians 2:20

May Newsletter

When talking with people about the Metanoia Center, we are often asked the “why” of what we do, and the Holy Spirit is faithful to remind us of the mission to which we have been called. We desire to honor the Lord’s purpose and will for our personal lives as well as the lives of those he places on our way.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” Matthew 28:19

Jesus gave us our “why” when He asked us to “Go…make disciples.”  From the inception of the Metanoia Center, it’s been our desire to bring others into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. We have been given the opportunity to build relationships through personal encounters as well as creating a place for teaching, instruction, and enrichment.

After a full year of academic instruction, Bible teaching, music, skits, and crafts, our Tuesday After-school Tutoring Class ended their year with a cookout/play day at Sharon Woods. MC Club, our after-school Bible Club on Thursdays, maintained an above-average attendance throughout the school year. We have overcome some challenges this year, and have seen some significant growth in some of our “long-time” attenders.

“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.”  Psalm 2:8

We have asked, and the Lord has been faithful in answering our prayers. The ELC, English Language Class, has two more weeks before their summer break. They have been averaging 100-120 students this year, with 20 tutors carrying the responsibility of welcoming them, helping them learn our language, and encouraging them as they make a new life for themselves here in America. God has certainly blessed each of these outreach ministries this year, for which we are truly grateful.

The Upstairs Apartments at 113 N. Wayne

We have completed all construction on the apartments upstairs above the Metanoia Center. The rear apartment has been rented, and the front of apartment should be rented out very soon. We are grateful for our property management company and their diligence in finding “just the right” tenants for the apartments. It is our hope and prayer that the tenants will find their new dwelling a place of peace and comfort.

Construction on 115 N. Wayne

As you can see from the pictures, we have not yet begun construction on 115. It has taken hundreds of hours of planning, architectural design, engineering design, and research to arrive at the place of submission of the blueprints to our contractor. The construction contractor will “crunch the numbers” for us and give us an estimation of the cost to build-out 115.

Our architect has already told us that the construction of the laundromat will be the most expensive and complicated piece of the project. It will require all new electrical, gas, sewage, and water to accommodate the laundromat facilities. There is a desperate need for a laundromat in our Village. Currently, people must go to either to Reading or Woodlawn to do their laundry, which is not always convenient, as many don’t have transportation. The laundromat will be used for ministry outreach, employment, and income to help fund the activities and ministry of the Center.

The front of 115 will be designed as a “large meeting space” to accommodate class growth and enable the addition of more curriculum offerings. There will be several offices, handicap restrooms, and a workroom to assist in the operation of the ministry.

We have been excited to see God’s provision for the completion of the first floor at 113, the “home of the Metanoia Center” and the demolition and reconstruction of the second-floor apartments. In July of 2022 we were fully funded to complete the first-floor renovation. In July of 2023 we were fully funded to complete the second-floor apartments. Here it is, almost July of 2024, and we aren’t fully funded to complete 115. In fact, we only have about a fourth of the funding needed. We have seen a significant drop in donations this year, as the economy has been stretched to the max. It’s our desire to finish the work that was started on the corner of Wayne and Walnut in 2020. As we have seen and experienced God’s faithfulness thus far in the advancement of His work here in Lockland, we are continuing to pray and believe that He will supply all that is needed to complete 115, regardless of the state of our economy. Is it too much to expect that the funding will be complete once again by the end of this July? Nothing is too difficult with God.

“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7

For many years, Lockland has desired to be a place of peace and prosperity, as it once was. We are asking you to consider how you might partner with us to complete the construction of 115 N. Wayne. Are you able to personally help with funding? Do you know of a business, company, or corporation who would partner with us in a “community development project”?  Do you know a grant writer who would work with us to secure funding through grants? We know the money is out there waiting to find a worthy cause in which to invest. Our construction guys are eager to get started on the next phase. We are eager for the completion of 115 to meet the needs of our neighbors, students, and families. Disciples…the nations…peace and prosperity… Prayerfully consider how you can help us meet our goals. July is coming!

About Us

 Jim and Phyllis are faith-based independent missionaries commissioned by Faith Bible Church, Cincinnati, Ohio serving with the Metanoia Center. Donations to their ministry may be made through the Metanoia Center, 113 N. Wayne Ave., Lockland, OH, 45215 or online by visiting https://www.metanoiacenter.net/donate.php. If sent by postal mail, please include a note with your donation indicating your desire to direct it to Jim and Phyllis Null’s Ministry Area.  The Metanoia Center is recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 organization, thus your donation is eligible to be considered for tax exemption – please consult with your tax professional for details.

Jim and Phyllis
Galatians 2:20

April 2024

Lockland Bike Kitchen Vincent, one of our English Language leaders, has started a new outreach ministry called the Lockland Bike Kitchen. Most Sunday afternoons, Vincent rides his bicycle to the Center to teach English. He decided to expand his love of bicycles and develop this ministry mainly to provide transportation for our West African community. … Read more