2025 Habitat for Humanity Build
Building a Home…and Relationships!
There are still open positions on the Habitat Build Team for Saturday, April 26.
Come build with us!
SERVING TOGETHER
All sorts of stuff happens when we serve together that lies outside the hard lines of whatever task is set before you. When a church regularly serves together relationships are formed, deepened & thoroughly enjoyed. It’s one of the reasons we’re so excited about growing our opportunities to serve together as a church. This past Saturday’s Habitat Build was no exception. While I knew almost everyone that joined us for the build, by the end of the day I walked away with a collection of friends, not just acquaintances.
New friends
Levi Beard signed up the Habitat Build the night before having never attended West End on a Sunday. However, he had attended Young Adults on the previous two Tuesday nights where he heard about the build. Levi was the first builder on site Saturday morning, he brought legitimacy to our build team with his skills & kept us on track throughout the day.
BUILD AND BREAKFAST
Rachel McCulley showed up and showed out at last week’s build. She was no doubt the life of the party, keeping the rest of us in check making sure we didn’t forget we were all amateurs. Kayla Flick wore a smile for the entire day, even when Rachel was attempting to frame a wall while eating a chicken biscuit!
NEW MEMBER MOMENT
Mac Thompson & Maddy Licocci became church members a month ago and then decided to join forces for the Habitat Build! Mac crushed it on the miter saw while Maddy worked with the framing crew. They were a joy to have on the team!
SERVING PARK PRESERVE
Jeff Hall is eatin’ saw dust as they run this plywood through the table saw, but it didn’t dampen his spirits one bit. This year’s build at Park Preserve is unique in that the homes are only a portion of the build. Habitat has partnered with the MLB and Nashville Metro Parks to refurbish the baseball field right next to the build site and put in a park as well - a park Jeff played at as a kid!
MEN AT WORK
Caleb Mann, Paulson Varghese, Ayo Yahaya & Andrew Schartner (pictured left to right above) helped us frame and sheath walls all day long. They ran nail guns, caulk guns, & hammers a plenty! Caleb & Paulson both built last year, while this was a first for Ayo & Andrew.
helping hands
Tiffany Tufenkjian was not about to let the boys have all the fun; she grabbed a nail gun & jumped right in! You are likely to see Tiffany serving and at multiple events at West End and Saturday was no different. She was everywhere on the build, helping wherever needed.
FOR BETTER
OR WORSE
Evan and Emily Smith combined their efforts to frame walls, run the miter saw, & secure our panels in their lots. Evan and Emily were the picture-perfect example of showing up and serving, even when the work at hand isn’t your area of expertise. They showed up, said “put us to work”, and learned and laughed along the way!
THE MIGHTY MITER CREW
Christine Mathenge discovered the joys of a DeWalt miter saw at last year’s build and was quick to volunteer for the saw Saturday morning. Her “Supervisor on Site” was our own Daniel Smith, who volunteers with Habitat weekly. They made a great team, cutting & delivering studs to our framing teams all day!
COMING THROUGH!
Ayo Yahaya, Maddy Licocci, Andrew Schartner & Sarah Walshak not only constructed our walls, but also transported them on the build site. This was perhaps the most comical portion of the day, as they navigated the busy site while straddling the bottom plate of the wall – it was hysterical!
HAPPY HOMEOWNERS
Saifeldin Morsal & his wife, Hager Abdalwahed, are the homeowners we are sponsoring as a church this year. Homeowners are required to contribute 100 hours towards the construction of their house, even when you have just welcomed a baby two weeks prior to the build. So, while Hager cared for their newborn, Saifeldin worked alongside us, and our team donated 100 of our hours to mom! It was a beautiful opportunity and our honor to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and show up for this growing family in multiple ways.
what we observed:
Serving side by side deepens relationships—what began as acquaintances grew into genuine friendships.
People from all corners of our church (and even outside it!) showed up—some brand new, some seasoned regulars—all contributing valuably.
Laughter, teamwork, and a shared mission can create a joyful and unified environment that goes beyond just “getting the job done.”
HOw we saw god at work:
God draws in new people to himself and uses their gifts to bless others.
Christ’s love was reflected in the way our team and the community came alongside Saifeldin and Hager, helping to build their home and carrying their burdens, just as Jesus calls us to do.
The day was full of energy, laughter, and servant-heartedness—a beautiful expression of God at work through his people.
prayer requests:
Pray for continued connection and community among those who served—may these relationships grow and encourage.
Ask God to bless Saifeldin, Hager, their children, and their new baby as they settle into this next chapter of life.
Pray that God would continue to draw people—old and new—into joyful service for his glory and the good of our neighbors.