November 20, 2024
Dear Church Family,
Our congregation first held worship in our sanctuary in October 1966. Think of all the hymns, sermons, baptisms, communions, handshakes (or holy kisses!), weddings, and funerals that have been held. We still have a handful who can remember before the sanctuary – meetings held in homes, worship services at Cum-Park Plaza, and being gifted our present location for the building we now enjoy. Lots of ministry and memories!
Fast-forward through six decades of wear and tear, but also improved building science and better materials for seating and other furnishings, and we will soon enjoy a more well-insulated space with softer seats and a refreshed look and feel.
We began our renovations three months ago and our project is well underway. We expect to return to the sanctuary for worship a month or two into the new year. Pews have been ordered and will be the last installation as the room is put back together for our use. Perhaps the pews will arrive as all of the other work is completed, or it may be that we wait several weeks for their completion, delivery, and installation. Let’s keep praying for good timing!
An interesting note on economics – last year’s natural gas bill for heat was three times what it was this year at the same time. No heat or air-conditioning has been on in the sanctuary over the last few months, so we are getting a good picture of exactly how inefficient the poorly designed and under-insulated roof system really was. For perspective, a 4,000 square foot room with 11,000 square feet of ceiling with inadequate ventilation and insulation coupled with day-long sun could cause a thirty degree fluctuation in interior temperature! The remainder of the building was insulated to the highest industry standard in 2021 and we have realized savings in those areas already. We assume that insulating the sanctuary, which makes up half of our square-footage, will drastically reduce energy use and maintain a more even temperature year round.
Demolition work began in mid-August and carried steadily on through October. Workers used scissor and telescoping lifts to reach up as high as thirty eight feet and over or across various obstacles. Several hundred acoustical tiles were removed and along with the deteriorated insulation had to be bagged and discarded bit by bit. The plaster ceiling over the chancel area was removed in one-foot-by-one-foot squares that weighed thirty to fifty pounds each, depending on the thickness of the plaster. Thankfully, no moisture, mildew, or structural damage was found in the roof structure or underside of roof decking.
With city permits in-hand, electricians and insulators will be working up to the Thanksgiving holiday to complete their work. Once inspections are approved, our carpenters and woodworkers will be replacing the ceiling, working on our chancel space, and preparing the room for carpet and seating. One of our church members is refurbishing our sanctuary lights by cleaning them and inspecting wiring and sockets. We will be converting to L.E.D. lighting, which should reduce heat and energy use. Our piano is being refurbished and organ technicians are set to ensure that our instrument is suited for the updates and changes in the room which may affect its sound. We are also investigating installing the latest technology in sound assist systems for those with bluetooth hearing devices.
Keep praying for progress, safety, timing, budget, and most of all, for the next decades of ministry and memories in our worship space.
See you Sunday,
Bryan