new church life: jan uary/february 2015
1. The Church is primarily about people, not buildings. Thus it is of utmost
importance that any addition or renovation takes into account the needs
of visitors and members by providing an entrance and meeting area that is
obvious, attractive, comfortable and convenient, with simple flow patterns
to and from the sanctuary.
2. To eliminate many of the overlapping uses that exist in the building, a
large multi-use space needs to be created.
3. To enhance the comfort and worship experience the nave should be
remodeled to address lighting, environment and aesthetics.
4. To provide for the continuation of the excellent academic programs of
the Washington New Church School, two additional classroom spaces
need to be created.
5. To address the critical need for office space (currently housed in storage
areas and other shared space) two offices need to be added.
This vision allowed us to move forward with the confidence of knowing
that as long as we focused on these priorities we could weather the ups and
downs of designing and building and all the large and small decisions that
accompany a project like this.
The first shovels went into the ground on March 28, 2014, with hopes of
occupancy by the end of August. The plan was to gut and remodel most of the
original building and add three new classrooms, an office and restrooms. This
meant that most of the building had to be vacated as soon as school closed in
June – proving to be a monumental task! Sunday Services also would have to
be held outdoors or in local homes until the project was completed.
Heavy rains in May set the project behind but by summer bobcats and
other large machinery could be heard rolling around inside the building,
knocking down walls and carrying out the debris. For some, this was a very
sad time, seeing their beloved church building torn
apart, especially the sanctuary where so many special
occasions were held – Tableaux, weddings, baptisms,
etc. – and rightly so!
Yet, around the middle of July, as the demolition
dust settled and new construction began in the
sanctuary, a special visitor – a pure white dove –
took up residence in the sanctuary, sitting on a new
beam just above where the chancel was to be. She
stayed for around two months, coming and going
daily, sometimes perched above the workers as if
supervising the construction. The dove gave many of
us hope through some difficult weeks.
In August a major setback pushed occupancy into the school year. What
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