At its meeting on April 23, the Voter’s Assembly approved plans to further update and renovate spaces in the church building, most especially in the chapel. The goal is to provide a space that can better serve the ministry of the church consistent with our current architecture and purposes.

A multi-purpose space

The chapel is rarely used, save for a funeral visitation and, in the past, a small wedding. Pastor Albers’ vision is a space that is more regularly used for worship and for numerous other purposes. Once the renovations are completed:

• Special worship services that will likely include fewer worshippers such as Ascension Thursday, Thanksgiving Eve, or Christmas Day. Or if there is a snow emergency that will keep most folks at home, a service in the chapel for two dozen worshippers will be a perfect solution.
• Funeral visitations and other gatherings for fellowship and prayer will be easier to host in the chapel. The current configuration is extremely limiting and not very hospitable for visitation and fellowship. Funeral visitations often “leak out” into the aisles of the Sanctuary. The new configuration will create a space that improves opportunities for human interaction.
• Bible studies and meetings can be more easily hosted at tables that will often be set up in the back of the chapel, moving more and more meetings out of the school building where the use of space is limited.
• Outside groups (such as a pastor’s conference, regional principal’s meeting, or community group) can more easily access the chapel for a gathering that often includes time for a prayer service.

Components

There are four (4) components to the currently planned renovations:

• Repairs: Some of these repairs especially to the plaster have already been completed. But others can only be completed after other things are moved out of the way such as a large crack in the plaster behind the altar and new tubes for the lights. ($4,000)
• Flooring: The current plan is to have a contractor remove and dispose of the old floor tile and then church volunteers will install new porcelain tile that matches the tile installed in the new narthex restroom. The total budget for this component is $17,500 but will provide a “50-year” solution that requires much less maintenance.
• Seating: The pews will be removed and replaced with high-quality, permanent church chairs manufactured by New Holland Church Furniture (Holland, PA). This significant cost ($15,000) will provide furniture that “fits” the space and architecture while also providing much more flexibility in the way we use the space. There are two “sample” chairs in the chapel to “try out.” We will make our own fabric selection and the color and wood would match our existing pews. 
• New Doors: A couple of church volunteers have a vision for some moveable oak panels to replace the current accordion doors. The goal is to create a new panel that looks like it could have always been in place. ($4,500)

The total budget of $45,000 includes a “miscellaneous” category since a 70-year-old building is likely to present us with a few “surprises” along the way.