June Meeting House Construction

This week, we spent some time clearing out the meeting house in anticipation of our summer refurbishing.  I’ll say the sanctuary looks very different with so many worship and decoration staples removed, but we wanted to make sure it all stays safe and clean while the work gets done. 

So what did we take out?  The biggest job was moving the two pianos, for which we hired piano movers; our grand piano on the sanctuary floor went to the gathering hall, while the upright piano in the balcony went to the lobby.  We removed our regular worship supplies: candles, offering plates, lighters, children’s activities, etc., to be stored in closets and in the office.  We also moved the projector and screen, which we’ll be using over the summer during worship in the gathering hall.  The piano movers also relocated seven filing cabinets of music from the balcony to the second-floor landing just outside the sanctuary.  We moved a number of items to store in the basement: choir robes, chairs, banners, and flags.  And perhaps the effort that took the most time was moving books; over 200 hymnals and over 150 bibles went from the sanctuary and narthex to a second-floor classroom.

We don’t anticipate needing these items over the summer, but we wanted to let you know where things went in case you need to find something.  And we’ll need to remember where it all went at the end of summer, when we come back together after the work on the sanctuary is finished.  Be on the lookout for a workday in August or September to help put it all back as we prepare to return to the sanctuary with celebration.

Even though we moved many items from the sanctuary, a few remain: the cross, the pews, the pulpit and lectern, the altar, the communion table, the clock, the chandeliers, the wall sconces.  While these items were either too big or too difficult to move, or just fixed in place, special care will be taken to cover them for protection from dust and damage.  By leaving as few items as possible, it will make the cleaning and moving process in returning to the sanctuary just a little bit easier.

Next on the to-do list is sending out the chancel rug for cleaning, and then our scaffolding folks will start their work in the sanctuary early next week, with work on the ceiling starting just after the holiday weekend.   We hope to keep you updated as work progresses over the summer, so stay tuned to our blog, weekly emails, and social media for more information as the summer unfolds.  Until then, I hope you’re enjoying some time in the sun, and I look forward to seeing you at brunch church on Sunday mornings at 9:30!  Don’t forget to bring your prayer beads!

Pastor JT