Wow, wow, wow! I am so thrilled to finally have been able to share with you all the conceptual designs, costs, and project details for the construction of a new sanctuary. I am also incredibly heartened by the level of participation that we had at the First Impression Gathering on August 16th and the subsequent Zoom First Impression Gathering that we had the following Tuesday for those who live far away or couldn’t attend the in-person gathering.
For anyone who was not able to attend and hasn’t seen the case statement with all of the facts and figures, we are proposing to build a new sanctuary and where our current sanctuary stands, we would create a beautiful sanctuary garden courtyard. The leaders of the church believe that this has the potential to increase our capacity for ministry and set St. Peter’s on sound footing to share and seek God’s love well into the future!
The First Impressions Gathering revealed a great deal of excitement for the plan! People responded with excitement about the open space without columns, the overall design, the built-in flexibility of the space, the natural light and the courtyard! One person responded in their questionnaire that “God is working here!” Another person wrote that they were most excited by “the overall enthusiasm that I feel within the room!”.
There have also been so many thoughtful questions that have been raised, mostly to do with how realistic it is to fund a project of this magnitude being a church of our size. I’m so relieved that you all are paying attention! This is a big deal and a question that we take seriously.
Right now, we are in a period of time called a feasibility study. By the time this newsletter is shared, we will have had the First Impressions Gatherings, hosted upwards of 20 interviews with a cross section of the congregation, and invited 100% of the congregation to give feedback through a survey. Horizon Stewardship is the organization that we have hired and are partnering with to help us answer the question of affordability. Can we responsibly take on a project of this financial magnitude?
Right about the time this letter is published, we will be finding out the results of this feasibility study which will give us a range of what our strategist, Don Smith, believes we can raise based on your feedback. So, we will know relatively soon whether or not this project is possible.
In the meantime, you have raised such valuable insights that no matter which direction the project takes, the leadership and the architects will be taking into the next phase. Questions like, does this design point us inward, towards ourselves or outward towards the world God so loves? How does this space enable us to serve others? Have you taken into consideration the need for proper acoustics, especially for those with hearing loss? How will we honor the past while making space for what is new?
Now is the time for communication. If you do not feel that you have had an adequate opportunity to share your thoughts, please call the office or email me and set up a time to talk with myself or another member of the council or building steering team.
In the meantime, I stand by what I said in my sermon on August 16th; that none of us know what is going to happen when we cast our nets. I thank you for the way you have participated in casting this vision. The only way to know if it’s of God is to share it, cast it and see what comes back!
Deep peace and joy,
Pastor Bekki