Pastor Mark indicated in the 2016-2017 budget process the desire to upgrade the fellowship hall at the Mission campus. This is the second most used public space at the Mission campus and currently speaks poorly of who we are. Some of the phrases describing the current state of the room, and some of the needs include:

  • Junky, messy, looks like a basement, open storage is not pleasant to look at, the condition of the ceiling shows lack of care, a little embarrassing when bringing visitors into the space.
  • Hospitality – Inviting interiors allow for positive hospitality events; the fellowship hall is not too inviting today.
  • Sacred Conversations – There are many events (funerals, weddings, Bible Study) where sacred conversations are held in this room. Warm, comfortable spaces encourage comfortable conversation.
  • There is a line between spending dollars on ourselves versus others, creating a comfortable versus a dingy space, having an uncared for environment versus an extravagant one.

The project team, led by Rex Garrelts, has heard these sentiments and is working to maximize results with limited resources.

The team has identified our first priority is tackling the storage problem. Our solution is to renovate the stage area, allowing for access directly from the fellowship hall floor level, taking advantage of the extra ceiling height to organize storage.

Demolition of the stage area will begin in the next few weeks. To accommodate this, the items currently stored on the stage will need to be moved into the fellowship hall or elsewhere. We will do our best to screen these items so that normal Sunday and other scheduled events will be minimally impacted.

We have developed a target concept for the room space. We are presently engaged in researching materials and labor costs. As we clarify the concept, costs, and the construction timeline we will keep the congregation informed.

The old saying “it’s going to get worse before it gets better” is very true as we begin this project. Until the next update, please extend us a little grace while we make some dust and add to the clutter!

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