For twelve years—from our first worship service in April, 1992 until our facility was constructed in October, 2004, we met in a concrete tilt-up warehouse. It was cavernous. With a roof that leaked and carpets that rose three feet up the walls. There were the proverbial bats in the belfry and the occasional church mouse visitor. To say we were excited to move to East Lincoln Parkway is a profound understatement. We were thrilled! We had a building ready to welcome guests with up to date amenities.
Now more than 17 years have passed. Our facility is still a wonderful gift. That’s not to say it’s perfect – no person or building can meet the standards of perfection – but it’s a gift. It’s a gift we share with AA group attendees, home school parents, AARP tax accountants, high school dance teams, and various support groups, to name just a few of our weekday guests. We are here to serve our neighbors. And our facility helps make that possible. But any home or business or church with a 17-year-old building will need capital improvements regularly.
At the top of our facility volunteer’s list is replacing ceiling lights in the entrance to the sanctuary and the sidewall ceiling lights in the sanctuary itself. The current lights regularly burn out. And their height makes them difficult to replace. We need to replace the entire canisters and update their wiring.Â
In addition, several times in the past couple years we’ve had gardening items—including a riding mower once—stolen from the area where we keep our tools. If the thief had only asked to borrow the items, we gladly would have agreed. But they were stolen. And then so were the replacements. So, one capital improvement we need to make is to enhance the security of the outdoor areas where we store garden tools. We want to assure that our volunteers have the tools they need and ensure that our grounds are always welcoming.