March 9, 2023
Dear Central Church,
I wanted to update you on where our leadership team is at in discerning the way forward for our Sanctuary renewal project and the “It’s Our Turn” initiative.
First of all, let me say that they are exciting days to be a part of Central Church. In my experience of being a part of projects like this, I have seen God honor the commitment of his people and the faith of those who are bold enough to dream big dreams for him. It’s always exhilarating to see God come through and do what only he can do. I know those moments are ahead for us!
Since January, your church board and staff has had a renewed conversation about what the project should include and how we should go about it. The plans for the sanctuary are largely unchanged. You would have seen an image like this when this vision was first presented and we are continuing to pursue this plan for the interior of the sanctuary.
What became apparent to us through prayer and considering best practices of thriving congregations is that the upper atrium should be included in the scope of the project. This is “prime real estate” where gathering and fellowship happen on a Sunday morning. It’s a place where life is shared between us, and most importantly, this space forms people’s first impressions of who we are as a community of faith.
The board and project design team are currently looking at different configurations of the upper atrium and how best to maximize that space for fellowship, connection, and community. We hope to share a finalized floor plan and rendering of the space soon.
Additionally, we are working with our audio visual team to ensure the plan for sound, lighting, visual, and live stream technology upgrades fully optimize the gifs of worship being presented by our instrumentalists, vocalist, and choir. We anticipate significant upgrades in this area that present the beauty of worship that is faithful to our tradition and contemporary in form.
After Easter our leaders plan to share details of this renewed vision for the sanctuary. In the meantime, we are collecting bids from contractors, securing renderings from architects, and putting teams together to help this vision become a reality. You may be asking, “What can I do?” Here’s what I believe God would have you do as our leaders get into the thick of this work:
Pray. Ask God to make his will clear to our leadership team and to give them wisdom as they make decisions related to this project.
Give. If you made a commitment to the “It’s Our Turn” campaign, please consider honoring that commitment as the Lord provides. We have already received $811,000 towards our commitment total of $1.2 million.
Engage. If you did not make a commitment, please consider engaging in this process. Be at church, show up to formation group, listen as leaders share the vision, and don’t miss out on this chance to be a part of this new season of ministry at Central Church!
Please reach out to me with any questions you may have about the process. I am excited about the days ahead.
Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark
