Worship Center Renovations
Plans continue for our next Readiness Fund project of renovating and updating our Worship Center. This is a bold endeavor and one that is necessary and has been in the planning stage for more than a year. Given our social distancing, we benefit from the ability to use this May edition of the Scroll to give you a full picture of what is to come. This is a big opportunity for Sheridan to be prepared for your return!
Reason To Renovate
They say, “time flies” and we know this to be true! Our building is 16 years old and no updating has been done to the Worship Center, which is used most days of the week. Simply the age and wear of the carpet have determined the need.
You may have noticed that the “temporary stage extension” remained permanently in place. The reason is that the oak wall was damaged by the extension. The front of the platform is simply fabric held in place with electrical tape and the carpet does not match. Many have asked about removing it and installing something that truly works for that side of the chancel platform.
If you sit on the north side of the Worship Center you have noticed that the concrete floor has a long crack that runs nearly the entire length of the incline. This is a much-needed fix to ensure the stability of the floor and keep it safe for walking.
The center chancel platform has also deteriorated. If you walk across the platform squeaks and “gives” a bit underfoot. It is safe, but it needs to be replaced so that it remains safe.
Finally, the east side of the chancel platform, where our praise band and musicians lead worship, was designed for a vocal choir. Bundles of electric and sound cords are under the piano and “borrow” off the center platform. The space does not work well with our current ministry.
What Will Be Done
Our Council and staff have been working toward this project for a couple of years. In April, the Council approved the project bid and we have a contract. Soon demolition will begin. The first step will be to have our pews removed by the manufacturer who built them, located in Beatrice, Nebraska. Ratigan-Schottler will disassemble, transport and refurbish all the pews. If you haven’t noticed, they need it. This will also include the altar, baptismal font and pulpit, all of which has cracks in the wood from aging and various nicks and dings.
We will then turn to our General Contractor, BIC Construction, to take over. All flooring will be removed and all the staging will be demolished. At that point, the concrete floor will be fixed and a new platform built. Somewhat behind the scenes, new wiring will be installed. This is a much-needed upgrade! The amount of information that is sent from the sound and visual places in the back of the Worship Center to the front has increased exponentially. Our conduits are full! New floor boxes and wiring will put us in a position to upgrade to new equipment in the future, when our current system is updated. The sound system will also be re-balanced which may result in re-configuring the current speakers.
Finally, new carpet will be installed throughout the Worship Center, with new laminate under the pews. The Great Hall flooring is showing its age as well and will also be replaced.
Timeline
Because of local restrictions on public gatherings due to the pandemic, our timeline has been moved up. Originally set to run 80 days from mid-May through mid-August, we anticipate the process to be complete a few weeks early because we were able to start early. Throughout the summer, worship will be in the Family Life Center. The upgrades through our previous Readiness Fund projects make worship possible in the Family Life Center.
The Cost
The combined bids for each aspect of the project come in at about $350,000. While this is a lot of money, the pricing has been favorable to the church. Given what will be accomplished, our leaders familiar with construction are very excited about the bid we have accepted.
Funding
As you may know, the Readiness Fund was created for projects such as this. The “above and beyond” giving of our members has been incredibly strong over the years and our Readiness Fund has a healthy balance. We believe we will be able to complete this project without having to borrow monies and that the Readiness Fund will continue to receive gifts to fund the project. We also trust that many will be inspired to give when they see the project, much like with our stained glass windows.
We also have received a substantial matching gift challenge. An anonymous donor has offered $125,000 to this project. This means that your gift will be matched up to a total of $125,000. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of an above and beyond gift to the Readiness Fund.
Pandemic Concerns
Considering the global coronavirus pandemic and the financial concerns, some may wonder why the church would continue with this project in such uncertain times. At this point, (mid-April), the church has not been financially weakened by the pandemic. Members have been generous, operating costs have been kept to a minimum and we had very strong months of January and February. Even more, because we are a debt-free congregation, we are in a position of financial strength. We certainly are not encouraging anyone to choose to reduce giving to the General Funds, as it is necessary for us to keep our staff whole.
We also have a strong balance in the Readiness Fund and those gifts were given for the purpose of capital improvement. It would be unethical for us to divert gifts intended for the Readiness Fund for other purposes, even the General Fund.
Finally, we believe that the church will continue to be strong. Going forward we believe that, more than ever, people will want community, spiritual guidance and will be excited about our missional work in our community and the world. We will have a “new normal” and it will be one in which the church will be strong. Until then, when our facility is mostly unused and construction costs are low, it makes long-term sense to seize this moment. While this is a bold endeavor, we walk by faith and continue to believe we will fund this without any short or long-term financial harm to the church.
What To Expect
When you return to Sheridan, you can expect things to have changed! The shape of the platform will be symmetrical (brides and grooms will be happy!) and it will have more useable square feet of space, especially for our praise band. The piano will be elevated and there will be small side barriers to keep children from jumping off the platform. The stairs will be uniform width (no more tripping hazard!) and we will no longer need to put up the stage extension to have our Cantata and Children’s Christmas Programs! In the end, the space will be both tremendously functional and beautiful!
But this does mean that there will be change… and change is hard. Thank you for your open heart and willing work to accept the changes that are to come. As with other projects (stained glass installation and education wing addition), we know that some people will be slow to embrace something new. We ask that you trust the track record of your leaders to do what is best for Sheridan.
Please take the time to look at the architectural renderings and get a sense of how the Worship Center will look after completion. We also ask that you commit this process to prayer – especially for the workers and their safety.