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UPDATED: September 16, 2025

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What will the project involve?

The Sanctuary renovation will feature an elevated choir loft and extended platform area. The loft will have space for 108 singers at a comfortable chair spacing. The loft will be elevated above the current platform level to allow better sight lines for the congregation and increased sound projection for the choir. The shape of the loft is designed such that risers can be placed at platform level in front of the loft area to accommodate additional singers for combined-choir events. The extension of the platform will allow for the current 40-45 orchestra members and provide room for expansion as additional players are added. The pews will be refinished and new flooring will be installed, lighting will be upgraded to LED, and some sound and TV broadcast equipment will be replaced. Acoustic treatments on the back wall of the balcony and main floor will be replaced to better dampen undesirable sound reflections. The Sanctuary ceiling will be repainted and minor repairs will be made. 

The Narthex changes will include new paint in the stairwells leading to the balcony and updated light fixtures. 

 

The work for the Music Rehearsal Suite will depend on the amount pledged. This is the part of the Leadership Council’s recommendation relative to the Music Rehearsal Suite:   Based on the results of the final pledge tally: Option A: Execute the building plans for a single-story music building. (We believe this will require an additional $2 million in pledges in addition to borrowing $1 million from our designated funds.) Or, Option B: Pause and provide time for the Building Committee to work with architects to consider additional options for the music building, to include the potential renovation of the existing space that would incorporate as many of the desired changes as we can afford without burdening the church with substantial long-term external debt. If pledges allow for Option A, the existing Music Rehearsal Suite will be replaced by a new, larger single story structure. The new Music Suite will have men's and women's robing rooms and restrooms. Storage space will be provided for music and other items. A counter area will be used regularly to turn in or pick up music. The counter area will also provide for snack service for Student Choir and for use during special choir events and other functions. The new facility will include a Multipurpose Room for use by guest musicians and will serve the orchestra each Sunday as a place to assemble instruments and temporarily store instrument cases. A choir rehearsal area large enough for 96 singers will be provided. Additional chairs can be added, with the total reaching 130, for LCT rehearsals. The layout of the new floor plan will help streamline the congested flow of foot traffic. 

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Is there a community mission component? 

Yes, the community mission component was described during the November 3, 2024 presentation of the motion to proceed with the project. The component involves the Terry Heights-Hillandale community. The receipt of a church property in that neighborhood has opened up the possibility of expanding our ministry efforts. In November 2023, a mission strategy was rolled out for reaching our city, region and world. One element of that strategy is to “create a home-based childcare model that will serve low income families.” With our new presence in the neighborhood, we have an opportunity to establish that childcare initiative on the same property as the Terry Heights-Hillandale Christian Community Center (where the parsonage once sat). Funding from the capital campaign will provide “seed money” for the childcare initiative and some improvements in the Christian Community Center. 

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What other items will be addressed through the program?

As part of the project, new LED projection systems have been installed in the Life Center.  

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What will the project cost? How long will it take?

The estimated cost of the Sanctuary construction, the capital campaign, Life Center LED projection systems, community mission component and other associated costs is $6-7M. The Sanctuary construction will begin, at the earliest, in late October 2025 and is expected to take about 9 months to complete. The amount required to include a new Rehearsal Suite would bring the overall cost to $11M (a gap of ~$3M compared to pledges).

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What additional debt will be required? 

No long-term debt is anticipated for the Sanctuary construction. Interest cost for the short-term construction loan (if needed) is included in the project cost estimate. The amount of debt associated with the Music Suite will be determined based on the outcome of pledges. 

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What will the updated Sanctuary look like? Will there be changes to the woodwork? 

The goal is to make the alterations in the loft and platform areas complement the existing look and feel of the Sanctuary. There are no changes proposed to the woodwork on the walls or on the organ facade. The ceiling speaker “box” currently over the pulpit will be removed, and that part of the ceiling will be restored to its original design. 

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Will the organ be affected during the construction? 

The organ pipes and console will be removed and stored by the company that provides services for the instrument. While in their possession, some needed maintenance will be provided as part of the project. They will re-install the organ and provide a “dolly” so that the organ console can be easily moved on the platform. 

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Are we replacing the pews? Can we re-use the current ones? 

The current pews will be removed, sanded down to bare wood, refinished, and upholstered with coverings on the seats and, per the recommendation of the acoustic engineers, on the backs as well. The pews will be stored at the pew company’s facility until ready for reinstallation. That process resulted in a significant savings over purchasing new pews. 

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What type of flooring will replace the carpet? 

Per the recommendation of the acoustic engineers, the aisles and stairs leading to the balcony will be covered with carpet and the area under the pews will have a hard surface flooring. The biggest impact acoustically with the hard surface flooring will be the ability to better hear the singing of those around you.

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Are we installing projection screens in the Sanctuary? 

No. The video consultants presented some options for projection, however our Sanctuary is a very difficult shape to make any kind of fixed projection system work properly. The consultants also presented some ideas for portable display systems that could be used on occasions that warranted visual display. Portable projection is also not part of the project but could be something the church might want to consider in the future for those specialized uses. 

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What about the LCT? How is the tree structure affected by the elevated choir loft? 

The plan is to modify the existing structure to rest on the first row of the new loft by moving the structure 12 feet forward. That approach  has the most certainty of success and is recommended for at least the first year after construction. The rails on the front row of the loft are removable to accommodate the tree. 

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Will the loft be more noisy to walk on because it is elevated?

The noisy wood fill-in pieces which cover the unused orchestra pit will not be needed. The loft floor and platform should actually become more quiet. 

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How many pew seats are we losing because of the expanded platform? 

Based on a comfortable seating width, we will lose about 75 spaces. 

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Why do the speakers in the renderings look different from what we currently have?

Based on the recommendation of the acoustic engineers, the new speakers will be line arrays. Line arrays are considered “state-of-the-art” at this time. Our current speakers are columns which are optimized for speech but are less effective for musical reproduction. 

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Will the baptistry be affected by the raised choir loft? 

No. It is anticipated that the chairs directly in front of the baptistry on the top row will be removed or left unoccupied on days of baptism. The baptistry glass has become cloudy and scratched. It will be replaced.

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Will the stain glass remain behind the baptistry?

The stain glass will remain.

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Where will Sanctuary worship meet during construction? Will it be the same? 

Sanctuary worship will occur in the Life Center during the time of construction. A team of people has evaluated what will be required to keep the worship experience as close as possible to the current experience. Services will continue to feature a full choir and orchestra, hymnals will be provided for congregational singing, and the live TV broadcast and LiveStream will air at the same time as they currently do each week. First Fellowship and Sanctuary worship will meet at their current times, with both located in the Life Center. 

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What if pledges are not enough for the Music Suite? 

If the pledge process does not adequately close the gap, the Leadership Council will ask the Building Committee to engage the architects and investigate options for the Music Suite to include renovations of the existing space to incorporate as many of the desired changes as we can afford without burdening the church with substantial long-term external debt. 

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Is the new Music Suite larger than the current one? 

The new Music Suite has about 30% more square footage than the current space. 

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Where will the choir rehearse during the construction? 

The choir will rehearse in the Life Center. The day and times for rehearsals for the various choirs and the First Fellowship band will be coordinated by the ministers serving those areas. 

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What is a Multipurpose Room and how will it be used?

The Multipurpose Room will be used by guest musicians as a waiting area during special events. On most Sundays, the space will be used by orchestra members to assemble instruments and temporarily store cases during the service. 

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Where will all the choir and orchestra music be stored during construction?

We will use a combination of on-site and off-site storage for music and other items during construction.

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Will all the music be consolidated into the new storage areas?

By using high-density storage optimized for the music container sizes, all of the choir music, plus room for more, should fit in the music storage room. There are also additional storage areas for orchestra and other choirs, and the tops of the robing racks will be designed to hold music as they do now.  

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Will there still be ramps in the Music Rehearsal Suite? 

Only one short ramp will remain in the Music Rehearsal Suite. The remaining areas will all be on the same level. The choir rehearsal room will tier down as it does now, but the steps will be of equal height.  

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What is meant by “loaded for a second story”? 

“Loaded” means having the walls and roof of the building designed such that it can hold the weight of an additional floor. After reviewing the cost associated with supporting a second floor, that option is not part of the proposal. 

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What changes will have the most effect on improving the foot traffic flow? 

The multiple entry points to the Music Rehearsal Suite allow the choir and orchestra to spread out as they enter and exit. There will be adequate space available to designate areas for picking up and returning music and orchestra folders which eliminates the need for tables and cabinets in the narrow hallway. 

 

Do we lose any parking places?

No. Parking is unaffected by the proposed construction. We will lose one oak tree closest to Entrance 4 to accommodate the changes to the road. 

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How is the drop-off canopy affected?

The drop-off canopy will be replaced as part of the project using a cantilever design, so no support columns will be in the road. 

 

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What will be built?

The proposed “group childcare facility” will be a 1500 square foot single story home of a type typical for the neighborhood. The existing parsonage, which was in very bad shape, has been removed to make room for the new house. The initiative will be called “OurKids” and will serve as a model for others across the state who may wish to replicate the program.

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Will the group childcare construction be managed by the same contractor as the church construction?

There will be a different contractor managing the work in Terry Heights, and the construction schedule will be independent of work occurring at 600 Governors Drive. 

 

Will a daycare there compete with Second Mile which is already operating?

The two childcare operations are complementary. Second Mile is a half-day pre-school for ages 3-4, while “OurKids” will be a full-day program and also serve children age 2 and younger.

 

Is there a need for the daycare?

Conversations with the Chamber of Commerce, Director of Second Mile, and a representative of the local Neighborhood Organization all verified a need for this type of childcare in the area. 

 

How will the daycare function?

The model is based on a Co-op system where parents will volunteer time to assist a staff director. The facility will be DHR certified and the parent-volunteers will have training and background checks. The maximum capacity will be 12 children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 5 years. The new facility will serve as a model for others who wish to replicate the program. 

 

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