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Andrew McTyre: |
Growing UPWARD!
The Building God's House, Extending God's Welcome campaign is more than a program for building renovation, it's a revisioning of Park Central's future as a community of faith. Some years ago, consultants predicted the decline in membership and eventual closure of the church. In the years since, the congregation has grown both in numbers and in mission. The campaign leadership team believes that now is the time to prepare for the great opportunities God is and will be setting before us.      Growing Upward in Our Facilities. Since the 1920s, Park Central has been blessed with the Parish House, the multistory masonry building just to the east of our sanctuary. For years, Parish House has provided space for fellowship dinners, Bible study and social meetings, offices and work space for the church and other organizations, nursery facilities, a choir rehearsal room, and on the third floor, a small chapel and classrooms for children. Although the lower floors have been renovated (most recently in 1995), the third floor--the floor where most of our classrooms are located--has been largely neglected and is inaccessible to the physically challenged. In addition, the small, residential elevator (the "Elevette"), which serves only part of the building, is no longer reliable or large enough for today's wheelchairs and motorized scooters. The campaign intends to replace the Elevette with a modern commercial elevator that serves all floors, as well as to renovate the third floor thoroughly, creating multi-use classrooms and a chapel that can be both an inviting worship space and a home to adult Bible classes. Growing Upward in Our Service to God and His People. Building God's House, Extending God's Welcome is about far more than just providing a more attractive, accessible, and convenient structure. It's about preparing ourselves for what God has in store for us, readying us to serve more effectively. Many at Park Central, have envisioned ministries to the youth at risk in our community, to families, to others with special needs. But time after time, our dreams for fulfilling Christ's mission have been thwarted by the inadequacies of our building. More than anything else, this project is about helping us realize our visions for mission ... and helping us be ready for whatever else God sets before us! We invite you to take time to learn more about Building God's House, Extending God's Welcome and the people committed to seeing its goals reached. Browse the pages of this website, and ask questions (you can do so personally, but there is also a form for questions available on the FAQ page). Above all, we urge you to pray for the project and its goals and the role God would have you take in seeing them achieved. God, what would you do through me to accomplish your will in my church? |