May 27 session discussion

Anita Cary reported that the task force met recently and discussed various things:
- The stove in the kitchen must be brought up to code.
- They’ll look into the cost of installing indoor-outdoor carpet in Fellowship Hall.
- Drapes in Fireside Room and more carpeting.
- Possible westward expansion of the facilities.
- Ted Trautwein will look to see what it would take to make the Scout Hut usable for SAL offices (which Stephen Bartlett has requested).
- Would like to get a collection of code books.
- Laura Kelleher’s going to look into getting some grants for some of this work.
- Jane is going to invite people to be on some committees: housekeeping, building maintenance, grounds, and “greening.”

The task force also recommended that we have the stained glass window by the piano cleaned and re-leaded and protected by glass this summer. That particular window is leaking. Perry Chang moves and Ben Langley seconds this recommendation, which is approved by acclamation.

-- Peter

Late May meeting

Folks active in the newspace@chpc task force gathered on the day after Memorial Day (Tuesday, May 26) to follow up on recommendations to the session and discussions with architect Kevin Milburn. Pastor Jane Larsen-Wigger reported that – partly through a June newsletter article – she had invited Crescent Hill church folks to participate in the facilities-related committees that the task force had recommended the session set up: building maintenance committee, housekeeping committee, grounds maintenance committee, and green committee.

Jane later reported that Ben Randell and Doug Yeager have been hashing out where to put the old sound system, recently fixed, and whether to pursue a new system. Jane also reported that the preschool board has decided to mulch some of the playground (which inspectors recently banned preschool kids from using, without the mulch) and have the swing set removed.

(Anita reminded folks about the possibility of moving the playground to the other side of the parking lot and the opportunity of striping the lot and having traffic U-turn around the lot.)

Anita reported on her Education Building research about replacing the huge gas-powered stove in the kitchen ($1,000 total for one each gas-powered and electric-powered stove like what you’d find in someone’s house) and improving acoustics in the Fireside Room (draperies for $100?) and carpet over the floor of most of the Fellowship Hall (along with perhaps banners and baffles). (Replacing the stove and installing ventilation would promote safety and energy conservation, while improving acoustics would promote accessibility.)

Anita will follow up by convening a group of users of the kitchen and other interested persons – in the kitchen – to explore the stove possibilities. The church will not try to make a stove change (and the addition of ventilation) prior to Sustainable Agriculture of Louisville’s summer Garden Camp, as the task force had hoped. Anita will also explore some other issues, including how much a commercial electric stove would cost and what exactly the building code requirements about ventilation are.

Anita will also consult Ada Bartlett-Asenjo about draperies and additional and replacement carpet tiles in the Fireside Room.

The group affirmed its long-term interest (as per the architect’s suggestion) in a westward expansion of church buildings and the construction of a new, larger Fellowship Hall (plus church offices) (where the playground and Scout Hut now sit). But group participants said that – especially with the state of the economy – this would not be something to undertake immediately. (In this scenario the current Fellowship Hall would be subdivided and the western end of the main building would be devoted to children’s and youth ministries).

Folks in the group expressed some interest in building a ramp out of a side door (on the south side of the main building, between the sanctuary and the choir room), heading down towards the Education Building and then raising and widening the roof over the breezeway between the main building and the Education Building (possibly extending out to the parking lot). This would be with or without a glass wall enclosing the ramp and with or without a lift to get people from the sanctuary floor to the floor with the church office. It could lead into the westward expansion, by helping people – including people who have trouble getting around – get to the current Education Building (and then through that building to the new building) – without having to go outside.

Task force folks talked at length about whether to spend the $10,000 to have the Scout Hut – at the northwestern end of the church property – removed or to invite Sustainable Agriculture of Louisville (SAL) to fix up the building a little and occupy it for two or three years (before the westward expansion might proceed). Ted Trautwein will take another look at the building and will talk with SAL’s Stephen Bartlett about whether the organization is still interested in using the building and whether it is willing to take the lead with any necessary changes to the building.

Laura Kelleher will follow up on suggestions from Martha Gee that Presbyterians for Disabilities loan and grants funds might be available to help finance changes designed to promote accessibility (such as the carpeting to improve acoustics). The group also recommended (to the session and the Stewardship Committee?) that the church fix and cover with exterior glass (having already done this to two of the some 14 old stained glass windows) an old stained glass window that is currently leaking.

-- Perry

June newsletter update

Acting on input from the congregation, the newspace@chpc task force* made some recommendations that the Session adopted. Many of these will need congregational involvement in order for them to be carried out. Specifically, volunteers with interest and expertise are needed for the following committees: (Please talk to Jane if you can help.)

- Building Maintenance: Tasks for this committee include coming up with a 5-year plan for maintenance needs and estimated costs, bringing this plan to Stewardship Council and then Session for approval and then implementing the plan (making sure on-going maintenance and general improvements are made to our property).

- Housekeeping: Tasks would be to plan for and carry out a system of keeping up with keeping things in order inside the buildings. This will mainly be a “ministry of clutter-control”!

- Grounds Maintenance: This would be a group of people willing to plan for and keep up with the outside areas surrounding our buildings.

- Green Committee: “Greening” the building showed up as a strong priority of the congregation. The session needs people with interest and expertise whose first assignment will be to come up with a Master Plan for the properties to become increasingly more environmentally responsible. This Plan will need to have a continuum from the simplest, cheapest things we can do right now to the dream of where we want to be in time.

These on-going groups are needed to simply keep up with, stay on top of the on-going needs of an old, but very well-used, building which is one of our great resources for ministry. This isn’t necessarily the “fun” work of the church – but in order for us to be responsible stewards of the facilities we have, it is essential. So please let Jane know if you can help with one of the on-going committees that are needed.

There are still questions about accessibility and space usage which will need to be explored. The newspace task force met with architect Kevin Milburn (of rkm designz, inc.). That conversation led to thinking about an eventual new building (fellowship hall/kitchen space) at the west end (St. Joseph side) of the current educational building and re-configuring the current fellowship hall space into more accessible office and meeting space. These ideas are, of course, down the line and will involve much more thought. The future of the Scout Hut is also (still!) in conversation. It needs to be determined if it is structurally safe for a new use or simply needs to be removed.

If you have questions, concerns, ideas please talk to a member of the Session or the newspace task force which includes Laura Kelleher, Anita Cary, Martha Gee, Perry Chang and Ben Langley.

-- Jane

April 29 session discussion

Anita Cary reported that the newspace task force met. Perry Chang, Jane Larsen-Wigger, Ted Trautwein, Anita Cary, and Kevin Milburn, the architect, were present. Kevin Milburn suggested we consider expanding in the direction of St. Joseph’s.All agreed that safety is the biggest concern. Kevin Milburn suggested - and the task force agreed - and proposed the following: - That we immediately change the stove in the kitchen - it’s not up to code because it doesn’t have a vent - and that we buy an electric stove (or two) because gas is more dangerous and electric stoves are greener.- That we improve the acoustics in the Fireside Room with drapes and extending the carpet to the edges of the room.- That we improve the acoustics in the Fellowship Hall by hanging fabric from dowels or chains.




Cost for all the above is roughly estimated to be about $5,000. More specific information and costs will be researched and brought back for approval. The venting of the stove has high priority.



-- Perry

April 27 meeting

The newspace@chpc task force met Monday evening with architect Kevin Milburn, who had joined us for our fall church gathering. Jane, Anita, Ted, and I shared with him some of the priorities we had established: safety, accessibility, acoustics, and greening, along with figuring out what to do with the playground and the Scout Hut.

Kevin (pictured above with Jane and below with Anita), who was donating a few hours to the church, had toured the campus for a second time, on his own, before our meeting. He had also reviewed a stack of plans that Ted had worked on with the earlier version of our task force.

Kevin had some new ideas, and we ended up discussing three types of possible changes. First, we talked about changes we might want to effect very soon, changes that wouldn’t cost too much money. These included: replacing the kitchen stove with electric stove or stoves and installing ventilation, adding carpeting, draperies, and possibly “baffles” to the Fireside Room and perhaps even the Fellowship Hall for acoustics., and installing fluorescent light bulbs wherever possible in both buildings.

Somewhat more long term and somewhat more expensive: installing a lift next to the bathroom next to the choir room, building a ramp and overhang from the exterior door near where the lift would go (and snaking around past the garbage cans towards the Education Building), filling in the mortar between the stones and bricks of the main church building (especially along the west wall), fixing the rest of the stained glass windows and installing protective glass over them, painting lines in the parking lot to increase the number of spaces and redirect traffic flow, rebuilding the playground under the trees on the other side of the parking lot, and probably demolishing the Scout Hut. (This might run like $50,000.)

Kevin – with ideas and encouragement from us – initially put most of his brain power and creativity towards a more expensive, longer term vision. This what it turned into: Build a new Fellowship Hall that would have better acoustics, be more environmentally friendly, and fit two or three times as many people where the playground and Scout Hut are now. Include church offices and a basement room for the youth. Connect it to the old Education Building and make it all accessible, all on the ground level with a new entrance onto a widened parking lot driveway. Build a modern kitchen in the Youth Room. Send that hallway all the way through into the new building. Give the new Fellowship Hall a façade of stone and bricks - all the wary around- so it would match the existing buildings. Put mainly children – the preschool, Sunday school, etc. – in the existing church office/preschool complex. Kids mostly can climb up and down the stairs and any disabled kids we could carry. Subdivide – either permanently or with dividers – the existing Fellowship Hall and leave the Fireside Room, perhaps given better acoustics. (We didn’t talk about the old kitchen.) (This might run like $800,000 or so.)

Anita is going to present some of these ideas to session Wednesday night. We’ll see where we go from there.
-- Perry

Meeting with the architect

Kevin Milburn, of rkm designz, will be meeting with the newspace task force on Monday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Pastor Jane's office. (Jane and Kevin will tour the church campus first at 5 p.m.) Any of you who are interested in joining us are most welcome. We've asked him for his advice and ideas about the four major areas that have been identified as needing attention: safety, acoustics, accessibility and greening.

-- Jane

March 24 task force meeting

These next steps are recommended in our on-going building discussion:

1) Direct Stewardship Council to set up a Building Maintenance Committee (who would report to and be accountable to the Stewardship Council) whose tasks would include:
a. Coming up with a 5-year plan for maintenance needs and estimated costs
b. Bringing this plan to Stewardship council and then Session for approval
c. Implementing the plan

2) Direct Stewardship Council to set up Housekeeping/Clutter Control committee
(and find a good name for it!) as well as a Grounds Maintenance committee whose tasks would be to plan for and carry out a system of keeping up with those particular areas of the property.

3) Session, ideally with a session member chairing it, establish a “Green Committee” whose first assignment will be to come up with a Master Plan for the properties to become increasingly more environmentally responsible. This Plan needs to have a continuum from the simplest, cheapest things we can do right now TO the dream of where we want to be in time. This committee would report back to the Session.

4) Direct the newspace@chpc task force (and any other session members who want to come) to meet with Kevin Milburn (of rkm designz, inc. whose architectural services we have access to for a few more hours and who was at our last newspace gathering) to get his input and suggestions about general space usage (including the Scout Hut and its possibilities) and what he sees as reasonable things we might consider in regard to these major (prioritized) issues:

1. Safety
2. Acoustics – Fellowship Hall and Fireside Room in particular
3. Accessibility
4. Greening

5) The newspace@chpc task force would report back to the Session with recommendations, if any, and for discussion about whether or not to set up a more long-range renovation committee.

NOTES:

All of these recommendations have overlapped with one another and so communication among groups will be necessary – with Session being at the hub.

The state of the stained glass windows, for instance, will probably be considered by both the Building Committee, because of the need for their upkeep, as well as the Green Committee, because of the fact that they are not energy-efficient.

-- Pastor Jane

February 25 session meeting discussion

An animated discussion takes place about why we don’t seem to get started doing the things that we agree clearly need to be taken care of? Why are we bogged down? Martha Gee would like to think big, look at the big picture. Several people talk about our relationship with change: we struggle, we resist, often subconsciously. Others are not alarmed at the long time we’re taking to deal with the large question of how improve the building and make it more accessible. We’re still in the middle of a long process. We’re not ready to move.

-- Peter

Change

Change was in the air Wednesday as Martha, Ben, and Pastor Jane helped lead us through Wednesday’s newspace@chpc event #3 activities. Martha (pictured above right) started us out with a wonderful litany of thanks:

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain (Psalms 127:1). We give thanks for those features of our building that promote and support our vision:

- For the community garden: for fruit, ripening produce and for the ministry of Garden Camp. Thank you, God!
- For Fellowship Hall and the sense of community it engenders. Thank you, God!
- For the Fireside Room, a place of learning, praying, and meeting. Thank you, God!
- For the Gathering area inside and the plaza outside; for welcoming faces and words. Thank you, God!
- For signage inside, pointing the way and inviting us in. Thank you, God!
- For the organ, and the music that enhances our worship. Thank you, God!
- For the ministry of our preschool to children and families. Thank you, God!
- For “spruce ups”: for fresh paint and bright fabrics; new lights and round tables. Thank you, God!
- For opportunities to envision potential new uses for the Scout Hut. Thank you, God!
- For the Youth room photo array, and what it conveys about our vibrant youth ministry. Thank you, God!
- For these old buildings, whose walls have served our community of faith well for over one hundred years; for all these buildings have been and are and will be. Thank you, God! Amen.

Ben guided our discussion as participants added the following to the list of features of the building, property, and facilities that we want changed:

- Asphalt issues
- Composting
- Getting the organ console out of choir loft
- Greening the buildings [a late addition]
- Lack of a ping pong table
- Maintenance and protection of stained glass windows
- Need a means of entering the [church office/church school] building [from the back] without disrupting the classes
- Not enough seating for some events (in the Fellowship Hall)
- Range hood [in the Fellowship Hall kitchen] needed to meet fire codes
- Range pilot light [in the Fellowship Hall kitchen]
- “Staging area” (protected) – to get into Fellowship Hall
- Termite damage
- Water damage affecting steps

After small-group discussions (including one in Spanish!) and a report back with some collective discussion, each participant placed a total of three dots on one, two, or three problem areas that she or he thought was most important to confront (and perhaps also most urgent and most do-able to change). Topping the “voting” were:

- Acoustics (Fellowship Hall) (13 dots)
- Greening the buildings (13 dots)
- Accessibility (in general) (11 dots)
- Lack of cover or connectivity (between the sanctuary/church office and Fellowship Hall) (6 dots)
- Lack of showers for overnight guests (6 dots)
- Scout Hut (re-tool) (4 dots)
- Termite damage (4 dots)
- Water damage affecting the steps (3 dots)
- Outside signage (2 dots)
- Outside signage (for the parking lots and playground in particular) (2 dots)
- Stairs without railings (2 dots)
- Disheveled or dirty basement back rooms (1 dot)
- Disheveled or dirty sanctuary (1 dot)
- Disheveled or dirty sanctuary (pew racks – too crowded) (1 dot)
- Lack of cover or connectivity (for front door to church office area) (1 dot)
- Scout Hut (tear down/move away) (1 dot)
- Stairs to Pastor Jane’s office (1 dot)
- Maintenance or protection of stained glass windows (1 dot)
- Need a means of entering the [church office/church school] building without disrupting classes
- Range pilot lights [in the Fellowship Hall kitchen] (1 dot)

Architect Kevin Milner (pictured above left) – fresh from a tour of the property with Pastor Jane - joined us as a special guest (and participated!). The newspace@chpc planning committee hopes to check in with him shortly (thanks for being there, Kevin!).
-- Perry

Event #3 this Wednesday

We will gather in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 p.m. this Wednesday (January 21) to reflect on features of our church buildings, property, and facilities that get in the way of what we want our church to be. Recall that church vision statement, fleshed out at our first newspace@chpc gathering this summer:

This is our vision of the church we believe we are called to become:

As partners with Christ, we are an open, growing, faith-filled community, developing authentic relationships and cultivating a passion for justice and mission.

In order to move toward this vision, we commit to strengthening these aspects of our life together:

- Growth in faith and learning.
- Vibrant worship and prayer.
- Ministry with children and youth.
- Practicing hospitality.
- Doing justice.
- Partnering in mission.
- Responsible stewardship.
- Embracing diversity.
- Embodying a community of care.

This past October a group of Crescent Hill folks identified a dozen or so features of the building that help promote this vision and a dozen or so features that get in the way. Lists of these features are posted in earlier blog entries (see especially "October 29 feedback recoded") .

Wednesday we will reflect—together and individually—on which of the problems with our building the second newspace@chpc gathering identified along with any we add Wednesday (see "Instructions for the October 29 event") are most important for us to confront.

What possible changes to the property would most help us better promote our vision—and God’s vision—for Crescent Hill church? Join us for fruit, cookies, conversation, and a little activity as we share our responses to this question. See you Wednesday at 7. In the mean time: Happy Inauguration Day!

P.S. We hope Crescent Hill folks of all ages—from elementary school-aged children through older adults—will continue to be able to participate. The nursery will be staffed, primarily for infants and toddlers.

October 29 feedback recoded

Features of Crescent Hill church’s facilities/property/ buildings that promote and support our vision:

- Community garden
- Fellowship Hall
- Fireside Room
- Gathering area – inside and plaza
- Inside signage
- Old buildings – have served the church well
- Organ
- Preschool
- Recent sprucing up
- Scout Hut – opportunities for other uses
- Youth room photo array

Features of Crescent Hill church’s facilities/property/buildings that get in the way of our vision:

- Acoustics – Fellowship Hall
- Acoustics – Fireside Room
- Acoustics – Youth Room
- Disheveled or dirty – balcony
- Disheveled or dirty – basement back rooms
- Disheveled or dirty – sanctuary
- Disheveled or dirty – sanctuary (pew racks – too crowded)
- Driveway curb cut (into the parking lot)
- Fellowship Hall – old chairs
- Gathering area – too crowded
- Kitchen – no dishwasher
- Kitchen – no garbage disposal
- Lack of cover or connectivity - for front door to church office area
- Lack of cover or connectivity – between the sanctuary/church office area and Fellowship Hall
- Lack of cover or connectivity – between the sanctuary/church office area and Fellowship Hall (low overhang for the cover we do have)
- Lack of showers for overnight guests
- Landscape maintenance – need more maintenance-free plants and landscape
- Landscape maintenance – need better maintenance of the prayer garden
- Outside signage
- Outside signage – for the parking lot and playground in particular
- Scout Hut - re-tool
- Scout Hut - tear down/move away
- Stairs – everywhere (and almost no ramps)
- Stairs – to Pastor Jane’s office
- Stairs – too tall (to church balcony)
- Stairs – without railings
- Accessibility – in general
- Storage space – not enough
- Storage space – too spread out (over the property)
- Storage space – wasted
- Stranded – church office area bulletin board
- Stranded – Fellowship Hall building hall library

-- Perry

A proposal from Stephen

Perhaps this is a ripe moment to put an idea or informal proposal forward. Sustainable Agriculture of Louisville (SAL) is in the process of incorporating as a 501c3 Non-governmental organization (our application is on file with the IRS), in order to expand our mission and develop a training program for aspiring farmers (to lead more people into agricultural production work). At some point, probably within a year or year and a half, SAL will want to establish a locale for itself, for files, tables and some chairs for students (nice chairs are being stored there now), etc... One idea: for SAL to use a modestly refurbished Scout Hut, put up good shutters on the now nailed in window frames, possibly add a wood burning stove so we could use in the winter, have a dried grain storage area, seed storage area, tool area, etc... With window shutters on sticks that could be propped up, we could get enough light to use in daylight during most of the year (even without a heating unit). No need for screens, for example, as we will truly be a rural style operation, rustic to the core.

SAL would be a low-maintenance presence, not requiring indoor plumbing or running water. Once we get settled, SAL would keep up the building and repair any leaks, etc...

One concern: there appears to be some leaks right now in the Scout Hut roof, damage which will only increase if not attended to.

Proposal: CHPC and perhaps with SAL volunteers arrange to repair roof leaks and make windows openable (SAL has some handy volunteers who could help), and SAL could then occupy the space starting sometime April through late June 2009, and pay a modest quarterly fee for its use. ($50- $75 per quarter?). SAL gives the building a good paint job and a sign over the door identifying it as the SAL headquarters. We could undertake some of the activities of the gardening camps from the SAL headquarters...so have less stuff lying around in Fellowship Hall, and plant a couple more fruit trees on the lawn behind the hut...

We could do a beautiful paint job by engaging a local artist or artists to paint the outside walls and make the building blend in better with the surroundings than the rough white paint job.

Consider this a brainstorm proposal. No response is needed at present. SAL could also delay in occupying this if necessary until 2010, when we hope for our expanded program to start in earnest.

-- Stephen

Response from Pastor Jane

I love how this touched you Anita. Hopefully others also were so inspired. Even so it has helped draw more people into the decision making and into the sense of the building as part of who we are and how we do and can be in ministry. I too thought it was a good event for all that.

-- Jane

Follow-up comments from Anita

My main thought since then about the tour and discussion is that I was faced with the actual age of our church. Having Alan in our group was helpful, as he remembered when we added different parts of the buildings and he pointed out the effects, the improvements, and the current needs. I've been compelled with the thought that our church has served us so very well over a very long time.

Somehow this tour made me want to return the favors to it--to do more major renovation to parts of it to match our enthusiastic mission together. I cannot say that I have felt quite this way until the tour. I have been in favor of correcting the accessibility, but this is a different kind of enthusiasm than I have had. It's more of a matter of grace or perhaps more practically described as "pay-back time" for us to bestow upon our plant that has served us so long and so well.

I don't mean that we'd have to do remodeling but rather that I feel gratitude for what the building has been providing for many generations and that it still does for us, to the extent that I'm aware that I'd like to see us invest more to provide for our current missions, and with an eye for the generations to come who will continue to receive as we do. The building is like an old saint who needs us more as it grows older but asks for so little in the face of the hard work it continually provides by its faithful presence.

-- Anita

Whole group report back/discussion

Promotes/supports vision:
- Curved pew arrangement – welcoming; not regimented – wheelchair spaces in front and back [of sanctuary]
- Entry way – [outside] plaza and [interior] gathering area – draws people in and keeps them visiting after
- Sanctuary – promotes worship and music
- Fellowship hall – accessible, good colors – most gatherings held here
- Community garden – learning, ministry, hospitality, reaching out to the community
- Lots of coffee pots
- Recent signage and new, fresh colors all around [with interior re-design]
- Antiquated building – but we use what we have really well [Army pants metaphor]
- Jane’s office in the basement [?]
- Prayer garden – peaceful and beautiful place for people to useDay school - supports our passion for mission

Gets in the way:
- Bad acoustics in the Fellowship Hall
- Lack of connectivity of all levels in all buildings – trouble for many people – i.e., stairs
- “Hell hut” [Scout hut] must be gone” – doesn’t fit with our vision at all
- Stairs everywhere!
- A lot of stairs we have don’t have railings
- Things are low – Marian [McClure] ducks a lot (old issue with the architect)
- A lot of space – not very well used – closets, storage space, etc. – i.e., rooms off hallway down to bilingual class [old high school Sunday school classroom] [though Alan later says many of these odd storage space rooms don’t easily lend themselves to other uses]
- Jane’s office in the basement [different views about this]
- Hard to get to the main office
- No roof over the door by the office
- Lack of dishwasher/disposal in the kitchen
- Lack of outside signage [Bill Gilliss and Pastor Jane say some of this is already on order]
- Lot of storage – very spread outIn general: accessibility and sound

-- Elaine

Exploring nooks and crannies with group 6

October 29 event pictures

Group 6 notes

· Narthex – Evangelism additions – welcome
· Doug Yeager montage [from the retreat] – attractive
· Balcony may need tidying
· Banner storage closet [off the balcony] – “a revelation”
· Some banners need recycling/refurbishing
· Tall steps – to balcony
· Why pew in coat closet?
· Curved pew arrangement – wonderful
· Hymnal racks – not sufficient for all materials
· Bulletin Board in back [2nd floor] hallway – not often viewed
· Good signage in basement rooms
· Senior high place – much improved – now bilingual Sunday school classroom
· Good yellow paint
· Back closet area [off of the nursery] – could have other use
· Marian [McClure] – uncomfortable with gauntlet due to proximity to her head [especially in outdoor hallway between the main church building and Fellowship Hall] – wants a transformation
· Chapel/youth room – wonderful photo (glossy) display – Curtains [formerly in Fireside Room] – work here
· [Education building] Hall library – underused
· Old chairs [in Fellowship Hall] – need to “go away” (Janine)
· Fellowship Hall acoustics – not great – need more absorbent material – [also] acoustic tiles
· Scout Hut – agricultural training; ceramic studio with kiln; leaks in roof?
· Garden – “friendly”

-- Stephen

Group 5 notes

Promotes:
· Entry way – hospitable
· Up bath for kids [?]
· Storage and [?} classroom

Gets in the way:
· Need office directional – i.e., child care
· Hospitality area (Fellowship Hall) – not [?} connected
· Small refrigerator [?] for Gathering Room – hospitality – longer counter space
· Lack of ramp – accessibility for chancel [?]
· Need showers – installed – to support traveling workers, youth groups
· Back of this building [apparently main church building] – no wheelchair access ramp
· Bulletin Board – mis-placed
· Lack of accessibility to lower level [of main church building]
· Storage room – ceiling – [?] . . . Difficult to hear in Fireside Room

-- Sally

Group 4 notes

· [Area 4 – on the side of the church] - Accessibility is limited – Big Tree needs to [?] – outside ramp
· [Plaza] - Light – not working; hinders accessibility
· Light – on front steps – out
· Loading [?] – out front and church does not look accessible
· No signs
· Plaza – greenway [?] with light – could be dangerous
· Chancel area [?] – does not suggest accessibility
· General repair (pews, hymn racks)
· Like the old familiar and new furniture in the chancel [?]
· Lack of access to rooms behind the sanctuary
· Lots of wasted space
· Cannot got to [?]
· [Downstairs in the main building] - Accessibility and lack of upkeep
· [Youth room] – Acoustics

-- Ben

Group 3 notes

· “Hell hut – must be gone” – Supply hut – mower barn- awful; necessary; needs attention
· Driveway – needs to be fixed
· Meditation garden – keep it; maintain it
· Back steps – work on it – would be nice to connect the buildings
· Plaza – we like it – hard to picture the church without it
· Narthex – “Gathering Place” – crowded in cool weather
· Choir loft- sound system needs to be less prominent – Good organ
· Sanctuary – like [the] colors – restful; peeling ceiling [in two places] – though new
· Steps – to back hall [?] – require caution
· Church office – Good location for Patti – Jane’s is trouble
· Need a roof over the door [into the church office area]
· Need signage to improve people’s ability to find it [the church office]
· These back rooms [in the main building] need to be reconfigured to make them more usable (not in the budget)
· Patti: We like that we can open windows; great built-in cabinets
· Preschool room – hallway space for access to back? lift to improve access
· Choir Room – would be good nursery (connection to bathroom) [?????]
· Bathroom [still in main building] – keep it for kids
· Basement: Jane’s office- bad scene in the basement – hard to get here – inaccessible
· Nursery – closet – peeling paint, etc.
· Covered walkway – hate everything except when it is raining
· Fireside Room – like it but gets crowded when used – Like the new cleanup [??]
· No shower in back building
· Youth Room – level the floor and it would be more useful
· Piano (in Fellowship Hall) – not bad
· Stage – toy storage – “Closet” [??]
· Fellowship Room – like the décor
· The Upper Room – light out – interesting perspective; good closet; fun paint

Post-tour conversation – Obstacles to our vision:
· Accessibility is a justice issue
· Lots of wasted space (so many closets)
· Stairs everywhere
· Lack of dishwasher
· No signs for parking lot or playground

-- Molly

Group 2 notes

· Community garden – need walkway (not just mulch) [for accessibility]
· Garden – [satisfies] 8 out of 9 aspects [on vision statement list]
· [Need] Roof over [outside door to church office area]
· Wheelchair left at stairs by the choir room to upper office floor
· Connecting the levels in the main building
· Move organ console down to piano area
· Water problems – in Sunday school room/Jane’s office

-- Beth

Group 1 notes

Encourages:
· Community garden – fits 8 of 9 vision statements
· Fellowship hall – accessible, accommodates large groups, bad acoustics
· Lots of coffee pots, welcoming colors, and youth space
· Great signage additions

Gets in the way:
· Bad acoustics in the Fellowship Hall
· Lots of junk/not enough storage
· Lack of dishwasher and garbage disposal
· Lack of maintenance-free landscape – most of what we have requires lots of high-effort maintenance
· Furnace room stairwell – danger to kids
· Rough curb at driveway entrance
· Hard to find – lack of [exterior] signage – hard to find playground
· Lighting issue at plaza

- No real space for [before-] service visiting

-- Elaine

10/29 event secret passageways contest: Where are the pictured spaces?

Instructions for the October 29 event

Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church vision statement:

This is our vision of the church we believe we are called to become:

As partners with Christ, we are an open, growing, faith-filled community, developing authentic relationships and cultivating a passion for justice and mission.

In order to move toward this vision, we commit to strengthening these aspects of our life together:

Growth in faith and learning.
Vibrant worship and prayer.
Ministry with children and youth.
Practicing hospitality.
Doing justice.
Partnering in mission.
Responsible stewardship.
Embracing diversity.
Embodying a community of care.

Questions for groups:

1. How does our space support who we say we are and what’s important to us?
2. How and where does our space not support but get in the way of that or expresses things we don’t want to express?