Beyond These Walls...

Growing Beyond these Walls ...

Central is once again growing beyond the walls of our church complex. The number of areas where physical facilities are not currently adequate or soon will be inadequate include Adult Sunday School classrooms, space for student ministries, rehearsal space for multiple music programs. offices for Staff, meeting rooms during the week, children's ministry rooms, etc. And action has been taken.

Not a new problem. By the mid-1990's the growth of Central's ministries were being limited by the existing facilities. A master plan was developed to provide enhanced facilities to support new and expanded programs for children, youth, adults, and community service.

A three year stewardship campaign, "Beyond These Walls ...", was begun in 1996 to finance the first phase of the master plan. One million nine hundred thousand was pledged to complete Phase One of the Master Plan, the education/office/concourse wing. The more than $2.5 million raised toward those pledges have fully paid for the architectural cost, Phase One construction, the construction loan, plus more than $250 thousand to our Mission and Social Action programs, and the new garage/pavilion soon to be finished.

Phase two of the Master Plan was to provide for a family life center and classroom complex adjacent to the Phase One wing, and renovations of the older buildings. Phase Two was not developed beyond the conceptual level since it wasn't likely to be built immediately.

The first step in making Phase Two a reality has been authorized by the Session. The Session at its February 25 meeting began the process of hiring an architect to study our current and anticipated needs and to develop an updated Phase Two. After the updated and refined Phase Two plan is approved, a stewardship campaign like Beyond these Walls... is anticipated while construction plans are being developed. Construction would start after County approval and selection of a contractor, possibly by mid 2004..

How can you help? In many ways. Pray for those working on the new building program, and for wisdom in meeting Central's needs. If you are still giving to Beyond these walls..., keep it up. Be willing to serve on the building committee, or stewardship campaign. And be patient and flexible with the squeeze on space.

For more information on this campaign or about how to contribute, please contact the church office.

See also:

• NV: Update on Phase 2 (8/17/03)
• Overall Building Plan
• What is Phase Two?
• Phase 1 Construction Photos: 10/97 - 12/97 - 1/98 - 2/98 - 3/98 - 4/98 - 6/98
  7/98 - 8/98 - 10/98A - 10/98B
• Annual Reports from Beyond These Walls - 1996 / 1997 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000