by Michiana Covenant | Oct 29, 2013 | Building
Last Sunday evening (October 27) we welcomed folks from several sister churches around the area — as well as representatives from the Great Lakes Presbytery and some of our original charter members for a 20th anniversary / building dedication / Reformation Day service. With seven ministers participating in leading the service, and a great dinner afterwards, it was a delightful evening.
With 50 guests and visitors from sister churches, we had around 140 in attendance (a number which the old sanctuary could never have seated!)
The singing was amazing!
Okay, so I picked some long Psalms (can you blame me for wanting to hear them sung by a congregation of 140?!):
Psalm 102 to Jerusalem, Psalm 68 to the old Genevan tune, Psalm 132 to Blaenwern (a lovely Welsh tune), and Psalm 90 to Suilven (a new Scottish tune) — along with Andy Deliyannides’ setting of “Hail, O Daystar” (a medieval advent hymn).
The sermon (on Numbers 10) will be on sermon audio soon:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=michianacovenant
by Michiana Covenant | Oct 15, 2013 | Building
The sanctuary is coming together! Thanks to the diligent labors of many, many hands, all 26 pews are now belt sanded, rough sanded, detail sanded, and fine sanded (and then sanded again in many instances!) — and then given 3-4 coats of polyurethane — and then the book racks were sanded, poly-ed, and re-attached — and then they were installed!
When you think about it, every pew has passed through the hands of at least 20-30 different people: those who loaded and unloaded the pews in August
those who cut them down and organized them in the fellowship area
those who took them out and sanded them
those who poly-ed them
those who installed them in the sanctuary
Two months of hard work later — here is the result!
Here is the sanctuary as the carpet was being laid:
As the poly-ers finished the pews, we started installing them, so the following Sunday we had a *few pews* installed…
And then came the ceremonial “carrying of the last pew” — as we finished the sanding on Saturday afternoon…
And here is a view of the pews from the front — with all but the last six pews installed…
Here is what it looks like with all the pews in place. It’s a pretty dramatic change from the old white and purple square!
Here is the view from the back:
And here is the view from the front:
Thank you to all who made this possible through your labor, your gifts, your prayers, your encouragement, and your love.
by Michiana Covenant | Sep 17, 2013 | Building
Here’s another update on the building project. We pulled everything out of the sanctuary on Sunday evening.
On Monday, the painter began his work. We still hope to see everything ready for carpet by Thursday. Lord willing, by this Sunday the transformation should be almost complete:
Of course, the pews won’t be ready for Sunday. On Saturday we had yet another sanding party:
And the indefatigable Phyllis brought lunch! (Thank you, Phyllis!!!)
But at least now the sanded pews outnumber the unsanded pews!
And thanks to Hugh and Jacob, the pulpit platform is almost ready for the carpet guy on Thursday…
Stay tuned — the dedication service/20th anniversary celebration will be on Sunday evening, October 27!
by Michiana Covenant | Aug 24, 2013 | Building
Today was pew-day at MCPC! More than 40 people turned out — well, maybe half of those were under the age of 15, but given Abby’s sanding, and Elijah and William’s drilling/screwing — not to mention childcare and general usefulness — I’d say the 8-14 year olds did their fair share!
Thanks to Hugh Lynn for capturing this day on camera — and thanks to the whole crew for a hard day’s work. All 26 pews are now cut down to size, and due to the sanding efforts of Rachael and Deborah and Jay and Karen and Margaret (and Abby!!), we have a pretty fair estimate of what it will take to finish the job.
At the beginning of the day, the task looked daunting: turn all these 19-foot pews into 14-foot pews… and start sanding them down.
But Jay was ready for the task!
And the masterminds put their heads together and came up with a plan…
Everyone pitched in!
And as the afternoon progressed, the pews disappeared!
We finally had to tell the sanders to stop…
The last pew makes its entrance! Now we just need to sand and stain them!!
by Michiana Covenant | Aug 22, 2013 | Building
The building expansion continues!
Melito of Sardis, in his sermon, “On Pascha,” describes this well.
35. Beloved, no speech or event takes place without a pattern or design; every event and speech
involves a pattern–that which is spoken, a pattern, and that which happens, a prefiguration–in order that
as the event is disclosed through the prefiguration, so also the speech may be brought to expression
through its outline.
36. Without the model, no work of art arises. Is not that which is to come into existence seen through
the model which typifies it? For this reason a pattern of that which is to be is made either out of wax, or
out of clay, or out of wood, in order that by the smallness of the model, destined to be destroyed, might
be seen that thing which is to arise from it–higher than it in size, and mightier than it in power, and
more beautiful than it in appearance, and more elaborate than it in ornamentation.
37. So whenever the thing arises for which the model was made, then that which carried the image of
that future thing is destroyed as no longer of use, since it has transmitted its resemblance to that which
is by nature true. Therefore, that which once was valuable, is now without value because that which is
truly valuable has appeared.
38. For each thing has its own time: there is a distinct time for the type, there is a distinct time for the
material, and there is a distinct time for the truth. You construct the model. You want this, because you
see in it the image of the future work. You procure the material for the model. You want this, on
account of that which is going to arise because of it. You complete the work and cherish it alone, for
only in it do you see both type and the truth.
As we see our construction plans taking shape, we are reminded that even so, God’s construction plans for his church are taking shape in our lives as he builds us into a holy dwelling place, fit for him!
The back porch:
The pulpit platform is taking shape…
And the new pews have arrived (perhaps we’ll have an outdoor service on Sunday?!!)
Thanks to all who have devoted so much and time and labor to the expansion of the building! May God also grant such fruit in the expansion of the church!
by Michiana Covenant | Jul 10, 2013 | Building
Right in the middle of that dirt pile is the location of the new pulpit. From that patch of dirt, may a man of dust proclaim the glory of the man from heaven until he returns!
Day 1 of MCPC’s Building Expansion program
