Sacred Space Home Page

August 26, 2008

Wow!! What a response we received from you to our questionnaire in the spring on Sacred Space ideas and concerns. There were 100 responses from individuals and 29 from groups. Some were very brief while others provided a lot of detail. Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to think about our church, its facilities and its mission, vision and values. The marrying of facilities and mission is not easy and presented a challenge for most respondents. Many spoke about the situation of the church and its facilities without making the link to mission. Others spoke eloquently about our mission but did not tie it to the facilities. A few were right on the mark. This identifies a challenge to each of us for the next steps along the way. Our ultimate decisions on facilities must be based on prayerful consideration of the mission of the congregation both now and in the future.

Many people mentioned their appreciation of the site and waterfront setting of the church. As you might expect there were a great many ideas offered covering all aspects of the church and exposing every nook and cranny. The most commonly mentioned concerns centred on:

• Parking - all identifying this area want to see our lot made safer, less muddy and more efficient and access from across the street made safer;
• Storage - all identifying this area find the church cluttered, storage spaces overfilled and either not enough storage space or too much 'stuff'; this was described as an issue of both space and discipline; poorly stored items create an unattractive environment;
• Accessibility to and within the building: elevator/lift; stairs; lower west and south entrances.

There were cross currents in the opinions offered. They ranged from suggestions that nothing needs to be done to the construction of a totally new facility that might include more than a church. That gives a very broad spectrum and, during the process, the congregation will have the opportunity to focus on options within this range.

But there were many other ideas in addition to the three topics noted above. Some focused on the limitations and appearance of our sanctuary. Many mentioned the need to provide a better climate in the church when the weather is hot. Others highlighted the chancel and identified needs of the choir, the bell choir and worship flexibility. Office space, program space and the need for better communication devices within the building were mentioned.

Structural/infrastructure issues were of primary concern to some as they described the subsidence of a portion of the foundation, the water infiltration along the north wall downstairs, the downstairs washrooms, the kitchen and the imminent need for replacement of the church's heating system. Predictably, there have been suggestions made that, whatever is decided, 'green' options must be fully explored.

If the congregation decides to undertake a construction project, some are worried about the financial implications. Others are worried about the congregation's commitment to leadership that will be necessary for any project to be successful. We have learned from the Church Council that upgrading our current facility, to address the most dominant issues raised, will cost over $600,000.

There were concerns and suggestions raised that relate to the day-to-day operation and activities of the church and its services of worship. These items are being passed to the appropriate committees and groups for consideration. It will be left to the committees/groups to deal with the issues.

The Sacred Space team wants to reassure everyone in the congregation that the only decisions taken are related to the study process. Part of our mandate is to ensure that we provide you with sufficient information to make a decision when that time arrives.

All of the respondents want ERMUC to thrive as a vital, relevant, Christian presence in our community. The big question is, "How do we accomplish this, considering the needs of today and those of the few decades in the future?"

This document was given to the Church Council in August for its consideration and Council expressed its thanks and encouragement.

Where do we go from here? 'Town Hall' meetings will be held on September 16 at 1:30 PM and at 7:00 PM so that everyone in the congregation will have the opportunity to ask questions about the results of the questionnaire and to explore other related issues. Please come and help enrich the process.

After a great deal of thought, deliberation and prayer, the Sacred Space Team agrees that we will need to hire a professional to help us take the next steps. This will include developing a coherence between your suggestions, the current facility and whatever else might be needed in the future, all within the mission of the church. We are currently looking for proven, suitable firms that have experience with this sort of study. Thank you again for your participation in this stage of the process.

Sara Kerr and George Lavery
Co-Chairs, Sacred Space Team

For further information, contact the church office or telephone 389-2530.