The baptistry is still a work in progress. Last week, the refinishing team completed their work, and tile flooring was installed. We are still waiting on the installation of stair treads, as well as the plumbing work which will ensure the integrity of the system to fill and drain the baptistry for baptisms. Painting has also begun in the small connector between the sanctuary and the new lobby.

In addition, you may have noticed that the new stairwell leading from the new lobby down to Fellowship Hall is open! Please experiment with using this stairwell as part of your traffic pattern on a Sunday morning in the near future, and invite a friend to join you.

Finally, you may have noticed that our sidewalk out front still resembles a driveway. It is very wide due to the outdoor stairwell leading to Fellowship Hall, and the need for a handicap accessible sidewalk that leads up to the new glass entry doors. However, it was not designed to hold the weight of a vehicle and is solely for walking purposes. Please help us preserve the integrity of the sidewalk and prevent cracking of the concrete by refraining from parking in that area. We are exploring options that will help prevent neighborhood use of this area for parking as well.

We continue to anticipate that our project should be complete in about three weeks or so (September 15!) and we anticipate being able to use the baptistry within a week or so. We are so grateful for everyone’s flexibility as we continue through this final portion of our season of renovation. –Renee Purtlebaugh