Tuesday's Work

A few folks gathered Tuesday to paint the new narthex.

Just a few weeks ago....

Tuesday morning!

Check it out!  Those aren't really bricks to the right of the door.  They're just sculpted in to make the walls look consistent.  Cool, eh?

We weren't the only ones working.  So were the carpet-layers.

Why we'll be worshiping on the lawn this Sunday...

 What used to be Derrick's office.

 The nearer of the two "lights" is a solar tube... which has reflective tubing that brings natural light into dark, interior spaces and saves electricity.

 Another view of the narthex transformation.

Seeing is Believing?

If I may remind you of what it looked like before...

And now, the new roof has gone on the church.  These are special shingles made from recycled aluminum.  They have a lifetime warranty and tests have shown remarkable things:  they reflect the sun's heat in the summer which cuts down on cooling expenses and they reflect back in the building's internal heat in the winter which cuts down on heating.  Plus they can withstand winds up to 160 mph.  

And they look COOL, don't you think?

 Also, the overhang is hanging!  So, now you can be dropped off at the front and stay completely dry--even when it's raining.  While we do not have immediate plans to enclose this space, the footers have been poured etc. so that it's ready for walls whenever the additional funds become available.

The Laughrun House also has the schnazzy new shingles too.

 And while there are many exciting changes, there are some things that remain the same:

Join us!  We've begun our two summer services:  8:30 and 10:30 every Sunday.  

Come see the new additions yourself. 

These photos are a bit behind where we are now...

Projects Update

NOW

·         They’ve finished the roof of the Laughrun House.  If it looks unusual, it’s because it’s a recycled aluminum (made in Canada), which comes with a lifetime  warranty.  It’s put on over a Teflon sheeting, so it’s a great insulator… and can withstand wind of 160 mph and snow will slide right off it.  Cool, right?

·         Now they’re starting to roof the church.

·         They’re roughing the plumbing work in.

·         The front is ready to pour.

·         Heating coils are laid out.

·         They’ve started to work on the heating and air conditioning system.

NEXT WEEK

·         They’ll continue roofing the church.

·         Solar tubes will be put in the bathroom and the hallway.

·         They may even start the front entryway.

…It all depends on the weather.

Moving Mountains

One week later, and the back yard is ready for the green grass to start growing.

Diving Right In!

We may joke about a pool being dug in the Laughrun House yard, but that’s how construction projects go: Nothing quite goes according to plan and unexpected expenses come up. We’re diving right in, though, because we feel strongly that this necessary work, God’s work, for our church and we’re going to do it right. Please help however you can.

You’ve heard the phrase Measure twice, cut once. (And the female variation: Cook once, eat twice.) Well, the New Life campaign actively espouses both philosophies: We have measured what we needed, measured what we’re receiving, added an extra cup of hope and faith, and a pinch or two of yeast to stretch what we’ve got. We’re going to do these renovations I once and we’ll enjoy them for years to come. Now is the time to step up.

The Building and Grounds Committee has been working its tail off to trim extra expenses and economize… and has re-adjusted our projected expenses to $300,000. (This took days of back-and-forth and difficult decisions.) Even with these adjustments, we still need additional (or enlarged) pledges to make it.

If you would like information/pledge-cards/envelopes sent to you, please call or email the church .

You'll notice there is a new door cut into the left side of the wall which was not there before.
Surprise!  But now the Fire Marshal is happy.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NEXT:

• The plumber and electrician should start roughing in the bathrooms this week 
• Flagstone will being taken up in front of the church 
• Roofing materials should be delivered this coming week & work on the roof begin within the next two weeks

Have you responded yet?

Our goal is to raise $350,000 in pledges so that we can accomplish all our renovation/upkeep projects.  We’re not there yet.  However, we are missing many responses.  We are very hopeful that once the rest of the pledge cards come in we will exceed our goal.

Right now, what is important is that we get 100% response.  It is vitally important that you fill out a pledge card so that we know where we stand as a congregation.  You can find and turn in pledge cards in the narthex.  We have also tucked them in the “Friendship Pads” found on each pew bench.  These can also be turned in with the offering, or mailed to the church.  If you’d like us to mail you pledge card, please call the church or email us at firstpres@frontier.com.

Our totals as of last Sunday put us at $271,000.  So, we still have some work to do.  

Progress... and Pool?

First... here's a look at the progress on the bathrooms:

Then the folks fixing the storm sewer drain decided, Hey, wouldn't it be great if First Presbyterian had a pool?  Actually, these were the necessary measures to fix the drainage problem.  Surprise!

I take this rhododendron as a sign/reminder, you can bloom anywhere... uprooted from your home, in stressful circumstances, exposed...  Bloom anyway.  Your roots are strong. 

Worth a Thousand Words?

taken Friday, April 27

Hmm. Can't figure out how to rotate this in blogger.... 

What's Happening Now

·         The walls are being constructed to support the new bathrooms. 

·         On Monday, the roof-truss work will begin, which is important because then the roofing company can begin their work. 

·         As soon as it dries up a little bit, the storm-sewer will be dug up behind the Laughrun House.

·         The moisture test on the basement will be conducted this coming week.

·         All the fixtures have been ordered for the bathroom and the kitchen. 

·         The representative from Piedmont Natural Gas will be out Wednesday to see about laying a new line to the Laughrun House (so it can run on natural gas and save us money in the long run).

How all this saves us money …

This is an investment that will pay us back & reduce our ongoing operating budget:

Did you know we pay for the piano to be tuned four times a year because of the humidity?  Not any more!  We’ll only be paying once a year.

You all know the cost of oil (about $4 a gallon)… Changing to natural gas will cost us 1/3 of our current fuel expenses.

Right now we pay Roto-Rooter twice a year to clean out our storm sewer behind the Laughrun House.  Soon we’ll solve the problem instead of ongoing payments for a temporary fix.

The Laughrun House furnace runs at about 65% efficiency right now, but the new natural gas one will run at about 95%.