On the north wall of our Sanctuary space (which we call the Christian Life Center or “CLC”) the worship team has mounted a display of interactive visual elements. Our Lenten conversations have explored questions that emerge from the stories in our weekly Gospel texts. These questions are sometimes curious and hopeful—“How do we begin again?” Sometimes they invite restoration—“Can these bones live?” Most often they are challenging—“Who will we listen to?” We are seeking beyond where the sidewalk ends.
I don’t think we will find easy answers, but I do hope that by asking questions—by seeking—we will find more clarity and perspective. The season of Lent leads us into Easter. And this seasonal shift invites us to infuse our conversations not only with hope, but with faith—faith that God will take what is most challenging and help us embrace new possibilities, new opportunities, and new life. In other words, to see and claim resurrection.
On Easter we will read John’s Gospel account of the resurrection in which Mary Magdalene finds Jesus at the empty tomb. Mary is surprised to find someone alive when she thinks she will only find the dead. Jesus asks her, “Whom are you seeking?” He knows it is hard for her to imagine that new life is possible, and so he has to convince Mary it is him by calling her by name.
Our church leadership has been working to live into a paradigm that claims new life. We are working to see God’s invitation for us to step forward into a new future that, though a little uncertain, stands upon the memory of God’s providence in our past and strides forward with the knowledge that God will continue to sustain us, if we trust and believe. We have watched as many new people are discovering the wonderful community we are building. I hope you have noticed the new faces of people of all ages who have connected with us and are planting roots as a part of this church family.
Because of this new energy, the First Church Board and Foundation have agreed that it is time to invest in ways that strengthen our assets and build on the momentum of this growth. You have likely seen the new electronic sign outside that has been installed to provide a wonderful message of welcome and invitation to those who pass by in our growing West Lafayette community.
The Board has also recognized the need to create messages of vibrant welcome when a new person accepts an invitation to visit and walks through our doors. So, to offer a plan for welcoming spaces inside our building, we have hired KJG Architects of West Lafayette to create an interior plan that updates our public area, creates spaces for fellowship and relationship-building, and emphasizes our messages of welcome and belonging. This includes applying the new design elements from our communications plan we did last year and adding a few new features that are needed to update this space—a hospitality station, seating groups and tables, and a family friendly/gender-neutral bathroom.
Additionally, KJG Architects is providing us with some plans to consider, which will update the Christian Life Center and the Activities Center spaces to match the entryway design. This could allow us to bring a fresh new look while also addressing some lingering issues we have been keeping on the back burner for years. Primarily we have asked them to design a new chancel that meets our current worship needs and would replace the (now decades old) temporary stage we have been using since we moved into this building in 2004. We also need to update some of wall surfaces in the Activities Center to provide a more resilient treatment that can stand up to the wear and tear received from many users who benefit from our First Church ministries.
This sounds like a big step! And it is! And so, the Governance Board is working with the First UMC Foundation to find the right formula of our financial assets to make this plan into reality.
I know that if this is the first you’re hearing about this, it may seem surprising. New life emerging can be startling! Please know that the Governance Board has been working toward this since fall of last year. We have been relying on the wisdom of the board, coupled with prayers and conversations with our members as we have made each step forward.
I hope this is exciting news for you. It is for me! I invite you to be in prayer for our church, its health, and our ministries. I pray that as we take each next step, we will remember how God has always provided what we need when we need it. I hope we all can have the eyes, minds, and hearts to perceive and respond to what God is calling us to do next. This is an invitation to new life. This is the joy and the trepidation of Easter. This is the response when Jesus calls our name.
Easter blessings,
Pastor Duane
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