Angels Among Us - What's Going On In the Townhouse?

I have a friend who used to work with me when I was in the car business. Every time I see him, he says, "John, I knew you would find a way to work only one day a week!" Nothing I've been able to say to him over the last 8 years has dissuaded him from the notion that I only work on Sunday mornings.

It might be easy to think that all the action that occurs around the church happens between 9 Am and 1 PM on Sundays but the fact is that there are activities almost every day of the week at WBF.

One of our biggest recent projects has been the renovation of the exterior of the building, finished in 2005. Bear in mind, our building was completed in 1912. The exterior had deteriorated to the point that the paint was pealing and bricks were coming loose from the upper facades.

Lately, we have begun working on the interior. You may have noticed, through the summer, that the townhouse is being refreshed and repaired. While WBF retains all the charm and beauty of a traditional, stained glass church building, it also presents the problems of a building that is almost 100 years old. The plumbing, wiring and everything needs constant attention and maintenance. We are blessed with a relatively small mortgage but maintenance and repair can be expensive.

Fortunately, we are also blessed with a great Deacon Board and a group of dedicated and committed servants who are willing to give their time and talents to keeping the building looking nice for our congregation and visitors. Some of them have been working through the summer to have things ready for the revamped schedule and program coming on Sept 23.

Why are we doing all this work? I believe that it is our obligation to have a facility that is comfortable, inviting and honoring to God in every respect. This is the House of the Lord. Old or new, all that we have and do should honor Him in every respect including our appearance inside and out. When the tabernacle and the temples were built in the Old Testament, the finest workmanship was called upon and the best materials used. I know there has to be a balance between being good stewards of our resources and good stewards of the building God has given us. As such we are not looking at investing large amounts of money into an already old and aging facility. But it is incumbent upon us, as we invite the community in, to put our best foot forward and to demonstrate, from the moment visitors enter the door, that we are serious about honoring God in every facet of our worship including the upkeep of the House of Worship.

A lot of folks have helped out in the townhouse this summer. It took a lot of planning and is taking a lot of labor but we are nearing completion. I crept in with my camera this week to catch some of our ministering angels in action:

Diane Strang and Jerry Pauley have spent many hours painting and refinishing. Diane would come in in the afternoon and Jerry frequently stayed late into the evening.

Kelly Stull and Carol Zobel began the work in June, picking out the colors and beginning the painting process. Kelly worked so hard, she fell asleep on her cell when Todd called! Don't tell Todd! Kelly also asked that her contribution remain anonymous and

that we not take her picture.

I always try to comply with these requests :o)

Carla and Bob Hoke spent a lot of time doing detail and finish work.

Another blessing was that we had the opportunity to work alongside our brothers and sisters from Templo Emmanuel, the Spanish congregation that meets at WBF on Sunday afternoons. They came out in force on one of our workdays. There were many more involved and the place is beginning to look really great. Thanks to the efforts of all these folks, we will have a renovated townhouse and will also have saved a ton of money. Those funds can now go into our outreach and equipping programs for the fall.

We haven't made the official announcement yet, but our next project will be to update the Sanctuary. The carpeting and pews are desperately in need of replacement and some fresh paint is needed in the Amen section. The current pews were installed sometime in the 50's and are beginning to show their age. We want to move the sound equipment away from the front door where it is the first thing encountered by visitors and encourage folks to use the two (yes, there are two) front entrances. I have one word of encouragement concerning the new pews......"padding"! All of this is a secret so, don't spill the beans!

Thanks to the good natured folks whose pictures appear on this page and many thanks to those who helped out this summer. Even though we may not have photos of all your efforts, the results are plain to see and they are magnificent! May God bless each of you richly for your unselfish devotion and commitment to His house and His work!