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Community Presbyterian Church, 702 Sheyenne Street, West Fargo, ND 58078

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Questions & Answers About The

Master Planning Process

What brought this issue up?

Church members have recognized for decades the pressing need to improve the physical structure of the church with respect to accessibility to bathrooms, classrooms, the fellowship hall and the building as a whole. There are also questions related to emerging trends in worship, fellowship patterns, Christian education, and child care. Last summer the Session and Board of Trustees appointed an ad hoc committee to address these concerns. The ad hoc committee began the process of thoroughly evaluating the building and physical plant needs of the church.

What were the findings of this ad hoc committee?

The members of this committee did an audit of our building. They determined that the church structure had several pressing problems.

The entry way sidewalk is deteriorated and needs replacement.

The carpeting is worn and needs replacement.

The boiler will soon need to be replaced.

The southeast corner of the Sanctuary leaks and water seepage is a frequent problem.

The ladies room needs to be upgraded.

Accessibility to all areas of the church is inadequate and needs improvement.

We have no restrooms that are accessible to people with disabilities and the two that we do have are insufficient for the needs of a congregation of our size. We need more and more accessible restrooms.

What were the solutions that this committee recommended?

Because we lack the in-house expertise to evaluate all of the complex problems we face, the committee recommends that a comprehensive professional study of our building needs be undertaken by a local architectural firm.

What did this ad hoc committee ultimately recommend?

They recommended that the session employ an architectural firm to study our facility, gather information from members about our needs, and finally, give us advice on how we should proceed.

What was the session's reaction to this recommendation?

The session received the report of the committee and heard a presentation from the architectural firm. After careful deliberation the session voted to approve the proposal contingent upon the successful completion of a campaign to raise the $7500 need to pay for the study.

Why is bathroom accessibility an issue?

Many members of and visitors to this congregation are not able to use the restroom facilities because of physical infirmities. They simply do not have the physical ability to negotiate the stairs to use the restrooms.

Are there other access issues?

Yes, many are prohibited from enjoying the pleasures of Sunday coffee and fellowship because they cannot make it down the stairway to the fellowship hall.

What is it that the session is recommending that the congregation support?

The session accepted the ad hoc building committees recommendation. An architectural firm, Shultz & Torgerson Architects, LTD., a local firm with considerable experience in church building projects, was asked to submit a proposal. The session is asking the congregation to support contracting with Shultz & Torgerson to develop a "Master Plan" for the church.

What did Shultz & Torgerson Architects, LTD. propose?

They outlined the following plan to the session:

During the summer months they would conduct a comprehensive review of our existing structure and grounds.

During the early fall they would meet with various church committees (i.e., education, worship, mission, etc.) to gather opinions and ideas.

During the fall they would conduct church wide discussion meetings to gather more opinions and ideas.

By late fall they would present their findings to the congregation in a Master Plan.

What would this Master Plan contain?

The Master Plan would recommend several courses of action with various price tags. Options would range from the absolute minimum needed to sustain the present structure to a relatively ambitious plan which would call for major building additions and upgrades. The Master Plan would contain cost estimates as well as two and three dimensional models for these various building scenarios.

How much money will Shultz & Torgerson Architects, LTD. charge us for developing this Master Plan?

$7500.

Our obligations for church accessibility for our elderly and infirmed members seems clear, but what about our responsibility to non-members and the community at large?

Our purpose in life is to glorify God and we can do that in two ways: by living our life in a manner pleasing to God, and by extending the Good News of his grace to those outside the church. In order to do the latter, we have to have a building which is inviting to non-members. We have to demonstrate to the person on the street that they are welcome in our fellowship. Because of the present deficiencies in the building structure we cannot honestly extend the welcome mat to all the people of our community. We must find ways to solve this problem. The development of a Master Building Plan is the first step in meeting our responsibility to spread the Good News.

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