Do you feel it yet? The weather is changing. The tide is turning. Winter is singing its death song. Perhaps more than usual, we are ready for this change. We are ready for this change with all that has been in the past year. A new Spring is like a new lease on life. And, as numbers of cases go down and numbers of vaccinations go up—the Covid-induced hibernation, we pray, is nearing its completion too.
We celebrate the first flirtations of Spring in our house in a big way—it’s called Spring Cleaning. It is my favorite—matched only by my children’s enthusiasm for extra chores. But, this annual refresh is necessary. Extra focus, energy, and effort ensures the longevity of the things around your home. Continuous maintenance helps to minimize significant replacement.
What are the things that are on your to-do list for the next couple of weeks?
Here at Prince of Peace, we have entered a new season as well. As you know, we paid off the rest of our mortgage at the end of last year. We continue to celebrate and give thanks for the faithfulness of each and every part of our membership. This event is significant in the life of our congregation and allows us to move into God’s future for us less encumbered. Without this debt, we have margin within our financial
footprint to do some spring cleaning and some needed updates and repairs.
Already the Prince of Peace Council has been in conversation to identify various needs and opportunities within our buildings. The truth is, there are elements that need to be upgraded and some items that have been worn down. We do this to be good stewards of our space and with an eye on the long-term health and impact of our congregation. These priorities span both of our buildings and include indoor and outdoor elements. Some will be noticeable and some will be more related to the unseen infrastructure.
Here is a list of some of the priorities that we have already identified. I share this list for two reasons. 1) So you can see the scope of what we hope to accomplish. 2) To solicit your feedback and input. This list is not in rank order and we have not established a budget for these yet. That information will be communicated with you as we move forward. But I wanted to include you in on the process so far and to give you some insight as to where we may be heading. That last part is important, this list does not
mean that all of these elements will happen:
- Upgrade A/V Systems in both LC and Sanctuary
- Refresh and Redesign LC stage
- Fresh Paint
- New Carpet in Sanctuary and Narthex
- New Furniture in Youth Zone and Secretary’s office
- New Computers for Youth and Secretary
- Refresh Nursery in LC
- Audit of HVAC Units
- Seal/Resurface Parking Lot
- Band/Worship Leader
- Bass Player
One area that is already in process, and I invite you to join with me in prayer for, is our search for our next band/worship leader. As all the chaos of the past year is slowly subsiding, council has approved a job description and a path towards finding our next leader. Please be on the lookout for future correspondence regarding this position and, as always, reach out if you have any questions.
This list, and the other things that we will add to it, are important and a vital part of our health and well-being as a congregation. However, much of these elements are internally focused. To be good stewards of what has been entrusted to us, we must resist the urge to be fully and completely internally focused. With this list of pressing items for our building, I continue to pray and discuss with council and others about ways in which we can use our financial health to have a growing and greater impact upon the people beyond our walls. How will we have a greater impact on our mission and ministry to the community beyond Prince of Peace? This question is essential for our work together. I have ideas. And I’m hopeful you have some as well. I’m working to find a COVID-safe way for us to gather and share, dream, pray, and discern about how we can engage deeper beyond our walls. So, be on the lookout for this. And, in the meantime, join with me in prayer that the Lord would reveal Himself to us.
Until then, Happy Spring Cleaning!
