Survey Results

Earlier this year, the Building Task Force took a survey to gather our congregation's opinions on what our new building should be. We asked participants to list three adjectives to describe the spirit of the new church and the way the building should feel. I loved the answers given, so I thought I'd share them here. The numbers after indicate if more than one person mentioned a word.
· Welcoming – 15
· Light – 5 – Well lit with a lot of natural light, open with lots of natural light, light, sunny, sunlit
· Simple, Simplicity-5
· Peaceful, Peace-5
· Open-4
· Inviting-3
· Worshipful-3
· Accessible-3
· Meditative-3
· Open-3
· As green as possible, green-2
· Flexible-2
· Bright-2
· Useful – 2
· Energy-efficient – 2
· Humble-2
· It should not look like a building only rich white people would be comfortable in, so maybe it has circles, or images or symbols from people of the world
· Facilitate the creation of community
· The inside should not be separated from the outside
· The old saw “form follows function” should be followed as closely as possible
· A blank canvas rather than a fixed image
· Not like you’re walking into a machine shed or livestock sale barn
· It should capture the spirit we now experience while worshiping and playing and eating with one another.
· Affordable
· Comfortable flow
· Child welcoming
· Welcoming to everyone
· Safe
· Simple clean lines
· Universal
· Beautiful
· Spacious
· Superior acoustics
· Flexible space
· Awe-inspiring in a simple way
· Joyous
· Natural
· Contentment
· Easy
· A place of refuge and sanctuary
· Aesthetically pleasing
· Warm
· Unity
· Diversity
· Right fit
· Cozy
· Innovative
· Inclusive
· Community
· Acceptance
· Down-to-Earth
· Unique
· Spiritual
· Vibrant
· Utilitarian
· Sustainable Design
· Comfortable
· God Centered

Relocation Retreat Pictures

Ideas

Our discussion at the retreat about wanting God's creation to be reflected in our sanctuary reminded me of these windows we saw when visiting with Kirk's brother in Columbia.

Green Churches

We've been tossing around a ton of ideas about green building lately. I don't know about you, but I find some of the information overwhelming. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Wayne County completed their gold LEED certified building in the fall of 2006. They have a brochure about their building that spells out some of the green aspects. I just wish they had more pictures!

Building Retreat

We had a wonderful time yesterday morning, sharing the possibilities for the new property. There were wonderful ideas shared including outdoor worship and fellowship space, and places for quiet meditation. We'll be getting a full report back from our facilitators and that will be shared with the congregation. If you didn't get to come to the retreat, remember that you can share your hopes, prayers, dreams, and ideas at anytime with the building task force, including Rhonna, Monty, Glady, Ann, Richard, and Aaron.