And where are we?  The Building Team has been meeting regularly and making steady progress.  Questions raised at the congregational meeting have all been addressed, and we are very close to a final design for the sanctuary that will facilitate worship at all three of our services and position us for the future.

Receiving the approval of our Manheim Township Zoning Hearing Board on June 6 was huge.  Also, your continued giving is putting us in a very healthy position as we look toward the financing end of things.  We are fast approaching $300,000 in hand.

You will soon see some digging in the front of the church.  The addition of the new entrance vestibule and second floor office space requires that we submit a land development plan to Manheim Township.  As part of that process, a storm water management plan must be done to accommodate the additional building footprint.  While the addition to the footprint is minor, over the years, the Scouts' shed and the brick paving in the Memorial Garden have used up most of our allowance.  The regulations require a geologist to examine the underground conditions to ensure we can infiltrate the storm water.  The digging will be for that purpose.

The next steps we need to take are:

1. 1.  Finalize plans from all our engineering sub-contractors.
   2. Get input from a consultant on the sanctuary lighting, sound, and projection.
   3. Send requests for proposals to several contractors.
   4. Meanwhile, review the chancel design with each of our music groups and then share the completed design with everyone.
   5. Interview construction companies after they have priced out the project and choose which one we will use. (They will need a couple of weeks to create their proposal for us.)
   6. Put the financing plan in place with a bank.  (Most qualifying documentation is already prepared and ready to go.)
   7. Present our completed project and financial package to our District Church Location and Building Committee (which has already given a preliminary green light).
   8. Present the entire building project and financial package to the congregation for a final vote.

We know you are eager to move forward, and our Building Team is really eager to move forward as well, but we want to be sure we get it right. So thank you for walking patiently with us through these final steps.

At present, we expect to take our congregational vote by the end of the summer or early fall. You’ll receive at least two weeks’ notice so that you can be present to vote. Assuming we get the go-ahead, construction will begin very shortly afterward.  

Again we are grateful for your patience, for your prayer support and for your continued faithful contributions to the Capital Campaign Fund.