Building
Committee Update
Mike Simpson
The
Building Committee has met and finalized our recommendations for the phase 2
building project. Ben Compton is working on those changes. The Building
Committee has asked for the following changes:
× Expand kitchen to 400
square feet.
× Eliminate rooms:
toddler, nursery 2 and nursery 3. Nursery 2 & 3 to
remain in the current building, with the old kitchen being converted to
a toddler/crying room.
× Increase the high
school classrooms from 2 to 3.
× Add a 120 square foot
storage room adjacent to the adult classrooms for tables and chairs
×
Add one
additional
stall (total of three) in woman's bathrooms.
The changes will result in a negligible change in
total square footage.
Mike Simpson
Grace
UMC's Building Committee has
been busy since its inception
in the Spring, 2001. The
charge of this committee was
to formulate plans to add a
Sunday School Classroom
Building to our facility.
The
Building Committee is excited
to announce that Grace UMC has
been awarded a $30,000 grant
from the Columbia District to
enlarge our parking lot.
Ben Compton, the architect
recently hired to design the
Sunday School addition, will
be consulted for
coordination of the clearing
and grading process.
After land is cleared, the
parking lot addition will be
finished with gravel
("crush and run")
and paved walkways to the
church
building. Bids will
be solicited from several
different contractors.
Since the initial
estimate for completing the
addition was $25,000, it was
decided that any unused funds
from the grant will be held in
reserve for paving at a later
date.
After prayerful consideration
of the seemingly daunting task
of raising one million dollars
and satisfying our current
debt, the building committee
has interviewed stewardship
and capital - raising
organizations. The
building committee in
presenting Fletcher Carter of
Cargill Associates to lead us
in our current building
campaign. Cargill
Associates was selected
because of its cost -
efficiency,
spiritual foundation, and
"hands on" approach
to raising necessary
funds. Fletcher Carter
was not only impressive in his
leadership skills and
experience in the Methodist
church, his physical proximity
to the church (Mount Pleasant,
SC) ensures his active
involvement in our
campaign. Mr. Carter
will address a special session
of the church's Administration
Council at the end of this
month. Brannon Taylor, Clay
Nelson, Carol Cranford, and
Wayne Byrd were chosen to make
up the core leadership team
for our fund - raising
efforts.
Portable Sunday School
classrooms have been selected
and will be delivered soon. SETUP and In-Use!
Shannon
Smith performed a wetland
study on the Grace Property
which showed approximately
twenty-five (25%)
percent of the church property
as wetlands. This means
that anything done to the
church property
affecting 10% of that wetland
area requires Army Corp of
Engineering approval (and
substantial fee.)
Therefore, it was decided that
the original site plan, drawn
up prior to the construction
of the present building,
should be altered.
Discussion
that followed selection of the
architect focused on several
topics:
- The
cost of the new Sunday School
Classroom Building
(approximately $1 million)
- The
amount of the current Grace
UMC debt ($238,483.36 on the
present facility; $114,348.18
on the parsonage.)
- The
time required to complete the
building process (one year at
the absolute minimum.)
- The
present pressing need for
Sunday School space --
especially the youth classes
(The Junior and Senior High
classes share the upstairs
classroom. The class
with the highest number of
attendees each Sunday uses the
room. The other class
then either meets in the
Nursery, McDonald's, outside
.. or wherever they can.)
- The
fact that parking has become a
premium at Grace (Cars have
been witnessed leaving Grace
on Sunday mornings due to the
lack of parking spaces!)
The
Building Committee decided
that, prior to beginning the
actual construction process,
certain criteria should be
met:
- Elimination
of the current Grace UMC
debt. This can be
achieved in one year with
concentrated effort by the
entire congregation. It is getting SMALLER!
- Addition
of Temporary Sunday School
space. A portable
classroom can be installed on
our property at the cost of
$780 per month. The
building can house both Youth
Sunday School classes. DONE!
- Immediate
expansion of the parking lot
-- addition of 50 spaces
behind the picnic shelter. DONE!
Please
continue to keep us in your
prayers so that God will show
us the way He wants us to go
in our journey to "Grow
with Grace."
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