The renovation of the front of the church is moving quickly…up until this point. The framing is
done, but now progress will slow as the contractors wait for supplies and ordered items to come
in, and then get installed as they do. These include the windows, glass blocks, doors, siding,
etc. We had hoped to mix some colored glass blocks with the clear, but word was received this
is not recommended for our climate. For an exterior wall, that which colors the glass block does
not hold up in our cold weather and would look bad after a couple years. Chemistry and physics
changed our plans. But there is talk of other ways we may add color to this section of the
building, which we could then modify at our desire.

From the perspective of the Building Construction Committee, everything is still moving rapidly.
The demolition began a week sooner than anticipated, so it was good that we packed-up the
sanctuary and moved things ahead of the originally intended date. If we had waited, we would
have been doing it while the construction crews began their work. Likewise, because of the
speed of all this, some of the original communications were inaccurate—for example, the code
to enter through the back door. I apologize for any inconvenience this caused. We could not
use the normal numbers. If you would like to know the code to unlock the back door, please
contact the office.

As things have settled down a bit, it seems that everyone is getting the information they need,
and are able to do what they intend. The Sunday Service in the Social Hall is going well, and
we change things around as needed, although it’s a bit cramped. We are happy to discover
how good our new sound system is. And as of last Wednesday, the TV is now hooked into the
speaker system, so if anyone would like to initiate a movie night, let me or the office know. The first step is choosing a movie you would like to show, then we can determine how best to do it.
From my perspective, something that can be streamed online would be the easiest, but if it is on
a DVD or something like that, I am told that is “easy” too.

The Building and Grounds Committee is looking to eventually tidy-up the plugs and wires in the
Social Hall. It will take some thought and time. There is also some talk of making the wifi
connection more stable. We do not often run into problems with the internet connection, but
when we do, it can be frustrating. The pros and cons of addressing that will be discussed, and I
would be happy to hear your feedback on your experiences with our internet connection as it is
decided whether or not it is bothersome enough to pursue a solution.

So, as we (so far) have been enjoying exceptionally fine fall weather, there is a lot of activity in
and around the church. We finished our Mindful Passages adult ed class with Marie Stycos,
which was well attended and received, and this month will begin a class on How God Becomes
Real, which you can read about in another section in the newsletter. And before too much
longer, we will again have the Salon. Every week there seems to be something new to see or
do at the church these days. I look forward to seeing you amongst all the hubbub.