Magnify Sanctuary Refresh Campaign

a) To magnify the use of our facilities to support our worship of Jesus

b) Facilities MAT and Master planning committee formulated list of priorities/needs  

c) The Congregation approved the first of a series of “mini” capital campaign at November 2021’s Congregational Assembly focused on Sanctuary improvements because

i) Facilities are showing their age
ii) To plan ahead for expensive asset replacement/repair
iii) Eliminate the need for us to incur debt to refresh the Sanctuary  

d) Data suggests that we have a tremendous opportunity to further increase our virtual and on-campus outreach capabilities.

i) Reenergized cooperation with strategic partners (e.g. CASA, LEAH, HSC, LINC) will result in more campus events
ii) In 2021 Facebook posts reached 22,000 viewers (up 80% since 2020!); Instagram posts also increased.
iii)Hybrid meetings are the new normal and present new opportunities
iv) Treating live streaming as “a front porch” introduction is a vital part of our outreach efforts, while also meeting the needs of our members who cannot always be physically present for worship.

e) A refresh of the Sanctuary and adjacent spaces along with upgrades that improve our live streaming quality will help us with the above.     

a) Replace the flooring and pews in the sanctuary

b) Improve the lighting and sound system in the sanctuary to enhance worship and streaming

c) Renovate the restrooms in the foyer adjacent to the chancel

d) Improve the lighting in the gym and other small changes that will make the gym more effective as a venue for social events and worship

a) We will be adding approximately 2 inches of space between the pews, so the number of pews will be slightly reduced to 46 rows from our current configuration of 48.

a) In 2019 and early 2020, the Facility Planning team worked with our architect (Gensler) to create a Master Facility Plan for renewing and renovating the Sanctuary and Christian Life building.  This included plans to:

i) Refresh the Sanctuary flooring, pews, lighting, and sound
ii) Refresh the foyer and gym, and add some kitchen facilities to the concession room
iii) Add a stairway to the basement
iv) Refresh the fellowship hall, adding restrooms and a central check-in station
v) Relocate the Youth Room near the gym
vi) Greatly enlarge the Gathering Space
vii) Change the main entrance and add a porte cochere
viii) Relocate the administrative offices to the existing “mezzanine” level

b) These plans were put on hold in 2020 in response to the COVID pandemic

c) In November 2021, the Congregation approved a capital campaign to fund the portion of the Master Plan aimed at refreshing the Sanctuary for approximately $750,000 

a) The Facilities Master Planning Team was formed in 2019 and comprises a wide cross section of the congregation, including a number of members who have professional construction and design expertise. The team made some preliminary color palette guidelines in 2019 and early 2020 and has subsequently worked with Gensler to make the final selections. 

b) The Team also reviewed numerous alternatives for replacing the pews (including a site visit to a local church) that informed their choice of the pew manufacturer and model.

a) Online worshippers will enjoy the brighter lighting on the Chancel and the balcony, as well as sound that is customized for TV viewing rather than for in-house listening. Overall, the quality of our streamed worship services will increase, which will reinforce Trinity Downtown as a church that values virtual participants.

b) In-person worshipers will sense an increase in the “speech intelligibility” of the spoken words, as well as enjoy the more modern flooring and restroom areas.

a) Yes, we have renderings available, and they will be updated as more information is available.

a) The cost of refinishing versus replacing is approximately the same as replacement.

b) New pews are more ergonomically proportioned to accommodate larger-sized persons and will be more comfortable for everyone.

c) Refurbishing the existing pews would take months, and the Sanctuary would be “out of service” during the entire time.  Removing the existing pews and replacing them with new ones can be accomplished within 3-4 weeks.

a) We will attempt to locate a church that might use them. If we cannot find a way to donate them, we are considering using the end pieces of the pews as commemorative gifts to be given to capital campaign donors.

a) Both the traditional and contemporary services will be held in the gym. Improvements to the gym lighting will be finished before the sanctuary renovations begin.

a) The Education Center’s Multi-Purpose Room used by our Spanish-language partner (CASA de Oracion) on Sunday mornings for their worship service, so it is not available as an interim meeting location.

a) We have already embedded the already-scheduled weddings into the construction timetable so they may continue as planned.

b) We’ve notified all of our strategic partners that use the Sanctuary of our construction plans, and we’re actively working with them to relocate their use of our space to other areas on Trinity’s campus.

c) Unplanned activities, like funerals, that occur during the period of time that the Sanctuary is unavailable will be held in other venues on campus, e.g. the gym.

a) The Foyer restrooms will be out of service during their reconstruction 

a) Yes

a) No, there will be no impact on other activities at the church that don’t utilize the Sanctuary.