by Mike Roberts
HUUC Church Historian
During the tenure of Reverend Bill Gupton, one of his major accomplishments as well as that of the congregation was the remodeling and renovation project on the Heritage 26 year old church structure. These forward movements included the innovation of the kitchen, sanctuary nursery, pre nursery, preschool and religious education rooms, and other religious activities.
The Kitchen — congregation initiated the kitchen renovation program in 2011. However, recommendations were initiated as early as 2008 that a building improvement campaign must begin soon. Prospects for the project were put forth in 2011 and were approved by the membership at the May 2012 Annual Meeting. A “Building for the Future” program was presented to the membership and included these areas to be addressed. “A newly remodeled and expanded kitchen will not only be more functional and comfortable for our use, but will also make the space more attractive for potential rentals. Developed by a task force of Heritage members assisted by kitchen and renovation professionals, the new kitchen plan includes improved traffic flow and space allocation as well as updated appliances and facilities.”
The Chapel — “Facing the woods adjacent to the Heritage Room, the new chapel will provide a sacred space for quiet reflection. With an open, glassed-in view of nature filtered light through colored upper-level windows, and flexible furnishings, the room will comfortably accommodate adult religious education, the church library (including a music storage area), meetings, and special event. “
The Sanctuary — “The worship experience will be improved substantially by a few modest Improvements to the sanctuary. Most notably, the chancel at the front of the sanctuary will be raised one step above current floor level, improving visibility and enhancing the choir seating area and the space for other musical options and guest presentations. Vertical blinds will allow light to be controlled, and an assistive listening system will make services more accessible to those with hearing impairments. Current carpeting will be replaced.”
Nursery, Preschool, and Religious Education Rooms — “To accommodate the kitchen expansion, the nursery and preschool rooms will be remodeled. Child-appropriate, built-in storage will be added, and a new exterior door will lead directly to a fenced toddler play area. The toddlers’ restroom will be updated. The current Heritage Room will be repurposed for children’s education, with the historic and commemorative materials in the Heritage Room relocated to the new Chapel.”
Restrooms — “Current restrooms will be updated with new toilets and, as needed, new tile. In addition, a new handicapped-accessible restroom will be added. In addition to meeting the Americans with Disabilities Act, the gender-neutral new restroom will have a changing table and a fold-down toddler seat in order to serve as a Family Restroom.”
Roadside Sign and Parking Lot — “A new roadside sign— key to communicating our presence to passersby— will incorporate a changeable electronic message board. The existing parking lot will be repaired and updated.”
Worship Technology — “In the contemporary world, an effective audio-visual system is a key component of a meaningful worship service. Updates are needed to the current system at Heritage, but the Board and the Worship Committee recognize the need for ongoing flexibility in responding to technological changes and worship trends. To this end, we will establish an ongoing Worship Technology Fund to be expended as needed by a Worship Technology Task Force.”
Endowment Fund — “A security blanket for emergencies, a source of investment income, a deep pocket for special opportunities: endowment funds are in many ways the key to financial stability. Essentially a savings account, an endowment fund enables a church to withstand the unexpected and to manage growth. The Board is committed to increasing the size of Heritage’s endowment, and including an endowment component in our current project will enable people with a special interest in financial stability to contribute to a permanent safety net that the church can rely upon. Solid investment plus a mindful commitment to bequests and memorial giving will ensure that the Endowment Fund keeps growing along with our congregation.”
Renovation – With final approval, work was begun on the renovation when Dennis O’Keefe drove a sledge hammer into the wall of the RE room in May 2013. The opening blow was part of a celebration of the project led by Lisa Williams, Campaign Chair and Susan Conley, Project Manager. Louise Lawarre was also heavily involved as Board President.
Construction started immediately and lasted throughout the summer. Work was completed in October 2013. It would be nice to report that all of the goals of the project were accomplished. However, all organizations aim high and accept what they are able to fund. Happily, most of those goals set originally were accomplished.
The kitchen was completely renovated as planned. The plan to build a chapel next to the Heritage Room had to be dropped. All work on the sanctuary was completed as planned. All changes in the RE rooms were completed except that the plan to make the Heritage Room RE friendly had to be put aside because the chapel was not built. The restrooms were rebuilt to make them toddler and ADA friendly. A new sign graced graced the front of the church with LED lighting and the parking lot was repaved. Much improved technology was added to the sanctuary which proved to be vitally important when COVID hit. Finally, the Endowment Fund was created to carry Heritage through the tough times.
Many church members were responsible for the successful completion of this project, led, of course, by Reverend Bill Gupton. Three Board presidents were integrally involved, Dave Small, Louise Lawarre and Reese Johnson. Working with them were numerous committee chairs which included Nancy Moore, Jeanine Bowman, Rebecca Pace, Tracy Duckworth, Dennis O’Keefe, Joann Meyer, Julie Kane, Robin Wickett, Suzanne Horton, Russ Araujo, Steve Sievers, Rick Beyette, Barb Barnes, Kay Inskeep, Connie Booth, and Bob Booth. Working with these chairpersons were dozens of others who pitched in and helped as time permitted. It was truly a Heritage Team effort.
Images captions: featured – Major donator, Dennis O’Keefe initiates the kitchen update, ending graphic. ending graphic – Rev.Bill Gupton thanks him for the donation.
Image source: Courtesy of Mike Roberts