Sanctuary Remodeling Project 

A major milestone in the life of our Congregation

At the special Congregational Meeting on November 6, the congregation voted to authorize the Church Council to:

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  • Sign a contract with J & D Mechanical Services to install a new HVAC system for the Sanctuary

  • Borrow up to $1,000,000 from Mission Investment Fund (MIF), a unit of the ELCA. The money will be used to pay off the current mortgage and pay for the construction phase of the Sanctuary Remodeling and

  • Sign agreements with Kerns Group Architects and Chamberlin Construction to complete the design for the Sanctuary and to proceed with the remodeling.

When we began the Visioning effort that became the Sanctuary Redesign effort, we chose as our theme hymn “On Our Way Rejoicing”.  We are now on the final leg of that long journey and we have much to rejoice about. The congregation has faithfully supported this effort through a pastoral change and a tough economic period.

At this point, we are looking at construction during late summer and fall 2012 with dedication of the new Sanctuary before Christmas 2012.  We still have many steps to work through and, as with any project, surprises can happen but the vote on November 6 (and all of the work that led up to and supported the vote) marks a significant accomplishment.

The Remodeling Committee is already hard at work on the next step: Design Development. During this phase we will work with the architect to finalize the design and select the materials, colors, fixtures and other details that will complete the design. After the design phase we will get bids for the construction and work through the building permit issues with Fairfax County. Then actual construction will start and should take about four to five months.

If you have any questions about the current effort, please ask a member of the Remodeling Committee: Lynne Imre, Steve Rasmussen, Zoraya Stern, Mike Schultz and Bob Vitter.

Sanctuary Move Task Force
The Church Council by a continuing resolution has established a working group to plan and coordinate the move of the Sanctuary to the Fellowship Hall before remodeling construction begins this fall. The objective of the task force will be to ensure all major functions of the Lutheran Church of the Abiding Presence continue with minimal interruptions and inconveniences and to arrange for the orderly movement back to the sanctuary upon completion of the remodeling construction. The task force will cease upon dedication of the new sanctuary. Members are: Joel Cooley, Lisa Dyson, Lynne Imre, Kathryn Ives, Lynne Linder, Rickey Rossett and Pastor Keseley. Periodic updates will be provided via the church newsletter and on the church's website.