Shortly before David’s death, he gave a charge to his son Solomon, who would soon be King and the builder of God’s temple. 1 Chronicles 28:19 documents this charge: “All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the Lord, all the work to be done according to the plan.” David knew he would never see the temple completed.
The buildings that make up Tenth have been handed down by preceding generations who have worshipped here since 1856. They meet the practical demands of the congregation to gather and worship. But to many of us they also excite, inspire, and uplift.
This is where we come to worship our God and study his Word. We build relationships with one another. Special events such as weddings, baptisms, and memorial services take place here. These buildings most likely will outlive all of us, so we must take good care of them not only for us but also for future generations.
The mission statement of the Building Committee at Tenth is to plan and oversee the facility-related capital budget and projects regarding safety, maintenance, design and renovation of Tenth facilities. Due to age and amount of use, multiple issues require attention, and projects are ongoing. Sometimes projects can be slow, arduous tasks that take months to plan and complete.
The Building Committee is comprised of practicing architects, engineers, and contractors who have regular jobs in the building industry during the day. Others who aren’t in the building trades are members of the committee as well. Recently a church member came to a meeting to find out exactly what we do and came away with a new appreciation for how much work goes into taking care of our buildings. Much of what we do is similar to what we do at work. This includes working with contractors and consultants, drawing, writing contracts, getting bids, determining if and how something will fit in a space, and much more.
The committee pays close attention to how projects will affect you, the congregation. Contractors are required to have a construction area cleaned and ready for Sunday services every week. The activities of The City School are included in planning for all projects.
Some of the projects for this fiscal year include:
- Façade repairs—certain areas on the exterior of the building have been identified by a structural engineering consultant. By city ordinance, this inspection is required every five years
- Sanctuary wall survey—our side walls bow out and need to be surveyed to make sure they haven’t shifted since the truss reinforcement project in 1993–1994
- Sanctuary HVAC repair and improvements
- Delancey door repair
Most recently completed include:
- Restoration of leaded glass windows in the sanctuary
- 1701 Delancey air conditioning
- Sanctuary pew restoration
The Building Committee has also been involved in Capital Campaign projects, such as the elevator, the new kitchen, and projects in the NE and NW towers.
The work can be incredibly agonizing, exhausting and time consuming. Our job is to translate the physical needs of the church into something functional, economical, and beautiful. Often the disappointment of not being able to begin a project for various reasons, or finding out the anticipated completion of a project is delayed, is agonizing. But there is much joy in seeing work completed that serves the congregation and our God. Some of these projects include the sanctuary floor and the replacement of the windows and shutters in Fellowship Hall.
The Building Committee’s funds come from the congregation’s designated giving. There are many projects we would like to do (the list is growing!), and each year we have to prioritize. But we take pleasure knowing that our skills have been used to complete a project. We need you, the congregation, to support us in maintaining Tenth with your time, talents, giving, and most of all, your prayers. Come and join us sometime. We usually meet the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 PM. Contact Building Committee secretary Dot Boersma at dboersma@tenth.org for additional information.
O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own—1 Chronicles 29:16 ESV.