As many of you know, we are embarking on a building campaign with hopes of breaking ground next spring. What you may not know is that we have a remodeling project happening this summer that is not tied to the building campaign.
God Is Blessing Us!
We have a ton of kids attending our children’s ministry programs both on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings during the school year. On Sunday mornings, we have averaged 45 kids, with some weeks as high as 55! On Wednesdays at KidzROC we average 33 kids but have seen as many as 46 in one night. It is so cool to see God bringing lots of kids to our church!
We are also very excited to be starting a preschool in the Fall of 2018. The classroom space designated for the preschool will be used every day during the week in addition to Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings.
The “Problem”
While having a lot of kids is a good “problem” to have, it does mean we’re getting tight on space. We can get by with the number of classrooms we have due to the pairing of grades together and having programming during both services.
What we don’t have is adequate space within all of the classrooms to hold all the kiddos and to teach them in a way that meets their needs and is up to today’s methods of teaching. Hallway space while kids and parents are transitioning gets really cramped, as well.
Additionally, while a preschool is a great ministry to offer, it comes with regulations that require security for the kids as well as accessibility for all. There also needs to be a preschool director’s office located close to the preschool classroom.
A Solution
To help alleviate some of our space issues, and to meet the needs of opening a preschool, here are some of the projects that we will be undertaking this summer (see diagram below):
- Removing the wall between Classrooms 5 & 6.
- Creating an office and teacher storage/workspace in what is now Classroom 3 that includes a window to see into the hallway.
- Angling the doorways for the newly-expanded classroom and new office to create a more open space in the hallway.
- Removing the door from what is now Classroom 6 to reduce traffic down the narrow hallway leading to Classrooms 4 & 7.
- Moving a wall over to improve accessibility to the bathroom from Classrooms 1 & 2 (the new preschool space).
- Adding two lockable doors to either end of the bathroom hallway to add security to the new preschool space.
- Installing full-glass doors in the new preschool space and the office to increase visibility and improve security.
- Repainting the entire KidZone with fun, kid-friendly colors.
Work Starting Soon
The construction team for these projects will be volunteers from our church with construction experience. Larry Curtiss will serve as the Project Manager. If you are interested in being a part of making our kids’ spaces great, please sign up online or at the Welcome Center desk.
Demolition and construction will begin mid-June and should be completed before the new school year starts. The more people we have on board to help, the faster it will go and the easier it will be on each person.
If you have any questions, please contact Nick Schrapp or Doug Hanson:
Nick Schrapp – Building Committee Co-Chair | 218.244.5846
Doug Hanson – Building Committee Co-Chair/Construction Lead | 218.259.4295
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