by Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
A growing congregation’s house of worship will soon have a new look, as the first phase of renovations to the Christ the King Lutheran Church in Kendall Park are nearing completion.
The Rev. Fred Schott, pastor of the Route 27 church, said the remodeling should be complete in early 2009. The changes include a 2,000-square-foot addition with handicap accessible restrooms and renovations to kitchen, study and administrative areas. A new heating and air conditioning unit also is being installed.
The first phase cost approximately $1.2 million, and was paid for in part by the congregation members themselves. The Rev. Schott said that they were able to raise about $400,000, a third of the cost, from donations made by past and present members of the congregation. An $800,000 loan from the national denomination provided the rest.
The Rev. Schott said that the only part of the building not affected by the remodeling is the sanctuary, where services occur.
”We have completely gutted the building, except for where we worship,” the Rev. Schott said. “The existing building was built in 1962, and there had basically been nothing done to it since then. We have been growing over the past several years. We needed more space and newer space.”
The Rev. Schott said that in 2000 the congregation had approximately 100 members. That number has tripled in the last eight years though, and he estimates there are more than 300 members today.
”The population is growing in the area, and the church has positioned itself well as an active ministry,” the Rev. Schott. “We have stressed youth and family ministries to bring in families with young children, and we also have a good group of senior citizens that have been with the church.”
The Rev. Schott said that the church made a point of reaching out to the area’s growing South Asian community. The church has an outreach ministry to the community run by the Rev. Edwin Fernando Arumanayagam.
The Rev. Schott said that while he and the congregation have been excited by seeing the project progress, they are all ready for the building to be complete. He said many of the programs that normally take place at the church have had to be moved off-site, often to the homes of congregation members.
”There is an air of excitement. Everyone has had a good attitude about it,” the Rev Schott said. “I think we are all ready to get back to normal life though.”
The renovations are the first in a three-phase project to update the facility. The Rev. Schott said the next phase will be a new parking lot, followed by the construction of a new sanctuary for worship. He said that the planning for the update began about five years ago. He said he expects that the final phase will be completed in another five years, thus likely making it a decade-long project.
A dedication of the new addition and renovations will be held Feb. 22.
