Building Planning Committee
Update 3 2008
Advance Planning Update #3
The work of the Building Committee has picked up the pace since bringing Tripp Eure on board as our architect. To quote Mr. Eure, “the primary purpose of advance planning services is to confirm the need prior to initiating architectural services”. We are happy to report that the analysis of our existing buildings, current use of space and campus is nearing completion. As the old saying goes, you have to know where you are…and where you’ve been…in order to know where you are going!
As your building committee, our task will be to hear from all of you what ministries and educational purposes are being carried out at Swansboro United Methodist Church in the present and which of these might be enhanced if we were to build a new Ministry Center.
Council on Ministries has been tasked with providing us with written reports from each ministry area on what they envision their physical space needs to be to answer that most important question of what do they discern is God’s will for our church. Council on Ministries gives us such an exceptionally methodical way to affirm for us what are all the educational needs, mission responsibilities to our local community and new ways to bring disciples to Christ. What could be more Wesleyan than that? We are also eager to hear the results from the recently compiled Healthy Congregations study requested by our Bishop.
As your Building Committee we are grappling with how to solve the space needs of our church. You, our congregation lovingly affirmed what’s important to you in two well attended public meetings in the last few months. These are just a few of the important questions that you all have been telling us are on your mind:
Would we like to add a fourth worship service on Sunday morning that would be faithful to our United Methodist theology yet more contemporary in music and spirit?
How can we best meet the needs of our youngest members who are currently attending Sunday school and nursery in some of our tightest, sometimes windowless, and most cramped, limited spaces?
What would bring our joyous church family together in new fellowship and gathering space?
Our adult and senior members have diverse interests and needs for Bible and book studies and other age appropriate programs. Are we creating comfortable and inviting classrooms? How might our church library expand?
When we fund buildings are we taking needed resources from the “least of these” or are we creating new ways to serve our hungry and needy neighbors?
We have been blessed with many talented musicians willing to share those gifts during worship. How can we meet their needs for rehearsal and storage areas?
What if we thought of the Swansboro United Methodist preschool and daycare as the opportunity to create young disciples eager to attend our Sunday School too? Those of us who were part of the infectious, joyous Vacation Bible School this July witnessed over 100 children and youth who embraced the message of God’s love in truly awesome ways.
Are our teens being given new ways to challenge them to be the hands and feet of God through year round mission and environmental stewardship opportunities, Bible study and the power to be found in being part of a community of like minded Christian young people?
Our church campus is blessed with beautiful green spaces and is adjacent to pristine wooded areas and a creek. What exciting outdoor space opportunities does this afford us?
Through our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service what more can we do to further God’s work through Swansboro United Methodist Church?
Pray with us as we all continue this journey. From time to time, we will update you through this website and through the church newsletter. When the Advance Planning is complete we’ll share all the findings and our recommendation to the congregation. Also posted on the church website will be the site plans, current building space analysis and proposed space usage of the Ministry Center undertaken by Tripp Eure to date.
We do want the congregation to understand however that the suggestions as outlined by Mr. Eure are not yet the final recommendations that will be decided by the Building Committee as there is much that still needs to be determined.
Included in the final recommendation will be not only how the proposed Ministry Center might be used (and its to be determined square footage) but also the suggested ways to renovate the existing Education Building and perhaps some of the classrooms located on the lower level of the Sanctuary. Be sure to look for changing exhibits presented on easels in the Narthex of some of the visual interpretations being studied by your Building Committee.
We very much want to hear from our church family. Please e-mail your thoughts, questions and suggestions to us at
Julia Wax jwax@eirealty.com John McLean jpmcleanpe@coastalemail.com or if you prefer, by U.S. postal mail to the church office:
Swansboro United Methodist Church
Attention: Building Committee
665 W Corbett Ave
Swansboro, NC 28584
Listed below are the members of the Building Committee who also would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about the proposed renovations and Ministry Center. Our SUMC Building Committee:
John McLean, Co-Chair
Julia Wax, Co-Chair
Sandy Kellum, Secretary
Carl Cordoni
Jane Cotton
John Freshwater
Roger Fulp
Gwen Jackson
Charlie Johnson
Terry Proper, Lay Leader
Ken Raper
Louisa Ringo
Jane Sylvester
SUMC Staff attending Building Committee meetings include:
Senior Pastor John Tyson
Associate Pastor Rachel Moser
Ellen Creasman, Director Youth Ministries and Education
Merle Epperson, Director, Music Ministries
Architect, Tripp Eure, PETERSON, EURE and ASSOCIATES, P.A.