Trinity House Moves Closer to Reality
September has flown by. As was noted in last month’s Trisagion, the parish voted over-whelmingly to purchase the American Cancer Society building next door (123 S. Sparks St.) for $340,000, successfully meeting one of the three main criteria for the parish to secure the property.
The other two criteria have also been met: At its September meeting, Council authorized inspections of the property and delegated authority to Chuck Beechan and me to arrange for financing. The inspection revealed a sound building with mainly cosmetic issues to be dealt with after closing. Furthermore, Council endorsed a new vision for the building and renamed the structure, “Trinity House Parish and Campus Ministry Center.”
The proposed floor plan of the new ministry center and existing spaces are as follows:
- The Lower Level will be used primarily for Sunday School and activity space for younger children. The parish will also make use of the ample storage space that is already in place.
- The Main Level will include a reception area, administrative offices, and a conference room for use by ministry groups and the Parish Council.
- The Upper Level will become the home of a new campus ministry center, featuring a lounge and study area, along with an office for Deacon Alex. In addition, a guest suite will be furnished for visiting clergy and alumni. On Sundays, middle and high school classes will meet here as well.
- In our existing building, the Parish Hall will be rearranged to accommodate more tables with seating for fellowship;
- My office will become a classroom for the pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Sunday School class. When class is not in session, it will serve as a Nursery for young children and their mothers.
- The current administrative office will be reconfigured to include the Bookstore and additional storage, if necessary.
Darren Torbic is putting his civil engineering profession to work by designing new options for increased parking and additional green space behind both the church and Trinity House, as well.
One of the benefits of the financing we secured for the new building is that Fulton Bank is giving us an opportunity to consolidate the existing mortgage with the new one with an interest rate of 4.05% for the first five years, amortized for 25 years. Banking with Fulton will be convenient for the Chapel as well (they have branches throughout Synder County). Closing is expected on or around November 15.
Look in your mailboxes this month for more on Trinity House. Inside will be information about how you can partner with the parish in order to raise a total of $150,000 over the next three years to lower the mortgage principal and invest in our future.
All my best for a good month. — Fr. John