Painted into a corner...

Everyone is familiar with the old expression, "don't paint yourself into a corner ..." Unless that is, the corner has a safe exit. Over the past week the new gymnasium floor has been installed. The installation involves a four layer process that provides cushioning, durability and a smooth attractive top finish. When the heat and humidity subside the lines will be added for volleyball and basketball. Redeemer marks another historic milestone with the addition of their first-ever basketball three point line. ;)

New Music Room Nears Completion

The creation of the new Town Square and the relocation of the old nursery necessitated renovation of the music wing. A new music practice room has been created from the space formerly occupied by the men's and women's robe rooms.


The new music practice room will be ready and waiting when the choir and hand bell groups return after Labor Day.


The new music practice room, which is slightly larger than the previous room, has new attic insulation, new room-controlled heating and cooling, new acoustic ceiling, new lighting, and a new vinyl floor. The old custom cabinets that housed choir robes, hand bells, elder and acolyte robes have been reinstalled around the perimeter of the room. And space is available for the music library cabinets that house our vocal and hand bell music.

Two new bathrooms have been constructed, accessible through an archway, off the north end of the music practice room. The tile work is complete in the bathrooms and ready for fixtures to be installed.

The new vinyl floor (not pictured) was installed this week. New carpet in the hallway just outside the music practice room will be installed in September.

New Fire Detection and Alarm System Installed

A new integrated fire system that monitors and alerts occupants to potential smoke and fire within the church has recently been installed. The first full scale tests of the new system are being conducted as new and renovated areas of the church are brought on line.

A noticeable new feature is a voice activated alarm (think navigation system in your car) that informs occupants in case of an emergency. The system is integrated with the new fire suppression capability (sprinklers) that have been installed in the ceilings of newly renovated areas within Redeemer.

Classroom Doors Nearly Open

The final construction work is underway at our Westmaple Nursery. Final inspections are also underway. And the teachers are busy preparing their classrooms for the return of children after Labor Day.

Most of the major work has been completed. For the three existing classrooms this includes new ceilings and lights, new carpet, new room-controlled heating and cooling, a new fire suppression system, and new paint.

For the two all-new classrooms the work includes all of the above enhancements plus new bathrooms, new cabinets and new cubbies for the children. A new school director's office and new teacher's work room were also completed during the renovation process.

Inspections are required at a city, county and state level to meet all requirements for the care of our children. We are more than midway through this inspection process. Everything is proceeding on schedule.

Work left to be done includes new carpet in the main hallway, exterior trim work around the front entrance, some final cabinetry work in the new classrooms and the arrival of new tables and chairs for the new classrooms.

The teachers began their preparations this past week, returning their belongings to the classroom, but not until a thorough post-construction cleaning was complete. Children return with their parents for an advance peek at their new rooms (and teachers) on September 9 and 10. Redeemer members can tour the "new" Westmaple at the Homecoming picnic on September 12. Classes begin the following day.

Construction for Week of 8-23-10 and 8-30-10

Sod was laid in the islands around the new parking area to the west of the sanctuary. The irrigation system has been installed and trees will be planted around the parking area next month. Interior work in the town square is taking place, including mechanical and electrical work in the ceilings and walls.

The two new lower level classrooms below the town square are completely framed and ready for finishes over the next few weeks.

A folding partition (see the white ceiling track below) will run across the room allowing the space to be used for two classrooms or one large meeting space.

The steps to the courtyard are poured. Handrails will be installed and the original brick pavers in the courtyard will be re-laid to fit the new stairs. Cleanup and top soil will make the courtyard ready for final plantings.

The roofing shingles for the main entrance canopy were installed this week. The new entry stairs will be completed once all the "heavy" materials are staged inside the town square. Until then the main entry continues to serve as our main loading dock.

Work started this week on the new gymnasium floor. The first step was to remove the old 1970 tile and adhesive, bringing the floor back to bare concrete. From here the new floor can be poured and lined. The result will be a more flexible surface that serves multiple activities, from coffee hour to worship to basketball.

Renovations to the music wing continue. The existing custom robe cabinets were re-installed in the new music practice room. New insulation has been placed in the ceiling and the ceiling grid has been installed. Tile and bathroom fixtures in the two new bathrooms will be installed shortly.

The two week schedule 8-23-10 through 9-6-10:

Gymnasium and Stage addition
· install final flooring
· complete final inspections

. tune sound system and acoustics

Town Square
· main floor ceiling framing
· main floor ceiling mechanical, electrical
· drywall lower level classrooms
· exterior EFIS finishes
· begin lower level classroom and hallway finishes

Interior infrastructure
· install stairs at new south stairway
· complete Fire alarm and Fire suppression
· install ceiling pads throughout hallways

West Maple Classrooms
· complete final inspection process
· prepare for kids arrival

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Music Wing Renovation
· ceramic tile floors in new bathrooms
· complete electrical
· complete ceiling mechanical
· final paint
· install vinyl floor tile in music practice room
· complete inspection process

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Site improvements
· continue with landscape repairs

Kamp Reunion Concert Debuts New Gym

Last night's Kamp concert and reunion was a highlight of the summer season for Redeemer youth and friends. Peter Neuman was the headliner with our own Heart of Worship band opening the evening. Throw in some camp skits, some dancing and a lot of singing and you had a great evening for all.

It was our first chance to try out the new sound, new lights and new visuals in the gym. Thanks to the many volunteers that are learning the new systems as we all get ready for our regular weekly Redemption services on Wednesday evenings, starting this fall.

Entrance Canopy Takes Shape

The new entrance canopy that will allow drop-off and pick-up on rainy days is beginning to take final shape. By the way, the fancy word for this kind of entrance canopy, borrowed from the French, is porte-cochere.

Two sets of divided-glass doors like those at the new Westmaple entrance will complement colonial trim and slender white columns around the entrance. The final touch includes a new colonial cupola that will rest atop the canopy clearly marking the main entrance for all to see.

Progress Each Day

Lots of progress to report in areas that aren't always visible to Redeemer members and visitors. Take a look.

Work installing sheet rock on the walls in the lower level classrooms has started ...

Work on the renovated music room, including new bathrooms has started ...

Work on the new nursery has started, including the new crib room ...

Work on the final carpet and millwork in Westmaple has started ...

Work on the new gym floor is about to start (this coming week) ...

Work on the landscaping and lighting around the new parking lot is about to begin ...

Step Right Up ...

New stairs that provide access from the town square to the courtyard were poured this week. The main entrance and town square have been elevated to the same level as the sanctuary. This will eliminate the narrow stairs that funneled worshippers to and from church in the past. But this means we now need new access to the courtyard. The forms were built and the stairs were started this week. Note that access to the courtyard is still possible without navigating stairs via the Great Room.

Power Outage

No, we didn't lose power from the thunderstorms rumbling through the area last week. Rather a power shut down was planned in order to give workers the opportunity to install upgraded electrical service to Redeemer. This work is now complete and the new electrical capability is fully in place.

You wouldn't know it, but the air conditioning in the entire building is now running on the new electrical service. This includes existing space, like the sanctuary and renovated space like the gymnasium and the Westmaple wing.

The benefit to Redeemer is immediate. The temporary air conditioning unit that we were renting has now been returned. And earlier than expected. This will save the project several thousand dollars. And the new air conditioning units are much more efficient than the older units. More on our "green" savings in a future post.

Sacred Space Giving Report

It has been 90 days since our last stewardship update on Sacred Space capital campaign gifts.

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Total gifts given and pledged to the Sacred Space capital stewardship campaign totaled $3,953,000 as of July 31, 2010. This total of $3.95 million can be broken down as follows:

• Pledged Gifts, $2,490,000 from 226 families
• Unpledged Gifts, $1,424,000 from over 60 families
• Interest Income, $39,000.

Over the past six months we have averaged over $106,000 per month in gifts. May gifts totaled $116,000, June gifts totaled $58,000 and July gifts totaled $190,000.

Even with slightly lower summer worship attendance, enthusiasm and giving remains high in the midst of the construction phase of the capital campaign. We are all so grateful for the ongoing sacrifices made by each and every family.

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Of the total $3.95 million in gifts, $2.66 million has been collected to date. The difference, a little more than $1.29 million, represents outstanding pledges. We are now 16 months into our 36 month capital stewardship campaign, which runs from April 2009 to March 2012.

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New gifts, pledged and unpledged, continue to be made each month. We still hope to top $4 million before the campaign is completed. We continue to set aside a contingency against pledge receivables. This contingency helps assure that we only spend what we can reasonably plan to collect at the end of the three year campaign.

On a related note, Redeemer’s annual giving campaign runs September to August each year. At the end of July, 11 months into the annual campaign, revenues of $1.17 million trail expenses by just a few thousand dollars (tenths of one percent) as we enter August, the last month of the fiscal year.

First Projects Nearing Completion

The first two major pieces of Sacred Space are nearing completion.

The renovated gymnasium, with it's new worship and performance stage, audio/visual systems, all-purpose floor, exposed wood ceiling, new (dimmable) lighting, and air conditioning will be done by Labor Day. In fact, you can get your first look this coming Wednesday, August 11 at the camp reunion concert -- the first event hosted in the new space. Only the new floor remains to be installed after the concert, but before Labor Day. In the photo below you can the new acoustical panels which have been hung around the gymnasium, improving sound quality in the gym for all events -- worship, coffee hour, dinners and of course theater. In this photograph you can see the new exposed wood ceiling, three of the sixteen new energy-efficient light fixtures and one of the two new ceiling mounted audio/visual projectors.The second major piece of Sacred Space nearing completion is the renovated Westmaple Nursery wing. Two new classrooms, a teacher's work room, and a Director's office have been added to the three newly renovated classrooms. In the photo below you can see the new carpet has been laid, the cabinetry is complete, the new teacher-controllable HVAC is installed and the new ceiling tiles are ready to be placed after the new fire suppression system has it's final inspection.

Aerial View of Redeemer, May 2010

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Blue, Yellow, Pink, ...

Who is thinking about school on a lazy humid day in August? Well, for starters, the city, the county and the state -- all of whom must review, inspect and sign-off on Westmaple's readiness for our students next month. Fortunately, work proceeds on schedule, both inside and outside Westmaple.

Workers in the new classrooms are busy building cubbies, cabinets, and sinks for the children. The bathrooms, complete with junior fixtures are nearly complete. The new ceiling grid and lights are already in place. Meanwhile, the existing classrooms are receiving a face lift as well. New carpet and padding is being installed this week in the existing rooms. New ceilings and lights have already been installed.

Each room, new or existing, has received a fresh coat of paint ... selected by the Westmaple staff ... in shades of blue, yellow, pink and white.

Final Roofing Takes Place

Final roofing, involving the same dimensional shingle that was used on the renovated gymnasium, is being completed this week. These new areas include the town square, the new main entrance and canopy and the ramp along the side of the music wing leading to the town square. Water proofing these areas will allow air to be circulated through the HVAC system which in turn creates a drier environment for the interior finish work to take place.

You can get your first look inside the town square and main entrance on Homecoming Sunday, September 12. While not yet open, the area will be on display that Sunday with another special opportunity to "sign" your way into Redeemer history ... more news to follow. (Think: beam signing in the gymnasium, but with more space to write your favorite Bible verse, a note to a loved one, or the name of someone you would like to bring to Christ ...)

Michigan Weather

A new covered canopy is taking shape just outside the new main entrance. The canopy serves a dual purpose -- as a practical matter it provides cover for those rare days in Michigan when we see rain or snow on Sunday mornings. But the canopy also makes a visual statement to the visitor, a clear marker as to how and where to enter our church. The curved underside of the canopy will be softly lit so the entire entrance area glows even after dark. The canopy will be topped this fall with a cupola that matches Redeemer's colonial architecture.