The Sanctuary is effectively finished. Over the next couple weeks the Facility Team will be working on the “punch list” as they highlight details of the project that need to be addressed.
We are expecting a certificate of occupancy by September 10th. The primary task holding up the final inspection is the paving and striping of the parking lot. This should be completed by September 8th.
After the certificate of occupancy is obtained, the stained glass art will be installed along with the rest of the audio/visual equipment. This should be completed by September 24th.
The final aspect of the facility is the furnishings, including the new chairs for the sanctuary. Right now, the only clarity the furniture company can provide is that they expect our chairs in their warehouse in October – although this is not a firm delivery date.
This impacts our timeline for the dedication of the sanctuary. We have two primary factors to consider as we look toward setting a new dedication date.
Ideally, our dedication would include all the furnishings and would be completed and presented as intended. Without the new chairs we would be moving into the sanctuary with a mixture of seating we have on hand (we donated our previous chairs to a start up church over the summer as we were clearing space for the delivery of our new chairs – the original delivery date for our chairs was in May).
Additionally, about 60% of our congregation is currently worshipping online as this second surge of Covid impacts Gaston County. We’ve said all along that we prefer to dedicate our sanctuary “at full strength” and with everyone comfortable attending. We also do not want our new building sitting empty and unused. Therefore, we will continue to monitor these situations and personal comfort levels on campus as we prayerfully discern the right path forward.