Deferred Maintenance

“Best of luck addressing your deferred maintenance,” a parishioner cheerfully told me the day before surgery. “I will pray for you and your surgeon.”

Deferred maintenance: I am used to thinking of that with buildings, not people. Yet in 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul writes “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…” so the parishioner has a point. And we know what happens when you defer maintenance with a building; the problems don’t go away, they get worse.

I am grateful for this opportunity to address this “deferred maintenance,” and for your prayers as I recover. What would you say is your deferred maintenance? What do you need from God and this community to help you address it? As you pray for me, know that I pray for you each day. 

Speaking of deferred maintenance, behind the scenes the All Saints’ Building and Grounds team has been quietly addressing some of those issues in our physical building. We were able to secure grants to help us redo the insulation in the offices, education wing and parlor, and replace the ice machine and water heater (this with a tankless heater), all of which will save electricity. With grants we also replaced the projector which would no longer “talk” to the computer, as well as the screen which unfortunately failed. Grants will also allow us to add another projector and screen on the left side of the parish hall which will allow those sitting on that side to see more easily. Another important area being addressed is the lighting in the church nave, as many parishioners have said that it was inadequate. A lighting consultant has demonstrated scientifically with measurements that the nave’s lighting is indeed insufficient.

Many have commented on the rotting wood trim and failing windows on the exterior of the building (which God so marvelously has allowed us to address with the Capital Reserve Account generated by the Capital Campaign). We have replaced the roof on the Education Wing, and some have asked about the roof on the church, which is being evaluated. Coming soon is upgrading the nursery (which needs to brought up to current state standards). Our plan is to repave the parking lot in the late spring, as we continue to receive Capital Campaign pledges.

Thank you to John Erickson and the Building and Grounds team for their careful stewardship of our physical plant which will allow us to continue to do ministry into to future. If you have questions about a particular issue or project, please contact John or Mike McDonough, vestry liaison to that team.

+The Reverend Nancy L. J. Cox