Re-Construction Pt. 1

Last Oct 14, I blogged about going out to Midland to be a part of the initial talks concerning the refit of the worship center at GCR. This morning, three months later, it all came to fruition. We presented the new plan for the worship center to the church during class time today. It was an impressive presentation. I can say that because I had very little to do with it. Ok, nothing to do with it.

The re-do of the center will give us a state-of-the-art facility, easily one the of the best in Midland and I believe in West Texas. We wanted a facility that worked well not only for us, but for future generations. Visionary people put a stake in the ground in the countryside of Midland County 40+ years ago with a vision for a grace-oriented church. The facility that was built to house that church was far-sighted and has lasted well. We want to do the same thing for our children’s children. I believe this new plan is just that.

Our new facility will be “in the round.” When the family gathers for supper, we gather around a table and see each other’s faces. Church should be the same way. 80% of the seats in the new building will be within 60 ft of the stage. As we experience worship, we will experience each other… not the back of someone’s head.

I will post pictures at a later time, but they will show that this new facility will be extremely flexible. While the upper tier seating will be permanent with theatre-style chairs, the lower section will be individual chairs. These can be placed in any fashion. The stage will be movable as well. It can be moved to the north end of the floor to provide a tiered stage for weddings while the floor can be fixed with a center aisle. Perfect for weddings. The north end tier can be cleared in combination with the moved stage to provide a very big stage, easily large enough for the Midland Symphony. Or the floor can be cleared and set with tables to seat 200+ people for banquets… banquets with a state-of-the-art sound and video system.

I’ll tell you more later, but here’s one little goodie. All the flat surfaces of the room will be painted white. The trim around each surface will be lined with multicolor LEDs that will wash the wall with color. From the control room, we will be able to choose from 19 million different shades of color. The walls can change colors with the touch of a switch. Wedding planners may now get in line…