Tongue in cheek, I can say we are in the calm before the storm. I say this because the current action of our preservation project takes place behind the public scene. Let me explain what I mean.
This month, Westfield Architects collected pre-qualification forms from the potential contractors involved with Phase I of our project. Following this, Westfield Architects called for references and sent them for approval by the New Jersey Historic Trust (NJHT).
As soon as the NJHT approves the bidder’s list, the bidding documents will be distributed. The bids are due in the second half of March. If all goes according to plan, our Consistory will vote on particular contractors in April. At the same time, our Preservation Team will want to coordinate our choice of contractors with neighboring Christ Episcopal Church. Cooperating in this way, we hope to be economically more efficient. Phase I construction is scheduled to begin during the second half of May. This is when the public will notice progress.
Since our grants from NJHT and from the City of New Brunswick will be paid by reimbursement, there will not be much news prior to the beginning of the construction. The exception is, of course, our reimbursement for previous construction under the NJHT grant. This depends now on recording an easement on our buildings with Middlesex County. NJHT is currently drafting this document, but Consistory will have to approve it before we can bring it to the county office.
There is some development regarding the state grant covering the cost of remediation for our former underground oil tank. The grant has been set aside by the Department of Environmental Protection, but requires review by the NJ Economic Development Authority who will have the final decision.
Tagged as:
Preservation
Most of us have, in one way or another, heard about the ambitious reconstruction plans for our women’s bathroom. As big as this project is, it will also provide a great fellowship opportunity. We will meet old friends like Gary Delhagen. We will work side by side with the wonderful team of volunteers from the Colts Neck Reformed Church, their leader being Dotty Weidman. And we will enjoy great lunch breaks in between. Do you remember the resemblance to a colonial village two years ago, with women, children, men and dogs, all gathered around the tables in Fellowship Hall during mealtime?
For those of you who need some more planning, we provide the following calendar in this month’s newsletter.
Tagged as:
reconstruction,
volunteers
At first, I just wanted to catch your attention with this dubious title. At second glance, however, there may be some truth to it anyway. To extend hospitality is a form of ministry. Renovating a bathroom is a form of hospitality, especially, if others use this bathroom more than we do.
Think about it! We use the women’s bathroom mostly on Sunday mornings or on the few nights when there is a committee meeting. Yet, we have other congregations using the space with us. Then there is the House of Manna which, perhaps, needs this bathroom more than any other group. Already from a brick-and-mortar standpoint, it is high time that we renovate the room. Gender equality also demands it — we did the men’s bathroom last year. But what it all boils down to in the end is a sheer matter of hospitality. That’s why we really do it.
Below please find the proposed schedule for the renovations. We are happy that the volunteer team of the Colts Neck Reformed Church under the leadership of Dotty Weidman will again support our efforts.
We are also happy that Gary Delhagen’s company will do the plumbing — Gary grew up in our church, and we have good ties to his extended family.
If you, Dear Reader, can contribute something to the effort, please talk with Julius Fekete or myself. We will need people to:
- take apart the old bathroom
- who can paint or grout
- who can fill a dumpster
On Saturdays, we also need volunteers to form a kitchen crew. (As you know, a good meal furthers the friendship between various groups.)
Please let us know how you can help. Together, we can achieve a great thing.
Project breakdown for Women’s Bathroom 2010
- Plumber removes fixtures and disconnects bathroom heat
- FRC removes wall and floor tile
- Plumber roughs out, Electrician installs outlets
- Colts Neck installs Sheetrock (7 sheets) and sub floor (1st Sat.)
- Colts Neck puts down floor tiles
- FRC grouts floor tiles
- Colts Neck puts up wall tiles (2nd and 3rd Sat.)
- FRC grouts wall tiles
- FRC paints walls
- Electrician installs new light fixtures
- Plumber installs new fixtures
- FRC installs new partitions
- FRC exchanges ceiling tiles and fills the dumpster
- FRC installs paper towel holders, mirrors, and changing table
Tagged as:
Renovations
There is a new sign in front of our church. It is the mandatory project sign that will be with us for the duration of Preservation Project Phase 1, i.e. approximately four or five years. The sign was a presupposition for our first quarterly report, due on January 15, 2010.
When Julius and I dug the holes for the signposts, I felt like a dream come true. After all, the biggest word on the sign is the word PRESERVED;. It implies that the worst part of the project is already behind us, when the sign is established — the application process for the state grant, and the creation of the preservation plan that preceded it.
Theologically, the word PRESERVED; is perhaps questionable. Ministry is never about preserving oneself, but about serving others. However, it doers not take much to realize that our very preservation project bears all the marks of service:
- It secures the brick-and-mortar shelter for all our ministries. Without a roof, they would all fall apart and have no place here in the inner city.
- It serves the identity development of our community. Without its historic heritage, much of our community would be exchangeable and meaningless you could have it anywhere in the world. Our old buildings contribute to the particularity of New Brunswick.
- It serves the legacy of our ancestors who would not have expected anything less from us but to do our utmost to keep this steeple in town.
If you look at it in this way, our project sign is a pretty special sign, wouldn’t you say?
Tagged as:
Historic Preservation
Dear Friends,
Looking at the lectionary passages set for Jan 1st, I was confronted with the Matthew 25:40 text which states: ” I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these you did it to me.”
The folks listening to Jesus at that moment were wondering what he was referring to. “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?” When? Whenever, is Jesus’ response. What better”call to action” for a new year! What is more arousing than to hear that every time we respond to those in need that we are responding to our Lord Jesus.
Let’s look at our record. Truly, we do respond to such needs by participating in the Men’s Overflow Shelter (this month — Jan 10 – 16) by offering our kitchen and hall for the Family Feeding Program — House of Manna, by supporting the Hall Education Fund — which provides scholarships to New Brunswick needy children going onto higher education, by providing gifts for kids in needy families, by offering space to many groups: the Hyacinth Foundation, the Prom Dress Exchange group, amongst others. And so forth. Isn’t it wonderful that this list has grown over the years? Our commitment to “the least of these” has increased!
So, with a new year, it is time to think about new means of helping the “least of these” That being said, a team of folks has been working for some time discussing some strategic planning for our facilities. Stef Beemsterboer cleverly coined the name for this team: Building Vision Group. Its task has been exactly that: building a vision for our buildings, in particular, for the building of our sanctuary. For one thing, it has been determined from the usage of our BTUs that the sanctuary uses about two to three times the amount of energy (heating & electric) than our education building. We were shocked with this information! Simply because the sanctuary is used only two evenings per week and all day Sunday, while the education building is used almost all week for many hours per day. We realized, with this information, that we are not utilizing the space that the sanctuary provides to the best capacity.
Can we do something better? That’s our quest, if you will. So the group has met with various architects and planners trying to determine how we could possibly address this under usage, or how to better use that space in a greater capacity. The Building Vision Group brought before the consistory, in December, a few ideas, but in order to make plans, it is clear that a feasibility study of the sanctuary space must be completed by an architect. Thus, we are in the process of employing one, who will then provide us with such a study.
Along these same lines, the Building Vision Group has been looking into developing a 501(c)3, which is a nonprofit organization — something we will have to apply for through the federal government. At this point, we have written a Vision Statement in which the paragraph reads: “The Town Clock Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization, sees its historic buildings as a welcoming home, infused with early nineteenth century charm, offering the people of New Brunswick many types of community spaces and shelter opportunities.” As you see, we are clearly putting the least of these before us and considering how we might better serve our Lord. And what better way than through these large buildings that we have which can offer shelter, education, a warm meal, spiritual nurture and so much more.
Fondly,
Pastor Susan
Is it really? I have seen women there as well! We are talking about the well tried tradition of volunteer workdays on Saturday mornings here at church. Our women have been an inseparable part of this as well, and nobody knows this better than Ellen Hamilton, who has joined this group on more than one occasion. However, it is also true that these Saturday mornings have provided special occasions for camaraderie and bonding among us men.
On Nov 21st, we had a particularly successful workday. We took out the Steyntie Heyer tombstone, as Gary’s article describes. We also built a corral for our garbage bins on the side of the Church House. We hope to keep the kitchen a little freer from garbage cans, and we hide their unsightly sight in the front yard. Look at the pictures and see what a productive day it was. Special thanks to Julius Fekete for planning, preparing, and organizing the material.
Great thanks to Jim Hance, who poured concrete two days later in order to secure the five fence posts.
Other helpers on Nov 21st included Ellen and Bruce Hamilton, John Coakley, David Waanders, Rod Gray and I. Joan Fekete provided coffee and cookies for everybody.
Steyntie Heyer was laid to rest in the graveyard of the First Reformed Church in 1746. Hers is the oldest tombstone in our cemetery. (Actually, when her remains were buried, the First Reformed Church did not exist at its current location.) While, for its age, the tombstone is still in remarkably good condition, it is beginning to show signs of deterioration; the same type of blistering and cracking which has destroyed many of our other headstones.
The Property Committee is planning to remove the headstone and store it in the basement of the Education Building, thereby protecting it from the rain and ice which would have eventually destroyed it. Symbols inscribed on the headstone identify the maker as being quite prominent in New Jersey at the time. It’s amazing to think that it has been in the same location for 263 years.
In its place, a modern grave marker will be placed. It will simply be inscribed with ‘Steyntie Heyer 1708-1746′. The grave marker will be supplied at no cost by Peoples Monuments on Route 27 in Somerset. What a wonderful gesture by Jack Lynch, the owner of Peoples Monuments. We really don’t know anything about Steyntie other then what was inscribed on her headstone. She was a member of our church as per some research performed by Rev. Muyskens which is presented in his book about the history of First Reformed Church in New Brunswick. I can’t help but wonder what her life was like. What was New Brunswick like in the early 1700s?
Anyway, I’m glad our church is trying (with the help of Peoples Monuments) to be respectful to our ancestors by preserving part of our history.
