Neighborhood

On August 2, our rebuilt outdoor stage anchored IPC’s first congregational gathering since early March.  It has the same footprint – shape and size – as the stage in our Sanctuary.  This stage represents hundreds of hours of extraordinary commitment, exhaustion, dehydration, bruises, cuts, sunburns and sore muscles to facilitate a safer and more inclusive outdoor gathering space.  We are greatly looking forward to having the opportunity to plan events that can be held indoors or outdoors depending on weather and audience size.

In less than two weeks, this corner of our field was transformed from reclaimed and reinstalled footings hand-dug and set into concrete to a (mostly) finished frame and deck.  We'd like to recognize several key volunteers for stepping in to start, accelerate and complete this undertaking.  First, Ed and Andrew Stephenson who assisted with setting the corner posts for the main deck.  Andrew helped break hundreds of pounds of concrete from 30 posts using a hand sledge. Wow! Then Marcus Wright and Jim Salmon stepped in help set, assemble and bolt the structural beams for the main deck and apron.  This involved moving 1½ tons of wood twice – first to cut and then to transport across the field.  Mike Ellis helped Jim and Andrew during our Saturday work party move 6 tons of crushed rock to cover weedblock installed by Jim and Marcus.  A week later the cedar arrived and two more tons of lumber was cut and assembled onto the deck.  Jim wired the breaker box at the stage end and then installed the bulk of the 3500 screws securing the decking and worked a 12 hour day Saturday in the push to have the stage fully usable for Sunday.  We'd also like to give a shoutout to Phil at Midway Plywood who went out of his way to track down, discount and deliver the materials needed to support our schedule at a time when shelves were bare at many stores due to supply challenges.

Without the dedication and extraordinary help each person, we would have gathered in a field of grass with a stack of wood partially assembled. 

Below are a few pictures of the stage showing the transformation in recent weeks.  Please take a minute to extend a word a thanks to those noted when you see them next. We are so grateful for their help and their families' generosity in supporting them in sharing their time in this undertaking!