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The facilities expansion has been a topic of prayer and discussion within the Covenant community for a number of years. Session began to actively address the question of facilities expansion in 2003 and, in May 2006, unanimously approved the following motion. It neatly captures the need and the way forward for facilities expansion.
Session Motion Unanimously Approved on May 22, 2006
Whereas Covenant Church has accepted the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19,20), to share the good news of Jesus Christ, and has expressed this commitment within its vision statement: “As we embrace our faith, we are led by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel as we meet, seek out and support people of all ages in our church and our community”; and
Whereas Covenant Church seeks to continue its prominent role as a community church within Chester County and beyond; to make room for anyone that God sends our way; to be open, welcoming, and accepting with a firm commitment to truly “be there” for the neighboring community as well as its members; and as expressed in the vision statement: “to accept them, to listen to them, to pray with them, and to act lovingly to meet their needs”; and
Whereas the session received and highlighted information from two separate facility review commissions; and the session concluded that:
- Covenant church has outgrown current facilities, seriously lacking interior space and parking
- Ministry and program growth & functioning is being limited and hindered, across the board, due to lack of space to do God’s work
- Real opportunities exist to improve access and use of the facility for physically challenged members; additionally, some of the facilities are simply outdated
- While significant growth in membership and ministry has occurred in the past 10 years, the last major expansion was 13 years ago
- Benchmark studies in church growth research reveal that there is a danger of not growing if we do not expand; specifically programs would continue to be limited, music ministry would suffer, stagnation would occur within the church’s children, youth, and adult ministries; missionary values about meeting people’s needs, breaking down barriers, community issues could be diminished; and
Whereas Covenant church has a long history of embracing change and growth necessary to meet the needs of the time; including the purchase and construction of a church in 1876, the addition of the Sunday School building in 1926, the determination of the members of the Malvern and East Whiteland Presbyterian churches to join hands and create Covenant 30 years ago in 1976; truly historical reflections serving as faith-filled examples of glorifying God while moving forward in faith into an unknown future; and
Whereas a financial analysis (based on a brief, congregational survey of the monetary resources within the congregation) demonstrated clearly that a significant expansion could be funded through a capital campaign; and noted that all previous campaigns were successfully funded, and currently, there is no debt; and
Whereas the session asked and unanimously answered the following questions:
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Is expansion consistent with the spirit of our vision statement? YES
- Do we need more space? YES
- Is this a priority? YES
- Are we living in the time of means and opportunity for building? YES; and
Whereas the Covenant people hold our facilities to be “a spiritual home where love has the run of God’s house”; the physical plant and sanctuary serve as a house of praise and prayer; the facility itself reflects the deep faith of the people, and which inspires the Christian soul in worship, study, service, and outreach;
Therefore, be it
Resolved, that the session seek congregational and presbytery endorsement and approval of parking lot improvements, building expansion for educational classrooms, and a new building to include a sanctuary, music rooms, and youth center; and to do the following:
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Session would serve as a facility expansion steering committee to develop detailed sketches of the desired expansion (until a building committee is formed)
- Session would communicate through forums/town hall meetings and letters; provide sketches of the exact nature of the proposal, and the total dollar costs
- Session would seek congregational approval at a special meeting to proceed with the facility expansion, and:
- to elect a building committee
- to initiate a capital campaign
- to authorize approval for a mortgage
- to allocate to mission and outreach, a full tithe (10%) of the construction costs (distributed over the life of the mortgage).
Moderator: Rev. Dr. James R. Moyer
Clerk of Session: James S. Carr
Pastoral Staff: Joshua Gill, Rev. Michelle Denney-Grunseich and Rev. Patricia Stoltzfus
Elders:
CLASS OF 2007
George Hahn
Stephanie Kessler
Kurt Moyer
George Pellegrino
Steven Ritchey
CLASS OF 2008
John Bentley
Paul Callaro
Susan Edgar-Smith
Duane Billingsley
Robert Lurcott
CLASS OF 2009
A. Cecil Cowan
Karen Dickinson
Patricia Dodson
C. Richard Eppleman
Leffrey Unruh
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Facilities Expansion 
