opening ourselves to the fullness of god’s calling

After years of careful planning, hard work, and generosity, we are underway with construction as of July 1, 2025! A huge thank you goes to Herron Horton Architects, the buildings & grounds committee, the vestry and staff, and everyone who has given generously, hauled stuff off for donation in The Great Christ Church Clean Out, and prayed about this important chapter in the life of Christ Church.

What happens next: there will be two phases to construction. In phase one, the parking lot entrance, office area, and parlor will remain accessible. The rest of the first floor of the parish house will be under construction, and there will be a construction fence around most of the parking lot. We will have stairway access to the second and third floors, and occasional use of the elevator. A second phase follows when the first floor is finished, in which we’ll have access to most of the parish house. In phase two, the addition along Scott St will be removed removed and green space added.

Parking & Access: A construction fence will be up around most of our parking lot. We will continue to have building access through the parking lot entrance (including for dropping off passengers), during phase 1. We will be able to use the office area and the parlor. Please note that the use of the church building will not be disrupted, and there will be an accessible entrance into the church throughout this project. Our worship schedule will remain the same.

Our neighbor, Central Arkansas Water, will begin their renovations in Summer 2025. Until then, we are welcome to park anytime in the lot adjacent to ours, behind the CAW administration building. On Sundays, street parking is free, and we can park for free until noon in the lot across from the church on Capitol Avenue. We are working on more options for when CAW begins construction.

Restrooms: We will have access to the main restrooms on the first floor on most Sundays, except for when those are under renovation. We will keep you posted each week. In addition, there are small restrooms adjacent to the parlor, the bell room, the clergy vesting room, and the Undercroft. We will be able to the elevator most Sundays, with access to the restrooms on the second and third floors of the parish house. There is a changing table for little ones in the chapel on Sundays, around the corner from the “prayground” while the nursery is closed during renovations.

Coffee Hour: On most Sundays, we will have access to the coffee pots in the kitchen (yay!), and we’ll find a place to set up coffee and simplified snacks during phase 1. In phase 2, we’ll have full use of the kitchen and Parke Hall for gatherings.

Meetings & Ministries: With thanks for everyone’s flexibility, we are committed to maintaining our ministries and meetings throughout construction, including Green Groceries, Tai Chi, the Arkansas Local Food Network market, book clubs, AA, etc. We have teamed with Nabholz Construction, and they have been very helpful and accommodating of our schedule. If your group needs a space to meet, or if you have logistical questions, please reach out to Dustyn Spencer, dspencer@christchurchlr.org. or drop by the office.

We’d love your support: This once-in-a-generation project would not be possible without your generous support. Thank you for making this important work possible - from prayerful discernment to implementation. For those who have started contributing toward your pledge, thank you! If you have not contributed yet, this is a great time to start. New pledges are welcome and encouraged. Visit https://www.supportchristchurchlr.org/ for more info. Giving statements will be sent regularly, which I hope will be helpful for tracking campaign pledges and annual giving to the parish. If you have any questions about your pledge, please reach out to Dustyn Spencer, dspencer@christchurchlr.org.

Finding what you need to know: We will send updates in the Weekly News each week, post signs at the church, and keep you informed in some fun ways, too. Watch for weekly project-related trivia questions in the “Construction Corner” in the orders of service. And please reach out to me anytime you have questions, concerns, or suggestions, kalexander@christchurchlr.org. This is a team effort! Big projects always have a few bumps along the way, but even with those, we are beginning an exciting chapter in the life of Christ Church. Please hold our parish in your prayers and watch for God at work as we open ourselves to the fullness of God’s calling.

Faithfully yours,

- The Rev. Dr. Kate Alexander, Rector, on behalf of our design and engineering teams:

Jennifer Herron and Jeff Horton, Herron Horton Architects

Noah Kinder and Eric Tarver, Energy Engineering Consultants, Inc.

Martin Smith and Mary Nell Miskin, Environmental Design Group.

And the buildings & grounds team:

John Blackwood, Bert Finzer, Allen Pettit, Joe Stanley, and Porter Brownlee (client representative).