Finding Your Way Around
Photo by Fred Koenig, MO Conference United Methodist
Reporter
View is to the north, facing
Once you have found your way here, you need to know that:
Though you may have guessed that from our website address! We encourage people to exercise their animals, fly kites, toss footballs, kick soccer balls, and generally enjoy the wide open space!
The upper lot entrance is next to the fire station (on the east side). This drive will take you to the entrance where you will have the easiest access to the church office and the sanctuary.
The lower lot entrance is next to the residential area (on the west side), and is marked by a large “Angel Food Host Site” sign. This drive will take you to where you will have the easiest access to the Fellowship Hall and Multipurpose Room, as well as the fenced-in playground outdoors.
While there are 2 stairways to connect the upper and lower levels of the church, there is also an elevator. There are no steps into the building, and most bathrooms and all passageways are wheelchair friendly.
Upper level
At the entrance of the church, you will find a drop box for Angel Food Ministry. As you enter the double-glass doors, immediately to the left is a handicap-accessible bathroom and the church office. The pastor’s study is accessed through the church office.
Directly in front of you as you enter is a seating area that has coffee, hot water and tea, and refreshments! You will often find persons hanging around there who will be glad to meet you and offer you a a healthy snack! The elevator to the lower level is also ahead of you (to the right), as are the stairs (to the left.)
To the right is what churches call “the narthex.” There you will find the usher’s stand (ushers pass out the worship bulletins and can help you find a place to sit in the sanctuary), the coat rack, name tag board, and bulletin boards with information about various church ministries.
The sanctuary is off the narthex. The sanctuary is where we gather to worship God, to celebrate weddings, and to remember those who are now part of the Church Triumphant. The communion table is in the center of the room -- in addition to being a good reminder that we are to keep Christ central to our worship, it also helps us feel a bit like a family sitting around the dinner table together. The choir is in the far left corner, with the pulpit just before the choir section. There are three sections of pews for the congregation, and all have good visibility throughout the worship services. There are two places in the sanctuary for wheelchairs, and both are designed to be integrated into the worship experience.
At the far right of the narthex are the doors to the Education wing. There are two bathrooms and a water fountain before you get to the nursery, the preschool classroom, the youth classroom, the church library, and the office of our minister of music and youth. You will also find our Mothers Morning Out Classes here during the week.
Lower level
As you enter, you will notice two very important things: the Coke machine and two large bathrooms. The bathrooms also have showers -- for mission groups, emergency use, and after a particularly hard workout in the Multipurpose Room.
The Multipurpose Room is to the right, and this is where Soccer Tots, the Quilters Guild, volleyball, basketball, church dinners, elections, and other activities that require a large open space take place. There is a good size kitchen (though not commercial-quality, still very functional) and large storage rooms connected to the Multipurpose Room.
The Fellowship Hall is to the left, and this is were we have Sunday school classes for our children, and Mothers Morning Out classes during the week. This is also where the United Methodist Women, Flickering Flames, and other groups meet. There is a small kitchen attached to the Fellowship Hall.
Outside by the parking lot is a fenced playground, which is open to the community. The playground can be reserved for birthday parties and other play dates, and is reserved for Mothers Morning Out use Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. It is also a great place to meet other people with small children! We ask that pets be kept out of the fenced in area, since children play here; and that you pick up after your pets in the grassy areas – they are great places to exercise your pets, but also a good place for soccer practices, kite flying and other outdoor activities.