Parish Hall Update #1

The parish hall renovation continues at a brisk pace. These updates are intended to answer questions about the design of the Parish Hall and give some insight into why decisions were made.

Did you know that the new parish hall will have an elevated stage at the south end? Why a stage? For multiple reasons, including hidden storage of the many folding chairs used in the parish hall. A stage will also provide an elevated area for the altar during Church services in the summer months.

Which leads to the next question…. Did you know that the Parish Hall will be air conditioned? After 191 years, parishioners at Zion will now be able to attend services in a cool environment during the dog days of summer. As the focus to grow Zion continues, this addition will be a welcome change.

Why did the Fr Alex and the Vestry decide to put air conditioning in the Parish Hall instead of in the Church? Using the AC system once per week in the Church would be very inefficient. Since the Parish Hall is used by many groups AND Church services can be moved there during the summer, a more effective choice was to install the AC in the Parish Hall. In addition, the expectation to use the Parish Hall for gatherings after Church Events, like weddings, funerals, baptisms, etc makes the decision even more compelling.

Will the separate alcoves still exist in the Parish Hall with the renovation? The Parish Hall will be one large space instead of a smaller space with separate sections/ alcoves. The columns that support the structure will still be there, but doors and partitions will no longer exist.

Are the large windows at the south end being replaced? Yes, as water damage has taken a toll on those windows and replacement is necessary.

If you have any questions about the renovations going on, please send your question(s) to zionwfalls@gmail.com and a response will be included in the next Parish Hall Update.

Meanwhile, here’s some photos of the work in process.

MJM 8/30/25