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St. Elisabeth's New Building
Our Building
In 2005, St. Elisabeth's sold our beloved old home on Yale Road and moved several miles east to the city of Bartlett, Tennessee.
We are currently in the exciting process of planning to build a new building. In 2008, we purchased 38 acres on the south-west corner
of Billy Maher Road and Old Brownsville Road directly adjacent to the St. Columba Episcopal Conference Center. In an effort to share
this good news with the church and the community, we will try to keep this page up-to-date on the latest events in this process.
Check back often!
Master Plan Group Meetings
Working with Hord Architects, we have begun trying to bring together the many ideas, hopes, and dreams for a comprehensive
master plan.  Hord Architects, (l to r) Matthew Lee and Carter Hord
The patient folks of Hord Architects will meet with the Building Committee, the Church Staff, the Heads of Ministries,
the Vestry, and the Church as a Whole. The minutes and ideas from those meetings are listed below:
Master Plan Program and Phase I
The Master Plan Group meetings led us to create a Master Plan Program. Said differently, Hord Architects and the Building Committee combined and edited
the meetings into one list of items we want in a new building. This Master Plan Program can be found here:
The Architects then began to try to fit a square footage number to those ideas. The results are two different documents.
One is the Master Plan Square Footage which includes everything we want. The other document is the Phase I Square Footage where we try to reach a
consensus on what to build:
Did we forget something or do you have an idea you want to have included? Please contact the Church office or email
Laura Fox Ingram on the Building Committee as soon as possible!
Our Architects
After a lengthy interview and evaluation process, the Building Committee and Vestry unanimously selected Carter Hord and Hord Architects
to design and build our new church space. Hord Architects is a second generation architecture firm based in Memphis. The firm
specializes in churches which span from New York to Tennessee to Minnesota. Hord Architects has a service approach to architecture.
Their three part philosophy includes designing inspirational architecture, specifically suited to the client's needs, and within
budget. They believe that meaning and content are what separate architecture from mere building. Architecture should in some way
transcend utility. For the firm, architecture is a form of ministry because they feel called to use their talents in a glorifying
manner. Lear more at their website: www.hordarchitects.com
Our Discernment Group
The Vestry has chosen Terri Mathes and The Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) to lead us in a Discernment Process. Terri Mathes
The mission
of the ECF is to strengthen the leadership and financial capabilities of Episcopal congregations, dioceses, and related organizations
to pursue their mission and ministry. They hope to be a comprehensive and holistic resource that helps revitalize Episcopal communities
of faith.
The Discernment Process will center on finding and clearly elucidating our mission priorities as a parish. Mike Bilger has graciously agreed to shepherd this important work. In order to move forward with our Building Program, Mike and Terri want us to answer two critical questions as a church community:
1) "What is God calling us to do?"
2) "What do we need to answer that call?"
If you want to learn more about The Episcopal Church Foundation, please visit their website: www.episcopalfoundation.org
Our Prayer
Join us in our prayer for this process of building and for our community:
| O Gracious God, Master Builder of the Universe, we seek your guidance and wisdom on our journey to building a new space for
St. Elisabeth's. Guide us to reach out to each other and work together as a parish united in The Spirit. As we work together,
help us to remember that our parish is more than any building made of wood and stone, but a community, built on your gifts of
faith, hope, and love. We ask this through Christ out Lord. Amen. |
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