We are looking to make some key improvements on our campus to contribute to our ability to minister into the future
We want Simi Covenant Church to be a vibrant gospel-centered community here in Simi for decades to come. Our campus is a tool we use for that.
Maintenance is a constant need and good stewardship of the campus requires vigilance. We often need to repair pipes, AC, update lighting, etc., but sometimes there are bigger projects that come up.
There are four areas on our campus needing our immediate attention (in relative order of importance):
1. The church office building (degradation issue & improved workspace) [the congregation chose to change this project because of soaring costs. In the end we put a new roof on and repainted the building. We will do some further interior upgrades, but short of doing a full renovation.]
2. The brick patio near the east parking lot (safety issue) [IN PROCESS]
3. Landscaping [COMPLETE] (stewardship of water issue)
4. New Monument Sign on Alamo [COMPLETE] (welcoming of people issue) [COMPLETE]
There are many other things that we could and in the future should address but we are prioritizing these projects.
The Church Office
The church office building is probably the building you have been in the least, but it is a hive of activity during the week. It was the original farm house on the property and though it has had many repairs and changes over the years, it is starting to show its age. The roof needs replacing. We need accessible entrances to make it easier for those with mobility issues to visit pastors and office staff. We will be upgrading the windows to be energy efficient and adding insulation -- both moves will reduce our energy consumption in a building where some days the air conditioning (or heater!) runs from 9am-5pm. We will be removing the fireplace that no one uses and creating better workflow space. Once renovated this building will also look more in line with other buildings on campus and will be a surprisingly good facelift to the whole campus. We will also be able to address the hazardous steps in the office that are a safety issue. Having a single-level ADA-approved office space will be a great asset to our church community.
2. The Brick Patio
The brick patio near the east parking lot. It is possible that you were a part of the team that did the back-breaking work of laying that patio. What a gift to our church! The patio is one of the main entry points on Sunday, is where preschool children are dropped off daily, is the front door of the church office, and a gathering place. We have needed to make repairs over the years to the patio but it has been identified as a tripping hazard and a major liability for us. This area will be repaved, which will help direct new churchgoers toward the worship center while keeping the beautiful trees.
3. Landscaping
Our campus landscaping has never looked better and we can thank Kathy and Jim Lowry for much of that. Here's a fact: We spend a tremendous amount of money on water. Furthermore, with water scarcity likely to be a bigger problem in the future, moving to drought-tolerant and lower-water use plants will be a good move. We are going to be updating all of our landscaping facing Alamo with a likely mix of grass and beautiful new plants. We hope to save some $$ on our water bill, plan to make campus care easier, and are looking to make our church campus even more welcoming to new members.
4. Signage
This is the least expensive part of our renovations, but is still key. If you have been at Simi Cov for a long time, you probably NEVER feel lost. But here's the thing -- the future of our church depends, in part, on helping new people to feel welcomed when they come. Friendly outsiders have helped us to realize that we need to help point people where to go. You may have noticed some of our temporary signs that went up on campus -- they are "tests" to help us figure out where we need signage. We will also be using uniform signage to identify our buildings and changing from the temporary wrap on our main sign to a permanent one.