As many of you have experienced first-hand, “Operation South Campus” has been in full swing since early July, when our Pastors and staff began the herculean task of relocating all church activities to the south end of campus. From the new nursery in what was formerly the Pastor’s study, to a reimagined Contemporary service in the Sanctuary, to new spaces and places for children, youth and adults to meet and learn, the plan was conceived and executed with an unmatched spirit of creativity and grace. Thank you to all who worked so hard to make a difficult transition look easy!
On two Sundays this month, the 18th and 25th, tour guides will be providing a first look at the new campus layout and new locations for Sunday School classes and other gatherings. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to find where you belong!
July was notable as well for some not-so-positive building news…We continue to be impacted by failures in our infrastructure. The cast iron sewer lines in the south building collapsed requiring an extensive clean-up and replacement with more durable PVC piping. Concurrent with this, we discovered that the grease trap and lines serving the south kitchen also needed replacement and updating. The sewer lines were remediated in July and the grease trap work looks to be completed this week.
Behind the scenes, our fundraising consultants, CCS, have been hard at work reviewing our financial data and gathering input to prepare a proposed capital campaign. A Congregation-wide survey will go out the week of August 12th, accompanied by a five-page overview of our most pressing funding needs and opportunities for reimagining our north campus in ways that will engage and inspire generations to come. Please take the time to thoughtfully complete the survey and make your voice count! A final report from CCS which includes a campaign roadmap identifying proposed next steps and a timetable uniquely tailored to PHPC will be delivered in September. More than a summary of findings, the report is built to serve as an actionable blueprint for moving into active planning and implementation.
And of course, August always brings the beginning of school for both Preston Hollow Presbyterian School and Pre-School. Teachers are already at work readying their classrooms in the north campus, which will be their home for the 2024-25 school year. As we have previously reported, the Session and Special Projects Team made the decision to separate the two ends of campus, which will lessen the load on the north end’s aging infrastructure. The School will maintain the spaces, and provide any necessary repairs that may arise. When the school year concludes next July 1, the north campus will be dormant pending the work needed to fulfill our vision for its future.
As always, please reach out to any of us individually or collectively via feedback@phpc.org. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
The Special Projects Team
