How St. John's looked before with its ramp and windowless entry.
Church member Terry Bonk at St. John's Lutheran, where a major remodel is taking place.
As with some 40-year-old humans, time comes for a facelift with nicks and tucks to smooth wrinkles and solidify the sags.
St. John's Lutheran Church in Medical Lake has reached that age and is having its own type of surgery, not with a scalpel but a power shovel that has scraped away the old front ramp making way for a fresh new look.
Church member Terry Bonk spoke about the project which had its origins about 10 years ago with a design he originated. It includes the removal of the original doors with the current building being extended by about 16 feet. A new vestibule will replace the old look where double doors will allow access on each side.
"(It's a) fairly major project," Bonk said. "We're overhauling the entire front of the church."
The original double doors at the front of the church will give way to a 12-foot opening with large windows that will lighten the interior. The addition will feature a separate roofline.
Located at 223 S. Hallett, St. John's has been part of the community since the early 1900s, Bonk said. Total congregation numbers about 400 with 100 attending each week.
The whole project prices out in the neighborhood of $190,000. A portion of that has come through donations, but the church also took out a bank loan. Construction, which started about two weeks ago, will take six to eight weeks to complete.
The remodel will finish with new siding offering a seamless transition for both the existing church and new addition.
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].
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