Do you know where the furnace is at Murray Church? Did you know there are TONS of rocks on the roof (it’s okay, they’re supposed to be there)? Did you know that there is a 2,000-gallon oil tank under the parking lot? Did you ever wonder who makes sure that Murray Church is maintained? Who deals with broken windows, or paints classrooms, or who makes sure the fire alarm and exit signs work in case of an emergency? There are a million things that need to be taken care of at a facility this size. These things are taken care of by the Property Committee.

The mission of the Property Committee is to oversee the upkeep of and improvements to the physical property of the church.

The average American lives in approximately 1,300 square feet of space. Whether you own your home or rent from someone else, stuff breaks all the time and someone has to fix it. Imagine trying to keep things working in a building space that opens at 6 AM and more often than not is still occupied at 9 PM.

Some of the Committee's recent projects:

• One of our major successes in recent years was the replacement of the boiler, which was well past its service life. The new boiler is less than half the size of the old one and is noticeably more efficient.
• Replacement of all the windows in the RE wing with new energy efficient windows and providing accommodations for A/C units (supplied by Markman Daycare) which will be available for use by us in the warmer months.
• Demolition of the  "Scout House" on the rear of our property which was structurally deficient and was a potential danger.
• Replacement/ Refurbishment of the R.E. wing hallway ceiling
• Complete renovation of the Men's and Women's bathrooms in the main part of the church
• Blue Room Repainting Project
• Restoration of the Campanile

But not all projects are this big; there are things as simple as painting a room or replacing a faucet. These things take just a few hours.

The Property Committee schedules two "Clean Up" Sundays during the church year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Volunteers are always needed to assist with these clean up efforts. It's a great way to give back to the church and to meet other members and friends. Besides feeling good about sprucing up the grounds, we have a great cookout after all the clean up is completed.

If you are interested in learning more about, or possibly, working with the Committee, or volunteering to help with a specific project, you can contact any committee member or the Church Office at 508-222-0505; we could use the help! This may also be a way to learn. Working with someone who has experience makes the task less intimidating and more fun.  

Bathroom Reconstruction:

Blue Room Repainting Project:

Thanks to Irene & Len Yutkins and Rob Hasselbaum who recently repainted the Blue Room across from the Office. And to Larry Reilly for his above-and-beyond assistance in cleaning and re-organizing. The Blue Room is being turned into a classroom for the OWL (Our Whole Lives) class on Sundays. We will also use it as a meeting space and as the new place to give out Food Pantry bags.