by Tom Booth, Artworks Committee and Buildings & Grounds Committee member
Christ Church Cranbrook is our church, however, many of you will agree that CCC is much more. For decades, the church has been our family’s spiritual and community common ground. Even though Lois and I have not been members as long as some, we are moved to reflect on the many deeply
rewarding experiences within these walls from baptisms to board membership.
I could list the many programs – such as ushers, acolytes, altar guild, carillon concerts, committees, Bless the Pets, Bible Study, Movie Nights, Crossroads, and beyond – that have impacted and continue to reunite our family but, most importantly, we find that the ‘uncategorized’ Christ Church Cranbrook moments and friendships resulting from church and its many programs are the most memorable.
As I prepared to write about the Capital Campaign From our Founders to Our Future for this week’s Communicant, it became very apparent that these moments and bonds have the strength to shape a lifetime and that they are all truly the result of our ancestors’ generosity. After all, there were certainly many other ways to utilize their resources yet they chose to give us this beautiful church and all of Cranbrook. Since the beginning, many other families have participated to make this a vibrant lively place.
Today, the space needs to be renovated, reconfigured, and redesigned to accommodate future
generations. Interestingly, the last major renovation of the church took place in 1938, when we added the program building. Back then, it was a bold move to build an addition to a church that was only ten years old. It turned out to be an enlightened decision. Since then, we have expanded the first floor and and added a new kitchen, but we have not embarked on major structural changes to the church.
We have used the program building to grow our church, to host exciting programs and groups, to open an early childhood education center, and to teach young and old about God. We have hosted many events, from weddings to funerals, and we have learned how to love each other with the same love that God first showed us in his Son, Jesus.
Can you imagine the potential impact in lives with even more gathering spaces, more classrooms, a better configuration of our parking lot and a more thoughtful design of our interior space?
Lois and I are proud to support this capital campaign. I encourage you to take a tour to see what the proposed plans are. Meet with a member of the Campaign Leadership Committee and join us to help shape the future of Christ Church Cranbrook. Above all, I am writing to ask each of you to
celebrate the community of this church, pray for this campaign, consider participating in this exciting new chapter in our parish’s life.
Your brother in Christ,
Tom Booth