Stained Glass Window Dedication

watch the video - click on the photos - read the story

The Windows…

September 19, 2010

The story of “The Windows” started soon after we moved into our new church home. Around Good Friday of 2009, it was decided that a few interested volunteers would create stained glass windows for the wall spaces just outside the chapel. We saw this as an opportunity to share our gifts.
 
The cross image outside the chapel was our first challenge. It took about 103 hours and $225 for materials. Mickey Christian, an MCCGSL congregant, donated his time and talents to install the panels that July.
 
Inspired by the cross, we felt empowered to attempt the sanctuary windows. We are Kathy Wallace, Katie Wottowa, Elaine Lopez, Jackie McNeil, Nancy Dixon, Gerry Humphreys and Mike Fienup. For several months we met at Kathy & Katie’s home going over designs. The congregation was invited to participate in the design process. We established a few criteria: The windows needed to stand on their own, but should have some common elements. We collectively realized that only a contemporary design would fit in our church setting. Meeting every Wednesday night, we huddled around the table coloring designs and exchanging ideas. Of course we had to eat. It was carryout, pizza, potluck, leftovers or whatever we had on hand. The best part was getting to know each other better, appreciating everyone’s skills, and being a part of a large-scale creative process that was to become an important part of our church home.
 
It was a powerful moment when we realized a final design.
 
After months of sharing ideas, it only took a few minutes one night when we found what we felt was the perfect solution. We illustrated the final design and submitted the drawings to Paul Listemann of the Building Committee, with an estimated cost of $1200 to $2000. Once we had the Board of Directors’ approval, we started meeting at Preston Art Glass Studio to pick out colors and textures in glass. Dale Preston gave the church a 10% discount on all our supplies. We spent 32 hours choosing 20 different colors of glass. (Dale was our professional advisor and installed all three completed windows.)
 
We began the glass cutting process in January 2010 in Kathy and Katie’s basement studio. We made a template of each window, numbered each piece and cut apart the pieces of the template. The design looked like a giant puzzle. Working on one window
at a time, we put each pattern piece into an envelope. Then, after tracing each pattern piece onto glass, we cut them out. We estimate each piece of glass was handled
about 15 times during the entire process and there are approximately 625 pieces of glass in all!
 
Inspired by the diversity of our congregation, we chose a wide variety of colors. All these pieces looked like just a bunch broken glass individually, but when united they became a glorious work of art. We feel this symbolizes our congregation. We may be “broken glass” individually, but it is when we are united and come together in worship that we become God’s beautiful work of art.
 
Our prayers are that these windows add to your spiritual experience in our beautiful new church home and for blessings to radiate from The Windows upon all who enter this space.