God's Plan, Our Hands ...

Empowered by God's Spirit, we follow Jesus Christ in attitude, action, and love, as disciples and apostles who are equipped and sent to represent God's reign in the world through worship, service and community.

At UPC, we are continually encouraged to find some way to “breathe in”  God’s love ­—through worship, a Bible study, Sunday school, fellowship­—and to find a way to “breathe out” God’s love through mission and service to others. 

UPC's Master Plan, "God's Plan, Our Hands .... Building for the Future" addresses both kinds of ministry, focusing on the needs of today and God's plan for the future.

Our Service and Mission to Others --- "Breathe Out"

UPC is entering a new era with our commitment to house the Micah 6 Food Pantry.  Currently housed at University Baptist Church, the Food Pantry, supported by twelve university area congregations, provides groceries for up to 150 clients twice each week.  Part of the renovation plans involves enhancing the lower level that will accommodate Micah 6, including a food storage space area, rooms for offices, and a “shopping area” for clients to make their food selections.  Modifications to the entrances will be made to enable deliveries from the alley and to enhance accessibility for disabled visitors.  The Great Hall may also be used as a welcoming area by Micah 6 clients waiting to be served.

Because mission is central to UPC’s identity, a portion of the money raised in our “God’s Plans, Our Hands” capital campaign will be sent to our brothers and sisters in the Congo for their own church renovation.  Approximately $25,000 will be needed for repairs to their building, the first Presbyterian church built in the Congo, having been completed in 1899. 

Experiencing God's Love through Worship, Study, & Fellowship --- "Breathe In"

The Upper level - Youth & Children's Classrooms

After seeking input from Sunday school teachers, youth sponsors, and the school-age children themselves, the plan allows for the "younger church" to be together on the same floor.  One enhancement will be a small kitchen between the middle- and high-school rooms for use by all ages during Sunday school, or to prepare dinner before Youth Group on Sunday evening.

The Sound of Angels Choir will practice in an enhanced and updated performance space, which will also be equipped with a large screen and video projector. Youth, college, and church and community groups of all ages will be able to enjoy movie nights and special video presentations, drama productions, and a variety of live concerts. 

Main level  - Lecture Hall/Chapel and Fellowship Center

Our strategy calls for the current Fellowship Hall to be divided into two distinct areas to more efficiently meet our worship, education, hospitality, and fellowship needs.  The revitalized Lecture Hall/Chapel and Fellowship Center, with access to both the existing courtyard and the deck to the new north courtyard, will be the most comfortable, convenient, and utilized area of the church.

The space on the west end, most visible to the street, will function as a large adult lecture hall on Sunday mornings, seating up to ninety people. The room to the east will remain a Fellowship Center, the logical gathering place for coffee and conversation. Sofas, tables, chairs, and a small kitchen area will make the Fellowship Center an attractive and functional space on Sunday mornings and during the week; the campus ministry program may use both spaces on Sunday evenings.

Main level  - Campus Ministry

UPC is at the center of an increasingly concentrated university population, placing us in a unique position to offer hospitality and to meet the spiritual needs of these students. By creating two distinct areas—for worship / study and fellowship—UPC will bolster its commitment to “serving Christ at the University of Texas.”

Currently, those who choose to attend the evening service eat dinner and worship in the large, multi-purpose Fellowship Hall, arranging the chairs for their worship service, and putting them back for another week. Providing the campus ministry program with a dedicated and intimate worship space, distinct from the fellowship and dining area, will add a sense of the sacred to the evening worship, and it will demonstrate to those who choose to attend that service that the whole community is committed to making the study and worship of God the cornerstones of our church building.

Main level  - Staff Offices

Other changes on the main level include opening staff members’ offices directly into the hall and providing the office manager with valuable work and storage space.  The current library will function as a work area, conference room, and Adult Sunday school classroom. 

Lower level - The Great Hall

On the lower level, we will make good use of space by creating a Great Hall for all-church events.  With one and a half times the space of our current Fellowship Hall, we will be able to accommodate the church we are now and the one we hope to become.

Lower level - North Courtyard

An excavated north courtyard will bring light into the Great Hall and give parents a secure place for their children to play after church dinners (but before the parents are ready to leave!).  The new courtyard, with decks connecting to the Fellowship Center upstairs, could become an inviting and casual gathering place for fellowship groups, especially our students and young adults who may have no other access to a large area for church-related gatherings.

Lower level - Commercial Kitchen

With appropriate modifications and new appliances, the commercial kitchen on the lower level will be a great improvement over our current kitchen.

Lower level - Nursery, Classrooms, and Storage

The addition of storage space for the choir, an improved nursery area, and three new adult classrooms will enhance those ministries as well.

Improved Access - Additional Elevator

In addition to these changes on the lower level, the Master Plan calls for the construction of an elevator in the south end of the church, accessible from the end of the south hall on the lower level and the narthex on the main level.  The elevator will allow disabled people access to the sanctuary via the south entrance; it will give parents easy access to Bridge to Worship or the nursery; and it will alleviate overloading of the north elevator when there are events in the Great Hall. 

"Breathe Better"

Moving forward, our plan is to address the moisture retention issues on the lower level which lead to poor air quality and limited use of the space.  Additionally, the new units will improve the efficiency of our heating and cooling systems.

Currently, with our two-pipe system, the water that conditions the air is either hot or cold, requiring water in the system to be completely heated up or cooled down to alter the temperature indoors.  With a four-pipe system, both hot and cold water always runs in the pipes. If we need to cool the sanctuary for worship, and heat up the north hall for fellowship, or if the sanctuary needs to be heated in the morning and cooled in the afternoon, this can be accomplished more quickly and efficiently with a four-pipe system.

Thanks to sanctuary renovations in 1999, many of the existing air handling units will be usable in the new four-pipe system.  We will add equipment to bring in fresh outside air, conditioned to alleviate the moisture problems in the lower level and allow a better room-to-room temperature control.

One major provision of the HVAC renovation is to relocate the chiller and cooling tower on the north end of the church property.  Moving the mechanical system from its current location below the narthex will create better access to the lower level from the sanctuary.  This is very important for members and visitors whose children are in the nursery—currently accessed via a labyrinthine corridor.  We hope this will have the added benefit of reducing the noise in the sanctuary that comes from the mechanical system—a subject of particular concern because the air conditioning must be shut off during concerts. 

"Breathe Easier"