Our Stained Glass Windows are Back!

The first and biggest phase of the stained-glass  window restoration project is done!  The craftsmen from Willet-Hauser recently finished restoring all the stained glass windows in our church.  The two large arched windows on the south and west walls in the balcony and the one in the coat room at the back of the sanctuary have been restored and reinstalled.

All the other windows were restored in place.  The frames of each window have been repainted on the outside, and all the windows are covered with a protective cover. If you haven’t gone into the church to see them, please take the time and take a tour.  On a sunny day, particularly in the late morning and afternoon, they’re spectacular! Kate Bernardo and Pastor Jim are usually in the office on Tuesdays, so that’s a good day to come take a look – don’t forget to bring your mask!

Our congregational members and other friends of UPCC have made 134 individual pledges and gifts for our window project. The pledges and gifts to date total $167,512, and we’ve received $128,880 of that amount so far. The final cost of this phase of the project was $137,391. In the next phase of the project, we’ll be working on creating appropriate lighting behind the two tall arched windows on the east wall of the sanctuary.  Older members of our congregation recall how on a sunny morning the light  that came through those two windows bathed the sanctuary in beautiful colors and reflections.  That all ended when those windows were blocked by construction of the education wing. The current lighting behind those windows doesn’t do them justice. Our goal is to install appropriate lighting behind those windows so they will once again be as bright and beautiful as the other windows in our sanctuary.

We owe a big debt of gratitude to UPCC’s Facilities & Grounds Committee for undertaking this important project, especially Toby Griggs and Russ Fish for making sure things were done right. None of this would have been possible without all of the amazing generosity from those who’ve donated to this project. If you’ve made a pledge, we greatly appreciate it and encourage you to be faithful in your pledge.  Our pledge and gift campaign runs through 2021, so please don’t forget to fulfill your pledge.    Once we’re through the pandemic, we hope to have an open house for the community so they can all come and see the windows as well!  Come take a look!