Prayers for Col. Hadley

Jerry Hadley, a member of our congregation, was promoted to Colonel in the United States Army. I was honored to be asked offer a prayer at the beginning and of the promotion ceremony. Please keep him and all officers in command of our nation's military in your prayers.

Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of all things, we recall the ancient words, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” and so we ask your blessing on this gathering of women and men who are so devoted to the call of peace that they are willing to give of their time, energy and even their very lives for causes of righteousness, justice and freedom. This day we recognize one from their midst whom you have granted special skills of leadership, wisdom and courage. As he is promoted to this new level of authority, may he receive this position with humility and a determination to lead those under his command with fairness and valor in the service of this State, this country, and of you. Together, may he and those under his command overcome those who oppress and cause harm and may each one be constantly under your protection and guidance. These things we pray in the name of the Prince of Peace. Amen.

And now, may the God of Power keep you strong in all of life’s struggles. May the God of Righteousness keep you faithful to the goals of freedom and liberty. May the God of Majesty protect when you confront adversaries and grant you victory. And may the God of All grant you, your families, the State of Indiana and the United States of American peace in our time. This is our prayer offered in the name of the Lord, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Amen.

Adult Sunday Church School

As Noblesville First considers the configuration of future worship times, settings and styles that will best serve our congregation and attract new members, one factor that must not be lost in the discussion is Sunday School. Adult Sunday Church School is at the core of Christian discipleship for our and any congregation. While First Church has a strong program of adult Bible studies throughout the week, I do not think we are quite yet ready to abandon Sunday mornings as a time for adult Christian education and fellowship.

We have several adult classes that meet during our current 9:30 worship hour. Those attending these classes are able to worship at 8:15, 10:45 or 11:00. Some folk attend Sunday School and then sing in the choir at 10:45. Others will attend Sunday School and choose not to participate in any worship opportunity on a particular Sunday. Some of the people who actively attend adult Sunday School are among our members most oriented to traditional worship in the sanctuary. Some older members find it difficult to attend the earlier services limiting their options. Each of the current adult classes is a significant faith group for those involved.

If we were to evolve to the schedule for which I have received the most positive comments, 8:00 - Sanctuary; 9:30 - Celebration Hall w/Choir; and 11:00 - Celebration Hall w/Praise Band, our adult church school classes might well suffer. We sacrifice options for a number of people.

We already have a adult class meeting in the Parlor at 8:15. Perhaps we should have adult study groups running concurrently with all three of the worship services. If interest were present, those added classes might well attract persons not currently in a study. Additionally, it would even be possible to have an intensive two hour class at 8:00 or even at 9:30. With a half hour between the services, Sunday morning might even provide an opportunity for a two and half hour intensive study such as Disciple. Some confirmation classes could occur during that longer period as well. Even with a longer class time, worship during the first or hour of the morning would remain possible.

Changes in Adult Sunday School would most likely mean that we also examine the best time for the children's study hour. Could multiple session work for children as well.

One suggestion that has been floated is to have only two services with Sunday school in between.
However, some members recall the move intentionally away from the two service schedule and are reluctant to return to that format. They recognize that a number of parents attend worship while their children attend Sunday school and think that combined option is important. Still, the move to three services was influenced by seating capacity in the sanctuary. With the increased capacity of Celebration Hall, over crowding may no longer be a major factor.

In a two service schedule, it would even be possible to have both the choral worship and the praise band both in Celebration Hall. The Sunday school hour between the services would allow more than enough opportunity to reset the room for the different styles. Yet, that would leave us without using the sanctuary for worship. Are we ready for that?

I think abandoning the sanctuary would generate protests from a portion of our congregation, some of whom do not even attend worship in the sanctuary, but still want it used.

Is there an arrangement that includes using the fullest capacity of our all structure?

Question about two pastors and four services

Question from E-mail:
I know that having 2 pastors preparing a sermon each week seems unfeasible; however, I think it would be advantageous for some of the lay persons to step up and acquire some of the other responsibilities that may be handled now by clergy.  Although my participation this past year has been somewhat less than normal, I feel a bit of apathy or maybe lethargy among our congregants.  I think we need to be spurred to action once again and maybe this is the opportunity for this to happen.

Response:

. One of the problems with both pastors preaching is not just the Sunday morning schedule, but the yearly preaching schedule. Each pastor has four weeks vacation and an additional four Sunday’s a year that can be taken for family or professional reasons. That would 16 Sundays a year or about a fourth of the time when one pastor would still have the need to cover four services.

Ash Wednesday Sermon notes

SERMON                    Judged, Condemned and Hoping for a Pardon            Pastor Wolfe

The trial had provided all the details. The evidence was clear. The judge was fair. When the verdict was handed down there were no gasps of surprise. The word, “Guilty” stood as a testament to reality of the truth. While some may have disagreed with the harshness of the sentence, the law was clear. It was a capital crime. The penalty for such an act was death.

That is where is Adam and Eve stood on that day in the Garden. God had been very clear. (Genesis 2:15-17 NIV)  The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. {16} And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; {17} but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

The juice of the forbidden fruit was still smeared on their faces. They had tried to hide from God, but God had found them. Now all they can do is wait for the sentence to be carried out.

And if the truth be told, we can each be found standing beside them, each guilty of disobedience to the will of God. We are each under the same sentence of death for our sins.

(Romans 3:23 NIV)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

(Romans 5:12 NIV)  Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--

We are simply waiting for that moment when the penalty will be exacted. We do not know and cannot know when the day of ending will come. We all hope to live full lives – but even the longest and fullest life will someday conclude.

I did some research. According to the life expectancy listed by the United States Census Bureau, as a white male living in Indiana my average life expectancy at my age is another 1,215 weeks. Each of these marbles represents one of those weeks. Each week will be precious. Somewhere near the bottom is one black marble that marks the week of my death.

But there are only so many marbles until only the black marble remains. Some day the penalty for sin in my life will be carried out and my life on earth will end.

The reality of that sentence is the reason we gather and smear ashes on our foreheads. We gather and remember that we are mortal and this life we so enjoy, this life which is so precious to us, is not without end. We are under a sentence of death. We come to stare that reality in the eye.

The news has reported that there is a billboard campaign coming to Indianapolis. It is paid for by a group consisting of atheists and agnostics who oppose religion. It will read, “You don’t need God – to hope, to care, to love, to live.” I appreciate the freedom of our country that they can post such a message. I would even defend their right to do so. However, the message does not make sense to me.

It is difficult for me to understand where hope exists apart from God.

Is there hope in the randomness of nature?

Is there hope in the goodness of human nature?

Is there hope in power of science? One disease is simply replaced by another as the leading cause of death.

In the end, they believe we will stand with our black marble and die, and that’s all there is.

Certainly, there would no hope in anything beyond this life.

But, we also gather to remember who God is.

God showed mercy to Adam and Eve as they stood before him in the Garden. The sentence was delayed. They were given a stay of execution.

(Genesis 3:17-19)  To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. {18} It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. {19} By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

But then God did something more. Instead just delaying the sentence, Jesus came to show us the love and mercy of God. The sentence was no longer just delayed, he came to commute the sentence.

(John 3:17)  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The victory of Easter’s empty tomb is ours to share. Death does not bring and end, but a transition. What a wonderful joy to have the black marble taken away.

Through two acts of worship tonight we first will recall our mortality and secondly we will recall the grace and mercy of God. The first act is somber and difficult. You will be invited to come forward and confront your mortality. A cross of ashes will placed on your forehead – with the words, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” I also would invite to pick up a black marble and to carry it with you during this Lenten season. Allow it to serve as a reminder of the hopelessness and futility of life without the grace of God.  On Easter Sunday, You can take that marble and throw away. Death no longer has any power over you.

The second act, is to share the sacrament of communion. Even as we remember our mortality, we should never be without a reminder of the love and sacrifice of our Lord.

Let us prepare for what is to come.

Will NFUMC keep a "contemporary" service?

I hope so and it is part of my vision.

Not having a service a service with a contemporary feel to it has never even been on my radar.  We do still need to sort out what contemporary will mean for us. There is a range in music from harder edge rock to more sedate praise music. I’m not sure where we will be when the dust settles.

Concerning the possibilty of a service using video preaching, the idea of such video is just one idea that has been around a long time. Some churches are using it effectively. When the 11:00 service was in the earliest stages of planning, we set up these services so video could be used if needed. I do not see it as a first choice.

As a pastor, I know how important it is to be in a service with people in front of me. The congregation "bends" the message as they respond. We no longer have an Amen corner, but the expressions tell a good preacher if they are on track or not. Additionally, a great deal of pastoral contact and care occurs as the congregation gathers and departs the worship space.

If the sanctuary was used for contemporary worship, it could work quite well. Chairs and pulpit furniture would be out. The stage on the chancel would be great for a band. The planned update of the organ would give midi capacity far beyond most any keyboard. It would be different but with banners and such it could work.

How pastors will we have in July 2011

Received E-mail:

Thank you for this information. I can see that you have really taken some time in thinking about the possibilities and appreciate your asking for input.

I think I understood but I would like clarification.  Will we have only one ordained pastor, You; or will we have two, you and the new associate?  Additionally, what is a lay specialist?

Response:

We will have two pastors, the senior pastor and an associate. The associate will be an experienced pastor able to perform any pastoral task.

A Lay Specialist is a lay person who focuses their work on a specific area of ministry.

Question on worship for young adults

Question:

I like the challenges you presented to each of us on Sunday.  Sometimes we tend to get a lot of the “feel good messages” and not specific challenges to our discipleship  and faith journey.  I have had some people say they know some young adults that have been looking elsewhere (how many, I don’t know) because they don’t feel a challenge to discipleship or taking the next step.  Maybe we are seeing a slight change in how young adults are thinking and that could revolutionize and possibly revitalize our church specifically if this is true.  Wondered what your thoughts were on this. 

Response:

The term young adult is about as wide ranging a term as exists.  The age 18 to 25, or 18 to 28, or 18 to 30 includes: people who work for minimum wage to those already getting rich; people who are single, married, and single parents; high school drop-outs to Ph.D.’s; people of about every political and theological persuasion; people still innocent and living at home to combat hardened war veterans. Psychologists are telling us that in our current culture adolescence extends until the mid to late 20’s. They are still experiencing brain development, especially in those areas of the brain dealing with decision making. This is not a cohesive group. If there is any commonality in the group as a whole it is that they are constantly changing and always looking for the next best thing. The next best thing is likely defined by their peer group.

We always have some people “looking. And so does every other church. If we try to select a worship/music style that perfectly fits each taste, we would have to have a couple hundred worship services.

I have received this same message from a parent. Some of our 20-somethings have been exposed to very fundamentalist/conservative theology in college churches and through para-church groups like Campus Crusade. Those experiences occurred at very positive and affirming times in their lives when responsibilities were low and lots of time was available for friendship. As they hit the work-a-day world, there is yearning for all things which once provided the structure and comfort of the good old days – including the sermons. For some of this group there is little we can do that meet their expectations. It is easy for the young to be quite judgmental and critical, seeking affirmation of those things they have already decided are right or wrong with the world.

Our challenge is to cast a broad net so as to gather as many as we can into the kingdom, but not so broad  a net that everything flows through it. Should we share less “Good News”? Should we encourage those in struggle less? Is not discipleship best learned in a small group or with a mentor?

I hope I do not sound defensive. There is a core issue here worth examination and discussion – what is the role of grace and what is structure in the life of Christian and do we provide both.

Announcement letter for associate appointment change

March 3, 2011

To the Family of God at First Church:

Last Sunday, February 27, 2011, Kevin Emmert, chairman of our Staff Parish Relations Committee, announced to the congregation during worship that as July 1, 2011, both Pastor In Suk Pebbles and Pastor Dave Scifres would be appointed to other churches. The announcement brought an audible gasp of surprise from the congregation. It will be difficult for First Church to bid farewell to both of these beloved pastors. They have served this church with love, humor, wisdom and grace.

Both In Suk and Dave are in conversation with our District Superintendent about their new appointments. At the appropriate time, we will be able to celebrate with them their new opportunities in ministry. It would helpful for you to know that our United Methodist structure will not allow them to discuss which church they may next serve until a formal announcement can be made by each congregation involved.

Later this spring, the congregation will be given opportunity to celebrate their labors among us and to express to each of them our appreciation. As the time of change nears, we will make sure everyone is given opportunity to say, “Thank you”.

Being the quality of pastor and individual both In Suk and Dave are, they both intend to faithful serve this congregation until the day they begin their new parishes. Feel free to continue to call upon them as they can be helpful to you.

The Staff-Parish Committee has already met with the District Superintendent, Dr. Frank Beard, about who will be coming to be our next associate pastor. We have shared with him a detailed profile about our church and about the skills and gifts we believe we need in such an individual. This new pastor will have the qualifications and experience to help us to minister in our parish setting. I expect that this process will move very quickly and an announcement will occur shortly. (In order to understand more about the United Methodist appointment process you might read Bishop Coyner’s explanation at http://www.inumc.org/pages/detail/62 .)

As we move toward the future, we will have only one full-time ordained associate pastor instead of the two associate pastors whose positions are being opened. This decision to move to a pastoral staff of a senior pastor and one associate pastor has been well considered and discussed by the Staff-Parish Relations Committee. It is not a decision which has been driven ultimately by finances, but rather is motivated by the ministry needs of this church.

The decision to have two associate pastors was a decision we grew into rather than one which we ever specifically made. A bit of history will help explain. When Jim Moon began his ministry among us, he came as a youth pastor, planning on entering ministry in another denomination. During Jim’s tenure here, he made the decision to enter ministry in the United Methodist Church. As he transitioned into the United Methodist system, he was appointed here as a student pastor while in seminary, then upon graduation from seminary, he was appointed to First Church as a full-time pastor. He only served this congregation a few weeks after his ordination before moving to his current church in Jeffersonville. The position of the second associate simply grew as Jim advanced through the stages of the United Methodist ordination process. When Jim moved to his own parish four years ago, we simply followed the status quo, continued with two associate pastors, and the Bishop appointed Pastor Dave to fill Jim’s vacated position.

As the economy slowed and other transitions occurred in the life of the church, we have decreased the number of part-time staff. Positions held by such persons as Rev. Warren Otter, Callie Smith, Phyllis Hunter and Rebecca Koppin were not filled as they became vacant. In a process that began in 2009 with the Staff-Parish Committee meeting with a consultant, the Staff-Parish Committee has been reconsidering that gradual and unplanned change in staff philosophy and structure.

We pastors are trained as general practitioners of ministry. Each pastor has essentially the same type of calling and educational background. Our current arrangement of three ordained clergy offers significant depth in persons with essentially the same skill set. We settled into an arrangement, where like many larger United Methodist churches, the second associate position became essentially a residency program where a recent seminary graduate accumulates practical experience. As the Staff-Parish Committee examined our church’s needs, the investment in three staff positions nearly identical in ministry capabilities, with one as a “training” position, did not seem to be as cost-effective as our past system of employing lay staff with specific areas of focus.

In place of the second associate pastor, our current plan is to add three to five part-time staff positions each with having a narrow focus in a needed area of ministry. Among the positions under consideration would be either a retired pastor or part-time local pastor (a pastor who while not ordained has sacramental privileges) who would assist with hospital visitation, pastoral care and perhaps ministry to older adults. Additionally, we would expand the parish visitor position, from which Dawn Scifres recently resigned, and thus continue to insure that our shut-ins and nursing home folk receive the nurture and care we want them to have. We will add a mission’s specialist who will coordinate our outreach to the community and organize adult and youth work teams to areas of need locally, nationally and even internationally. Another position would focus on ministry to families and marriages. One other position has yet to be defined. We think we can fill these multiple staff positions for approximately the same cost as one full-time ordained clergy under appointment.

One major change associated with this revision of staffing is that our Sunday morning worship schedule would shift to having only one pastor preach at all our Sunday morning English language services. This shift to having one preaching pastor each week will likely result in a change in worship times and perhaps in a change in which room a particular service will meet. Over the next couple of months we will invest considerable energy to discerning which schedule makes the best sense.

As senior pastor, I am fully committed to our church continuing to offer both traditional and contemporary styled worship opportunities. The membership of the congregation will be very involved in these decisions. However, I know that everyone is open to change in worship time and style as long as the service they attend does not change. It will impossible to meet every individual personal preference. I trust that we each will seek to have our church offer worship opportunities that meet not only our own preferences but most effectively appeal to others seeking a new church home.

Please feel free to contact me as I can answer questions about the appointment process, the new staffing philosophy and the plans for future worship opportunities.

With faith, trust, discernment and the guidance of the Holy Spirit may we move boldly toward the future of Noblesville First United Methodist Church.

Yours in the service of Christ,

N. Jack Wolfe

Senior Pastor

Bio information on new associate pastor start July 1

Rev. R. Aaron Hobbs

MINISTRY EXPERIENCE

         2007-Present     Executive Pastor

                                    Fishers United Methodist Church                                          Fishers, IN

·       Primary duties include: weekly preaching and worship leadership, teaching, pastoral care, leading Confirmation, assisting with the operation of the Come to Me Food Pantry, and supervision of the program, administrative, financial, and custodial staff of the congregation.

            2003-2007       Pastor

New Market and Waveland-Covenant United Methodist Churches (2-Point Charge)

·       Solo pastor of two rural churches in Montgomery County.

·       Primary duties included: preaching, teaching, pastoral care, missions, outreach, and administration.

·       Managed two church-owned rental properties.

2002-2003           Associate Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries

Sunrise at Geist United Methodist Church                            Indianapolis, IN

·       Led Youth Ministry Program and developed family ministry opportunities.

·       Assisted with weekly worship, volunteer supervision, and pastoral care. 

2001-2002       Program Coordinator & Associate Pastor

Brightwood Community Center                                             Indianapolis, IN

& St. Paul-Brightwood United Methodist Church

·       Developed and supervised programs for children, youth, and adults.

·       Supervised volunteer and paid staff.

·       Directed the Brightwood Summer Program for Youth and Children.

·       Led Wesley Foundation college interns in vocational discernment process.  

·       Assisted with weekly worship and pastoral care. 

            1998-2000       Children’s Ministry Coordinator & Director of After-School Ministries      

Zionsville United Methodist Church                                     Zionsville, IN

·       Trained and coordinated children’s ministry volunteers and staff.

·       Co-chaired the ZUMC Board of Education.

·       Developed and directed the R.O.C.K. After-School Program for K-8 grade students.

·       Supervised Confirmation program and Vacation Bible School.  

EDUCATION

2000-2003       Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary                           Evanston, IL

·       M.Div.

– Presidential Scholarship Recipient

1991-1995       Indiana University (IUPUI)                                                    Indianapolis, IN

·       B.S. (Elementary Education)

CONNECTIONAL MINISTRY

            2006-2008       Member of the South Indiana Conference  Board of Ordained Ministry

·       Chairperson of the Clergy Recruitment & Retention Task Force

            2005-2008       Member of the South Indiana Conference Board of Outdoor Ministries

·       5^th & 6^th Grade Age-Level Program Coordinator 

·       Director of 5^th & 6^th Grade Sports Camp

2005-2008       Member of the South Indiana Conference Board of Young Adult Ministry

·       U.M. University Chaplain & Campus Minister Liaison

2004-2008           Member of the S.I.C. Continuing Formation Panel

SPECIALIZED SKILLS & TRAINING

• Disciple Bible Study Trained Leader.
• Community Development Grant Writing Experience (Summer Program Fund & Annie E. Casey Foundation).
• Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Methodist Hospital.
• Trinity Mission (Residential Substance Abuse Program for Woman) Worship Leader.
• Red Bird Mission Work Team Leader.
• Habitat for Humanity Work Project Participant.

INTERESTS

I enjoy golfing, fishing, snow skiing, drawing, traveling, reading, hiking, listening to live music, watching Chelsea F.C. play soccer, and spending time with my 3-year old daughter, Emma.

PERSONAL

I am blessed to be married to Michele-Justus Hobbs who is a third grade teacher at Eastbrook Elementary in Pike Township.  I was Ordained Elder in Full Connection in 2006 in the former South Indiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.  My mother and brother-in-law are also United Methodist Elders in the Indiana Conference.   

A Brief Bio for Rev. R. Aaron Hobbs

Pastor Aaron Hobbs comes to us after serving as the Executive Pastor of Fishers UMC for the past four years.  Aaron grew up in Shelbyville, IN and attended the University of Indianapolis and IUPUI, where he graduated with a B.S. degree in Elementary Education in 1995.  After teaching first-grade in IPS for two years, he felt called to teach in a different setting and started an after-school program at Zionsville UMC. 

In 2000 Aaron responded to God’s persistent call on his life to enter into the ordained ministry, and shortly after meeting his bride-to-be, Michele, he headed off to seminary at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL.  Following seminary Aaron served a two-point charge for four years as the pastor of two churches near Crawfordsville, IN (Michele’s hometown).

Michele is a third-grade teacher at Eastbrook Elementary School in Pike Township.  Three years ago Aaron and Michele were blessed by the birth of their daughter, Emma.  The Hobbs family enjoys traveling, summer concerts in the park, and spending time with family and friends.  Aaron also likes to read, play golf, ski, and watch the Cubs, the Colts, the Boilers, and Chelsea F.C. play.  Aaron, Michele, Emma, and their two cats have called Noblesville home for the past 8 years, and they look forward to serving Christ together with everyone at Noblesville First. 

Worship styles and times introduction

Last Sunday, Kevin Emmert, Chairman of the Staff-Parish Committee, announced that on July 1, 2011, Pastor in Suk Peebles and Pastor David Scifres will each be appointed to new pastorates. Soon, I expect, Kevin will make another announcement naming the pastor who will become our new associate pastor on July 1. We will only have full time ordained associate at that time. The savings from ending one of the pastoral positions will be redirected to add lay specialists and possible part-time retired pastors to the staff in areas such as missions, family ministry, member assimilation and compassionate care for our home bound members.

As a result in the change in the number of pastors, it seems wise to review our current worship schedule of English services at 8:15, 9:30; 10:45 & 11:00. The current schedule makes it extremely difficult for one pastor to preach at four services.  With only two clergy, it doesn’t seem feasible to commit the pastoral resources to have two pastors each preparing a sermon each week. Sermon and worship preparation frequently requires a fourth of a pastors time for each week. Only one pastor will preach each Sunday.

I am also aware that church people tend to have no objection to making changes in worship schedule, AS LONG AS the service they attend remains unchanged. However, something will need to change. We need to think beyond our own preferences and seek a worship plan which will be most attractive to those we wish to reach with the gospel.

I think there is great value in maintaining the variety of worship styles we currently offer. However, it also seems most wise to me to move back to just three Sunday morning services.

One suggestion is a schedule of 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00.  The 8:00 would meet in the sanctuary. The music for this service would rely on solos and small group ensembles. The 9:30 service would meet in the Celebration Hall and pretty much remain unchanged with the Chancel Choir helping to lead the music. The 11:00 service would meet in the Celebration Hall and have a contemporary worship format. The  folk who have normally worship at 10:45 who prefer to worship in the sanctuary could do so at 8:00. Those from the 10:45 service who prefer the worship time can join the 11:00 worship. This format continues the use of the major worship sites and styles.

Another suggestion has the 8:00 remaining in the chapel, the 9:30 in Celebration Hall and the contemporary style worship would be at 11:00 in the sanctuary.

A third suggestion would retain the same four service schedule, however the sermon at 11:00 would be videotape of the morning message recorded at one of earlier services.

Each of these suggestions has strengths and weaknesses.

One commonality is that each of these schedules will require that we update the video capability into all worship sites. If a pastor plans a sermon using a video clip in one service that pastor needs the capability of using that same clip in all services for that sermon. Without such common capabilities, the pastor would need to prepare two different sermons, one with video and one without. We lose the some of the time savings of having only one preacher per Sunday if the preaching pastor has to do different messages. For instance, we could install fold out and drop down screens in the sanctuary which could be hidden behind the beams in the sanctuary, lowered when needed and raised out of sight when not in use.

What I am looking for is to receive comments and suggestions from your individual perspective. Please take a few minutes and let me know what you think at this point. Help me to know what the discussion points will be.

Thanks for your help.