Classy Columbus Designs: Missions on My Mind

We have made tremedous progress at Rose Hill! Praise the Lord!
The new flooring went down and the paint is dry, so here are some process photos to show you how we are doing!

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Rose Hill United Methodist Church is located in here in Columbus, and has been around for a very long time. The cornerstone on the building dates it to 1909, however the pastor told me the church was established long before that in the early 1800's and they had two fires before the building we see today. They are located in a low income part of the city and many in their congregation live in poverty. They have about 100 people who attend regularly, and about 25 children! Their ministry is one that has many ups and downs and is not an easy ministry to be in. So, why you ask, am I involved? Well, they are in desperate need of some renovations, and although I may not have many dollars to donate, I can donate time, talent, and serve in a way that will benefit their congregation hopefully for years to come!

I want to share with you the progress that we make on this building as we work through it. I have just about nothing to go on right now other than knowing what the needs are, and the desire in my heart to find a way to fulfill those needs. So I am seeking volunteers, donations, any and all help you can give, and I hope this project takes off and is more than I ever imagined!

Here are some pictures to get you excited. I'm going to work on some research about the history of the building, the congregation, and resources available for some help with refurbishing this beautiful gem and transforming it into a functional spiritual hub for people in that area to come to worship.

We start with the nursery, children's clothing closet, and elementary youth room. This will be the main focus this fall, and will be my learning experience that I hope will translate into much success in other parts of the building that so desperately need some TLC.

The infant nursery right now is very dark and lacks color. The cribs are not safe - I know that all drop side cribs have been recalled, but I wouldn' be surprised if the green one had lead paint - it's pretty old...

The bookshelf that provides the only storage for the room needs to be secured to the wall so that it doesn't topple over on any children. It also could use some baskets to store smaller toys and books in. The changing table is really in need of some updating. Maybe a fresh coat of white paint, and again some baskets to help organize all the diapers, wipes, and supplies. Those baskets will help keep little hands from pulling everything off the shelves too!

The dark carpet is very dated. Not quite as old as the carpet in the other two rooms you will see in a minute, but still old none the less. I think people think that dark carpet is great because it won't show the wear and tear, but when you have infants crawling on it and playing with toys they put in their mouths, you don't know what else icky is probably crawling on that carpet too. It has to go!

The walls are going to get a fresh coat of a bright fun paint color and hopefully a mural of some sort to give these babies something to look at! Right now, the pastor reports that there are 3 infants the nursery cares for on a regular basis. They will soon be toddlers, so we need to get this room done asap! Safety issues are our #1 priority! Also, this room is in need of a double door (or a dutch door) that can be closed at the bottom to keep the children in, but may open at the top so that anyone can have visibility into the room at all times.

Infant Nursery with unsafe crib

Infant Nursery - bookshelf is unsecure and could tip, needs more storage!

The children's clothing closet is the next room in the children's wing. It was previously used as a classroom, but right now, there are no children in the church that are aged 3-5, and there has been a need for the children that are there to have clothing.

A men's group from St. Peter United Methodist Church recently installed racks to hang to clothing donations and this room is primarily used for children to come in, change out of their dirty, torn, or too small clothing into clean, gently used clothing that they can take home with them.

The pastor told me this morning that sometimes children as young as six walk alone to the church on Sunday morning and can show up in their pajamas! This ministry that they are able to provide makes such a difference in the self-confidence of a child! To have a nice, clean outfit, to be able to be proud of the way they look, is an amazing, simple gift!

This room needs new flooring. Currently it has shag carpet that I would date to the 60's or 70's (mostly because of the color and the wallpaper on the walls that looks like it went up around the same time - not that I was around then to know what it looked like new!) The new flooring could be a commercial grade carpet, or a linoleum or tile so that it's easy to clean.

I would love to be able to provide some drawer space, or a large shelving/basket system to replace the boxes on the floor now. To the left of the door is a great wall to build something like this on.

Also, maybe a changing room (or possibly two) for the boys and girls so that there can be adults to supervise, but the children can have privacy. These would be just areas separated by a divider or curtains and with a long mirror and maybe a hook. Again, the safety of the children is the top priority!

Children's Clothing Closet

Current organization for donated clothing - cardboard boxes

Last, but certainly not least, is the Elementary age room. This room is used by mostly 6-11 year olds, and right now functions fairly well even though it looks a little rough. Needs for this room are again, flooring. Either commercial carpet or a linoleum/tile that will be easy to clean would be best. Paint the walls, as in the other two rooms, and possibly some new curtains. The valances that are there are gray (which we all know I love) and they work because they let in a lot of light.

The television doesn't work and is unsafe because it could fall on a child. It's on a wobbly wheeled cart and sharp edges are everywhere! The pastor told me that they don't like to use the TV alot, mostly because these children get so little one-on-one interaction or personal attention that for the hour or so they are in church, they need all the face time they can get! A new TV however would be great so that if they wanted to show some videos they could. One that could mount in a corner would be wonderful since it would be out of the way.

Storage again, is important. The storage cabinet in there now is not secured to the wall, is in danger of toppling at any point, and is an organizational disaster simply because it is so small and does not meet the needs of the people who use the room.

In addition, dry erase boards so that the teachers can hang pictures and teaching aids with magnets as well as write or draw for the children would provide some much needed space for instruction. Currently, they have two chalkboards, and a cork board and one of the chalkboards is on the floor.

6-11 Year old Classroom

6-11 Year old Classroom - needs some updating!

More posts to follow soon on progress as well as other photos of other areas of the church!

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about getting involved, donating items, your time, or monetary donations!

Another area that would benefit greatly from some attention is the bathroom and storage closet within this area of the church. If funds allow, these areas could be spruced up and made more functional with a little TLC.