‘Come and see’

Parish members of Grace Lutheran Church got a long-awaited look at their renovated chapel on  March 15 during an event dubbed “Come and See.”

Following a 6:30 p.m. service, the Grace Lutheran council opened the doors to the chapel: As the congregation filed in, council vice president Joyce Thompson referenced Isaiah 43:19 in the Bible: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

While unquestionably a work of beauty, the chapel renovation was also one of necessity, according to Pastor Jillene Gallatin. “It wasn’t safe for anyone to be in there anymore. The walls weren’t going to collapse or anything, but things were definitely in disrepair.”

“Our church leaders were faced with a dilemma,” Thompson added. “We needed to make some decisions. The roof needed repair, the walls were rough, and the inside needed some attention.”

Goodrich Construction in Mankato took on the project. Project coordinator Randy Dinsmore concurred regarding the space’s poor condition. “The walls were bowing in,” Dinsmore said. “As we were jacking things up, we had a bit of a scare.”

It was obvious to Dinsmore that most of the chapel hadn’t been touched since at least the 1920s. Some parts were apparently unchanged since the church was first built. But all things considered, the few months of work on the chapel went quite smoothly. There were some pleasant surprises with the project which made the process quite enjoyable.

“We were actually able to salvage a lot of the old wood on the roof and ceiling in the chapel,” Dinsmore claimed. “I think some of it is already being used in other projects.”

The most difficult part of the undertaking, according to what Thompson told the congregation, was putting the electrical wiring in order. “The amount of different wiring we had in this place…it was quite a puzzle,” she said. “We may still have a few more areas to figure out.”

Dinsmore said that his favorite part of the project was working with the copper trimming on the roof. “I love soldering copper, and we were able to do that in parts of the chapel,” he said.

Once all work is complete, the church plans on using the newly remodeled space for its future events. However, members don’t intend to limit the use to themselves.

“We’d like to host other community events here,” Pastor Gallatin shared. “We want to be able to provide another space for everyone in Waseca.”

Thompson echoed Gallatin’s words. “For many of us who have been here for years, this space holds great memories,” he said. “God has provided us an opportunity. In fact, he’s provided us an invitation to do something very special not just for the family of Grace Lutheran Church, but for the Waseca community, to host parties and other special gatherings.”

Thompson acknowledged Dinsmore of Goodrich Construction, Chris Proft of Proft Painting, Keith Johnson of M and R Electric, Troy O’Neil of Genuine Hardwood Floors, Kat Peterson, the “Chapel Use Task Force,” and the church facilities team for their work on the renovations from the planning stages to its final touches.

There is still some work to be done. Thompson shared that the parish plans to add a kitchen in the space and reconstruct the northwest entrance of the church. But with the bulk of the work out of the way, the parish plans to make the space available for rentals soon. May is a tentative goal.