Cool Air at Last: Week 15 Construction Update

Something wonderful happened this week. Cool air is moving through the sanctuary and the second floor, drawn from the new chiller that is now running outside our building. After months of demolition, piping, and patient work, we are beginning to feel the result of what we set out to do together.

What's Happening

The new chiller is online and the system is cooling the sanctuary and the second floor. If you stand near Hess Hall, you may catch a soft hum, about the level of a home air conditioner running on a summer afternoon. The system is not yet at full capacity, but the change is real and welcome.

Inside the building, the work of finishing continues. Crews are reinstalling ceiling tile and grid across second floor rooms, wrapping up piping in the church offices, and insulating the lines that carry chilled water through the building. New copper piping now runs above the hallway outside the sanctuary, and ductwork is tied into the youth rooms upstairs.

What to Expect

The rooms on the west end of the building are still warm. The units for that area arrived without their thermostats, and replacements are on the way. In the meantime, crews will run one of the larger units near Hess Hall to push cool air down the hallway and help those spaces. Later this month, when the system moves into startup and balancing, there will be a short stretch when the building runs on full heat so the heating side can be tested. We will share those dates as soon as we have them.

Looking Ahead

The final two fan coil units for upstairs ship on June 5. The week of June 8 brings installation of the west end units and reinstallation of the air handling units that serve Hess Hall. System startup and balancing follow in mid-to-late June, a two to three week process that fine-tunes every room. Major completion remains on target for the end of June, with final closeout and documentation by mid-July.

By the Numbers

As of this week, 113 households have committed to the Tomorrow First campaign. Together we have pledged $1,845,113 and received $959,146.56 toward our $1,750,000 goal, which puts us at 55 percent of the goal received.

How to Give

Give online at mcphersonfirst.org/give (select "Tomorrow First"), by mail to 1200 E Kansas Ave, McPherson, KS 67460, or place gifts in the worship offering plate marked "Tomorrow First."

The cool air we feel this week is more than comfort. It is a sign of a congregation investing in the ministry God has placed before us, trusting that what we build now will serve those who gather here for years to come. Thank you for your generosity and your patience as this work comes to completion.