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Week 12 of the Tomorrow First construction project brings progress that is both highly visible and quietly tucked above the ceiling. Walk the second floor and you will see new supply diffusers and return air grilles already in place. Step into the office workroom and a new Daikin thermostat is mounted to the wall. Out in the Serve Center, copper hydronic piping runs the length of the ceiling. The work that began as demolition continues to mature into finished, functional new infrastructure.

What's Happening

This week the crew begins demolition of AHU-2, the air handling unit that serves the sanctuary, working from the scaffolding already in place just outside the sanctuary. The sanctuary itself remains available throughout the work. Demolition and reinstallation will continue in pieces over the next three weeks.

Inside the mechanical room, the chill water piping reaches the chiller this week, completing a long run of work that started in March. With the chill water side wrapped up, the crew shifts to the boiler and hot water side. The insulation team is working on chill water piping inside the mechanical room today, which clears the way for the final tie-out to the chiller pad.

On the second floor, ductwork installation continues in Rooms 209 through 216 on Tuesday and Wednesday. Across multiple rooms, ceiling tile and grid reinstallation is underway, bringing spaces back to a familiar look.

What to Expect

The forecast hits the 90s this week. Because the old cooling system is offline and the new system is not yet running, expect the building to feel warmer than usual. The crew is working to bring most major equipment online and provide some cooling relief in the next three weeks, though no specific date is set. Thank you for your patience as the new system takes shape.

A large ductwork delivery arrives May 18 for the Serve Center area, with the rest following May 21. Rooms 209 through 216 will see active ductwork installation Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Looking Ahead

Vertical stack fan coil units that serve our first-floor rooms are expected to ship from Texas on Tuesday, May 12. The week of May 18 brings tentative reinstallation of AHU-3 and AHU-4 in their second floor mechanical space. Memorial Day week shifts to a Tuesday-through-Friday schedule (May 26 through May 29), with the office area beginning rough-in that same week. The project remains on track for major equipment running by the end of June, with final closeout documents targeted for mid-July.

By the Numbers

As of this week, 113 households have made a commitment to the Tomorrow First campaign, with $1,845,113 pledged and $926,187.56 received. We are at 53 percent of our $1.75 million goal, with more than two years remaining in the campaign giving period.

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."

Vents in the ceiling, thermostats on the wall, piping running to the chiller: every visible sign represents the prayers, gifts, and trust of a congregation looking ahead together. Thank you for the patience and generosity that have carried this work this far. Tomorrow First, indeed.