Volunteers (and seeming miracle) help renovate Cherry Hill sanctuary

After a summer of hard work by volunteers from its congregation, assisted by one apparent miracle, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Cherry Hill is ready to celebrate its renovated sanctuary.

Tired of the lackluster appearance of the worship space, and with a big milestone approaching - the 50th anniversary - church members decided this year it was time for a makeover.

In June, with a slew of projects and limited funds, the volunteers gathered in the sanctuary with ladders, paint brushes, and power tools, and took on the laborious tasks themselves.

On Friday, with the work completed, the Rev. Gregory Faulkner summed up the effort as "nothing short of inspiring."

Pam Dougherty, church secretary and cochair with Walt Steinle of the capital campaign implementation committee, said, "It's a true reflection of what stewardship means." She and Steinle logged hundreds of hours working on the sanctuary. Other congregants donated time, money, and skills.

Then, on Labor Day weekend, they needed some extra help.

Steinle found himself high atop a ladder, re-staining the many arches of wood and beams that make up the church ceiling. With only a "wet rag's worth" of stain still in hand, and a large part of the ceiling unfinished, he and Faulkner feared the job would remain incomplete that holiday weekend because the custom stain shop they had got the product from was not open to replenish their supply.

But somehow, the small bit of stain lasted for the rest of the ceiling.

"We call it the miracle of the stain," Faulkner said with a chuckle, comparing the situation to the biblical story of the loaves and fishes.

The church began in 1957 at the former Erlton School, and the sanctuary was built at its current Route 70 location in 1965. On the long list of things to renovate in the space, where services are held, were the old wooden pews and the drab blue carpet leading to the chancel.

This week, the space was bright and inviting, with wheelchair-accessible ramps toward the chancel, brighter lighting, new carpeting, and a fresh coat of paint. The pews were disassembled, sent out to be refurbished, and put back together by members of the church.

"Every surface was touched," Steinle said.

The project, planned in late January and executed this summer, was not without complications.

"We just kept adding to it, and then we said, 'We can't afford this,' " Steinle said. Relying solely on congregation donations, and having just paid off the mortgage from the addition put on the building in 2001, the committee planning the renovations had a budget of $190,000.

The project was finished about $10,000 under budget. "There is no way we could have done it without volunteer help," Dougherty said.

"We're hoping that it will motivate people that we haven't seen in a while to come back," she said.

Church attendance across the country has declined in recent decades, and, while Trinity has not proved immune to the trend, it still has managed to attract new families every year. There are now 805 members, Dougherty said.

Community-building events, such as a "Rally Day" where people can check out the clubs and activities the church has to offer, a congregation picnic, and a holiday bazaar are scheduled for the fall.

While renovations were being done this summer, services were held in the church hall, next to the sanctuary. This Sunday will be the first service offered in the improved space, followed by the Rally Day event and picnic that will start the new program year.

"We're just on time. We open Sunday," Steinle said, standing in front of the new worship space that he and other volunteers had worked to create.