A New Wave at the Beach...United

Today Beach United Church in Toronto will open its sanctuary doors to a new era in its life. It has undergone a massive redesign which has made the building more accessible, usable and environmentally friendly. http://beachunitedchurch.com/



This is how they describe the new wave:

Our renovated building will be:

• welcoming and spiritually uplifting, encouraging a sense of community and responding to the needs of our neighbours
• more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable than our existing building
• accessible for people of all ages and abilities.

The congregation has actually demolished part of the structure which was built in the post-war era to accommodate the baby boom, along with the retrofit in keeping with the realities of the current congregation. How did they manage this? Beach United amalgamated with another congregation and the sale of that property financed the work they have done. Instead of two over-sized footprints they have established reasonable worship and work spaces, including a modernized kitchen.

Does anyone else figure this is both practical and putting a smile on God's face? Not that God has an actual face...you know what I mean! Is this folly, or a exciting response to the changing church?