A building built on a dream
On the last Sunday in October, St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church celebrated the realization of a long-held dream. The dedication of a new learning center and greatly enhanced church facility marked a major milestone in the congregation’s history.
St. Luke’s started from humble beginnings 52 years ago as one of the first churches on the Peninsula. After meeting at Dapplegray School for several years, the congregation acquired land at its current location on 26825 Rolling Hills Road in Rolling Hills Estates, and soon completed a new sanctuary as a more permanent home. Sunday School classes were held in an adjacent building, a remodeled residential home the church had acquired with the property. From the beginning, it was clear that ‘Westminster House,’ as the building was renamed in traditional Presbyterian fashion, could only be a temporary solution. The dream was to replace the aging structure with a new facility that could adequately serve the church’s education program and be available as a meeting space for community groups. However, sometimes bridge-gap measures turn into enduring fixtures. Year after year, the children of the church gathered in Westminster House for their weekly Sunday School lessons, and eventually even shared their class rooms with a week-day preschool.
Yet as years turned into decades, the founders’ dream never died. Over the course of a half century, the church launched several attempts to make the dream come true. But the momentum would never be quite enough - until about 9 years ago. An informal dinner with several church board members and the pre-school leadership ignited the initial spark. Before long, another church member took up the cause. He was soon joined by a small, dedicated team of others who offered their time, talents, and energy to explore the project’s feasibility. From the beginning, the key question was not about design or financial resources. Rather, it was the more fundamental question of whether a new building was essential for the congregation to live out its core calling to be a welcoming community of faith and to serve others after the example of Jesus. A congregational study process identified two primary areas in which the church’s physical facility was an impediment to this core calling: an inadequate learning environment for the young, and lack of full accessibility for those with physical challenges. In a successful capital campaign, the congregation responded with a resounding ‘yes’ to address these issues with a building project that would create inviting new classrooms and full handicap access for the church. These twin objectives remained the guiding principles throughout the entire project from the first architectural sketches, through the construction, to the completion of the project.
Gathering on October 25 for the dedication provided an opportunity for the congregation to celebrate the realization of its long held dream. By God’s grace and the love and labor of many, the mission has been accomplished: a new building with bright, attractive class rooms to serve the church’s Sunday School; a place of welcome and hospitality for the many community groups, such as AA, Al-Anon, and Adult Education classes who each week use the classrooms as well; newly designed drop-off parking and a church facility which is handicap accessible throughout; an inviting new front entrance to the church.
The morning worship service focused on gratitude and the church’s calling to be a place of welcome, hospitality, and service. The celebration continued with an afternoon program which included a slideshow down the memory lane of the construction process as well as a recognition of the dedicated team of church volunteers which guided the project from the first beginnings all the way to its fruition. Special guests included architect Bruce Biesman-Simmons and contractor Ernest Magana and several of his staff members. Official greetings on behalf of St. Luke’s’ 51 Presbyterian sister churches in the Los Angeles area were offered by the Rev. Linda Culbertson, General Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Pacific. Congratulations and well-wishes also were extended by Dr. Bob Rothman on behalf of the Dawn Interfaith Group, and Mr. Khalil Momand of the Islamic Center of South Bay. After a building dedication ceremony led by the Rev. Laura Krauss, the day’s celebration concluded with a festive candlelight dinner.
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