February 12, 2026
As you consider how you will vote on the Sanctuary Renovation Committee’s recommended plan that the Session has approved, I wanted to share some Music Ministry needs that would be met by this planned renovation. In talking with people about the proposed plan, I have realized that many people are not aware of what has to take place every week for us to have the music we enjoy every Sunday. Speaking broadly, the sanctuary’s layout and systems work against our efforts to carry out POPC’s “commitment to a plurality of musical styles and personnel.” The proposed renovation will bring the building into conformity with the vision in the following ways:
The plan will create a permanent space for the worship team, allowing more opportunities for participation in services. Currently, the only feasible location is in the middle of the floor in front of the piano, and the equipment cannot remain there unless actively in use. When set up, it creates a significant tripping hazard for the worship team, music staff, children going to and from the children’s message, and congregants before and after the service. It also impedes access to the exit between the pulpit and the choir loft. As a result, the equipment must be fully set up immediately before each service and completely removed afterward (more on that in the next point). The permanent space for the worship team behind and to the side the pulpit would allow a permanent setup that is “plug and play.” This streamlines the worship team’s involvement and lowers barriers to the worship team leading congregational singing. It also makes more space available for more singers, more instruments, and different instruments which, in turn, creates more opportunities for more people to participate more often.
The permanent space for the worship team will significantly reduce the burden on the sound team of setting up and tearing down each time the worship team participates in services. The standard “full” worship team is two guitar players, a vocalist, a violinist, a bass player, a cajon (drum) player, and a pianist. (We wish we could have more.) As many as four of the instrumentalists will sing in addition to the vocalist. That requires the following to be set up and taken down every time a full worship team leads: six music stands, six ME-1 sound mixers, a bass amp, two DI boxes for guitars, three instrument stands, the cajon, the cajon microphone, and at least eleven cables on the floor. All this labor has to be done before the soundcheck and worship team rehearsal—when the sound team’s real work begins and continues during the service. Then after the service, all of that has to be taken down and stored immediately. The worship team will just have to plug in and go, and the sound team can run the sound, mix the music, and run the livestream.
The plan moves the choir behind the pulpit to increase capacity and help facilitate congregational singing. There are currently more active members of the sanctuary choir than there are seats in the choir loft. A large loft behind the pulpit will accommodate a larger sanctuary choir and will allow children’s choirs to join the sanctuary choir in the loft on special occasions. Congregational singing gives us the opportunity to sing our praises to the Lord, to minister to others through song, and to be ministered to by hearing songs sung. Since the congregation faces the same direction, having the choir face the congregation will improve sound quality and the “horizontal” aspect of congregational singing to one another.
There are other benefits in addition to these significant needs. The plan preserves the organ’s role in our worship services and moves it onto the expanded platform. The renovation plan has a designated room for the music ministry for storage and a rehearsal/meeting space so that the team is not limited to practicing in the sanctuary immediately before the service. The plan also moves the sound booth down to the floor level which allows the sound levels and mixing to be adjusted based on how it actually sounds in the congregation versus the attic where the current sound booth is. That change also makes the booth (currently accessible by a pull-down ladder) more accessible and allows the sound tech team to be present in worship.
In sum, I believe the plan recommended by the Sanctuary Renovation Committee and approved the Session will allow the music ministry to execute POPC’s vision for the role of music in our worship services. It lessens burdens on staff and volunteers that are carried on a weekly basis and creates more opportunities for the people of Pear Orchard to participate in music ministry. If you have any questions about this or want to discuss this before Sunday’s meeting, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.