Good-Bye to the Old Appliances and Hello to the New Flooring and Paint

Here is a photo of the location of our old refrigerators and ovens.























Each piece was carried out through the old front doors of the parish hall and out to a truck.
























Don't you love EYE poetry?





























Here is our temporary mini-parish hall. Bob Nelson and I made a trip to Santa Fe Springs to visit our salvaged and not so salvaged property. What can be saved will be cleaned and restored to use and returned to us. We are hoping to have Sharon Martinkus and her office returned to its former location in the next two weeks. Father Bob's office, the child care room, and the counters' room contents including the safe is being prepared to return on the same time table.






















Bob Nelson looks at the bottom of some of the silk flowers that grace our sanctuary. The flowers were not fixable, but the green containers were. YEAH, Bob!!



Recognize our Good Friday cross? The nails from last Good Friday are still in the cross as it sits in a storage bin. It will be cleaned and returned to the church for future use. There may be a sermon in this photo.

PARISH HALL CLEAN UP CONTINUES (MAY 28, 2008)

Scroll down to read the rest of the story on the PARISH HOUSE FIRE OF 1959















Bishop Bruno, Talton, Carranza, and Anderson sent these beautiful flowers to the parish in the wake of the parish hall fire. Bishop Bruno has also spoken with me by phone to assure us of his continued prayers and love.























Before the serious cleaning of the parish hall started, this is what it looked like inside.







The cross we use on Good Friday was stored in the attic and was burned. It is being taken to a cleaning station with the hope that it will be returned to us soon.












Little by little the parish hall started to look better and better.













Here are the young men who did the cleaning of the parish hall. On Sunday you will be able to looked through the Parish Hall windows to see for yourselves.












The storage pod contains most of the contents of the parish hall including all of our chairs and tables.


























Stephanie Cooper gave this Welcome Center to the parish as part of her Girl Scout activities. There is real hope that it can be restored and used again.



















This stain glass window cross was a gift to me when I was ordained a priest. It was made by a member of St. Cross. I had recently hung it in the parish hall window to add some beauty for the Chapel worship.

THE PARISH HOUSE FIRE OF 1959

Although we lost the use of our parish hall on May 11, 2008, it is not the first time that this parish family has suffered such a loss.

I have reproduced below a part of the history of Christ Church. It is written is the style of the times or a bit before. I am not sure who wrote it, but I think that you may enjoy reading it. Father Bob+

On the First Day of April,1959 the old parish house was destroyed by fire. The fire was discovered about 10:30 in the evening and by midnight it was all over. the building was completely gutted, a total loss. However, largely due to the efforts of Mr. Victor Keller, nearly all of the vestments, and all sacred vessels were saved. If one could believe that any fire is a blessing, this one could qualify. the old building had been a source of question and trouble for the beginning of the expansion era. Anything that could have been done further would probably have required its destruction. As is was the Parish received and insurance settlement of $10,767.67 for what would have been necessarily done at some time without recovery. However, the problems of the Parish were not inconsiderable on the morning after the fire. There was no place for meetings other than the church itself. The Church School was once more without space. The ladies work must be carried out from homes. The problems magnified with each confrontation of them.

After a certain inevitable amount of delay the design for the present parish hall was arrived at. A contract was let to Mr. George Doerfler for the building for more than $30,000.

The building and its furnishings cost $40,600.00. Again a loan was made with the Security First National Bank. This time the amount of the loan was $38,700.00 with repayment set at $470.00 per month. The building was incorporated with the teh Church School Building and formed a pleasant patio between the two buildings. On the West, toward the Church, the Parish house is some fourteen feet away from the East wall of the Church.

Among the features which have proved to be fortunate about the building are the excellent and workable kitchen and the working sacristy. The roof of the building over the kitchen was left perfectly flat in anticipation of adding classrooms in that area. Also at some time it is hoped that the sanctuary of the Church will be extended to meet the west wall of the Parish House. These two features are still a part of the present planning. The hall itself has proved not only to be very pleasant and light and airy, but very practical.

MAY 17, 2008 Saturday

(From Left to right) Captain Dan Bliss, Paramedic/Firefighter Steve Fernandez, Captain Shell Conatser, Firefighter Jeremy Sisante, Engineer Dave Buckner, Division Chief Steve Hyink, Engineer Gary Treskes.
FIREFIGHTERS TO BE HONORED AT CHRIST CHURCH 10 AM SERVICE


Tomorrow we have invited the firefighters who put out the fire in our parish hall to be recognized and thanked by our congregation. I have written a prayer for these fine men and have included it their photos with names attached below. Please come and thank these gentlemen as part of our Thanksgiving feast.

A PRAYER FOR OUR FIRE FIGHTING FRIENDS

Gracious and loving God, we are made in your image and as we live into that image we come to care for those in harm’s way. We offer thanksgiving for those brave and willing servants whose life's work is to save and rescue people and property from fire and other calamities. We especially remember by name those members of the Redondo Beach Fire Department who battled the blaze at Christ Church on May 11th:

Captain Dan Bliss, Paramedic/Firefighter Steve Fernandez, Captain Shell Conatser, Firefighter Jeremy Sisante, Engineer Dave Buckner, Division Chief Steve Hyink, Engineer Gary Treskes.

Bless them and bless their families and co-workers in all they do. May they know deep in their hearts the joy and gratitude of those whom they have served, but most especially the delight and love of the God in whose image they serve and in whose grace they are held. AMEN.

What a busy day it was at Christ Church today. I have posted photos to show you some of the amazing efforts that have gone on to allow us to celebrate together this coming Sunday. Tents with a place for Child Care and Catechesis; portable restooms that are large enough for a person in a wheelchair; our own restrooms restored to use again; Cat's cottage being cleaned and beautified by vestry and members of the congregation; a temporary office space set up in Cat's second bedroom (thank you Cat) and finally some new plantings and landscape in front of 412 A and B. WOW! What a day it has been. Here are the photos.






















Since our office space was unavailable, your Junior and Senior Warden met with our adjustor, Alan Joy and the gentleman who will be taking over our restoration project.




















Our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Child Care will be available under the big top. It will also serve as our parish hall for the day.


















Sharon and Ron Martinkus in our temporary office.


















Kathy Van Orden, Stephen Duke, Sandie Nelson, Chuck Winn, and Susan Mulledy-DeFank worked on 412 B doing some final cleanup on this beautiful cottage.

Fire Hits Christ Church Parish Hall: Pentecost 2008

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOB NELSON

Today is Monday, May 12, 2008 (around 3:30 AM)

FIRE HITS CHRIST CHURCH PARISH HALL

Late Sunday night a fire broke out in the Christ Church Parish Hall kitchen causing extensive damage to the kitchen and less severe damage in the rest of the hall area and parts of the attic. I would like to thank our neighbor to the south of us who called the fire department in a timely way.

A big thank you to the Redondo Beach Fire Department who responded quickly and did an excellent job of preventing further damage to the property and for responding to our questions and concerns.


















(From Left to right) Captain Dan Bliss, Paramedic/Firefighter Steve Fernandez, Captain Shell Conatser, Firefighter Jeremy Sisante, Engineer Dave Buckner, Division Chief Steve Hyink, Engineer Gary Treskes.




I also want to greatly thank Sandy and Elizabeth Pringle, Mark Bingham, vestry person, Stephen Duke, Junior Warden, Susan Mulledy-DeFrank, and Senior Warden, Robert Nelson who were at the church and assisted in providing information to the fire fighters regarding the property. I also want to thank Sandie Nelson for getting on the phone on Sunday night and calling vestry members.

It is too early to truly know the full extent of the damage to the parish hall and the attic in the office building next to the parish hall, but your vestry and rector will be working together to begin the process that will result in the repair of the damage so that we can have full use of the facility as soon as possible.

Until further notice, the parish hall is unavailable for use during the week and on Sundays for our usual post service coffee hour. We are looking at ways that will allow us to use the grass area and perhaps the courtyard area between the parish hall and classroom/office space.

Please keep all of those responsible for the tasks that this fire has made necessary in your prayers. May God bring us closer together in the work that is now set before us.

It is now 3:20 AM and I am off to get some rest before beginning of the new day. I will send out additional information and photographs over the next several days and weeks. If you have any questions regarding the fire, please contact me by email at rwcornner@aol.com.

God's Peace as the smoke clears,

Father Bob


Here is today's update news (end of day, Monday May 12, 2008):

1. All meetings both church and other organizations such as A.A have been cancelled until further notice. Our regularly scheduled Wednesday worship at 6:30 AM and at 7 PM are canceled.

2. Church services will be held at our usual times, but we will not have access to the parish hall, our child care and Catechesis rooms, or the bathrooms. The area from the parish hall back through the offices and classrooms is closed. We will have our child care provider available to help parents with our younger children, but all other children will be in church.

3. We are hoping to have a tent with a solid floor moved onto the grass area to use as our coffee hour spot by this Sunday. We also plan to have two handicap accessible portable restrooms moved onto our property. Those offering coffee hour should plan on providing treats that do not require refrigeration or heating. Simple will be better.

4. I have establish an online site for you to see photos of the damaged parish hall and the progress towards cleaning up and restoring these damaged areas to full service again. If you have any questions regarding the fire, please contact me by email at rwcornner@aol.com.

God's Peace as the smoke clears,

Father Bob


May 15, 2008 UPDATE ON THE FIRE RESORATION

This week parish leaders were busy overseeing the relocation of our church office to 412 B. Mother Cat has offered to share one of her two bedrooms with us until we can reoccupy the offices. Father Bob will be using the church chapel and other mobile locations to serve as his office. He can be reached at 310 613-5146 or by email at rwcornner@aol.com.

All of the contents of the classrooms and offices are being cleaned and removed to a storage area in Santa Fe Springs. All of the contents of the sacristy including all vestments and altar linens have been removed and sent out for cleaning and deodorizing. The chalices, patens, and other necessary items used in worship have been stored in a temporary sacristy area in the church. This week clergy and other servers will be only wearing a stole.

Two tents are set to be delivered and set up before Sunday. One large tent will serve as our parish hall and the smaller tent will serve as our child care room. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd students will meet with Ms. Allen in the big tent during the service for their lesson.

Yes, we will have a coffee hour after the service. We are buying two coffee makers and these will be set up near the cross in the garden across from the tents. Portable restrooms that are ADA approved will be available on campus because the area behind the parish hall where our bathrooms are located are now off limits.

People have asked how they can help. The most important way you can support your church is to worship in community regularly. Your presence and prayers provide a powerful support for the whole parish. Even if you have not attended in a while I would invite you to reconsider how important your presence at this time of challenge.