FTER RENOVATION, CHURCH HOLDS OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY

Members at Centenary United Methodist Church wanted to bring Bible stories to life for their children, so they added some visual effects in nursery classrooms.

Instead of just reading about Noah and the ark, children in the toddler room can enter an ark and see pictures of animal pairs painted on the walls around them.

Through a window, they can see a brightly painted wall mural of Jonah and the whale, another children's Bible story. The infant nursery room depicts the story of Moses in the bulrushes.

"Visuals help bring the stories to life," said Kristi Howard, chairman of the children's department renovation committee.

Artists in the church, Sis Erlbacher, Ki Rudesill and Andrea Schneider, did all the painting, using books and posters for models. Each chose a particular room to paint.

Before the remodeling project, the nursery space was only one room. Now it has been expanded to better meet the church's needs.

A parlor space was moved closer to the entrance and now connects the sanctuary and the education wing of the church. The parlor decorating has been kept a secret and will be revealed Sunday during an open house.

The communitywide open house will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, followed by a consecration service at 5 p.m. The Rev. Brent Mustoe, district superintendent, will speak during the consecration.

The expanded nurseries are part of an extensive renovation project at Centenary, which included a revamped parlor area, administrative offices and remodeling Sunday school classrooms in the education building. The library was moved to a central location, a performing stage added on the second floor of the education wing, and an expanded music area.

The renovations provide an environment that creates a more efficient working area in the administrative offices and has a greater emphasis on the children's ministries at the church, said the pastor.

"On this season of the millennium that would be great to take this opportunity to meet the program needs of the church," said the Rev. Clayton Smith.