Southside Lansing’s Cristo Rey Church is getting ready
to kick off fundraising efforts for an anticipated $1 million renovation to its
44,000 square foot property.
Though at 44,000 square feet the church’s complex is
massive, not all of the space is usable. The church needs an elevator and
several ramps to assist handicapped parishioners. It also needs more room for
its education classes, which are rapidly expanding.
“We really need to add more classroom space and better
utilize some of the space. We’ve got to make it more user friendly,” says the church's pastor,
Fred Thelen.
Cristo Rey has early education programs and religious
classes. Five years ago, about 120 students took the classes; now, more than
250 students sign up for classes.
“We’ve noticed that, for about the last three to four
years, we’ve seen some significant increases,” Thelen says. “A lot of young
families with kids have been joining the parish.”
The church is in the midst of developing a fundraising strategy.
Thelen says they hope to start fundraising this fall and, if all goes well,
start the renovations next spring.
Source: Fred Thelen, Christo Rey Church
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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