In a $6.3 million gym built for basketball, volleyball, physical education and more, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and School leaders made it clear at a dedication ceremony that the facility was built for something they see as far more important — the glory of God.
In prayers and remarks amid a larger-than-expected and partially masked crowd of 60 people (with many more expected at ceremonies today and Sunday), speakers invoked divine blessing, praised donors and designers and builders and volunteers — and then joined together to celebrate that the structure will help them reach people with Christian love.
Matt Carothers, the project’s capital campaign chairman, choked up slightly as he mentioned how St. Peter’s students, including his own daughter, wrote a range of Scripture on the flooring underneath the gym’s wood surface. The effort was a symbolic one — that the foundation of the project, meant both for St. Peter’s use and the community’s, is based on the Bible.
“All the other specific things that will take place here, we just have no idea,” Carothers said. “But I believe there will be people walk in these doors and sit up there in these stands to watch a sporting event — and maybe they might be struggling with something in their life. And they’re going to see a video, or they’ll see maybe a poster with Scripture or they’re going to see a cross.
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“And the Holy Spirit will move inside them. So … pray for those moments.”
Carothers also mentioned the building’s funding, based on what he termed “the St. Peter’s way.”
“The St. Peter’s way is really simple: We build buildings with no debt,” he said, emphasizing a theme that church and school leaders have spotlighted from the outset as their hallmark of Godly stewardship. “And that’s not always common among all churches.”
Scott Schumacher, St. Peter’s director of development, mentioned that 75 percent of the pledges for the facility called The Den — the school’s sports teams are the Lions — already have been donated.
“Isn’t this a cool building?” he asked after a short video of the project opened the gathering.
The Den, on Fifth Street in downtown Columbus, will accommodate 600 people in the stands, and nearly another 100 elsewhere, according to the capacity sign at the door and organizers.
Architect and builder David Force, a St. Peter’s Elementary School alumnus as is Carothers, and Mayor Jim Lienhoop who spoke briefly, said after the ceremony that he always feels a few jitters before beginning a project. So he acknowledged that this one added to Fifth Street, which has become known as The Avenue of the Architects featuring design giants such as Eero Saarinen and I.M. Pei, had its share of butterflies.
“A building needs to be functionally correct, but it also needs to be enobling somehow,” Force said. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s an office or a school or what. But you hope and you pray that there’s some inspiration to it.”
Force broke into laughter when someone complimented him on the handrails in the stands formed into the shape of a P. The architect said this feature was unintentional, but necessary to allow for storage capabilities.
The building also includes meeting rooms and space for activities such as the church’s fitness classes.
Joe Lohmeyer, building chairman, took a turn at the podium to thank at least a dozen people that he said often get overlooked in less-visible but important roles of such a large team project.
“When I look back,” Lohmeyer said, “the people whom God put around this project are quite impressive.”
Crowd members such as longtime St. Peter’s Lutheran Church member Larry Nordman proclaimed the building itself as impressive. He attended events such as his children and grandchildren’s sports and other activities in the much smaller old gym that The Den replaces. In fact, granddaughter and basketball player Audrey Nordman practiced in The Den early this week “and was very impressed herself,” Nordman said.
“This building,” Nordman said, “is a true blessing.”
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St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and School will host three more dedication ceremonies this weekend for The Den at 919 Fifth St. in downtown Columbus.
They will be:
- 7 p.m. today
- 9 a.m. Sunday
- 11:45 a.m. Sunday
All who attend the dedication are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing.
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To view more photos of "The Den," visit therepublic.com.
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