The Stained Glass Windows

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Christ Church United Methodist

The Stained Glass Windows

The Stained Glass Windows of Christ Church

Our Church Architecture

In designing the plans for Christ Church, United Methodist, our architect had in mind both our Methodist heritage and the functions for which our church building would be used.

The front of the church symbolizes the importance of the “Word.” The Communion Table, with the chalice and plate, stands for the centrality of the Lord’s Supper, one of the two sacraments in the United Methodist Church. The choir loft emphasizes the importance of singing and congregational participation in Methodist worship. The lecturn for the lay speakers stresses the importance of the lay ministry, it also serves as the pulpit where the preacher teaches expounding on the Word of God.

Throughout it’s history, the United Methodist Church has been known as a church that places an emphasis on putting ones’ faith into action. Therefore, while worship is the central celebration of our community life together, it is not the primary focus of the Christ life. To reflect this our sanctuary is built off center, symbolizing the importance of practicing faith beyond worship on Sunday.

The Cross and Trinity Symbol

The cross with the three intersecting circles emphasizes the Trinity, which stands for God known in three different ways but also as One: Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, traditionally called Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. The cross in this symbol superimposes God’s self over the Trinity in three different ways. Because it is infront, the cross focuses us on Christ,, the second person of the Trinity, and points to the name of our Church, Christ Church.

A Vision of Simplicity, Beauty, and Stewardship

In the planning of our church structure, the desire was to build the church as a basically functional building. Built both economically and well, using simple materials like plain wood and brick, while also being beautiful. It was the desire of the congregation not to build a lavish cathedral but instead a simple, yet beautiful, structure. The good stewardship of building a simple, functional, and economical building would allow the church to use its money in service to others. To enhance the beauty of the building, the stained glass windows would be incorporated as a elegant finishing touch.

Stained Glass in Church Decoration

Stained glass plays an important role in the decoration of a church. The windows, with their wealth of rich color and pattern, their symbolism and significant figures composed in stories, are an essential complement to the architecture. Today we need to discover afresh the beauty of non-verbal symbols that express and enrich, and tell the story of our faith.