It’s been fifty years since there was a dedicated chapel space for the children in care at Intermountain’s residential campus. In fact, the last place dedicated for worship and learning about God was the Helen Piper memorial chapel in Mills Hall, which once stood on 11th Avenue across from the Capital Mall. So, as I get set to move into the new Van Orsdel Commons, the overwhelming feeling I have is gratitude.
Progress is being made on Van Orsdel Commons! (click for larger, clearer image)
I am grateful for each and every gift and prayer that pushed this project to completion. Coupled with hundreds of donor gifts both large and small, grants from local and statewide agencies have made it possible for construction to begin this month on Van Orsdel Commons. Named for Intermountain’s founder, Brother William Wesley Van Orsdel, and incorporating design elements that will honor the historical contribution of the Methodist Deaconesses, the Commons will serve as a place of worship, rest, and spiritual comfort for children, families and staff.
It’s my hope that it will be like a student commons on a university campus or the living room space in a family home. It is important to all of us at Intermountain that the design of this new space on campus be welcoming to all and perfect for everything from tea parties and movie gatherings to cultural education and much more. We envision the Van Orsdel Commons to serve many more purposes than to simply provide a space for worship and chapel activities and we hope to welcome our community supporters into the space very soon.
The excitement among staff and our children is building! Can you sense it? I hope you and your church community take the opportunity to visit in 2018 and see the new space fifty years in the making, and while you are here in Helena you can build a stronger and more meaningful connection to the ministry and work that goes on every day!
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