St. John Lutheran celebrates new accessibility lift

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

The service at St. John Lutheran was especially uplifting over the weekend as the church held a dedication on Sunday, June 25, to officially open up its brand new lift.

Designed to allow those with mobility limitations to bypass the front steps, the lift has been an ongoing goal for the church to improve its accessibility.

After many years of fundraising efforts, construction of the lift began last year. While there are still some finishing touches that need to be completed on the walls, the lift itself has passed inspection and is fully operational.

Following the services on Sunday, Pastor Russ Leeper gathered the congregation to celebrate the opening of the lift with a short dedication. Cutting the ribbon and making the first trip up on the lift was Ruth Farmer, a senior member of the church who had long been waiting for the project to be completed.

“Many years ago, Ruth Farmer invited us to dream of a day when this would be a reality and gave us the first donation for this project,” said Leeper. “We wanted her to be the one to cut the ribbon and take the first official ride.”

Farmer’s donation was one of many contributions that led to the successful completion of the lift project. From monetary donations and memorial gifts to volunteers hosting fundraisers during the church’s 150th anniversary last year to the building staff and contractors that coordinated around the sometimes unpredictable schedule for the building, the new lift represents the cumulative efforts of countless people.

“Thank you to everyone who did the work of putting the project together and getting it before the congregation,” said Leeper.