2004–Present
In 2004 a ground breaking service inititiated the major church renovation. Carl Lira, Joe Cymbalski, and Frank Hatfield helped to guide the project. The shape of the new sanctuary began to emerge. The old pews were sent to a new home with a congregation in Kentucky. Tom Dubyne organized the past 40 years of church history into memory albums kept in the church library.
April 3, 2005 was the first service in the new sanctuary. Rob Donaldson and his boy scout troop landscaped the relocated playground and built a fence around the new furnace units. The new sanctuary was dedicated on October 16, 2005. MOPS, mothers of preschoolers, celebrated a successful full year.
Carolyn Winkler became the new music director. Kathy Richardson designed and created Advent paraments. The mission committee focused on sending blankets to Afghanistan. Over 140 people made 199 blankets. Member Stephanie Hanson Friant became a candidate for minister of Word and Sacrment.
In the fall of 2005, members Mack Davis and Ron Dorr organized the churches representatives for the annual CROP walk to fight hunger and the congregation was recognized as the largest fundraising church. The fourth octave of handbells arrived in October of 2005 honoring Glen Larson.
May 5, 2007 was the 10th year celebration of Rev. Rob Carlson's ministry. In the fall of 2007, a grand piano was dedicated in memory of Sam and June Cryderman, charter members. Rev. Janah Salin a Christian pastor from Nineveh in northern Iraq brought the message of peace in an adult education class.
On January 12, 2008, Rev. Rob Carlson was installed as Moderator of the Presbytery. The mission committee initiated a project to support English as a Second Language classes in our fellowship hall on weekday evenings.
In August of 2009, Rev. Timothy Chon left our congregation to accept a call to become the designated minister at Westminiser Presbyterian Church and North Presbyterian Church.
In the spring of 2010, Lisa Lupini, joined PCO as Director of Children’s and Youth Ministries. Rev. Alice Fleming Townley joined PCO as Parish Associate.
Rev. Alice Fleming Townsley
Lisa Lupini
In March 2010, was Rev. Rob Carlson was awarded second place in the John Calvin Preaching Contest sponsored by Alma College. More than 160 preachers participated in the event. Rev. Carlson’s sermon, “Touching the Altar,” preached on July 12, 2009 (near the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth) was the sermon selected for this award.