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Our Needs

Phase I Church Improvement

Good Shepherd church has a striking, modern architectural design that is a neighborhood landmark. Its exterior commands attention, but inside, it is missing impact. The plain worship space is functional but lacks familiar and welcoming elements that instantly declare it a Catholic house of worship. Its stark interior does not help to elevate souls through beauty and reverence when people gather in the tradition and celebration of the Mass.

INTERIOR

Sanctuary Altar Area
The focal point of the Mass is Jesus Christ truly present in the Holy Eucharist. When we celebrate this mystery, everyone’s eyes and hearts should be drawn to the altar with the tabernacle behind.

Our overly plain sanctuary altar area draws little attention. Its lack of adornment disconnects it from the traditional and beautiful visual heritage of Catholic worship.  A heritage that emotionally and immediately brings comfort, warmth, and invitation to join in the faith of our community.

Nave Seating Area Layout

For all who come to Good Shepherd to celebrate the Holy Eucharist or other services, the nave or seating area is not as welcoming as it should be. Despite the height and seeming space of the room, the pews, layout, and traffic flow are cramped, misaligned, and not easily accessible to everyone, especially those with mobility challenges. 

Seating

  • The church's original pews are awkwardly arranged which makes it difficult for congregants to see and engage with the Mass.
  • The pews' tight spacing and positioning makes kneeling uncomfortable, and there is no ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) seating for those with mobility devices.
  • The old pew padding, although comfortable for sitting, is difficult to clean and maintain.

Choir Area

  • The choir's side location makes it hard for choir members to view and engage in Mass.
  • When leading singing or moving into ensembles, choir members must distractingly navigate obstacles, which takes everyone’s focus away from the altar.

Baptistry Pool & Font

Many church members have been beautifully welcomed into the Catholic faith in our baptismal pool and font.

  • Today, the pool's plumbing issues make it costly and inefficient to maintain. It also takes up significant room in the busy entrance area and limits seating space. 
  • As with many churches, having only the font for baptisms is preferred. When considering a new room layout, the font needs to be moved as appropriate.

Nave

Despite its layout limitations, our worship space has served us well for many years. Those years are showing, though, and some aspects need to be updated and improved.

Sloped Floor

  • Though it helps present a dramatic, sweeping view towards the altar, the nave’s sloped floor presents difficulties.
  • It is challenging to navigate and increases the risk of slips and falls for the elderly, those who use mobility aids, and those with limited balance or strength.
  • If we make layout changes, now is the time to consider improving the floor to make it easier and safer for everyone.

Carpeting & Lighting

  • The nave carpet dates to 1991 and is worn, outdated, and faded.
  • The room's lighting also is outdated, dull, and not efficient or cost-effective. The  bulbs don’t project a warm light which contributes to the uninviting atmosphere of the worship space.  

Audio System

  • Our old, outdated AV system’s speakers, mounted above the sanctuary, project very poor sound quality throughout the space.
  • Some parishioners choose to stay home rather than joining us in church for Mass because they find it easier to hear online.
  • Poor sound quality is not the welcome we want to extend to bring people together, in person, to celebrate Jesus Christ in the breaking of the bread at Holy Communion.
  • We need to make every effort to ensure that our service’s readings, homilies, and music are clear, audible, and seamlessly integrated with any visuals projected to everyone in all areas of the Nave.

EXTERIOR

The church’s dramatic exterior, an Evansville landmark, symbolizes the firm foundation of our faith to the community. It doesn’t require much maintenance, but it is our responsibility, as good stewards of the gifts we have been given, to keep it well maintained.

Roof Repairs

The metal roof's distinctive standing seams and copper-coated zinc flashing is in good repair except for poor channeling of water drainage. This is causing a copper and zinc reaction that produces the unsightly stains down the sides of the church building.

Stone Cleaning

Over time, stains from the roof, dirt, and grime have accumulated on the exterior stone, causing visible aging and staining. Cleaning is crucial for maintaining both the aesthetic and structural integrity of the stone surfaces, ensuring safety, preserving historical significance, and enhancing property value. Keeping it clean helps protect our stone cladding investment and is essential, good maintenance.


Phase II School Improvement

An important part of our church’s mission is to provide high-quality, Catholic faith-based education and our school has educated many of our member’s families and Evansville residents. Our school is thriving in almost every aspect, especially our Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programs. Our classrooms, especially the two mobile classrooms, for these grades, though, are not adequate to provide quality education to these aged children.

PRESCHOOL & PRE-K

Our school needs Preschool and Pre-K classrooms that include both learning and age-appropriate furnishings, equipment, and facilities, and are located within the school building. Our current classrooms, especially the two mobile pods, are not adequate to meet the specific needs of our youngest school children.

Classrooms & Restrooms

The Mobile Pod Classrooms

The mobile pod classrooms are overly challenging for our preschool students and staff. Not being integrated with the rest of the school, especially, complicates taking young students to and from the gymnasium, cafeteria, and resource room.

Pre-K classrooms

The Pre-K classrooms are located inside the school building but are too close to the older students’ classrooms and lockers. This is distracting for the young children and doesn’t provide them with the supportive and safe learning atmosphere they require and deserve. 

Restrooms

The school restrooms are not ideal for Pre-K students. They lack quick and easy access, are shared with K-2nd-grade students, and have limited adult supervision along the way. 

Carpeting

The Preschool and Pre-K  classes have messy snacks and play and the classroom carpeting was not designed for easy maintenance.

Drop-off Area

We have significant safety concerns about the Preschool and Pre-K student drop-off area.

  • There is no drive-up area, so, parents must park and escort their children across a sometimes busy parking lot to the classrooms.
  • Having many people entering and exiting the school makes it hard to monitor who is in the building, especially when parents sometimes remain past class start times.

Storage Solutions

  • Our youngest students require unique educational supplies and toys that can take up a lot of space.
  • The current Preschool and Pre-K classrooms have little room so they share storage with the maintenance department. This requires teachers to plan for and spend time transporting essential educational supplies, toys, and learning materials to and from distant storage.
  • The clutter of the two departments' materials also often make things inaccessible when needed.

SCHOOL

Conference Room

Our teachers and school administrators find it difficult to meet with parents, students, and each other in confidence because we lack a private meeting room. Staff must be able to hold conversations in a place where everyone can have confidence in the privacy of the discussion.