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Church Crafts Stained Glass
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The small congregation at Estancia United Methodist Church once swept a mosaic of color off the floor as their 50-year-old painted windows aged and peeled. Then they replaced dustpans with determination. Lilla Marigza reports. |
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SCRIPT:
(Locator: Estancia, New Mexico)Bill Simms, Estancia United Methodist Church: “This is the first time anybody has seen it with full daylight behind it.”
Each of these stained-glass windows teaches a lesson about Bible history—and one church’s history.
Jan Cool, Stained Glass Artisan: “It totally is a labor of love. We’re doing it because we want to make the church more beautiful.”
Mel Stephenson, Member, Estancia United Methodist Church: “It’s something that has brought the church together.”
The painted glass windows at Estancia United Methodist Church faded in the New Mexico sun over the last half century. Switching to stained glass would run $1,500 a window, so the tiny congregation decided to take matters into their own hands...literally.
Della Stephenson, Member, Estancia United Methodist Church: “Some of the people in the church found out that Mel and I did stained glass.”
Della Stephenson and her husband Mel were among a dozen church members who signed on for the job: three years to replace 53 windows.
Della Stephenson: “We put in 3 days a week from 9 to about 4.”
Mel Stephenson: “A year ago we found a great opportunity to get a bunch of glass from a shop that was going out of business, so therefore it made it feasible for us cost wise to put these windows in.”
The effort makes longtime members like Glenn McGee feel an even greater connection to the church.
Glenn McGee, Member, Estancia United Methodist Church: “I was fortunate enough to see the windows being painted for the first time in the church. Now I’m really seeing the transition and I really feel fortunate about that.”
The new look is also giving the church new life.
Della Stephenson: “Our biggest outreach I think is having that Nativity window and the light shining on it through the Christmas season and people driving by. I think it’s a real inspiration. We have had seven new people join the church. Anybody who comes by is welcome to come in and pray and be inspired any way they can be.”
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You can check the progress of the stained-glass project on the Estancia United Methodist Church Web site. Call 505-384-5215 for more information.
Posted: April 1, 2010