December 10, 2018

Dear Congregation,
For many years we have dealt with a deteriorating sound system which is quite frustrating at times.  Those folks in our congregation wearing hearing aids have shared that they are not able to hear well the service.  So the good news is we are solving the problem of better hearing for all!

At the Church Council’s November meeting, the Council voted to proceed with a new updated sound system.  A donor, who also has hearing issues, came forward and proposed this new system.  A committee of  Bonnie Brown, council president; Greg O’Neill, facility chair; Bill Kyrioglou; sound chair; Barry Rumuck, hearing aid experience; and Donna Clark, council member and music expert; and Pastor Liliana have analyzed the problem, explored our options, sought bids & plans from vendors, and visited sites.

Finally LOTM will be moving into the modern sound technology era.  The sound system replacement will be more than new microphones.  AV Colorado in Denver will be installing and purchasing the sound system components. They will work with  Assist2Hear who specializes in hearing loops(t-coils) installation to integrate their system. Our own group of silent saints will donate their time in re-configuring some wiring. We plan for the project to be completed in 4 days in January, but contracts need to be finalized and schedules of several vendors coordinated.

The Church Council felt it was important to meet our mission statement of inclusiveness for all; our members and visitors with hearing difficulties. As with any home improvement project, this need led to a more expansive project.  T-coils are laid in the floor, which given our situation, means removing and replacing the carpet. In the Narthex there is more information about t-coil technology as well as purchasing an appropriate hearing aid if one was on your Christmas list. As the installation approaches, we will schedule information sessions on what is t-coil technology and “how to “ use t-coil hearing devices. As currently, there will be hearing aid assist devices for those people who do NOT have t-coil technology in their hearing aids.

Included in our upgrade will be one monitor screen on each side of the Sanctuary so we can display images to enhance worship and show visuals at meetings,  These monitors may be a big change for many of us, but an attraction for the younger generation.

Currently, two donors are paying for the sound system.  LOTM will be covering the cost of the carpet and installation from the building maintenance reserve.  If you would like to donate to this Sound System/Carpet Project, contact me (bonnie.brown@comcast.net) or Pastor Liliana.  If you would like more specific technical information, see Greg O’Neill or Bill Kyrioglou.

We are so blessed at LOTM to receive this needed gift.
Yours in Christ,
Bonnie Brown, Church Council Presidents