United Zion Retirement Community, 722 Furnace Hills Pike, north of downtown Lititz, held its ribbon cutting and chapel dedication on Sept. 9. This event marked the end of construction on the Heart of the Home project, which included a larger chapel and renovated entrance. Liz Ackerman from the Northern Lancaster Chamber of Commerce welcomed everyone to the ribbon cutting, and state Sen. Ryan Aument gave remarks on the close-knit United Zion community. The ribbon was cut by CEO Sue Verdegem and board president Jessica Musser. After the ribbon cutting, the event moved inside for the chapel dedication.
The chapel dedication started with music by United Zion's resident quartet of Mary and Glenn Snyder and Jim and Rosene Garman, accompanied by Lilly Walters on piano. Chaplain Ethan Levengood offered the dedication and blessing, which was followed by remarks and a reading by residents Nino and Betty Pesce. Their presentation included Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses.
Verdegem thanked the supporters of Heart of the Home and spoke of her excitement about the project. Board member pastor Mel Horst ended the dedication with remarks on the process and the beauty of the final results. A small reception followed the event.
The previous chapel, which sat about 50 residents, was build 50 years ago, when United Zion served about half the residents it currently has. The new chapel auditorium seats 125 people with room for overflow for larger events. It has ample natural light and views overlooking the countryside. The updated entrance now includes a porte cochère.
The new chapel will continue to host daily devotions, Sunday worship services, Bible studies and choir as well as musical performances and other programming for residents and the community. This was the second phase of the two-year plan to renovate the main public spaces, which started last spring with the renovations that enlarged the restaurant space for on-campus dining. The new chapel is now in the heart of the home right off the renovated lobby.
Paul Risk Construction was the contractor for this project, and RLPS was the architect. Naming opportunities are still available. For more details on the project, visit http://www.uzrc.org/giving/heart.
United Zion will hold an open house on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are requested by calling 717-627-8421 or emailing marketing@uzrc.org.
For more details, visit http://www.uzrc.org.
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