Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - The Episcopal Church of Saints Martha and Mary starts - 9/1/1986
Church...
(Continue d from front)
the divc rsity of the first 30
families n the congregation. "I
was wore ied at first. I didn't want
this to be a church where
everyon( looked alike with the
same jc bs and socioeconomic
level. We 're going to attract a lot
of young families in the area, but
we've got diversity with some I
retired r --ople, single people and
single pa rents," he said.
About lalf of the congregation
has an Episcopal background,
while thi other 50 percent comes
from a variety of religious
backgroi rods.
"Start ng a church is a good
way to start church. If you're
out of the habit of going to
church, this is a good way to
start," P lartin said.
Althou ;h the congregation is at
its begi ming stages, there are
plans t( build a church. Five
acres at the northeast corner of
Diffley Road and Lexington
Avenue are reserved for such a
site. "W I'll be working on a site
plan, bu we cannot begin to con-
ceive a building for at least a
year. And, realistically, we're
looking tt two to three years (un-
til const motion).
"We'r not going to be building
a gian , humongous church.
"We're looking at a medium-
sized church, and the sooner we
move n that direction, the
better.'
Marti i will be giving each
membe of his congregation a
brick. ' They have to take the
brick ai d do something creative
with it, ike decorate it and use it
as a do )r stop. Then, someday,
we'll ha al all the bricks in. We'll
use son e for the foundation and
others , or a barbeque pit we
have to eat, too. People are real
happy t ) be keepers of the brick.
"But we don't want to be
waiting a long time with the
brick [ don't want us to be
wander ng around Eagan for 40
years. I , doesn't have to take that
long," . Iartin said.