Building for the Community

November 2024 Bryn Athyn Church School & Society Building Update

A lot has been happening this fall!

Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop

The new BATS barn officially opened in September! The beautiful dedication ceremony held on Saturday, September 20 was a joyous occasion with over 200 people in attendance. Pastor Derek Elphick gave a moving and memorable blessing as part of the ceremony. BATS Manager, Brenna Synnestvedt followed the ceremony with a speech thanking everyone involved in making the new BATS barn a reality.

Now is the time to stop in and shop as holiday treasures are on display and being replenished daily. Follow @BATSintheBarn on Facebook for weekly updates.

New School Building

As construction progresses, faculty and staff have begun selecting and ordering furniture for the new building. Together they participated in a field trip to the Corbett Experience Center, the home of our furniture vendor for the new school. There they were inspired by the variety of interior spaces and examples of immersive learning environments. Recently, Bryn Athyn Church staff and the school staff got to tour the new building. See the photos below for an inside look.

At September’s Semi-Annual Meeting, Jim Adams announced that the move to the new school building will take place in June 2025. Also beginning in June, the old buildings will be taken down and the new parking lot will start to take shape. This will be followed by the construction of the new athletic fields.

See photos of BATS and the new building above.

Thank you to all who have helped make this exciting building project possible.

Warm regards,
Derek Elphick, Head Pastor

For more information or if you have a question, please feel free to contact the Building Committee at buildingcommittee@bacs.org.

Click to read the most recent Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop Building Update.

Read past updates. Questions about the school and BATS projects? Click here to explore our Q&A's.

Given the extent of our current facility’s constraints and maintenance issues, our plan is to construct a completely new building on an adjacent site. This plan, affirmed at our October 13 Society meeting, not only solves a myriad of problems but also allows us to continue providing onsite education with minimal disruption for our current students while construction is underway. We are prepared to begin construction as early as Summer 2023.

The new facility will provide separate welcoming entrances for the church and the school. Students and visitors will experience new academic and social spaces featured throughout the building. The school wing will house dynamic educational environments for preschool through 8th grade. The church wing will be home to the church office, society kitchen, and a beautiful space for gatherings, in-doors and out.

The building committee is fully committed to supporting Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop (BATS) in getting up and running in its new location, incorporating parts of the old barn. The new site will be a fenced in and gated two-acre section of Academy property near Buck and Byberry Roads (across from Pine Run Park). The Academy has given their strong approval to move forward with this project.

For more than 60 years, Bryn Athyn Church School has been a special and valued center for the life of our community. It is where generations of New Church children have begun their lifelong journey of education. Since 1970, when the Society Building (All Purpose Building) was constructed, this facility has also been an important gathering place for our congregation to come together for informal worship, wedding celebrations, school programs, sporting events, community programs, and more.

Now we are embarking on a comprehensive new building project designed to ensure that Bryn Athyn Church and School will continue to play a vital role in our lives and for generations to come. In bringing our plans to fruition, we seek support from all those who wish to see this center thrive and serve as an educational, spiritual, and natural home for the life of our community.

Live stream of Construction Site

November 2024 Bryn Athyn Church School & Society Building Update

Our Plan

Our plan is to build vibrant and welcoming spaces for our Elementary School, Church Office, Society Building, and Thrift Shop.

An Invitation to Participate

On behalf of all who will gather, work, learn, play, and worship in these new spaces, we thank you for your contribution to this effort.