Frequently asked questions

The parish recently completed a 50-year survey, a strategic plan, and an architectural assessment of our facilities. All these professionally implemented tools came to the same conclusion: the parish’s current facilities no longer fully support our growing spiritual, educational, and community mission. Over the years, we have adequately maintained our facilities but some critical areas of the buildings are woefully out of date and in desperate need of renovation. In addition, entering the church and moving between the church and the fellowship hall has always been a challenge. This project will improve points of entry and walkways between the buildings. These renovations are important to continue the vitality of our parish’s Liturgical services, ministries to our parishioners, and outreach to the community at-large.

Tearing down and rebuilding entirely is prohibitively expensive and would sacrifice the identity, history, and continuity of St. Nicholas as an entity within historic Lexington. Our strategic plan, general assembly, and parish council all agree that renewal, and not replacement, is the best option to preserve the church as our spiritual home while modernizing it to meet current and future ministry needs.

Approximately $4 million needs to be raised to complete all construction, infrastructure upgrades and to invest in our active ministries. We hope to break ground in July 2027. Our architects are working closely with parish council-appointed representatives to ensure timely start and completion of all activities.

These projects are the culmination of years’ worth of research and routine maintenance. Most recently, Parish Council and the “Community Transformation Team” have been working closely with Maugel Destefano Architects, who are specialists in church renovations, to develop plans for parish upgrades and renovations. Parishioners have volunteered hundreds of hours to ensure all work is cost-effective and will directly improve our facilities ensuring safety, compliance with regulations, and our ability to increase our engagement with parishioners and the community at-large.

The General Assembly in May 2025 approved a capital campaign to raise the funds needed for these renovations. To date, through the efforts of generous parishioners and fundraising by various parish organizations, we have committed over $250,000 [need to include architectural and structural repair expenses to date] to this effort. The balance will be raised through a targeted campaign that will seek donations from supporters and stakeholders of the parish.

We believe deeply that beyond addressing structural and accessibility needs, the renovations will strengthen nearly every aspect of parish life and ministry at St. Nicholas. Our parish Strategic Plan envisions that renewed facilities are just one aspect of a broader initiative to support our growing community through worship, stewardship, fellowship, education, and outreach.