a brightview view

Last week I had the opportunity to tour the Brightview Senior Living facility. This is the complex that sits on the property the church sold a few years ago. They are scheduled to open on July 8th. Karen Stewart, the Executive Director for this location, gave the tour for representatives of several organizations in the community.

We saw the “Rose Hill Salon,” the “Virginia Hills Theatre,” and the “Huntley Pub.” We saw the dining room, the gym, the game room, and the memory care unit, where we heard about the Brightview philosophy for senior living.

It was all quite fascinating, but the thing that impressed me most was the view from one of the independent living apartments. Pictured here is the view from the dining room. My first thought as I looked out the window was, “They will have an excellent view of Virginia Hills Church & Learning Center.” The green plot of land in the middle of the picture is where our church will sit. I tried to convince Karen that this apartment would make a good parsonage, but to no avail.

Some people, when they look out this window, might only see a muddy field; green, brown, and barren. But as I looked out the window, I saw the future: the main entrance is on the right side of the building and next to it is a landing with rocking chairs and picnic tables, where Sunday School classes can meet on nice days, and people can sit and rock and visit.

On the Brightview side is a drop off lane where preschoolers will enter the building through three doors that lead into the fellowship hall. Through these doors a comfortable greeting space can be seen, with easy chairs and couches where people can meet and chat while having a cup of coffee. On the left side of the building can be seen the edge of the multi-generational playground, where people of all ages and abilities can have fun together. On top of the building is an illuminated steeple reminding the neighborhood that this is a place where light cuts through the darkness.

The view right now is somewhat lacking. An empty lot. But the view of the future is…well…bright. It’s a “Bright View!”