LEWISTON (WGME)-- Lewiston Trinity Episcopal Church members are envisioning how to best use the building after the number of parishioners has plummeted over the years.
Trinity Church members say the community worshipped at the church for more than 100 years, but for the last two years, congregation numbers have dwindled to just around 25 people.
Church members like Klara Tammany started rethinking how to use the space.
"It's been a dream for five, 10 years to do this. COVID pushed us to think about it seriously, because we were, for two years, not able to use this building," Tammany said.
Tammany says she does not want the church boarded up, so instead they're revamping it.
"It's a missing piece in the development of this neighborhood," Tammany said.
Tammany says the upstairs will be open for public meetings.
"It could be political organizing, could be drama or theatre, films," Tammany said.
First, it needs a renovation so the building is more accessible.
Tammany says the National Episcopal Church gave them a small grant to start them off.
There are three phases.
The first is removing the pews and the carpets, then painting the labyrinth on the floor.
Phase two is renovating the downstairs where a social service agency is currently set up.
The third phase, Tammany says, is upgrading the bathrooms.
"If we create a welcoming, hospitable, engaging, non-threatening, loving space, it will bring people together in really productive ways," Tammany said.
She says the project could take a few years but is worth the wait.
Volunteers are helping to do the renovations.
Next week, with the help of the Maine Prisoner Re-entry Network, the pews will be removed. Then the transformation will begin.