September 27, 2007 --- In many areas of the United States, declining memberships in congregations has led to the closing of many religious institutions.  At the same time, churches in other areas have been rapidly expanding and building to accommodate growing church memberships.  For over 35 years John Phillips Sr., of Associated Crafts, has witnessed this phenomenon from the unique perspective of a stained glass expert.

In the early eighties Mr. Phillips stumbled onto an idea that would help many churches for years to come.  While consulting two churches one day, he found that one was closing and the other one was building a new sanctuary — so he put their needs together and a special service was born.

Associated Crafts personnel have been traveling the nation helping religious institutions that are closing. Associated Crafts helps them sell their stained glass windows to others that are growing and are in need of stained glass windows for their new sanctuaries and auditoriums.

Mr. Phillips said, “The key to our success has been Associated Crafts’ ability as a full-service stained glass studio to provide customers with a complete turnkey package of removal, reconditioning and re -installation. Instead of church officials, with limited staff and limited time, having to seek out and supervise separate contractors for the three separate tasks, churches can now hire one company that specializes in all three tasks.”

 

  

Mr. Phillips said, “In the process of reconditioning, we clean and re-lead the stained glass windows. To preserve the beauty, we apply protective glazing to protect, insulate, and preserve the Stained Glass windows.

“In our rescued window department, we are delighted to be able to save some of these great historic works of art — from high-end studios like Tiffany, Munich and Lafarge—for use in new settings. We are hoping to raise awareness with churches nationwide that this is a very real option and is clearly a win-win situation for both parties.”

Mr. Phillips recalled, “One of my favorite projects was when we rescued a beautiful set of windows out of a church in Pennsylvania that was closing and we placed them in Tucson, Arizona. We had to remove the original memorial plates during the resizing of the windows.  The priest in Tucson had decided he wanted small windows for the balcony.  We suggested the use of all the ‘cut offs,’ including the original memorial plates. The church agreed and now all the original donors from Pennsylvania are still honored in the windows’ new home in Arizona. In so many cases, it was important to individuals years ago to purchase a memorial window for a loved one and we just wanted that heart-felt intention to live on.”

Phillips said, "When people walk by and see our scaffolds around stained glass windows, they frequently have questions, so we’ve learned to have brochures available because we welcome questions and spectators. Our skilled craftsman in the on-site team will work around church services and activities to complete the repair process with minimal inconvenience to the client.”

The family owned and operated Associated Crafts honors the past and provides restoration and preservation services to religious institutions nationwide. For more information, go to http://www.restoreglass.com/ in order to view their “rescued windows” or to see their guide to FAQ and Glossary of Terms or to see information about their appraisal and consultation services for stained glass windows. Click on their “Contact Us” page to request a free copy of the Stained Glass Project Manual.

Contact:
John Phillips Sr.
Associated Crafts
Phone toll free: 888-503-1184 ext 2
Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it