
LOVEworks
Our LOVEworks Story
In January of 2024, the Worship Committee of Chester Presbyterian Church discussed ways we might be able to communicate the love we seek to share with our community near and far. The idea of the LOVEworks project was seeded there and within 6 months, the created Task Force put together ideas for the shared message of LOVE that would be unique to Chester Presbyterian Church.
Each letter in the word LOVE takes into account the shape of the letter and the various themes that were deemed important in our story.
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THE LETTER L
The letter L illustrates the important role that the Arts play in our community and in our worship.
Materials Used: The pipes are PVC of varying lengths. The piano keyboard is made from pressure-treated wood covered with oil-based paint. The piano black keys are painted PVC and the musical notes are wood covered with truck bed liner paint. The notes were a retail purchase.
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THE LETTER O
Central to our commitment as Christians, in the O you will find the circle of God’s love in Christ displaying the cross, the loaves and fishes, and the bread and the cup of Communion.
Materials Used: The base of the letter are 2 repurposed wagon wheel rims with rebar welded between them to enhance stability. Other elements are made from found objects as well. The cross is made from wooden 2x4s wrapped with a leather belt and treated with teak oil. The chalice is made from a fiberglass plant pot with a PVC base and painted with an oil base paint. The fish are cut from a ¼ inch thick piece of plate metal. The table is made from pressure-treated wood treated with spar varnish. The bread is formed from cedar logs found on the church property. These are treated with spar varnish as well.
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THE LETTER V
The hands of God in the letter V represent God’s loving care of the Earth and every living being.
Materials Used: For the hands, the pattern was drafted with AutoCAD and then plasma cut from ¼ inch 4x8 ft piece of plate metal. The Earth was a retail purchase off the clearance table and then was painted with truck bed liner paint to make it more durable for outdoors.
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THE LETTER E
The dove presenting with the olive branch symbolizes peace and hope and a new beginning. The clouds and rainbow on the letter E represent God’s promise of presence with people after times of trouble.
Materials Used: This letter was cut from a ¼ inch thick, 4x8 ft piece of plate metal. It was covered with a vinyl wrap from a computer developed design. The dove was cut from ¼ inch piece of plate metal. The olive branch was forged and shaped using mild steel.
Visitors are encouraged to take photos of our Chester Presbyterian Church LOVEworks and to share your pictures on Facebook at Facebook.com/VirginiaisforLovers or by tagging @VisitVirginia on Instagram and Twitter and using the hashtag #LOVEVA
You can visit virginia.org/love for more information and examples of LOVEworks projects across the state of Virginia.
A Special Thank You to Those Supporting this Project:
Boilermakers Local #45
Mac Industrial – Eric Hanson, Richard Malone
Salisbury Signs – Steve Blissert
Chesterfield County Planning and Building Inspection Departments
Frank Hartsoe, Construction Leader
Members of the LOVEworks Task Force
Todd Woerner, Erin Woodby, Jana Wood, DT Wood, Sally Noe,
Susan Mapes, Steve Entwistle, Ann Dunbar, Roshan Chakane