Photo by Ed Graunke

Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City

Go to Steeple of Light - History

LOCATION & PLACEMENT: Housed on the church roof, inside the perforated dome on the building's northwestern corner. The lights, situated under the dome's four main portals through which they project their beams skyward, have been placed in fixed positions, forming a "steeple", the top of which is "reachable" but unseen by the naked eye.

SIZE & WEIGHT: Each of the four lights: (1) 5'6" tall, from base to lens; (2) base = 20" x 28"; (3) weight approx. 300 lbs; (4) lens = 20" diameter.

OPERATION & FUNCTION: 4 light systems are placed at 90E of each other and are powered by 60,000 watts of electricity, transformed into DC current to power four (4) 16" Xenon bulbs. Each bulb (16" x 3") is 8 times atmospheric pressure and filled with a rare earth gas (xenon). Each bulb ignites with 40,000 volts and then, in combination with a parabolic reflector, produces 300 million candlepower of illumination (per light) in a near perfect column.

INSTALLATION COST: Including artistic design, manufacturing, electrical wiring, construction, on-site preparation, and installation: $43,140 (in 1994).

OPERATING COST: Electrical cost = $750 per year.

REACH & RANGE: In theory, the "Steeple of Light" reaches toward infinity. In practical optical terms, with its 1.2 billion candlepower of illumination, the "Steeple of Light" reaches several miles into the stratosphere, visible from as far as 10 miles away.

FREQUENCY OF LIGHTING: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from dark until midnight. Extended hours on holidays. Dark: Good Friday, Holy Saturday.

Community Christian Church Vision Statement for the 21^st Century:

Worship God ◊ Grow Disciples ◊ Serve the World

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