Were you as thrilled as I was to see the big, wonderfully
enthusiastic group of Middle Schoolers who stood before us in worship last
month as we commissioned them for their trip to Massanetta Springs? We saw
before us the future of the church – our church and the church of Jesus Christ.
The future of our church is very much on the minds of all
the officers of our church, our 16 elders and our 18 deacons, as we continue to
work with Tom Norwood from Horizons Stewardship, planning for the Capital
Campaign we envision launching in anticipation of our 150th anniversary in
2017. Tom has met one-on-one with most of the officers of the church, as well
as the staff, and he has been very impressed with our energy, our faithfulness,
and our commitment.
Elders, deacons, and staff met with Tom on Saturday June
21 for a morning retreat to focus on what we have identified as priorities for
our campaign. We know we’ll need to replace the entire roof of our building
within the next few years, at a cost of close to $200,000, so that’s where
we’ve started. But lots of other wonderful ideas have come out of all the
imagining we’ve been doing the past year as we listen to the call of the Spirit
and think about our church 5 years, 10 years, even 20 years down the road.
The idea of a Memorial Garden as both a place for
interring ashes, and as a place outdoors for contemplation, prayer and quiet has
generated very enthusiastic responses. A growing number of churches have
embraced the idea of providing an outdoor space for interments and remembering
loved ones, and a place for prayer and worship.
At our June meeting the Session voted to establish the
Technology Task Force, chaired by elder Mike Yelanjian, to look at all our
technology needs, from building a reliable and workable WiFi network throughout
the building, to providing technology for all our Christian Education efforts.
We are also looking at audio visual needs we have in the Sanctuary, both for
worship and for music, drama, and other offerings. It is hard to believe, but much
of the A/V equipment installed when the Sanctuary was renovated is now dated
and needs to be replaced.
Our Early Learning Center has been imagining a completely
redesigned playground. Much of the equipment is old, rusty, worn, and dated.
Our playground is popular after hours with neighborhood children, and we want
to encourage their use of the space, which means we need to provide equipment
designed for older children. There is no shortage of wonderfully innovative and
creative ideas for outdoor play spaces.
We estimate we will need to raise about $500,000,
including setting aside 10% for special Mission projects. Can we raise that
much? That’s up to us – and God working through the Spirit. We know that “for
God all things are possible”, but we also take on faith that with God,
all things are possible. God is calling us to strengthen our foundation for the
future of our church— the future of those wonderful young people who stood
before us in the chancel.
Grace & peace,
Pastor
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