$1 Dollar a Day Makes It Happen
“Each person should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) What is the goal of this campaign?
The goal of this campaign is to receive pledges from St. Matthew’s parishioners totaling at least $450,000 to fund a variety of deferred capital improvements that will be necessary over the next five years. When completed during the 2011-2014 timeframe, these improvements will renew our maturing church facility, lower annual operating costs, reduce our environmental footprint and improve the quality of fellowship and service opportunities at our church.
Why is this campaign needed?
St. Matthew’s facilities range from nearly 20 to over 50 years in age. Our church serves on average about 2400 people per week for a full range of God’s work in service to our congregation and community. As such, it is almost constantly in use. For many of the past 10 years, only the most urgent repairs have been undertaken as funds have been insufficient to meet an ever-expanding list of capital improvement requirements. Despite our best efforts to fund St. Matthew’s capital improvement priorities, it is unlikely that sufficient resources will be available from our regular annual stewardship campaign to satisfy these critical needs.
What improvements are included in this campaign?
Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning ($197,000)
- Replace 4 heat pumps in weekday school are
- Replace 2 HVAC units in Sanctuar
- Replace 9 HVAC units in various location
- Replace 2 HVAC units in youth church school area
Interior ($125,000)
- Replace florescent lights (ballasts unavailable after 2010)
- Replace carpet in Sanctuary
- Replace carpet in Narthex
- Remodel 2 bathrooms in lower youth church school area
- Repair water leak under Narthex
- Install security system
Exterior ($69,000)
- Replace single pane windows with double pane units
- Replace front church doors
- Repair and repaint steeple
Grounds ($37,000)
- Replace broken and uneven sidewalks
- Replace main church sign
- Install multi-purpose fellowship area near play area
Roof ($22,000)
- Replace Sanctuary roofing
- Recoat Commons area roofing
How will these capital improvements be funded?
St. Matthew’s parishioners are being asked to pledge funds totaling at least $450,000 by June 15, 2010 to be paid over the 36-month period ending June 15, 2013. Funds raised by this campaign will be held in a separate account, which will be used solely for capital improvements to our church property and parsonage. Relying upon pledges, rather than debt financing, will reduce the total costs to our congregation and maximize funds available for the identified capital improvements.
How will these capital improvements benefit St. Matthew’s?
St. Matthew’s is a destination to experience inspiring messages, friendly people, wonderful music, and a joyful atmosphere “for all God’s children.” Completing these critical improvements will increase the efficiency of our building, reduce energy consumption and lower operating costs, and improve the quality of service to our congregation and those who rely upon St. Matthew’s.
How was the list and cost of these improvements determined?
The Trustees thoroughly evaluated each major component of our church property. Based upon this work, the Trustees identified improvements that would resolve a potential safety issue or a significant risk of equipment failure, would improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, or that would improve the quality of fellowship and outreach at St. Matthew’s. The Trustees received bids from commercial vendors for each of the major identified improvements.
How will St. Matthew’s fund preventive maintenance costs in the future?
As a part of this campaign, a separate capital improvement account will be established. This account will become a permanent part of St. Matthew’s on-going financial planning effort. Based upon current levels of giving, it is anticipated that funding in the range of $85,000 per year will be available in future years to provide for ongoing preventive maintenance. The Church Council, with assistance from the Finance Committee, will oversee and approve expenditures from this permanent capital improvement account.
Why are we proposing this major undertaking now?
Now is the time to address critical maintenance requirements and capital improvements that have been deferred for many years. These needs will not diminish with time. More importantly, further delay will increase the expense of emergency repairs, defer our ability to achieve meaningful savings in operating costs, and increase the likelihood of a failure of critical infrastructure.
How will you keep capital improvement funds separate from general expense funds?
Parishioners will be asked to clearly specify any gifts made to the capital improvement fund. Lump-sum or annual gifts can be paid by check directed specifically to this fund. If parishioners use pledge envelopes for their monthly gifts, the envelope provides an option to designate a gift to capital improvements. If parishioners use “electronic funds transfer”, it will be necessary to establish a new funds transfer for capital improvements that is separate from the authorization used for general fund purposes. If a parishioner uses the St. Matthew’s UMC website link (“Donate Now Online”) to make their gift, the link offers the option to designate an amount to “Capital Improvements” as well as “General Operating Expenses.”
Do you have any guidelines on an appropriate level of giving?
The capital improvement campaign is requesting that parishioners return pledges of support by June 15th payable over the next 36 months. Putting this capital improvement campaign into perspective, if 400 individuals or families pledge a minimum of $1.00 per day over the next 36 months, it will be possible to raise the amount requested for this important capital improvement campaign. Your pledge is critical to this capital campaign, just as it is for the annual stewardship campaign, so we can plan and schedule the improvements effectively.
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