By Kaki McGeary & Dave Johnson, Co-Chairs
Advent is a time of waiting
and preparation for the coming of Jesus, a time to make room in our hearts for
Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. This year, as we enter the season of Advent, we are
also awaiting and preparing for several wonderful Capital Campaign projects!
Sanctuary Restoration Project
The Sanctuary Restoration Project will begin right after Christmas! Starting
on December 29, worship services will be held in Fellowship Hall. The entire
plaster ceiling must be totally removed and replaced. The ceiling will be done
first and then it must cure for several weeks, during which time the walls will
be patched. Once that is done, painting can begin! The entire project should
take about 2 months, assuming no major hiccups.
Our goal is to be back in the
sanctuary BEFORE PALM SUNDAY, if not before.
Our staff and several committees are working on plans to make this
temporary move as seamless and comfortable as possible. We ask for prayers that
we move through this time of transition and mess with patience, kindness, grace
and humor, and that this experience might draw us closer together as one body
of Christ. This is a once-every-hundred years type of project! We cannot wait
to share this beautiful transformation with everyone during Holy Week 2020.
Sanctuary Windows
We eagerly await the return
of our historic windows/shutters in the sanctuary. We HOPE they will be back by
the end of November.
Security Grant/Outdoor Lighting
We got the grant! We received
a federal grant of $47,809 for improving security
and safety at our church. This grant award includes $10,000 for new
parking lot lights! Also included are funds to add locks to all of our
classroom doors and a new “controlled access system” (keyless locks,
video cameras at our two main entrances). Now we are just
waiting on paperwork. :) Once we have
it, we will install the new lighting in the parking lot! The other
projects will take a bit longer to implement, so stay tuned for details. In the
meantime, we are hoping to have lights for the steeple, church sign and thrift
shop sign re-installed soon.
Pledge Payment Reminder
Your continued pledge
payments are vital to our efforts! As we continue to work on major projects, we
are drawing down our available cash balance. While we have not needed a bridge
loan yet, we will likely need one to do the Sanctuary Restoration.
Early pledge payments are always welcome and appreciated. Your pledge balance for 2019 can be found on your fall pledge statement. If you have questions about your pledge status, please contact Dan Petherbridge, Campaign Treasurer.
