On Sunday, May 18th after the service, we announced a capital campaign project for new siding.
We are calling it: Inviting & Sustaining For Everyone
Although siding is not an exciting or flashy capital campaign, we know the impact will help sustain our building for years and provide a more inviting space for people to spend their time.
WE ARE GROWING!
– Our average attendance is up – growing each of the past three years
– The preschool is growing again – especially after opening a 2-3 year-old childcare class this winter
– We have more renters than ever
– Hmong Faith Fellowship
– Redeemer Salvation Church
– Northern Lights Chorale
– Two yoga studios
– Dance Fitness
– Two violin instructors
– Mosaic Performing Arts
– Boy Scouts
– Cub Scouts (4 packs have combined and use our space)
– AND we have become a poling location for local elections!
Our goal is $150,000
The plan is to pay a company to do the upper portion of our building that we can’t reach on our own. For the lower portion, we plan to purchase the supplies and put the siding up ourselves. This will not only be a cost-effective approach, but it allows people to contribute to the project in more than one way. Giving funds and giving time will both be necessary to make this plan a reality.
Why Now? | Some Recent History
In the fall of 2022, we launched a capital campaign for our most immediate needs and areas of largest impact. The Community Growth Campaign resulted in a new parking lot, new carpet in the Fellowship Hall, new doors on the two south-side entrances, and a new monument sign.
In the past 18 months, the finance team in conversation with the trustees has put away funds to purchase a new furnace when the time comes, as at least one of our current furnaces is nearing the end of it’s lifespan.
Additionally, since 2022, we have diligently tracked our budget and put away three months of savings in an emergency fund. We have done this while providing consistent cost of living increases and raises for our staff, funding more hours for our Youth and Family Ministries Coordinator, and making progress towards paying our full apportionments (we currently pay 70%, in 2022 we paid 0%)!
AND, with the preschool growing again, finance has made funds available to contract with someone to help create a digital media plan to help us reach more people.
I want to pause and say: THANK YOU! This has been a team effort. From those on committees making decisions, to those who have been generously giving to Peace for decades, and those who just joined our community and have helped make it better already…it takes everyone to do this work. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Now that we have addressed those needs, the finance committee asked the trustees to make a list of greatest needs for our building and grounds so we can create goals and plans for the future. The immediate answer from the trustees was that the siding is in rough shape. The graphics above and below utilized pictures from our current building (LEFT: old siding; RIGHT: new siding on the updated front of the sanctuary). The trustees have done a great job of patching and maintaining the current siding, but it’s well past time for a total overhaul.
The Leadership Council approved a motion made by the Finance Team to put $5,000 of our savings into a dedicated fund to get this project going.
We believe that Peace is poised to continue making an impact on our community for years to come. But to do so, we have some hard work ahead. It will take investment of both funds and time. And we hope that everyone can come together and help with this project.
How To Give
Online | Below is a QR code that goes directly to a giving form on our SimpleChurch platform…just like all online giving. You can do a one-time gift or set-up a recurring gift.
Check | You can also give through a check to the church. Just make the check out to ‘Peace UMC’ and put ‘Inviting & Sustaining Fund’ in the memo line. (If you forget the fancy language and just write, ‘siding’, we will know what you mean as well!)
Thank you for being part of our community.
Thank you for believing in our mission and vision.
