Dear friends,
In 1998-2000, the Blessings Upon Blessings campaign enabled St. Peter’s to complete the facilities which make our campus the ideal setting for the ministries that make up our mission. Now, in 2007, we are poised to further care for some more of our facilities, and prepare us for 2008 – our Sesquicentennial Celebration!!!
For 3 years, the Vestry of St. Peter’s has been discussing when the right time and right emphases would be for us to embark on a capital campaign. Several months ago, we decided the time is NOW and the emphases are clear. We engaged a professional firm to move us through a feasibility study to determine financial parameters, as well as a careful listening process about the priorities and desires of the members of this fine parish. The study is over, the recommendations have been made, and the Vestry – at the March 12 meeting – unanimously endorsed moving forward immediately to do this.
After making that decision, the Vestry then also unanimously voted to tithe (that is, give 10%) on all the funds collected in this process. What an incredibly outward looking and far-reaching decision! Wow! I am impressed, grateful, and humbled. The leaders of St. Peter’s are not only committed to caring for today’s and tomorrow’s members of our community, but to practicing sacrificial stewardship as well. Again – wow!
The particular needs and projects as discussed and prioritized are:
· Repair and renovation of our historic church building
· Repay debt from capital projects since Blessings Upon Blessings
· Refurbish exterior areas of buildings and courtyard
· Create a maintenance endowment fund for future needs
· Repair various issues in Youth Center
· Refurbishing and repairing Parish Hall: kitchen, acoustical issues, porch, and parlor
· Surveying, fencing, repairing, irrigating and generally preparing our historic St. Peter’s Cemetery for continued development
· Repairs to Education Building
· Completing our pledge to Camp Weed
· Buying a bus to replace the bus that for a short time enhanced our ministry
At our Strategic Planning Retreat in June 2005, Vestry and leaders set as priorities Education/Formation of all, the Youth of the Parish, and our Music program. Since then we added Kristina Smith as Christian Formation Director, and Brian Moody as Youth Director, and we’re dreaming and planning to upgrade our Parish Musician position in the future.
After slowly reducing our capital debt from $550,000 to $360,000, and paying interest only, our bank has now asked us to move into a mortgage. This, along with the investments in staff (especially Kristina and Brian), and more maintenance needs in the Cemetery, has stretched our Operating budget. We want to keep our Operating budget’s ability to support people and programs, thus some of the maintenance projects above.
The Vestry and I believe that NOW is the time to move ahead with these important projects. And you – our members – also told us you support and endorse these plans. So – HERE WE GO!!! God bless you all!
Peace in Christ, George+
