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A middle-aged woman drove down the road with a heavy heart. Her mother’s health was declining, and she needed someone she could talk to. Then she saw the sign. Literally, it was a church sign. She felt the tug inside her to pull in and ask for prayer. The lady in the office was kind and connected her with one of the pastors. They prayed together, and she left knowing two things: she felt the presence and love of God, and she would be back on Sunday.
On another occasion, youth piled into the bus, eager to get to work. They were especially excited to help someone. Yet, there wasn’t one bus; there were six buses. And they were making multiple trips from the church to different work sites around the city. They were cleaning up yards, painting fences, rebuilding decks, building new wheelchair ramps, and picking up litter. They came together from across the state for Local Mission Project. While working together, they made new friends and experienced the presence of God like never before. This week was a highlight in their life and kindled something inside that would change them forever.
A dozen eager kids watched and waited as the bus pulled into the school parking lot to pick them up and bring them to First Kids after-school care. This was a better option than riding a bus home to an empty house. Some of them see our church as a second home; it’s where they want to be. Some were glad to hang out with friends before a parent picked them up. They could hardly wait to join the bigger kids or youth on special trips in these same buses. One day, the friendships forged here will be the place they go for advice as they navigate their way through youth into young adulthood.
These stories are not a specific account of any one person. They’re the kind of stories we hear over and over again. Someone sees our sign and feels God urging them to bring their family here for a class or worship service. For many youth, they consider LMP, Local Mission Project, the pinnacle of their summer. It’s not only fun, it changes their life and connects them with God and community in ways they often best describe with ear-to-ear smiles and new hearts. Many of your youth, children, First Kids Preschool, College Age, Senior Adults, and Afterschool ministry utilize the buses for adventures beyond their normal schools and Sunday Schools.
There are many, many ways we engage with our congregation and community beyond Sundays. We’re a busy church, very busy, and we make good use of our resources. Sometimes, those resources need to be replenished.
Here are some special summer projects we could use your help and support.
Our church sign out by Huntsville Ave has seen better days. Earlier this year, Lori Krie, our communications director, put in for a grant to replace it with a new digital sign. Following Trustee approval, she received a grant for $14,000 from the First Church Foundation of the needed $52,000, leaving a balance of $28,000. It’s a great setup that will bring even more positive attention to our church.
The other is our vehicles. Our vehicles are vitally important to the work we do. And they are old and worn out. While we always rent vans for LMP, we’re renting extra vans this year due to the condition of ours.
We have four passenger vehicles and one if not two of them are constantly in the shop. We keep pouring money into repeated repairs and new problems. It’s to the point where one of them is not safe to drive on the highway, and the rest make us nervous on any extended trip. We need to replace them.
A new 15-passenger van with an extended roof, cargo space, center aisle, and tow package in either AWD or DRW will cost about $75,000 apiece. Equipping a van with a wheelchair lift would of course be more. We would like four, but we need at least two. If we can get two now and two in the next year or so, that would work. Still, two are desperately needed.
These are special projects for a special cause. They bring people to the church. They move our church family. They enable us to do more ministry safely.
I’m asking for people to help us make these special projects a reality. I’m asking for people who have a desire to help financially, or have a passion for our church appearance, or a passion for our family ministries to help financially. This ask is above and beyond our normal giving.
Our church budget is in good shape. Please, continue your regular giving. If anyone has questions about our finances, you’re welcome to inquire. Transparency is very important.
However, if you have something more you can give, something special, above and beyond that you’re willing to offer to help these two special projects become a reality, please reach out to Summer Boyd, our financial director. Or, send a check to the church with “vehicles” or “sign” in the memo line.
To summarize these two special summer projects:
New Church Sign..………...…….….$28,000
New Vehicles x 4 ……...............…$300,000 (4 wanted, 2 needed)
Total for Special Summer Projects: $328,000
A new digital sign will do more than have our name on it, it will also communicate and invite the community to worship and major activities.
New vans will enable us to transport children, youth, and adults (including college-age and senior adults) to regular and special activities.
Thank you for your prayerful consideration of these Special Summer Projects and your generosity to continue to support and strengthen our ministries.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Daniel
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