CAPITAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

We've made great progress on the MPC Capital Campaign, "Lighting Our Way to the Future". Our most recent Status Announcement is included below; more documents, including a Pledge Form, a Case Statement, a Facilities Program Overview, a Frequently Asked Questions page, and an MP3 version of Pastor Karen Stokes' sermon on "Meaning", can be found to the left. If you have questions about the Campaign, please contact Steve McKiernan at (510) 450-0722 or by email at spmckiernan@gmail.com. You can also talk to other members of the Capital Campaign Committee: Bob Saltz, Sarah Lavender Smith, Miles McKey, and Susanne Lea.

Montclair Presbyterian Church Capital Campaign:
March 2010 Update Announcement

The following announcement was made in March by Steve McKiernan just prior to the most recent phase of the Capital Campaign.

Good morning. I'm Steve McKiernan, chair of the current phase of the Capital Campaign, and I'm here to give you an update on our status.

While I was thinking about what to say this morning, I kept going back Karen's sermon last Sunday. In case you missed it, it was about family, both how it is described in the Gospel and how it manifests itself here. It made me think of all the meetings I've had with individuals as part of this Campaign, and how those one-on-one meetings gave me a clearer picture of MPC as a group, and that this community, this family, is central to so many people's lives.

We really are like a family, you know. For example, we argue now and then. But out of those arguments come incredible things: just look at the arches that soar over us, or think about the way the bathrooms used to be. We're also like a family in that we support each other, enjoy being with each other, and take care of each other. And when it's time to build a new home for the family, we all do what we can to make that happen.

Taking that family analogy a bit further, it's time for a Family Meeting. Let's gather around our imaginary kitchen table and talk money for a second. We have made tremendous strides towards paying for our home improvements. In this phase alone of the Capital Campaign, we've raised over $110,000. But that still leaves a gap, currently $375,000. So this Fall we're applying for a mortgage from the Synod, which we'll pay off just like any other home loan. The question now is: can we make it possible to borrow less?

To answer this question, the Capital Campaign will soon be contacting everyone, by letter or individually, that we haven't already spoken to. We'll be asking you to help bridge the gap.

I should mention that you'll also be receiving a letter from the Stewardship Committee, asking how you plan to support MPC generally in the coming year. Now, when I first heard that the Capital Campaign letter and the Stewardship letter were going out within a week of each other, I thought it was more proof that God has a sense of humor. But when I thought about it some more, I realized that it's very fitting that you consider these two things at the same time. The Capital Campaign and the Stewardship drive are both about how you use your treasure: to take care of this community, to help it stay strong in the present, and set it up well for the future.

Yes, this is a big challenge. And yes, this is a hard time to even think about money. But we have done, and continue to do, amazing things. And we are a family, and this is our home.

Thank you for your support.