Tuesday, 6 February, 2007
Dear friends,
This is the last time you will receive a letter from me about the building project using this letter head! The line drawing above which Duncan did for us many years ago is great – but the front of the church is going to be changed very soon, so we will have to look for another logo!
This is a letter to bring you up-to-date with the building project ‘appeal’, and at the same time to give you some information about the general budget needs for St Tims in 2007, so that you can see where we stand financially both with the building project as well as in the church.
We have had some fantastic fund raising events for the building project recently, and the money continues to come in through steady giving, as well is one-off donations. Other gifts, grants and donations are in the pipeline, and of course we can anticipate tax rebates on all gift-aided money.
Putting all that together, the total fund of money given, pledged, promised, etc, for the building project (including grants and tax-back) is around £290,000. This is an amazing sum from a small church like ours, for which we praise God!
But as you may recall from the September Journal, our target has to be £370,000, in order to pay for the bridging loan as well as the approx £330,000 building costs. So we still have one last hurdle to jump – a mere £80,000! And we want to start the work in May if we can, so we must close the appeal in just 4 weeks. “Impossible!” I hear you say! I agree: of course such a target is impossible.
Impossible to us that is. Not to God. In fact we ourselves have already seen so many miracles and answers to prayer, haven’t we!
But how could we hope to raise such a figure, when many people are already giving to the limit and beyond? Well some folk have joined the church since our last appeal and others are now more involved. Maybe they would like to share in this last push. Also in this last year the faith of many church members has grown. Maybe for some of us we are ready for step of faith that will take us deeper into the life and joy of the Spirit, a deeper level of dependence on God. And maybe someone somewhere will hear about our project and make a large donation! You never know…
When Sue Hope, the Sheffield Diocesan Missioner, was Vicar of St Margaret's Brightside some years back, they were doing a building project of several hundred thousand pounds – an impossible task for a small church in one of the poorest areas of Sheffield. People thought they were mad. One day Sue was conducting a funeral in church of a local man who had made good in the steel industry. Before the service began, one of the funeral party came into the vestry, and gave Sue a cheque for £150,000. Just like that. Apparently in his will, the man had wanted to make a donation to the church that been part of his childhood.
All I know is that Sue and the folk at St Margaret's had been praying for miracles, knowing full well that the target was impossible for them, but not for God. They placed their faith in God, and God demonstrated his almighty power. Can we do the same?
What happens if the £80k does not, in the end, come in? The building project committee has considered two options: If the shortfall is not very great, we will simply consult with the architects and look at ways and means of making some reasonable cutbacks to reduce the overall cost so that we can go ahead and complete the project in six months – we could then be back in church for Christmas 2007 or the New Year.
Another option is to consult with the architects about doing the work in two phases. We have more than enough money to do all the work on the entrance and lobby area which we would begin immediately. It might be possible for us to leave the nave, chancel and altar area for one more year, in order to raise more money to complete the task.
Neither of these options are ideal, but one way or another we would have a reasonable building to help us continue mission and ministry well into the 21st century.
But since we began this project knowing that it was an impossible task, and knowing that we would need the miraculous provision of God will way through, why go back to thinking about doing things in our own strength? Why give up now?! Why not in faith ask God for this last £80,000, and see the vision that God gave us at the beginning fulfilled, so that the full glory goes to him?
Each of us had to make up our own minds with regard to this. Some of us should definitely say ‘no more’ with a clear conscience – their contribution will be in prayer. Others of us may sense God calling us to a deeper level of trust and giving. If that is the case, let us pray for God to give us a real conviction, and a joyful desire to on a God in this way, and play our part in answering the prayers of others. This might be a one-off gift, or a regular donation pledged over the next four years until March 2011, by which time the building project will be fully paid off.
What ever we decide to give – or not to give – we should ALL PRAY. And indeed there will be times in church for specific prayer for the building project at the end of this month, as well as our own private prayer, and prayer in groups. On Tuesday, 27th February, at 7:30 p.m. we will set aside an evening for prayer, as we did before. And on Monday, Wednesday Thursday and Friday of that week there will also be times the prayer in the church beginning at 7.30pm, just for half an hour for anybody who would like to join us.
The Final Gift Day before making final building plans with the architect will be Sun 4th March. ______________________________________
But one thing to bear in mind as we each of us consider what we might give to the building project. Jonathan, our church Treasurer, says that we will also need to raise approximately £5000 extra in 2007 in order to meet our budget target of just over £70,200.
This is partly because our contribution towards the diocese has gone up considerably, (clergy pensions have gone up, and other churches are struggling to pay their way) and partly because of the huge hike in energy bills in the church, which we all know about in our own homes.
It is really important that we meet our general church fund commitments, so that the mission and ministry of St Tims can continue fruitfully, and that we can continue to help support other churches in the Diocese, 75% of which are unable to fully pay their way.
Please do pray about your contribution towards general church funds, as well as the church building project. Attached to this mailing you will find to donation forms. We would appreciate if you would return these to church by Sunday 4th March.
Yours in the fellowship of the Gospel,
Philip