First Church Financial News

There is Nothing More Inspiring than a Filled Sanctuary!

Did you know that of all of America’s mainline Protestant denominations, 70% to 80% of them have 125 or fewer members. Did you know that 25% of all Protestant Churches have fewer than 35 members a week in attendance.

I say this because Holy Week has just passed and I am still basking in the excitement and thrill I felt when I saw our sanctuary filled to capacity on Easter Sunday. We are a truly blessed congregation, and even though our numbers may be down from the past, I firmly believe that First Church’s greatest days are still ahead.

A Few Band-Aids Needed!

Over the course of the last few month we have had to do several repairs on our building and equipment. To be honest, I have been trying to keep some expenses down be putting off those repairs that we plan to redo during our building renovation anyway. An example might be to let some of the hallways which are in need of paint go because they’ll get repainted again anyway. That only seems to make sense.

However, we have had a few major things break down which could not be put off. One example is the 120 gallon commercial water heater we have in our kitchen which rusted out. Can you believe that it cost over $6,000 to replace. Another thing was the circulating pump for our hot water heating system. That cost over $4,000.

When you think about it, it really has been a long time since our building and mechanicals have been gone over. Even our newest equipment like air conditioners, our boiler, and most of our lighting is from the early 1990’s. That may not seem like that long ago to some of our members, but the fact is that they really don’t make it like they used to. We really are in need of a building renovation.

So, in a very short time we will conclude our building renovation capital campaign. There are a lot of things planned for the money we raise. One good thing is that most of the very first things on the list include shoring up and redoing all of the areas that First Church needs to function as we always have. It includes mechanical repairs, new carpet, fresh paint, and all the things needed to keep First Church looking fit and beautiful for the next generations.

It will be great to see First Church all polished up and looking new again!
                                                                                       Joe K.

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