A
Call to Discipleship:
Building
Community
The
Campaign for
June
2003
To the
Congregation of
I hope
that you will become a part of a journey which began many years ago. The
Christian church is so much more than that which is seen or heard at any one
moment in time. The words of the Creed, "the communion of saints,"
point to this reality. Nearly three hundred and fifty years ago, in 1660, Rye
Presbyterian Church became a reality. For the past one hundred and thirty years,
individuals and families like yours have sat in these same pews, seen the light
shine through these same windows, and listened to the music from four different
organs. Earlier worshippers sang from hymnals by the light of gas lamps and were
warmed by coal heaters in each of the corners of the sanctuary.
Each
Sunday as we worship, we are surrounded by the presence and the gifts of those
who came before us. Fewer than one hundred families built our magnificent 1870
sanctuary in which we worship today. Many of their names are remembered in
memorial tablets, stained glass windows, and communion ware. All who provided
our house and furnishings for worship are now gone from
Those
original one hundred families answered their generation's call to discipleship
by a vision for the future. They built not only for their need, but also for the
future of the Christian ministry of Rye Presbyterian Church, a future which
extends to us today. They shared the Creed's belief that a church is a living
organism, a "communion of saints" who journey together following Jesus
Christ.
Now we
have been called to respond to our discipleship in the Rye Presbyterian Church,
not only for our generation, but for those who will follow us. The vision is
before us. Join us, and help make this vision a reality.
Reverend
Dr. Richard E. Murdoch
Senior
Pastor
(Click the underlined
hyperlinks to jump to those sections):
THE
VISION FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY
THE
VISION FOR ADDITIONAL ENDOWMENT
THE
VISION FOR CREATING NEW CHURCH PROGRAMS
THE
VISION FOR EXPANDED AND RENOVATED CHURCH FACILITIES
BUILDING
ON THE PAST, BUILDING FOR THE NEXT DECADE
ELEMENTS
OF THE FIVE-YEAR COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN
Each
member of Rye Presbyterian Church is called to discipleship as part of the
"priesthood of all believers" to do the work of the Church in the
world. This document describes how each member of RPC can participate in that
work today, to ensure that our Church's future will not only match, but will
also exceed its rich and dynamic past.
Rye
Presbyterian Church is blessed with a long and vibrant history of worship,
ministry, fellowship, and mission. Founded in I795, the Church is committed to
the spiritual nurture of its congregation, as well as to the ongoing needs of
the local and surrounding communities.
Our
congregation took a thoughtful look at the Church's mission through a long-range
planning retreat held early in September, 2001. Over 60 members of the
congregation, representing all of the Church's constituencies, spent a day with
William A. Weary, president of Fieldstone Consulting, Inc.
Mr. Weary
challenged us to explore what the Church means in our lives. His guidance helped
us to focus on the present and future needs of the Church, the congregation, and
the community in which we live. The retreat reminded those of us who
participated that we are all intensely proud of our Church. It also reinforced
our commitment to ensure that the Church continues to thrive and grow and
provide for the spiritual and temporal needs of its congregation, as well as
continuing its strong leadership role in the broader community.
OUR
CHURCH TODAY
Our
congregation today is home to a large variety of activities:
·
The current membership is over
1,100 people (600+ families) and, unlike most churches, it is growing.
·
More than 650 new members have
joined the Church in the last decade, 46 in the most recent new member class
alone. Demographics are changing and we are seeing an influx of young parents in
their 30's and 40's.
·
More than 335 infants have been
baptized in the last decade.
·
Each year, over 500 children
participate in the Sunday school. In addition, each year approximately 20 to 30
youths are confirmed, and more than 60 participate in the middle and senior high
programs. More than 50 adult members volunteer their time to lead all of these
programs.
·
The
·
The Thrift Shop raises over $25,000
annually to help fund 17 local outreach and community organizations.
·
The Ward Institute, held each
summer for four weeks, is five years old, growing from five students and now
enrolling 60 to 100 children from the
·
The three governing boards of the
Church, totaling 60 officers, as well as numerous committees, meet several times
a month to plan events for the congregation.
·
Approximately 30 outside groups use
our Church on a regular basis, including two boy scout troops, four Alcoholics
Anonymous groups, the Handicapped Association workshop, Sandwich Makers for the
Homeless, special
But these
are just numbers. Undergirding the numbers are:
·
The care Church members give to one
another
·
The power of preaching
·
The buzz of conversation after
worship during coffee hour
·
The outreach of deacons and others
to those in need
·
The breadth and intensity of Bible
study
·
The financial support given freely
to community organizations
·
The journey of faith that is
confirmation
·
The strength of our music
These are
the building blocks to a healthy, vibrant, and growing future.
As home
to all this dynamic activity, Rye Presbyterian Church is stretched beyond its
capacity in terms of facilities, endowment and programs. To ensure that the
Church will have the capacity to deliver the building blocks of our future will
require an expansion of its physical plant and an increase in the endowment so
that our beautiful building will be properly maintained and to provide the
necessary resources to fund much needed new programs.
THE
VISION FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY
Beginning
in September, 2001, members of the Long Range Planning Committee have been
meeting regularly to process the rich materials which were gleaned from the
retreat. The committee's mission has been to transform the vision of the Church
into a strategic plan for its future, addressing its needs for the improvement
and growth of its facilities, endowment, and programs. In doing so, this plan
will allow our vision for Christ's ministry and mission to become a reality.
The
Long-Range Planning Committee, in creating the focus for a comprehensive
campaign, has determined the following needs. These components ensure the
ongoing, dynamic integrity of Rye Presbyterian Church - melding the body
(building) and the spirit (discipleship).
·
Additional funds to repay the
endowment for those funds borrowed to build the three youth rooms in the
Undercroft.
·
Additional endowment to provide
funds to ensure proper maintenance of our beautiful and historic buildings.
·
Additional funds to create and
sustain new Church programs which will serve the increasingly diverse spiritual
and temporal needs of our members.
·
Construction of a multi-purpose
addition and renovation of existing spaces to house additional worship services,
meetings and choir rehearsal space, to name a few.
THE
VISION FOR ADDITIONAL ENDOWMENT
Part of
our discipleship calls us to be mindful stewards of what prior generations have
bequeathed to us - in particular, our glorious sanctuary and adjacent
structures. To do this requires increasing the Church's endowment to provide
critically needed funds in several areas:
·
Return to the endowment fund monies
used for the 2001/2002 renovation of the three youth rooms which totaled
$265,000. The quality of this renovation has provided an indispensable platform
for these and other groups.
·
The physical structure of our
Church is in great need of repair, restoration and refurbishment. Our $25
million plant should typically require a minimum of 1% of its value in
maintenance repair cost, or $250,000. At present, only $100,000 per year is
available. The Church has thus, by necessity, accumulated a backlog of deferred
maintenance. An additional $2.5 million of endowment principal, when added to
our present endowment, would provide us with the needed dollars to keep our
facilities in good repair, now and in the future.
·
The additional income from the
endowment, providing for the maintenance and repair of the facilities, would
ensure that necessary programs and staff would not be compromised or eliminated
in favor of immediate building maintenance needs.
THE
VISION FOR CREATING NEW CHURCH PROGRAMS
In the
same way that we must maintain and enhance the physical body of the Church, so
discipleship requires that we maintain and enhance its spiritual body.
Therefore, part of the increased endowment will be earmarked to provide start-up
funds for new program initiatives.
RPC is a
very diverse congregation, both in its spiritual dimension and spiritual needs
and in its congregational and community-building efforts. But as a Church, we
are currently experiencing significant financial and personnel limitations in
trying to serve the breadth of that diversity.
Therefore,
part of the campaign will provide seed money for new programs for the
congregation and the community. This will allow the Church to institute and
assess new and challenging ways to serve its members and the community. If,
after the initial test period, usually about three years, the programs prove
successful, they would be transferred to the regular budget.
Here are
some examples:
·
·
Another example would involve the
creation of a faith-based youth fellowship for senior high students. For many
years we have decried the fact that after confirmation our young people often
drift from the Church. A faith-based youth fellowship could require hiring a
part-time seminary student to work with RPC's staff in creating the program,
identifying the youth, and developing an institution.
There are
many other examples:
·
Adult education programs
·
Spiritual reawakening retreats
·
Community forums on important
issues
·
Expanded communications avenues
·
Theater programs for young people
and others
The above
examples would undoubtedly require additional staffing and our current
professional staff is already stretched thin. RPC needs to test the value of an
additional, perhaps part-time, staff member to serve as a program
director/director of volunteers to market and implement programs and to identify
and motivate volunteers.
THE
VISION FOR EXPANDED AND RENOVATED CHURCH FACILITIES
Each
generation of members has built on the legacies of prior generations, to create
and expand the exceptional plant we are now privileged to use.
Today,
the
The
centerpiece of the expansion of the education building is construction of a new
multipurpose space behind the Westminster Room to be used for:
·
Non-traditional worship services
·
Adult education programs and
presentations
·
Dinners and receptions
·
Community programs
·
Women's Association meeting space
·
Lenten workshops
·
Special music programs
·
The construction of this additional
space would, in turn, enable the Church to renovate the Westminster Room so it
can provide an efficient, workable home for our dedicated choir.
·
Simultaneously, this would enable
the Church to renovate the existing choir room to serve our ever-expanding
Church school, as well as the
·
Construction of a multi-purpose
room would also provide for the creation of new space for the Thrift Shop which
will be located in the large space on the ground floor.
·
Finally, the current Thrift Shop
space would be renovated to provide two additional youth classrooms for students
who currently meet in the Westminster Room, as well as providing additional
space for other Church and community meetings.
BUILDING
ON THE PAST,
BUILDING
FOR THE NEXT DECADE
A
successful campaign will:
·
Provide the resources to increase
our endowment for ongoing required plant maintenance
·
Create new and needed programs to
enhance, enlarge and enrich the life of our congregation and the surrounding
communities which we serve
·
Provide new and improved facilities
to accommodate current and future programs
Rye
Presbyterian Church embraces its future with hope and confidence, building on
the strength of its ministry and its programs. All of the building blocks are in
place - excellent ministers, a vibrant and relevant music program, a strong
staff, a large and dedicated congregation, a tradition of leadership and
community service, and a beautiful physical plant.
The needs
are apparent - to expand and maintain the plant, preserving it for future
generations; to increase the endowment; and to enhance and strengthen the
program life of the congregation to meet our spiritual and temporal needs, to
attract and retain new members, and to ensure our growth and vitality.
Now is
the time for all of us to embrace the Call to Discipleship. We must seize the
opportunity that lies ahead, and we must respond positively to the challenges
that our Lord presents.
ELEMENTS
OF THE
FIVE-YEAR
COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN
The
Vision for Additional Endowment
·
Repayment of funds borrowed from
the endowment to renovate the Undercroft
$265,000
·
Additional endowment to support an
annual maintenance fund of $225,000 (5% of an anticipated total endowment of
$4.5 million)
$2,500,000
The
Vision for Creating New Church Programs
·
Start-up funds for creating new
programs
$300,000
The
Vision for Updated Church Facilities
·
Construction of a multi-purpose
room and renovation of existing space
$1,000,000
Total
Needs: $4,065,000.
2004
ANNUAL OPERATING FUND
The 2004
operating budget is another component of the Comprehensive Campaign. Much
thought and consideration went into the decision to undertake both phases
concurrently. We believe that the inherent efficiencies are obvious and that you
will understand the need to support both components.
Next
year's operating budget has been held to a three percent year-to-year increase
and will result in a total expense budget of $1,111,000 compared to $1,081,000
for the current year. Please refer to the pie chart below.
A
CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP: BUILDING
COMMUNITY
CAMPAIGN
COMMITTEE
(as
of
Susan
Berndt Mahoney
Robert
Steed
Co-Chairmen,
Campaign and Leadership Gifts
Robin
and George Russell
Co-Chairmen,
Special Gifts
James
Pelgrift
Chairman
Legacy Committee
Steering
Committee
Marian
and Richard Bott
Susan
Berndt Mahoney
Rev.
Dr. Richard E. Murdoch
Robin
and George Russell
Robert
Steed
Jeffrey
Stewart
Douglas
Waggoner
James
Pelgrift
Robert
Thompson
Campaign
Consultant
Georgia
Murphy
Administrative
Assistant
Campaign
Phone: (914) 967-0842, Extension 13
Information:
gmurphy@ryepc.com
see also: