Wrapping up I2I - Praising God for His faithful provision!
April 15, 2020
Dear New Hope Family,
Wow! it seems as if it was only a few months ago that the leadership team got a clear vision for New Hope; “To be a hub of life transformation that brings the hope of Jesus Christ into all four quadrants of the City of Rochester.” But it was three years ago when we kicked off our Capital Campaign. We knew fulfilling this vision meant adding new ministries and partnering with community leaders and organizations who share our vision for the city. This also meant significant repairs to the church building, to declare our commitment to the community by being a part of the city’s development of the inner loop and Union Street. We have truly seen the Lord guiding us in this vision of developing into a hub of life transformation in Rochester. Two new ministries were added, Immigration Legal Services and a Counseling Ministry, both having a significant impact in the community. We recommitted ourselves for another 3 years to hosting the RAIHN ministry for the homeless and added the fifteen-week Perspective course on God’s global redemptive mission. Events for the denomination, Genesis Conference and the community were held at New Hope as we fulfill our vision as a hub in Rochester.
Anticipating the significant increase in the use of our aging building we launched the Capital Campaign with a goal of $125,000 for building repairs and upgrades. Thanks to all who have contributed to the Capital Campaign. So far, we have collected $107,600, eighty-six (86%) percent of the targeted amount. The Capital Campaign Team remains hopeful that we will be able to reach our goal. A list of the projects we have completed with their associated costs are below.
Project Cost
Roof & Dry Walls $18,234
Mural $5,563
Boiler Repairs and pipe rerouting $1,456
Office and Conference Room Remodel $1,140
Children's Area $11,945
Chimney $21,539
Entrance Area / Pergola $33,742
Other building repairs, improvements, $3,328
and furnishings
Total $93,619
We have surely had our share of unexpected challenges over the past three years. A crumbling chimney at risk of falling apart and causing injuries, significant wind damage to the roof, and flooding of the children’s area in the lower level of the church, all adding to our capital cost. But as you have seen from the list of repairs and upgrades, you have stepped up to the challenge and assisted the church in accomplishing a great deal. The worst thing that could occur during a capital campaign happened to us; an unexpected increase in capital expenditure. I am sure we can all agree that this falls into the category of bad news. But, as people of God, New Hope responded according to Ps 112:7-9, “They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They share freely and give generously to those in need.”
The Capital Campaign’s goal was high but achievable, and we all knew without God’s help we might not have achieved it. However, working together as a church we have stepped up and done a fantastic job of reaching almost 90% of our goal. In fact, we anticipate that by the end of April we will have $12,400 on hand for further investment. A couple of those outstanding projects include fixing some very drafty windows, replacing some carpet, some painting in the sanctuary, replacing a rusty door, and ongoing maintenance like replacing a sill plate on the back-emergency exit doors.
In all of it we simply say Thank You! Whether it’s a challenging vision or facing significant obstacles to achieving that vision, I hope we have all seen that victory comes through God’s people uniting as a community. Let us continue to harness the power of the united community through the Holy Spirit as we seek to fulfill the vision of the Lord for our church.
Some other steps toward fulfilling our vision include expanding our community engagement. Currently, we are working with pastor Tunya Griffin of The Sanctuary Church. This church meets at New Hope on Sunday afternoons (under normal conditions). Members of our Community Outreach team have also developed a preliminary relationship with the MarketView Heights Collective Action Project, a Community Development Group. Also, we are exploring various options of how best to fulfill our vision for spiritual and socioeconomic community transformation. And, during these days of isolation, we are now considering how our vision incorporates those we can only reach through the internet and other virtual means. Regardless of how we engage our community, our ultimate goal is to make disciples for Christ, providing a nurturing environment and loving each other.
Dr. Earlando Thomas Rev. Scott F. Sittig
Capital Campaign Chair Lead Pastor
New Hope FMC New Hope FMC
Capital Campaign Draws to a Close
April 8, 2020
Dear New Hope Family,
As we go through these challenging times of the Covid 19 pandemic, please take a few minutes to meditate on this passage of scripture from Ps. 36: 7-9, “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house: you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.“ Despite the negative health and socioeconomic effects of this Covid 19 pandemic, God’s river of delight is still flowing and his light continues to shine through us. Be encouraged and continue leaning into the Lord during this difficult Lenten season.
I hope you are all healthy and observing social distancing with the relevant hygienic practices for your safety and the safety of your family, friends and community. We continue to pray that our congregation and community may only be minimally affected; that those in need are getting the necessary support from families, friends, and our church community. Please do not hesitate to reach out for help. Regardless of what we are going through, we must continue to hold fast to the Word of the Lord and to our community.
Our three-year Capital Campaign will officially end on April 30, 2020. We thank all those who have contributed so far, and hope we will be able to complete our pledges by the end of this April, if we are able to. With the financial impact of the Covid 19 pandemic we will extend the closing date for the Capital Campaign to June 30, 2020 to assist those of us who have pledged and experienced an unexpected decrease in income. If you have never contributed to the Capital Campaign and would Like to do so, please take advantage of the extended period to make your contribution. And, as we’ve discussed previously, if you are able to continue giving a little extra to this campaign on a monthly basis moving forward, there will continue to be ongoing building projects and needs for maintaining an old building.
In the next week, we will be sending you a written letter and your pledge statement with a breakdown of how the funds were utilized and where we believe the Lord is leading us in our community outreach efforts. Let us know if you think we have miscalculated your remaining pledge amount. Watch for it in the mail. We know this is an awkward time to send this letter, but we wanted to bring closure to this very important effort even in the midst of these chaotic times.
Please be safe.
Blessings,
Dr. Earlando Thomas, Campaign Chair
Capital Campaign Team
P.S. - Scroll down to look back on how much has changed in the last 3 years. It’s quite remarkable, but it will also give you a good sense of how we moved into our vision despite all the change. May God continue to guide and direct us.
The story of our Capital Campaign
I trust that you are at peace and that God has blessed you richly where you are planted and serving. You are such faithful friends to the life and mission of New Hope, even as the years roll by. We think of you often. I’m reaching out to let you know about New Hope’s recently launched capital campaign. We’ve been in our current building since 2002, which makes it 15 years of wear and tear. Hard to believe, isn’t it? It is time to make some significant upgrades.
Our mission has not changed, “To love God, love each other and serve the world.” However, we recently captured a new vision: “To be a hub of life transformation that brings the hope of Jesus Christ into all four quadrants of the City of Rochester.” There is a new sense of energy and focus that is propelling us into new territory. These are exciting times, and I trust you are encouraged that the church where you made such a significant investment is not only alive, but healthy and motivated for a new level of impact.
We also want to keep up with the changing landscape. As you have likely heard about, the city is making a significant investment to fill in the Inner loop and radically transform North Union Street. There will be new buildings with new retail and residential options and more foot and vehicle traffic. New Hope is uniquely positioned to see this transformation first hand. It's a great time to prepare ourselves and be part of the process.
We’ve launched a capital campaign to do just that. From Invisible to Indispensable will prepare us for the next phase of ministry for our church. The increased activity on Union Street will improve our visibility and the investments we make in our building will send a positive message of our commitment to the neighborhood. To be more than just visible, however, we must also be connected through reaching out and engaging with people. In making those connections we will become a more indispensable part of the city.
I thought you’d like to see, and know that all of this is happening. I know each of you remain committed to New Hope’s vision and ultimate success. If the Lord would lead you to help seed the capital campaign with a first fruits offering, we would be greatly encouraged. We will be announcing the first fruits of our campaign and our total pledges on Easter Sunday of this year (2017). If you simply use this information to pray more fervently that we will achieve our campaign goal of $125,000, then that will be worth more than money can buy.
I pray the Lord has encouraged your heart by reading this letter. I also pray for your family that you will experience Him in a meaningful way this Lenten season leading into Good Friday and Easter. We will keep praying for you.
Enjoying the journey,
Pastor Scott