Capital Campaign

St. Paul’s will celebrate the centennial of our Parish House building in 1928. Like many historic church structures built in a previous era, our buildings present a considerable challenge to those with limited mobility. We need to provide access to all people, regardless of age or physical ability. We need to improve our ability to welcome parishioners, newcomers, and guests of all ages. We also need to restore our parish hall to better engage all with our famed hospitality.

There are 3 separate but related pieces to the restoration and renovation plans: Stairless Access. Our first priority is to make our sanctuary and parish hall fully accessible so that our two great spiritual gifts of Worship and Hospitality are fully available to everyone. We are committed to creating interior stairless access from the sanctuary to the parish hall and vice versa. This includes easier access to the restrooms. A More Welcoming Environment Including an Elevator. As St. Paul’s continues to grow, we need to present a more welcoming environment to parishioners of all ages. The nursery must be closer to parents worshiping in the sanctuary. Christian education for children, youth, and adults needs better defined space. Keeping in mind the goal of full accessibility, we also have to make the 3-story building vertically accessible with the addition of an elevator. An Improved Hospitality Experience Through Renovation of the Parish Hall. St. Paul’s is known for its hospitality. The parish hall where we gather for food, fellowship, adult education, funeral receptions, and large community gatherings should at long last be restored, after a fire that occurred over 50 years ago. In addition to renovations to the walls and floor, the drop ceiling installed in the 1970s will be removed and replaced with a new ceiling designed in the spirit of the original.

The cost for all 3 parts of the project is estimated at $3.5 million.

At its February 2024 meeting, the Vestry unanimously approved proceeding with the Capital Campaign. Since then, all Vestry, Finance Committee, and Endowment Board members, have committed financially to the Campaign and completed Pledge Cards.

Over the past five years, our Vestry, in collaboration with the Long-Range Planning Committee, has diligently worked to reach this point. Over the past six months, the leadership team consisting of the Rector, Wardens, and Treasurer has been working with Jeff Hensley, a fundraising consultant with Generis. He conducted a feasibility study and determined that St. Paul’s has the will and determination to raise the needed $3.5 million.

Most of the contributions will be cash contributions. Several donors have made three-year pledges, allowing them to make larger contributions. We will accept certain other types of contributions such as beneficiary designations for insurance policies, gifts of personal property (stocks and bonds), and even gifts of real estate. Concurrently, we will begin construction when advised by our architects. To make the process as efficient as possible (cash flow), we have a contingency fund in the construction budget, a reserve fund, and we have established a credit facility with a local bank.

The work has already begun! We will continue to work with the architect in the process towards actual construction throughout the remainder of 2024. We hope that construction might begin in the early months of 2025. We anticipate the whole process from this time forward to take approximately 2-3 years to complete. This sets us up to celebrate the centennial of the parish house in 2028 with renewed and restored space for the next one hundred years of ministry

The good news is that very little of this process affects our sanctuary, meaning that worship should remain fairly undisturbed during construction. There will be adjustments we will have to make for education and hospitality but we will be creative and adaptable in utilizing every space possible for these important components of our Sunday morning experience.

The parish offices will be moved to the Ormond Center property on the corner of 17th and Princess Streets. Most of the staff and clergy will be located there, with the exception of the music department

Yes. Not only are outright gifts tax-deductible, there are ways to structure a gift to the church that will pay you income for your life and enjoy other tax benefits using highly appreciated assets. (We are available to discuss this with you as part of your estate plan!)

The Capital Campaign is a one-time, specific fundraising effort that is separate from annual Stewardship. Stewardship is our annual commitment to the church, regardless of what we give to the campaign. However, one affects the other. We anticipate that our annual Stewardship commitments will continue an upward trend throughout this process. Your pledge to the Capital Campaign will be placed into a special fund to pay for the projects to renew and restore St. Paul’s.

Yes. There are naming opportunities for the Parish Hall, Library, Nursery, etc. If you are considering this as a possibility, please speak with Fr. Caleb.

Here are a few suggestions: Learn More about the Project. If you would like to learn more about both the details of the restoration and renovation projects and the reasoning behind why we are pursuing them at this time.Pray. This collect is part of all our services during the campaign. A Collect for Building our Future Almighty God, who inspires the restoration and renewal of all creation; lead us into the future you are building for St. Paul’s. Help us put our faith into action as we work towards a more accessible and welcoming church. Grant us generosity and vision, commitment and resolve, that we may, by your unwavering grace, accomplish all that is set before us; through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen. Discern. Please reach out if we can help with information about the project. There are many ways to donate or pledge to the campaign, and we are ready to work with you. Give. A century ago the parishioners of St. Paul’s heeded the request of their Rector, the Rev. Alexander Miller, to “Give as you never gave before” and raised the equivalent of $2.6 Million to build the Parish House. It is our privilege in 2024 to follow in their footsteps and carry this beloved building forward into its second century.