Capital Campaign News
Greetings from your friends at St. Matthew!
We continue with our plans to repair and upgrade our church facilities—a
capital campaign we are calling “Growing in Grace, Building to Serve.” The pace of the repairs has slowed due to the pandemic but urgent repairs continue to be made as funds are available.
Our initial goal was to raise $450,000, which would allow us to replace the Education Wing heating system; replace old and dangerous wiring; replace remaining roof units for the air conditioning system; replace the roof, gutters, and downspouts; and repave the parking lot.
Cost Breakdown
Education Wing heating system: $100,000
Replace old wiring: $30,000
Replace roof units for the air conditioning system: $20,000
Replace the roof, gutters, and downspouts: $175,000
Repave the parking lot: $60,000
Replace remaining doors: $35,000
Update audio/visual system: $30,000
The First Phase of the project was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic closed buildings and limited what we could get done. In the First Phase we completed the repairs to the heating in the parish education wing. We constructed new cabinets and storage space as part of the process of closing in the pipes. By doing this we gained more space, eliminated the rolling steel cabinets, and made the education wing both more usable and more attractive. A new hot water heater was added to the utility closet in the education wing, making hot water available without the need and added expense of waiting 15 to 20 minutes for the water to reach the sink where it
is needed. With these valuable increases in the scope of this phase of the project, and some unanticipated difficulty the final cost increased to $210,000.
As we approached the Second Phase, which was the electrical work in the sanctuary and Elbert Hall, we first added something to the scope of the project. Because of the corona-virus, it was determined we needed to improve our ventilation and air quality. To do this we have installed the I-Wave system, which ionizes the air, and helps to eliminate not just dust, but also viral particles like those that cause COVID-19. We had Oliver Heating and Cooling do a thorough cleaning of our duct work as part of this effort.
Emergency repairs to the wiring for Elbert Hall was done first, which also cost more that was anticipated. We decided, therefore to do the upgrading of the lights and circuits in the sanctuary first. This work will change all fixtures to LED lighting, and will replace the antiquated dimming system with a new system that will work more effectively with the LED fixtures. We plan to move to the work in Elbert Hall next year. Still to be done, when we can, is the sections of the roof that have not been competed (which is the majority of the roof), an air conditioning unit that covers the parlor, library, and offices, and repaving the parking lot.
These repairs and updates are vital for safety and comfort, good stewardship of our space, welcoming those in our neighborhood and community, supporting our ministries, enhancing the worship experience and increasing the viability and longevity of our church.
We rejoice in our life together at St. Matthew and give thanks to God for our rich history, our beautiful church building, and the legacy of faith and service handed down from generation to generation. God has given us a vision of our church as an inviting and vibrant place of inspiring worship, spiritual nurture for all ages, genuine community, and meaningful service. The Spirit of God has led us, supported us, and united us through all the joys and challenges of 77 years. Now we are called once again to venture out in faith so that our church can continue “Connecting, Caring, eQuipping, and Cultivating lives of faith in Jesus Christ!”
Please join other members and friends of Saint Matthew in prayer and generous support for this capital campaign. With these improvements, we can continue to preserve and expand our ability to provide a spiritual home where people of all ages can grow in grace and answer God’s call to serve in Christ’s name.