Just an update from our meeting last night:
Based on information from other churches that have been in our situation (the need for increased or improved space), we’re going to begin contacting some capital campaign consultants in the coming weeks. Our hope is that some will want to and be able to meet with us before the end of June. If they can’t do that, we hope to at least get an idea of what they think needs to be ready from our end (plans for building, drawings, etc) by the time we get started with a consultant. One consultant that we know of has a proven track record of starting campaigns in the fall of the year. Since it’s already May, we wouldn’t be able to start until the fall of 2009, by which time the economy will hopefully have picked up.
The other piece that we are working on is a session that will seek to capture some of our dreams for our church. What is possible here at Emmanuel? What can be built? What is our future? This isn’t just pie-in-the-sky stuff; it’s imagining what we look like with an average Sunday attendance of 200 people. (FYI, right now, we’re at 173 for 2008. We will most likely finish the year around 150) So what does worship look like with an extra 40 people in the pews? How many of those people are children (probably 15-20, if current trends hold up)? What does that mean for our Sunday School space? And let’s face it, one priest isn’t enough for 150 people, much less 200. So how much more office space will we need?
We hope to begin these sessions in the late summer, but we’ll test the questions and process on ourselves first (on June 5) and on the Vestry (June 20). Obviously, you’ll be kept up to date, and don’t hesitate to call with any questions.
