Sowing Seeds: 2022 Capital Campaign
Wisdom from the development world will tell you that there are few things less appealing to donors than a campaign that does not produce visible results. Even more dreaded are campaigns to pay down debt that has already been accumulated. I want to name that wisdom, that reality (that many of you will not inspect the structural integrity of the rectory, or the leak-free ceilings of the third-floor classrooms), and share with you why this campaign for St. Michael’s at this moment in time is both different and overflowing with hope.
Undertaking major capital improvements during a global pandemic was risky, albeit necessary, in our case. One might argue that at a moment when our doors were shuttered, we should have spent far less time and resources worrying about making the foundation more solid for the future. However, from where I sit, it was a boldly faithful decision about the confidence that your leadership has about God’s mission, and our participation in that mission. Making these necessary structural updates was a profound declaration about our belief in the work we are called to do. Your vestry showed great courage and faithful imagination in understanding how our spaces are to be filled for generations to come, and how our decisions today impact those possibilities.
In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (9:6), he writes, “The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” We are inviting you to join us in this bountiful proclamation of faithfulness before us: to partner with God in building God’s kingdom. The picture you will find below is more complicated than simply a repayment for a loan, and purposefully so. Your Vestry has intentionally made known how these most recent repairs fit into the more robust vision of St. Michael’s in the future. In making contributions to our Endowment Fund, we ensure that our generosity makes a lasting impact. With funds made available for the Major Maintenance Fund, we ensure that we can respond to all eventualities that may arise in the care of aging buildings. In working to pay off the loan we acquired to pay for these repairs, we free up more funding for outreach and formation.
Please join us in making a bountiful commitment to our Sowing Seeds Capital Campaign. You may make a gift at any time by directing it to the parish office. Pledge cards will be mailed to all households in the coming days. Each and every seed you sow makes this hopeful vision a reality.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Beth Franklin