The Capital Campaign is a 3-year financial plan to address repairs, replacements, and upgrades integral to maintaining a positive worship environment at FLC. This includes replacing our outdated Audio/Visual system, roof repairs, installing a family/handicap accessible/all-gender affirming restroom, updating our internet, refurbishing our classrooms and offices, painting, and refreshing our irrigation system.
Since the start of the Capital Campaign, we were able to successfully install our new, state-of-the-art audio-visual system, which is what has been used to broadcast worship each and every Sunday. This system has allowed us not only to continue worshiping together online, but has allowed us to connect with members and visitors of Faith across the globe who can tune into our services and say hello to our family.
"After many months (and nearly three school semesters) of disruption from Covid, our church community continues to adapt to unexpected challenges. We welcomed folks back to Sunday worship in-person, and have since reverted to online worship; groups are returning to the use our facilities, and are required to mask and social distance; and with Dani now joining our staff, our family and youth programs can take the next step towards growth and engagement. As co-chairs of our Stewardship Committee, our greatest joy comes from the fact that through all of this we have managed to support—and even grow—our ministries!
The day-to-day operations of Faith Lutheran Church take a lot of financial resources, and as Mark Kimmelshue made clear in May, our members kept our budget in the black for the whole of the Covid crisis. But even more impressive to us is how all of you stepped up in support of our Stewardship Campaign. The funds that you pledged—and the dollars that appeared each month for designated campus improvements—made the first year of our three-year campaign a resounding success. Nearly $150,000 was raised to support the installation of a new sound system, campus computer networking, and a dozen smaller improvements. That is a sizeable gift to receive from a congregation this size, especially when so many other personal and ministry needs are also clambering for support!
But our job isn’t over yet: There’s lots more to do over the next 18 months: Bathrooms to reconfigure, a nursery to rebuild, other rooms to refurbish, old equipment to replace, new outreach and ministries to jumpstart. And in order to accomplish it all, the Church Council and Stewardship Committee will be coming to you in September to ask for your additional and continuing pledges and financial support in the year ahead. Our hope is to raise an additional $175,000 of our ultimate goal of $400,000 between September 2021 and July 2022.
In the coming month our team will be sharing with you our vision for this next stage of our Stewardship outreach. You’ll hear from us by personal letter, in Faith Talks, after services on Sunday, in special Zoom sessions, and in Adult Christian Education classes after church. Our goal is to give you the clearest and most honest picture of our needs and our plan to realize our vision for ministry so that when you give to Faith’s mission, you can feel confident that we’re on the way to fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission! Everyone in Chico aspires to “emerge from the pandemic” and “get back to work.” Faith Lutheran Church shares those aspirations, and your support will be a large part of our success as we move forward.
We wish you blessings, a sense of peace, enduring gratitude for God’s generosity, and the energy to be part of this next stage of our ministry!"
-Tod Kimmelshue and Joel Zimbelman Co-Chairs, FLC Stewardship Committee