CA P I TA L CA M PA I G N N EWS L E T T E R N O. 3
NOVEMBER 2014
LIVING STONES BUILDING for MINISTRY
MAKING A JOYFUL COMMITMENT Living Stones: Building for Ministry, our capital campaign to preserve and renew Saint Mark’s Cathedral, is well under way. Hopefully you’ve had the chance to learn about our vision and goals through one of the many events we’ve hosted this fall. We’re excited to come together as a community around our goal of raising sufficient funds to renovate and enhance our beloved “Holy Box”! As you may have heard, there are three priorities for our campaign, each with its own fundraising goals. For now, we are focused on the challenge of raising the estimated $7.6 million required to fund the Priority 1 improvements to our cathedral’s structural integrity, which are:
as we explore how each of us can commit to our church community beyond our regular giving. To meet the financial goals of our capital campaign, each of us will be challenged to commit a generous sacrificial gift above and beyond our regular giving. The Scriptures make it clear that God measures our gifts not in relationship to others, but in relationship to the degree of individual sacrifice based on how one has been blessed. Not all gifts will be equal, but all of us should make an equal sacrifice. It is important to the success of our campaign that we establish financial commitments from
▶ Sealing the exterior of the building and cladding it in limestone to preserve the historic structure, ▶ Replacing the windows in the nave with new insulated glass that is both visually appealing and energy-efficient, and ▶ Repairing the cathedral roofing and soffits. This challenge is an opportunity for us to come together and grow through prayer and fellowship,
On Sunday, November 2, the children and youth of Saint Mark’s reflected on what our cathedral means to them. For more, see inside!
members of our parish by Commitment Sunday (December 14, 2014). Each of us is encouraged to prayerfully consider and joyfully celebrate the many blessings God has given us, and the capacity we have for giving and sharing generously. Most of us provide from our current resources to supply our support of the cathedral. Checking and savings are the predominant resources we draw upon in our personal financial stewardship. Other creative ways to give include gifts of appreciated investments, life insurance, gifts from an IRA, real property as a charitable gift, and others. For more information, please consult Erik Donner (email edonner@saintmarks.org or call 206·323·0300). You may also wish to consult legal counsel and/or your financial advisor. Finally, there may be a number of opportunities to memorialize or honor a loved one through certain gifts. There may be also a small number of naming opportunities related to gifts that will enable us to accomplish major capital projects. This is just the first phase of our campaign!
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