Giving Update

As the books were closed on 2009, we're happy to report that we received $45,513 in December giving toward the Beacon for the Gospel Capital Campaign! This brings our total to $454,391, just $50,000 short of the total $505,000 that was pledged.

This is great news and will help us to complete the remaining projects more fully and effectively. Please pray that we would still receive the remaining $50,000 that was pledged, and perhaps even reach the full $600,000 Beacon goal that was originally envisioned in order to complete all of the renovation and restoration projects.

What's next in 2010?

As we close out 2009, it's worth reflecting on all that has been accomplished with the Beacon for the Gospel Capital Campaign. In early 2009, the finishing touches were put on a completely repainted sanctuary. In the Spring, the 2's and 3's department was transformed by a dramatic renovation. During the summer, the Capital Campaign provided $30,000 in seed money for the historic Aeolian organ console to receive much needed repairs.

In late June 2009, the official 3-year giving period of the campaign ended, having received over $400,000 in sacrificial giving. We know that for most people, it was not easy to give this money. Most made sacrifices and gave up vacations, dinners out, home improvements, or other good things in order to put these funds toward the vision of a renewed urban evangelical church at Memorial, serving as a Beacon for the Gospel to our city. These gifts kept coming in during the worst economic times in recent memory. Many gifts are still coming in, as people have desired to continue giving to help complete the full project list that was originally envisioned. We praise God for providing all of this through means other than our own.

So what's next?

The campaign still has more than $75,000 in the bank to put toward final projects. We spent the last few months waiting to receive additional giving and to see how much of pledged amounts might still come in. We are currently planning how to allocate these funds between important projects like a renovated Fellowship Hall, exterior lighting, 4's & 5's classroom, and exterior landscaping and playgarden. We will be formalizing these budgets in coming months and will keep you posted our progress.

In the meantime, more giving is still needed to help us complete these projects, so we appreciate all continued support and prayer.

Reaching the Beacon Goal

We recently sent out a letter and an update on giving to the campaign with a renewed request for pledges to help us raise the remaining $95,000 needed to reach our Beacon Goal of $600,000. Below is a summary of the letter:

In June 2006, Memorial’s friends and members pledged $505,000 to “sharpen our tools” to optimize our historic building and grounds for gospel ministry. Through this Campaign, we’re preparing for the coming decades as we bring the welcome of Jesus to our neighbors and their families and communities here in the heart of St Louis.

Our goal has always been to raise $600,000, and we are currently about $95,000 short. We ask you to prayerfully consider helping us in this final push to reach $600,000. What will this gain? It will light the church’s exterior as a literal Beacon for the Gospel in St. Louis. It will provide for a more complete renovation of the basement fellowship hall. It will construct a top-notch play garden by our award winning landscape architect Ted Spaid. Picture the worn-out asphalt disappearing, and finding in its place an SUV-sized interactive sculpture of a lion surrounded by lambs, with little children playing among them.Three large projects remain, and these three promise to make quite an impact:

1. New exterior lighting—to make Memorial's building and tower, visible from Forest
   Park, literally shine as a Beacon for the Gospel.
2. A Children's Play Garden—including interactive sculpture and play equipment. This project will include an ADA accessible ramp to the Chapel and Nurseries.
3. A renovated Fellowship Hall—where internationals come to hear about Christ, where wedding festivities abound, where kids run free and where the entire congregation can
   gather together to share a meal. This project will include renovations to the
   Porte Cochère entry and stairwell up to the Narthex.

Combined, even scaled back versions of these three projects will easily take up our current funds and the remaining outstanding commitments that we expect to receive by July 1. However, if friends and members like you are able to help us to reach $600,000 in total gifts, then we will be able to fully fund each of these projects as well as several smaller projects we still hope to complete. Please contact us if you can offer help in reaching the goal.

Update on Giving

We are pleased to report that as of 11/30/07, pledges made to the campaign have totaled $504,021, and of this amount, $224,637 has already been received! We thank God for this amazing blessing and are constantly seeking His wisdom on how best to conduct the campaign and put the money to use most effectively in accomplishing these building renovation and renewal projects.

Our ultimate "Beacon Goal" remains $600,000, and we'll need to raise at least this much in order to complete the entire list of renovation projects. Our hope is that as more projects begin to take shape and as ministries and the church as a whole continue to grow, we will be able to grow our base of pledges to fill this gap. Please be praying that the giving process would continue to bear fruit, and that God would enable people to fulfil their pledges, maybe even increasing their pledges when possible.

A few renovation projects have already been completed, and the Campaign Team is busy laying the groundwork and planning for many other projects. Some people have inquired about why more projects aren't currently underway. Due to the amount of manpower available to plan and manage the individual projects, the team's capacity is limited to juggle more than a few projects at once, but rest assured that we will continue to complete the additional renovations as quickly as we can. If you would like to help in any way with the campaign, please contact us.