By Faith, We Build broke ground on Sunday, June 22. In attendance were our congregation members, neighbors, the Manasquan Mayor, George Dempsey, our Architect, Ralph Alster, and the Project Manager for Church Renovations. Speaking at the ground breaking were John Weaver, Pastor Steve Davis and our Construction Project Manager, Bob Burkitt. They led the way for recognition and praise of all that has gone into this project, and spoke as to what lies ahead. The ceremony, and the luncheon that followed was a great success! Now we have work to do! Our official contract, with Church Renovations was active as of June 16(date construction began). We expect to be back in our Sanctuary before Easter, 2009. The construction fencing is secure and as the summer progresses, parking may become a challenge. We will all have to be patient and understand that this is a temporary situation.
CRG (Church Renovations) began demolition of the Church basement the week of June 23. We will have our final service, in the Sanctuary, on Sunday, July 6. During the week of July 6 the stained glass windows and existing pews will be removed from the sanctuary. After that date, services will be held in the Christian Ed Building, and then at the Algonquin Theater. We will be sure to keep you posted as to the location of services in the Bulletin, on the church website (www.fpcom.org), and through announcements. Session has approved the purchase of a Walker Digital Organ for our new Sanctuary. Plans are in place to remove the old organ which will be placed in storage and a decision will be made for its final destination.
Our Financial Update: As construction begins, our fulfillment of our pledge commitments becomes even more important. We are blessed to have commitments, to date of $2,095,316.00. We have received from pledges and non-pledges a total of $985,916.00 and have been applying those monies to our expenses. We have 56.5% of our Church members current with their commitment payments and 15.2% of Church members who have already given their 3 year commitment in FULL! We have a small percentage (4%) of Church members who have not activated their pledge commitment payments to date, and about 24.3% of Church members who are working to be current in their pledge commitment. As with any project, its success is in planning, financial stability and organization. Let's all continue to work together toward this success!
You Can Help!
How many Presbyterians Does it take to move a pulpit?
Answer: As many as we can get! We had such a successful move of church belongings in early June to prepare for construction, and now we are preparing for our next major move. The next move is scheduled for: Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 9 a.m. Church grounds, Tom Henderson, and team, are looking for all able-bodied individuals who are willing to lend a hand, back, arm and feet to help out with the move! Please email the church office or call (732) 223-4627 to sign-up to assist!
