Campaign Status as of May 4, 2008
Goal: $3,750,000
Raised: $1,739,514
Campaign Prayer
Almighty God,
You have ordained St. Margaret's Church
to carry forward Your Word and Sacraments
in this time and place.
Send Your blessings upon our capital campaign
as we step forward in faith
offering our resources for the building up
of Your Church in body and soul.
Fill us with Your light that we may see
where You are leading us and
the possibilities before us.
And grant that all that we do
through our labor, love and devotion
may reflect the glory of Your great Name
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
| Brochure for the
Proposed Education Wing
Phase 1
|
 The Diocese of ArkansasThe Episcopal Church in Arkansas
22 April 2008
The People of St. Margaret's Church
20900 Chenal Parkway
Little Rock, AR 72223
Dear members and friends of St. Margaret's:
I want to express my sincere thanks for the great progress you have made at St. Margaret's as you get ready for the next phase in your life as a congregation. Your new capital campaign and the repayment of existing debt are testaments to your willingness to grow as a congregation and follow the vision of where God is leading you.
It is always good to see a mortgage burned and money freed up for other uses. In your case, the payoff of diocesan loans will enable us to start looking at the next place that needs the presence of an Episcopal congregation. So, in your own way, you are already helping birth other churches.
My hope is that we all continue to work together to find new ways to bring good news to people who are hungry to experience God's love. With ever best wish I remain
Faithfully yours,
Larry R. Benfield
Bishop of Arkansas
|
May 4, 2008
Launching the Ark – The
Incredible Journey
Total Raised to Date: $1,739,514
Our capital campaign continues to move forward – and we
appreciate so much the responses of prayers, pledges, and gifts St. Margaret’s
has offered.
Here’s a creative new way to participate – your Kroger card!
Proceeds raised from use of our St. Margaret’s Kroger Cards will be included in
our capital campaign. When we use our Kroger Cards, the store contributes 5% to
St. Margaret’s for every dollar we spend, at no additional charge. It’s free
money!
If you don’t have a Kroger Card, talk to Vance 821-1311, or
pick one up Sunday.
Please continue to save your coins … we have raised more
than $500 in pennies, nickels, and dimes, with a few dollar bills thrown in.
It’s a great way for children to be involved.
We have a very generous challenge gift for our coin
collection. As an incentive for our children, we have a donor who will match
their offering when they reach $532 (the amount of our initial ingathering of
coins).
This phase of “Launching the Ark – The Incredible Journey”
will conclude May 23. It is our hope that all those considering a commitment
will do so by that date. Pledge forms and envelopes are on the welcome tables
and in Williams Hall.
Beyond that date, St. Margaret’s leadership will continue to
look beyond the congregation to reach our final goal of $3,750,000. Those
avenues include grants and other potential contributors.
We would like to extend our thanks to those who have worked
hard to make the Congregational Gifts phase such a success: Lara and Jordan
Beard, Brooke Augusta Owen, Susan and Matt Jeter, Mark Fortune, Griffin Coop,
Elizabeth Fortune, Vince Floriani, Angela Rhodes, Gill Rogers, Beth Roberts,
Bill Trice, Pete Alexander, Dave Fritz, Dick Babeu, Joyce Graham, Maggie Young,
and Jay Bruno.
If you wish to have a personal visit for more information
about the campaign and our goals as a church, please call the office at
821-1311, or Cindy Fribourgh at 580-9066.
With gratitude,
Kay Arnold and Charlotte Brown
Campaign Co-Chairs
Launching the Ark: The Incredible
Journey
On March 2, 2008 St. Margaret’s will officially kick off our
capital campaign Launching the Ark: The Incredible
Journey, seeking to raise $3,750,000.
On April 20, 2008 we will celebrate the campaign’s success with fun, food and dancing from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
The vestry set the following priorities for the campaign:
- Pay
off the outstanding diocesan debt of $150,000
- Pay
off the first mortgage
- Pay
off the line of credit (second mortgage)
- Build
a new education wing for additional programming and worship
- Remodel
and refurbish our existing building to meet programming and maintenance
needs
Our Vision for Ministry for St. Margaret's
St. Margaret's continues to grow - in the realization of our mission to build God's Church in west Little Rock; in reaching out to the community through service ministries; by providing a place for worship, for renewal, and for learning; and in growth of our church family.
We embrace the expansion of our community and our programs, and are in need of expanding our facilities to accommodate congregational growth and the further development of our baptismal ministries.
"Launching the Ark: The Incredible Journey" will equip St. Margaret's to respond to our mission to build God's Church through the power of the Holy Spirit in body and soul.
In order to make way for building and renovation projects, we must first retire our debt. It was the vision of the Diocese of Arkansas and support of churches around the state that made it possible for St. Margaret's to be built. In this campaign we would like to pay a ten-year-old debt of $150,000 plus interest to the Diocese.
Construction cost of our current facilities was $2.5 million plus furnishings. Our mortgage balance, as of July 5, 2007, was $490,905. The Diocese also secured a $300,000 line of credit from a local bank to fuel our growth. This campaign must raise $273,991 to retire this debt.
A capital campaign conducted in 2003 raised $1,121,613 in pledges for reduction of our total debt of $1.7 million at that time. Feedback from congregational Cottage Meetings last summer revealed interest in building an Education Wing, as well as the new Worship Center. The Vestry and Finance Committee considered both possibilities and determined that construction of an Education Wing is the logical first phase of St. Margaret's newest building projects.
Construction cost for the Worship Center will be approximately three times that of the Education Wing. The Education Wing will enable us to meet current space needs as well as provide for growth so that we will be in a position to build the new worship facility.
Space in the proposed Education Wing would include classrooms of several sizes, offices, and a multi-purpose auditorium utilized for lectures, audio-visual presentations, and worship. The building will provide space for a center for research, education and training in theology, spirituality, and ministry. This center will serve as a resource for St. Margaret's, the Diocese, and for the broader community supporting programs such as the House of Prayer and the Institute for Theological Studies. (Funding for the House of Prayer is not part of this campaign.)
Since our existing building is 11 years old, an additional goal of this campaign is to address pressing maintenance needs such as painting and replacing worn carpeting, as well as to add a sprinkler system needed to expand our Parents' Day Out program.
If more funds are raised in this campaign, they will be applied toward the building fund for the next phase - the Worship Center.
The Vestry has engaged the services of Allison Architects to work with St. Margaret's leadership in planning architectural design for the Education Wing, renovations to the existing facility, and estimated costs for both projects.
Projected expenses are $2,700,000 for the Education Wing, and $100,000 for upgrades for our present building.
We ask that you prayerfully consider your part in this next step of our call as a church family to make visible the love of Christ.
