Pastors Letter 2015 – Building Project and Gift Day
Dear brothers and sisters I want to thank you personally and on behalf of the leadership team for all you support and sacrificial giving towards this project.
The brickwork on the new build should be complete in the next few days weather permitting and then work on the roof should start straight afterwards. We are having a competition on the 1st of November to guess the total number of bricks, including breezeblocks. Our scheduled completion date is the end of January / beginning of February 2016, with a possible formal opening day for March 13th.
Now to the costs. At the moment we will be having a mortgage of around £315,000 over 16 years. This is our borrowing capacity from the bank. Our annual mortgage is in the region of £31,500. This is a step of faith for us to make these payments. In addition to this we need to find an additional amount of £10,000 for the retaining wall. We also need to purchase additional chairs and PA equipment as the equipment we use is generously provided by Peter Denscombe.
With the scheduled target payments to the builder we will now be starting to draw down on the mortgage this month and therefore paying interest. We have put aside £26,000 towards paying out first years mortgage and it is important that we do this because we don’t know how the commercial mortgage rates will change over the next few years.
With regard to the old building there are a number of things we are also trying to do. Firstly we need to replace the windows and put in a fire exit. This will be about £10,000 of which we have been able to raise £7,500 towards this. It would make financial sense to surround the existing building with the same brick as the new building and make the old build look good. To do so will cost between £22,000 – £24,000. We also need your help to build a bigger kitchen inside, decorate and put in new flooring. We have some money towards this internal refurbishment. But again this is a financial step of faith for us.
On November the 1st we have our gift day and we would ask you to firstly pray with us for the finance we need and to sacrificially financially support us as you are able. Please also use the gift aid scheme if you are a tax payer. Please put all monies for the building project in the envelope provided together with the slip explaining how your money is to be allocated.
If we have enough money given we will surround the old building with new brickwork, however, if there is a significant shortfall all the monies will go to reduce the capital of the mortgage and or the internal works of the old building. If there is more money given than is required for this the difference will go to reduce the capital of the mortgage or the revamp of the old building.
Example 1: Giving = £18,500. All is given towards reducing the mortgage loan and or the internal works of the old building.
Example 2: Giving = £22,000. All £22,000 will go to re-brick the old building.
Example 3: Giving = £30,000. £22,000 will go to re-brick the old building. £8,000 is given towards reducing the mortgage loan and or the internal works of the old building.
If you wish to support the mortgage payments on a monthly basis then please let us know on the pledge form and return this in the envelope.
Sometimes people have been generous and offered us an interest free loan. This has been great in the past but as we are at our borrowing limit this will make it difficult to repay in the short term. If you are thinking about this it needs to be for a minimum repayment term of four years. Again you can let us know about this on the pledge form and place in the envelope.
We thank God for bringing us this far. He has blessed us in so many ways and we have seen his amazing provision over the years. In 2016 we will celebrate 40 years and we will do so in our new building. I believe that this will be a very significant year for us.
Peter Denscombe will be doing the electrics and the alarms. I will be helping him from November onwards until it is finished as well as project managing the new build and the refurbishment of the old one. I would personally value your prayers as I’m sure Peter would.
Let’s press on together to see this building completed ready to be used for his Glory. We believe that our community will be really blessed by our new and refurbished facilities and that many will come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and saviour.
It is vitally important that we pray, fellowship and work closely together to nurture unity. We cannot allow the enemy to destroy, steal or rob us of what we have waited for, for so long. He is just waiting for an opportunity to do so.
Please look out for new people, make them feel welcome, valued and wanted. Look out for those who miss fellowshipping with us and make contact with them.
Meet for prayer with us and with others as often as you can. We cannot underestimate the power and necessity of prayer.
On behalf of the church leadership, thank you again for all that you do within and outside the fellowship Let’s believe together for great things ahead.
Every Blessing
Pastor Robin