This Sunday we will conduct a special offering for the Children’s Promise Project. Information is available on the website that details the scope of the work; but let me address a couple of aspects here:
First, this Sunday will be the “kick off” of the campaign; in essence the cash offering will jumpstart the process. If we receive $5,000 or $10,000 – that’s great. If we receive $40,000 or more – that’s great. We’ve not established a target goal for the first Sunday; but we do believe that it’s time to get the ball rolling and let the steam build. Since this is the starting point, we intend for the contributions to keep coming in over a period of time. How long? It would be great if in just a few months everything would be in place, but our commitment is to “build it when we get it” so if it takes three months, six months or one year, that’s okay. Please keep in mind that we’re asking members to give to Children’s Promise above and beyond normal tithe giving so that the budget doesn’t suffer.
Second, for many of our new members, there may be a question about the difference between Land of Promise and Children’s Promise. These are two very different campaigns. The Land of Promise was and still is the initial campaign to pay for our land purchase and building. We started raising money toward the end of the first year of Calvary, calling it the Nehemiah Fund. That fund folded into the major campaign (Land of Promise) that continues to help pay the monthly loan amount. We encourage our new members to join us in giving to the Land of Promise (above and beyond their budget giving).
Children’s Promise is focused on the new project for the children’s wing expansion that includes new classrooms, worship space, extra parking, etc… This is a short term (hopefully) campaign that allows us to pay for the expansion without incurring additional debt. The estimate for the project is $400,000 and once that has been completed we’ll then turn our attention to the youth room project – which will be a totally separate campaign. So, in short, the Children’s Promise, as identified on the drawings, is the way we hope to expand the facility and provide for our children’s ministry.
