Last year our Capital Improvement Team called the congregation to a new Vision of Future Ministry Through Facility Improvement. It doesn’t sound particularly inspiring until you begin to unpack the challenge. This historical building and property passed on to us from the sacrifices of previous saints who once worshipped where we sit, needed repair, remodeling, and transformation if we were going to serve the future generation growing here.

We began to dream of investing in the lives of the young families and precious children God keeps sending us and in the future God is still dreaming through us. So, the Capital Improvement Team and Capital Campaign Team were born. Meeting together and strategizing, the challenge was launched in the fall of 2008.

Little did we know that the very day we would begin, would be the first week of the first dramatic plunge in the stock market and the beginning of a painful time in our world history. Yet it is a testament of faith, that this church did not lose heart nor hope nor vision. In spite of the hard realities facing us, this church responded in the midst of the greatest recession since the great depression to pledge $560, 000 to the Capital Improvements and in January of 2009 began the remodeling of our sanctuary.

Its beauty is a living reminder of what God’s people can do in the midst of great challenge! May 17, 2009 we were challenged again by a friend of the church to continue to invest in our future through a new special gift to the Capital Improvement ongoing adventure. The challenge was, that this donor would match any moneys given, above and beyond pledges already made to the Capital Improvement Campaign, on that day.

Once again, this congregation rose to the challenge of faith and gave $27,000, which was matched, bringing the total for that Sunday to $54,000 for that particular purpose.  There is much still to do, a steeple needing repair, parking lots needing expansion and design, air conditioning for classrooms, remodeling and air conditioning of Adams Hall and more.

If you would like to learn more about how you could be involved in investing in the future of Central UMC by a gift in memory or in honor of someone as a memorial or just as a special gift, call or email the church. The Dream Lives On!