Buy a Brick
Since the Christian Life Center opened in March 2005, it has added so much to the life of our church. Not only has it impacted the ministries for First Church, it also has enriched the worship and fellowship opportunities of our congregation.
Financing this multi-purpose facility required a generous congregation to make pledges during Phases I, II and III Capital Campaigns totaling $5,371,000. The remaining balance was financed with loans, leaving a debt of $1,851,625. Timely payments on the loans have been made regularly, but these payments handicap our church’s other needs, such as repairs, maintenance and other aspects of present and future needs.
On January 25, 2009, the Finance Committee proposed a program to the Administrative Board to retire the remaining debt on the Christian Life Center (CLC). The program, Buy a Brick, Burn a Note, was unanimously accepted by the Administrative Board.
The following questions/answers will tell you more about this program and how it enables all members of the congregation to participate in retiring the debt on the CLC.
- How much did the CLC cost, and what is our current debt?
The Christian Life Center cost $7.2 million dollars. Through the end of 2008, First Church had paid off $5.4 million, or 75%, leaving approximately $1.8 million needed to retire the note.
- What has been done previously to raise funds for the CLC?
The congregation has supported three capital campaigns; Phases I and II ended in June 2004. The third one, Phase III or Marching to Zion, was completed in June 2008.
- Are members still making contributions to the building fund?
Yes. Some have continued to contribute even though they had fulfilled their original pledge to the Phase 3 Campaign; some still are working to complete their original pledge. These contributions have been very helpful in allowing our church to service the existing debt. However, we need to make a concerted push to retire the remaining debt, which will allow First Church to concentrate on the funding of ministries, missions and building maintenance.
The idea behind BB/BN is to “sell” 40,000 bricks. Please note that we are not selling an actual brick engraved with the donor’s name; instead we are selling a “virtual” brick, which represents an actual brick used in the construction of the CLC. These bricks will be sold for $50 each. There will be a drawing of the south side of the CLC tied to the banister in the atrium hallway and another drawing in the education building. As the congregation purchases these “virtual” bricks, bricks in the drawings will be darkened to chart the progress of this financial campaign. The update will be done on a quarterly basis. Our church newspaper and website will also reflect the number of bricks sold each quarter.
- What is the Buy a Brick, Burn a Note plan and how does it work?
Let’s work together to successfully complete this project and free our church of this debt!