As of 2:00 PM Monday, July 21, the parish office has received $339,029 in pledge for the Provide a Hopeful Future Capital Campaign. Two of these pledges were received this morning. It is possible that additional pledges may be in the mail or otherwise in route to the parish office.

On June 16, 2008 the Vestry sent a letter to the parish describing the Hopeful Future Campaign. It included two parts. One involved a capital campaign to raise $360,000 to pay off one of the three parish mortgages. The other involved a series of committees to address our desire to increase our capacity for ministry while cutting the parish budget.

A number of Hopeful Future committees have been constituted and are at work. July 20, represented the deadline for the capital campaign. In its letter the Vestry said:

“If commitments fall short of the $360,000 necessary to pay the note in full, all proceeds will be returned and commitments released.”

July 20 marked the formal close of the capital campaign. Certain contingencies have prevented some parishioners from getting their commitment card in by the deadline. One parishioner on vacation called the parish office and left a message on the office Voice Mail to assure her pledge would be included in the total. Another walked her pledge into the parish office on Monday morning to assure it inclusion. Yet another pledge came in with the US Post.

To date we are within 94% of our goal. Our General Manager Jim Tracy believes that at least another $22,000 in pledge is on its way into the parish office. The campaign is formally closed and we will not solicit additional funds. However, in a spirit of grace, pledges that come into the parish office this week will be included in the final total.

Here is a breakdown of the campaign.

• 122 parish families have returned a commitment card.
• 43 joined the parish prior to the year 2002.
• 77 joined the parish after 2002.
• 34 joined the parish after 2006.
• 4 additional families submitted a commitment card or email expressing regret that financial challenges prevented their participation in the campaign.

Of greater interest to me than the financial result is what this says about our covenant community. The Vestry launched this campaign over the Fourth of July Weekend with just one letter. They made no phone calls. They twisted no arms. They applied no pressure by way of guilt or any other means.

Parishioners made their pledges in the midst of a shaky economy with housing values still sinking, and gasoline and food prices still rising. By the deadline of July 20 – in just three weeks -- the parish came within 94% of its goal.

Besides, Jim Tracy may be right. Late-coming pledges just might send us over the top.