Getting Ready

In September, we will be welcoming our new settled minister into our pulpit.  Calling a minister is a significant event for any Congregation.  For us, this will be only the 12^th time in 230 years that we have invited a new minister to join us.

If you invited a guest into your home – for a meal, for a weekend, or for a longer visit - you would pick things up, empty the wastebaskets, do a thorough cleaning, replace any burned out light bulbs, and maybe even fix that leaky toilet in the powder room and do a few of those other minor repairs that you knew had to be done, but that you just hadn’t had time to do.  And when everything was ready, you’d be pleased and proud and energized and ready to enjoy the visit.

That’s what we need to do as a Church to get ready for our new minister, to get ready for the next stage in our journey as a spiritual community, and to get ready for the growth of our Congregation.

As a Church, we support our Program through our annual pledges, and we support our building through the endowment created by those who came before us.  In recent years, we’ve been diverting endowment income to cover Program costs, with the result that there are any number of things that should be fixed.  The Finance Committee and the Prudential Committee have made developed a list of highly visible projects that benefit all of us.  Some of the parking lot work has already been done using a very generous $100,000 legacy from Dick Prouty, a long-time member of the Church who passed away in 2012, and who continued his support of the Church in his will.  Now the Congregation needs to raise $125,000 to complete the tasks on the list.

To kick off the “Getting Ready” campaign, the members of the Prudential Committee have collectively pledged 10% of what to raise.  It’s going to be a short and focused six week campaign, to be wrapped up before Candidating Week (April 26-May 4).   We’ll report the results to you every Sunday and in the newsletter.  If the rest of the Congregation responds with the same enthusiasm and commitment of the Prudential Committee, we will meet our goal, and possibly even have a little left over for other projects. 

Restrooms.  We are woefully short of restroom facilities that are needed for the level of activity in the Church.  And the two existing bathrooms on the main floor are in desperate need of renovation.  As anyone who has ever done an upgrade of a home bathroom is all too aware, these are expensive projects.  

First U member Bob Shaw has been developing plans to turn the old coatroom space on the Court Street side into new restrooms, and to renovate the existing handicapped accessible restroom on the State Street side.  His plans are posted in the dining room.  Bob and First U member Mike Keating are getting estimates for the work.

Ceilings.  There is cracking and other problems in the ceiling of the Bancroft Room, and the water damage to the ceiling on the south side of the Sanctuary.  Bob Shaw is organizing volunteers to repair these problems, but there are still some significant costs for materials and paint. 

Sound System.  We have all experienced the annoying popping and feedback squeals of the sound system in the Sanctuary – and the days when it simply hasn’t worked.  First U member Jesse Anderson is trying out different microphones and other components with the goal of finding the best combination of acoustical quality and price.  He is also developing an improved recording system so that we can provide quality CDs of services to members of the Church who miss a Sunday, but who don’t want to miss the service altogether.  We need to raise the funds for the new components.

The Kitchen.  We all benefit from the kitchen, whether we are working to prepare a meal or simply enjoying the feast that is set before us.  A true commercial kitchen would be wonderful, but the cost and compliance with Code requirements are prohibitive.  But we can do a lot with a second stove, a second dishwasher, a large freezer, and a more efficient layout.  Bob Shaw’s plans are posted in the dining room for everyone to look at.  We need to raise the money to turn his plans into reality. 

Parking Lots.  The parking lots on the State Street side were in deplorable shape.  Some of you may not know that the parking lots were created in the 1950s when the Church purchased and tore down several houses, and filled in and paved over the cellar holes.  Over the following half century, there has been settling, as well as the ordinary wear and tear that happens to every parking lot.  We had this on our list for attention, and thanks to the generous Prouty legacy and some excellent negotiation by Mike Keating, we were able to coordinate our parking lot repairs and resurfacing with other work in the area being done by the contractor.  The final finish work will be done in the spring, which should put us in good shape for the next half century. 

There should be something in the “Getting Ready” campaign that will appeal to everyone!  We have a strong beginning with the contributions from the members of the Prudential Committee, but we need everyone to follow their lead so the “Getting Ready” campaign will be a success and we can truly get ready for our new minister, get ready for the next stage in our journey as a spiritual community, and get ready for the growth of our Congregation.

John O. Mirick

Finance Committee Chair