A New Way Forward
On July 30th, we held a congregational meeting to discuss our plans for the rebuilding project of our sanctuary. Since not everyone was able to attend the meeting, we felt it prudent to provide a summary of what was discussed.
General Church Information
Information was shared as to the Church's current financial state, which includes
· A 2023 annual budget of $345,000
o We are on target with expenses running about $23,000 higher than giving, comparable to previous years.
· The Church remains debt-free, having paid off our mortgage of over $350,000 in 2020
· Current assets earmarked for capital and building expenses are about $300,000 in a Vanguard Money Market Account
Updated Building Project Estimates
The building team has spent the past few months reducing the scope of the project to a total cost of $985,000.
· Estimated Bid from Contractor - $885,000
· Technology Expenses - $100,000
Updated Project Differences
The savings from our initial project proposal of $1.5 million to $985,000 include some significant differences, I’ve outlined some of them below.
· Structural Changes
o We will still replace the roof and internal joists.
o Instead of filling the walls with concrete and using a steel bar for stability, the new plan calls for carbon fiber sheets bonded to the walls to provide stability and strength.
· Sanctuary Layout Changes
o We will still remove the steps and stage from the sanctuary and investigate in a movable stage to give us the option to continue worship horizontally or vertically as needed.
· Narthex
o We’ll keep the overall size and shape of the narthex the same, instead of moving the wall.
§ We will replace the entry and sanctuary doors with full glass to give more light and an open feeling.
o We will not remove the asbestos in the Narthex but rather encapsulate it.
· Heating and Air Conditioning
o We’ll still need to replace the air conditioning coils, but existing ductwork and air handlers will remain.
o We’ll also keep our furnaces and baseboard heating.
· Underground
o We will still upgrade the bathrooms in the underground as we prepare to utilize that space in the future.
Feasibility Study Results and Interpretation
In the Fall of 2022, MUMC engaged with Horizon Stewardship to perform a Feasibility Study, and the results were reported
· For the 2017-2020 God @ Work Capital Campaign
· $375,000 was raised
· 2023 Capital Campaign Expectations
· Reasonable expectation of raising $500,000 - $600,000
Debt Possibilities
Assuming a project cost of $985,000, minus $500k from a capital campaign and $300k in reserves, that leaves about $185,000 to be mortgaged
A 30-year mortgage @ 7.8% interest would be an annual debt service of about $16,000/year over and above regular giving and capital campaign pledges.
Next Steps
While no plan is perfect, the building committee believes this is our best option and way to move forward. There are next steps for a project of this magnitude, and some will be taken simultaneously.
· Reengage our architect to finalize blueprints and restart the bidding process.
· Reengage Horizon Stewardship for an updated feasibility study and begin a capital campaign
· Once the building committee receives bids and the feasibility study, we’ll have a congregational church conference to vote to accept the blueprints, contract a builder, take out a building loan and begin construction.
No decision will be made without your knowledge and consent, as we continue to navigate moving forward, we'll keep making updates and provide information.
Keep the faith!
Jesse Ruch
Pastor, Marlton UMC
Feasibility Study Results and Interpretation - January 2023
Sunday, January 8th, 2023, we held a congregational meeting to discuss our plans for the rebuilding project of our sanctuary. Since not everyone was able to attend the meeting, we felt it prudent to provide a summary of what was discussed.
General Church Information
Information was shared as to the Church's current financial state, which includes
A 2023 annual budget of $345,000
The Church is debt-free, having paid off our mortgage of over $350,000 in 2020
Current assets earmarked for capital and building expenses are about $300,000 in a Vanguard Money Market Account
Building Project Estimates
The project to rebuild our sanctuary has a total expense of approximately $1.5 Million.
Bid from Contractor - $1.2 Million
Technical Expenses - $100,000
Additional Expenses - $300,000
In case prices continue to rise
Other projects that need to be accomplished at the same time
Solar Panels removed and reinstalled from the roof
Painting of stairways and hallways
Resurfacing the parking lot
Landscaping, etc
Feasibility Study Results and Interpretation
In the Fall of 2022, MUMC engaged with Horizon Stewardship to perform a Feasibility Study, and the results were reported
For the 2017-2020 God @ Work Capital Campaign
$375,000 was raised
2023 Capital Campaign Expectations
Reasonable expectation of raising $500,000 - $600,000
Debt Possibilities
Assuming a project cost of $1.5 Million, minus $500k from a capital campaign and $300k in reserves, that leaves about $700,000 to be mortgaged
A 20-year mortgage @ 6.5% interest would be an annual debt service of about $65,000/year over and above regular giving and capital campaign pledges.
With our annual budget of $345,000, that would mean a 5% increase in giving would be necessary to pay the mortgage, if we do not see that increase, we would need to cut back on staff salaries or maintenance and upkeep of the church property.
Moving Forward
I've spoken before on the differences between trusting God and testing God. I believe we're at one of these moments as a congregation. We could take out the mortgage and stretch and hope that we could afford the debt payments, however since we'll also be raising money for the capital campaign, there is a valid concern of fatigue. We may grow tired of constantly talking about money, and if we cannot increase general offerings by another $65,000 a year, we'd need to reduce ministry, which will have a diminishing return.
A more prudent option would be to wait. While no one wants to see us rebuild our sanctuary more than I do, if now is not the time, it is not the time. Therefore, the leadership team will be directing the building committee to investigate reducing or changing the scope of the project in an effort to reduce the cost of the project.
Maybe we can reduce the scope of the project and save money, maybe costs will come down in the next few months, or maybe we need to reevaluate the need to renovate the sanctuary and instead renovate the gym into a permanent sanctuary, replacing the floor with wood, and dismantling the cages and other components of our gym. Someone told me yesterday that they had told their daughter we were meeting to discuss rebuilding our sanctuary and the daughter said, "What are you talking about? We're in the sanctuary already."
No decision will be made without your knowledge and consent, as we continue to navigate moving forward, we'll keep making updates and provide information.
I do ask two things, first, please continue praying for our church, for the leadership of our church, and that God will show us ways to serve the community and look outside of our walls. Secondly, if you have questions, opinions, concerns, complaints, or compliments, please reach out to members of the Building Committee or to myself. We will only move forward with everyone's help and prayers.
Friends, I thank God every day for the opportunity to be your pastor, Alyssa and I pray for you all daily, and I know that we are going to have a great year in ministry.
Keep the faith!
Jesse Ruch
Campaign and Building Update Case Statement
We’ve created Case Statement describing the challenges and opportunities for the future as we consider embarking on a winter/spring campaign.
Congregation Building Meeting - 1/23/2022
If you have questions or would like to see a copy of the slideshows, please reach out to us here.
Special Charge Conference
Marlton UMC will be having a special Charge Conference 10/27/2021 at 7:30 pm. The Zoom information can be found below. There are a few necessary documents:
The first is the report from the Sanctuary Rebuild Team explaining the work and process they've been performing. Click here.
The second is the Resolution we are voting on during our meeting tonight. Click here.
If you would like a copy of the Architect’s proposal, please reach out to the Church Office or Pastor Jesse.
As a reminder, the Charge Conference is open for attendance to all members of the Church, but only members of the Church Council may vote.
MUMC Charge Conference
September 14 Report
Monthly Committee Report
Committee: Rebuild Task Force
Submitted by: Lisa Taylor & Tim Gunner
Date: 9/14/2021
Recent Activities and Accomplishments
Held meetings on 6/10/21 (team), 6/24/2021 (team), 7/15/21 (team), 7/18/21 (with DS Hector Burgos), 8/25/21 (with interested architect), and 8/31/21 (with interested architect).
Short-term Goals (one - three month outlook)
Select and engage architect to assist in planning.
Establish total Target Budget for project, including new “Rule-of-Thumb” Capital Campaign funds.
Plan for and hold listening sessions with the church community to elicit input on their vision for the new space.
Continue to meet at least twice monthly.
Long-term Goals (three month - 1 year)
Advance planning into Concept and Design Development phases.
Expand project plan and timeline, to include:
Permitting Requirements
Financing/Capital Campaign Planning
Advancement of design to Construction Documents
Proposed Construction Schedule
Concerns / Issues for Council
None at this time.
July 2021 Update
On July 11th, members of the Rebuild Team shared an update with the congregation and Church Council. You can find their slide below.
June 2021 Update
Here’s our June 2021 team report, which includes information on the formation of the team, next steps and goals.
Recent Activities and Accomplishments
Held meetings on 4/20/2021, 5/13/2021, 5/27/2021, 6/10/2021, & 6/24/2021 to discuss the team’s charge, additional team members, the first set of action steps, and a timeline for completing those steps.
Short-term Goals (one - three month outlook)
Complete formation of the team.
Continue to meet at least twice monthly.
Get detailed report from the Treasurer of MUMC on the funds currently available to begin the project.
Establish total Target Budget for project, including new “Rule-of-Thumb” Capital Campaign funds.
Schedule Zoom meetings with Lammey + Giorgio (architects who previously submitted a proposal related to the sanctuary), ICI (contractor who previously submitted a cost estimate related to the sanctuary), and a third architect, David Robert Crawford, who has some church projects in his portfolio. The purpose of the meetings is to review the original proposals and to share an overview of what we are trying to accomplish, including discussion of budget.
Select and engage architect to assist in planning.
Provide regular updates to the church community.
Long-term Goals (three month - 1 year)
Hold listening sessions with the church community to elicit input on their vision for the new space.
Advance planning into Concept and Design Development phases.
Expand project plan and timeline, to include:
Permitting Requirements
Financing/Capital Campaign Planning
Advancement of design to Construction Documents
Proposed Construction Schedule