FAQ
“Welcome to our Capital Campaign FAQ page. At First Congregational Church, we believe in ‘Loving God, Loving Others, and Loving Yourself’. As we embark on this journey to preserve our historic church home and ensure its sustainability for future generations, we want to ensure every member feels informed and inspired. Below, you will find answers to common questions regarding our goals, projects, and how you can participate. If you don’t see your specific question addressed here, please click the email icon to the right to reach out to our campaign team directly.“
When this project was originally scoped, we budgeted approximately $300K, and assumed most of this would be reimbursed to the church from tax rebates. Several bids were received for the project with different options, including purchase, leasing and financing options, for which we’d recoup our costs over time. Due to the passage of congressional legislation to end green energy initiatives, work would need to start by July 2026 in order for us to theoretically qualify for reimbursements before tax credits expire. Based on the planned expenditures for 2026, and without a guarantee of recouping our costs, Council decided not to rush to spend this money . We will revisit the topic, particularly when the tax incentives become more favorable, and also look into community solar as an option.
The cost of replacing the pews was not substantially higher than repairing. Additionally, the old pews would have been challenging to fit with cushions, would have been difficult to refurbish with the laminate finish, and would have required significant refinishing to be shortened to give wider aisles. The new pews are made from oak, which will have a longer lifespan and are able to be refurbished over decades. These will be built for the space, allow for ADA compliant spacing, and allow for new flexible matching chairs in the front rows.
The old wood beam has been replaced with 3 steel beams. The beam has been preserved and we plan to engage with a woodworker to create a new cross for our newly refurbished sanctuary.
We will worship in Schaper hall while the sanctuary is under construction. Services will continue be livestreamed. The sanctuary and surrounding narthex and entries will be closed, as it will be an active construction zone.
We plan to celebrate the opening of the refurbished sanctuary on September 13th, 2026.
Our capital campaign goal was $3.5 million. We have a sufficient amount of pledged money to cover the projects, and add some money to the endowment. The money that has come in to date is invested so it can grow prior to being spent on projects.
The church council voted between two color schemes that were prepared by an interior design professional. The walls will be a beautiful shade of blue.
Yes! The floor will be repaired where needed, with the boards under the carpet used to replace any broken boards. We plan to save any wood boards that aren’t repairable since they are original to the church. After repairs are finished, the floors will be refinished.
Your generous regular pledge goes towards the church operating budget. The capital campaign is funded by a separate capital campaign pledge, which can be fulfilled over the next 2 years. We are still accepting pledges and gifts to the capital campaign.
None. FCC will only pay for projects for which we have cash on hand.