Dear Members and Friends of FCC,

 

It is with great joy that we, the members of FCC Council, have unanimously approved the first step toward a Capital Campaign.

 

By way of background, we have spent the past several years prayerfully considering our church home at 461 Pierson Street in Crystal Lake. At a minimum, we knew that we had to address deferred maintenance issues. However, during this extended period of study and reflection, we also considered remodeling, renovations and even building a new church.

 

At one point, we considered the possibility of a large-scale remodel, wherein we would preserve the sanctuary but re-build the surrounding structures. However, the congregation did not support this option when we presented it, so it was set aside in favor of maintaining our current building.

 

The council and facilities team, led by Al Cunningham, have worked to identify a comprehensive list of deferred maintenance projects and improvements that are recommended to be undertaken to preserve our church home. The proposed list of projects will improve safety and sustainability, plus promote a welcoming and accessible space. And that is where the Capital Campaign comes in: The campaign is intended to raise funds to address these current concerns, while the remaining funds will be used to build an account that will be used to address our future maintenance needs.

 

During the course of our prolonged study of these building issues and options, we reviewed feedback from previous capital campaigns, studied capital campaigns undertaken by other UCC churches, and built on the excellent work that was done in 2018-2019 when the more extensive renovation options were considered. Those previous committees reviewed the credentials of many highly-recommended professional church fundraisers. They later interviewed several of these firms, and the overwhelming favorite was James D. Klote and Associates. Based on this recommendation, the current Council members met with James Klote earlier this month and agreed that this firm remains the best choice for our congregation in 2024.

 

Our decision to hire a professional organization was based on the experiences of previous Capital Campaign leaders in our church. We concluded that engaging a professional organization such as James D. Klote and Associates is worth the investment as it gives us the highest probability of success. The initial feasibility study will cost $40,000, which we will fund from our current reserve accounts. The Council has approved entering this initial contract in accordance with our by-laws. 

 

The Klote team will first conduct the feasibility study, to determine our readiness for a full-scale Capital Campaign. They will actively solicit feedback from all members and friends of our congregation. As such, everyone’s voice will be heard as the Capital Campaign is developed and planned. Following the feasibility study, and assuming we are determined to be ready, the full congregation will vote on whether to proceed with the Capital Campaign. Pending congregational approval, we would then officially hire Klote & Associates to serve as full-time partners in the execution of the campaign.

 

The 4-week feasibility study will begin in August. Please also note that we are working closely with the Finance Committee to ensure that all costs related to the Feasibility Study (and a future Capital Campaign) are covered by our existing reserve accounts. Subsequently, those accounts will be replenished with funds raised during the Capital Campaign. 

 

We are asking you for your engagement with this process, and it is important that your voice is heard during the feasibility study. We are asking for your support as we work to preserve our historic building so that it may be a welcoming home for our congregation and community for years to come. We are asking that you consider being part of the Capital Campaign steering committee or volunteer in another way to support. We are asking that you pray for the congregation and leadership as we discern together through this process.

 

We are excited to take the first step on this journey towards improving our building and appreciate the work done by all previous councils and committees that have helped to inform the current direction.

 

We look forward to sharing more information during the Town Hall Meeting on May 5th, during future Town Hall meetings, and during the Annual Congregational Meeting this summer. We welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you might have about this process. 

 

Thank you for your faith in our congregation and for making FCC a great place to be.

 

The FCC Church Council

Adria Tyndall, Chair

Jody Fields, Vice Chair

Brian Markison, Treasurer

Paul King, Clerk

Al Cunningham

Mark Rockwell

Dan Schweers