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What is the Goal of the Project?
Our Winner's Circle goal is $3.5 million. While this is a healthy stretch for our congregation, we have three years to attain it. To chart our progress along the way we have benchmarked several points. Our first marker, called "Out of the Gate," is $1.5 million. Our second, called "Into the Stretch" is $2.0 million and our third is $2.5 million called "Across the Finish Line."
Our sanctuary renovation and church-wide HVAC replacement, two projects that are necessities and cannot be economically separated, will cost $2.5 million. While the sanctuary is under repair it only makes sense to refurbish and enhance our venerable organ at the same time. This cost is $500,000. Finally, to renovate our current space for a music center, pay for the campaign and other professional services, and put aside our tithed 10% for mission outreach will cost another $500,000. Those expenses take us "Into the Winner's Circle."
Can I earmark my gift for a certain part of this project?
Yes, you may designate where your gift should be applied. If you are excited about a certain part of this project--the organ, mission outreach, the music center--you may specify that your gift be applied to that part of the project. However, please be mindful of the fact that much of this project--$2.5 of the $3.5 million--is infrastructure renovation, i.e. necessary, yet routine, repairs and maintenance of the sanctuary. This 70% will have little emotional appeal to anyone, yet is the heart of the project. If you can see your way clear to a non-designated gift, that would greatly help us reach our goal.
What if a cash gift is not possible for me at this time, can I still participate?
There are many different ways to contribute to a campaign besides a cash gift. Shares of stock, property, insurance policies and other assets are all gift possibilities. This type of gift may have certain tax advantages also. For more specific assistance with these types of gifts, please consult your financial advisor or call the church office for a referral to someone who can help you.
When will we be asked to pledge and when will we be expected to pay those pledges?
You will be asked for your pledge beginning on November 18. Those attending the Main Event at the Radisson will have a congregational celebration that evening. Those unable to make the main event will be contacted by the Courier Team and Follow up Team members.
We are asking people to consider a three-year commitment (2006, 2007, 2008) to the Campaign over and above their annual stewardship gift.
What sorts of changes are planned for the Sanctuary?
The Sanctuary renovations include the complete refurbishment and enhancement of our 107-year old organ; plaster ceiling repair; replacement of the 25-year-old heating and air conditioning system; expand chancel area to provide more flexibility for worship; upgrade the sound system, augment lighting and enhance acoustics; expansion of the choir loft to provide flexible seating for 40+ choir members.
The organ sounds fine as it is. Why do we need to "restore" it?
Our original Kimball Pipe Organ was installed in 1897. The console was replaced in 1936. Band-aid repairs, while appropriate at the time, have been made periodically since. Those of you with history know that even "band-aids" are expensive for an organ of this size and quality. Today, however, our organ is in poor condition and showing increasing signs of deterioration with each change of season. While this deterioration may be subtle to your ear at present, it is obvious to our organist, choir director and musicians, and, it will only continue. Already last winter, we had a cold day with thirteen dead notes--and you thought the organist was just having a bad day. For a more detailed history and an elaboration of the process involved in the complete refurbishment and enhancement of our organ, click here.
Why is there such a difference in cost between the restored Moeller organ that was recently installed at a local church and the rebuilding work that we are undertaking on our Kimball organ?
There are a number of factors that distinguish our organ project from the recently completed project reported in the Herald-Leader. Here are three primary reasons.
The Moeller organ was built in 1950. The First Presbyterian Kimball was built in 1897. While the Kimball was rebuilt in 1936, many of the original parts remain. So the Kimball is still considerably older than the Moeller, requiring more extensive attention.
At the beginning of the project, we hired noted organ consultant Barbara Owen to advise us as to our options. She informed the Long Range Planning Committee that churches faced with aging organs had four options: Repair, Restore, Replace or Rebuild.
a) REPAIR: This has been the strategy for the Kimball up until this point. However, given the current age and condition of the Kimball, the "band-aid upon band-aid" approach was no longer either successful or good stewardship of finances.
b) RESTORE: Given the alterations to the original organ since its installation in 1897, this option was not available to us. Even if it were, such a restored instrument would not be desirable either mechanically or tonally for contemporary use. [This is the option most akin to the Moeller project.]
c) REPLACE: This option was given due consideration by the committee. However, it was decided that given the beauty and warmth of the heart of the Kimball sound, and given the fact that the original Kimball pipes are of unquestionably high quality, the committee felt that it would not be good stewardship to replace the instrument entirely. Furthermore, the Sanctuary and the organ date from roughly the same period. Because of this, the organ fits the room in ways that an entirely new instrument would not.
d) REBUILD: This was the selected option for the FPC project. As noted elsewhere, "rebuilding" in this case means all newly built mechanical systems [as opposed to refurbishment of existing systems, a la the "restore" option]. Tonally, some later additions of pipes will be replaced with pipes that more cohesively blend with the original Kimball pipes so that the instrument will sound even more beautifully than before.
All of the above options require varying degrees of labor and materials. Therefore, the First Presbyterian project differs in scope and price from the other local organ project.
It sure seems as if we are spending a lot of time and money on acoustics? Why is that so important?
Church sanctuary acoustics must support the spoken word from the pulpit (preaching), a tonally complex instrument (organ), singing from a stage-like area (choir loft) and singing/speaking from the auditorium (sanctuary). This is a more difficult acoustical challenge than that presented by other spaces.
The balance of all four elements is impacted by a variety of things from temperature to carpeting to ceiling plaster. The acoustician we have hired, Kirkegaard Accoustics, specializes in liturgical spaces. For a short essay on the liturgical history of reformed worship, acoustics from a theological perspective and the reason our sanctuary continues to need acoustical fine-tuning, click here.
Where will we worship while the Sanctuary is undergoing renovations?
During the time the Sanctuary is closed for worship--roughly mid-February 2006 until March 1, 2007--we will worship in our chapel. We will expand to multiple worship services on Sunday mornings to accommodate our membership. Many congregations are forced to find a movie theater or office space for worship when their primary space is shut down. Through the faithful stewardship of those that preceded us, First Church can avoid this dislocation and stay in our own space.
What else will be covered in this campaign besides the Sanctuary?
Two smaller projects:
1. We will upgrade the sound system and enhance acoustics in the Chapel and provide sound and video capability for the Assembly Room.
2. The former Learning Center space will be converted to a Music Center for our growing choirs of all ages. In addition, our choir rehearsal space will be the location for our participation in a multi-church downtown Music Academy. The Central Music Academy (CMA) is a 501c(3) non-profit organization that was chartered in 2004 by Central Christian Church. They already have a sizable grant from a Kentucky charitable foundation for the purchase of instruments, and the employment of music instructors for after-school programs and summer activities. Children who qualify for free or reduced school lunches are eligible to receive free private and ensemble instruction and to borrow instruments owned by the CMA. Possibilities for cooperation between First Presbyterian and the CMA include a First Presbyterian appointed representation on the CMA board, and the provision of First Presbyterian music facilities for CMA sponsored activities.
What about outreach mission?
In addition to the community mission provided by the Central Music Academy, the Session has voted to give one-tenth of the money received in our campaign for mission. We are particularly excited that we have embraced this commitment to give to God's work beyond our walls.
Why are we undertaking such an ambitious project at this time?
First Church has a time-honored history of being good stewards of this facility. We are starting to experience the problems associated with the aging of our infrastructure.
Plaster problems are visible throughout the sanctuary; our beloved organ is getting less dependable each season; and our 25-year-old HVAC system has become high maintenance and less and less functional. Just as generations before us took on the responsibility and the cost of providing for us, it is our turn to stand on their shoulders and provide for the children here and the children yet to come.
What are we going to do about parking now that so much of the land around the church is being developed?
This issue has been in the forefront for the leaders of 1st Presbyterian for several years. The church has not owned a surface lot since the one now being developed next to the church was sold in the 1950's. For over 40 years now, we have leased weekday parking for our staff and use public and business surface lots for weekend and evening events. We will have to adjust our current arrangements and will continue to monitor opportunities for acquisition and/or partnership that involve parking. On the bright side, there is a real opportunity for membership growth as more and more people move into the downtown properties surrounding the church.
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