At its September meeting, the vestry approved a resolution that set a clear target date for the completion of the proposed Parish House renovation: Fall of 2020. This was an important and exciting development in the campaign.

For the last six months, most of the project committees have been on hold, waiting on progress in the initial quiet phase of the capital campaign. In turn, the Campaign Gifts committee has been busy seeking preliminary pledges from Redeemer members who could provide critical financing for the project. The response of parishioners to the committee’s solicitations, to date, has been very positive. 

The vestry’s decision reflects its confidence that, given the pledges and gifts received so far, along with reasonable projections of what we may still raise in the remaining quiet phase and in the public campaign, we should be able to meet our campaign goal and fully fund the construction costs of the renovation. We still have much fund-raising work to do. We are still seeking critical major gifts. And we are also hoping for the participation of 100% of our members. The capital campaign will continue well into next year. But by setting a completion date for the whole project, the work of all the renovation committees begins again in earnest. 

In addition to the capital campaign, in the coming months we will be taking several steps to advance our work on the construction side. We will be asking our architect, Christopher Miller, to provide schematic drawings, updating the building plans already shared, that detail mechanical and architectural changes that stemmed from congregational feedback. We will also begin the township Zoning and Land Development Process. In addition, we will be contacting our neighbors once again, informing them of our progress and plans. These several steps will begin the fairly lengthy process that leads to actual construction, and our eventual target is to start building in the summer of 2019. 

Much remains to be done, and much can change in the meantime, whether by choice or by necessity. And we will need broad and deep support from the whole parish. But we are now underway in a whole new way, moving definitively forward. 

As has been often noted, this is a moment of rare opportunity in the life of The Redeemer, when we can accomplish something vital to its future and for the greater community for multiple, coming generations. We can change for the better many lives, by remaining a strong and constant witness to God’s grace, mercy and love—active in us.