Financing

You see that there are many projects we have been pursuing and will continue to develop without needing to ask the congregation for extra money. We hope you celebrate that wise stewardship of our shared resources. As we look at the other capital expenses, you’ll calculate a range $258,000 to $292,000 for the siding and windows, upper doors, and lighting, plus an additional $135,000 approximately five years from now. The financial aspect of the Task Force looked at those expected costs and determined that it was not necessary to hold a special capital campaign asking for three-year pledges. Rather, as our current mortgage is nearing its end, we can roll that remaining balance into a new 15 year mortgage to cover the current projects and still manage to keep the costs nearly the same as our current mortgage. We feel this creates no new funding de-mands from the congregation, wisely invests in required maintenance while also expanding our mission, and pursues expansions in line with our vision for ministry. Rather than asking for funds explicitly for a capital campaign, it allows us to continue to invest broadly in our budget for the work of our congregation here and our outreach to the community.

What We Are Asking

On October 27 after worship services, we will have a special congregational meeting to discuss these projects and the funding plan. We will be asking for a vote to accept the Task Force’s recommendation which has been approved by your Leadership Team to procure at $300,000 mortgage to fund the siding, window, upper door, and lower bathroom capital projects. You are welcome to bring any questions to that meeting, or discuss with staff, Task Force, or Leadership Team members at any time. As part of this stewardship season looking to 2020, we are also asking for you to be considering these projects as you prepare to bring your financial pledge and commitments to our congregation to worship on All Saints Sunday, November 3. In celebration of the 50 years of the MCC that have brought us to this point, we are excited about being able to move forward so strongly in maintaining this building as a tool of our ministry while also extending it in beautiful, meaningful, and important ways. We hope that your pledge will reflect your excitement about our shared work in community, about this wise step forward, and about growing into the future together. Thank you!

Because of you, our church changes lives!

Current Loan

Mortgage Type: fixed rate, 3.25%

3/1/2021 maturity

Monthly Payment: $3,452

New Loan:

Mortgage Type: 15 year fixed rate, 4.45% – 5.45%

Monthly Payment: $2,640 - $2,817.

Accelerated monthly payments in years 1-5: $3,500

Accelerated payments close to our current expense

would save some eventual interest and allow us to get an

additional mortgage in five years for the parking lot, and at

that point still continue at our current monthly expense.

Because of you, our church changes lives!

From 50 years — to the future

This year we have celebrated the 50th anniversary of our partnership as the Madison Christian Community, including the memories of sparse and scary history when bills—including the mortgage—couldn’t be paid. But now we celebrate the efforts and ministry that have brought us to this point, and the strong foundation that serves as our launchpad into the future as the MCC continues serving our lives and our community.

The Task Force

At the MCC annual meeting in January 2019, the congregation decided to form a Task Force to research our physical needs and offer a proposal for how we might address them. The group has related to a number of experts and solicited bids, and also examined what our wisest financial options are. The Task Force recognized urgency for some projects, while for other aspects this occasion provides more of a timely convenience to coincide with expenses that are beyond annual budgets.

Those who have been engaged in the work of the Task Force include: Corkey Custer (Hope co-chair), Sarah Canon (former Advent co-chair), Candi Bloedow, Betty Custer, Raelene Freitag, Lisa Johnsen, Katherine Johnson-Becklin, Ken Johnson, John Rowe, Bill Stewart, Anthony Dispanet (MCC Building and Grounds Manager) and Pastors Sonja and Nick.

What are the projects, and what are the reasons?

A year after the formation of the MCC we moved to Old Sauk Road. The first worship service was held in this location on October 25, 1970 in what we now know as the Covenant Room. In 1993, we expanded our building, especially to create the second sanctuary (the Blessing Room). 2004 brought a capital campaign of $350,000 to care for the original building, 34 years after its construction. Now 26 years after the addition to our facility, some of it is showing age. At this moment, we are also privileged not only to maintain but to expand our building and its ministry, and are able to approach these projects in a variety of manners.

the projects siding

windows

parking lot

Shalom Room

entryway doors

furnace

landscaping

lighting

lower bathroom renovation

some reasons

required maintenance

better hospitality and welcome

service/benefits to members

outreach

efficiency and caring for creation

wise stewardship

Siding

After 26 years, the cedar siding around the Blessing Room is in need of attention, including because as it deteriorates we expect further damage into the walls. To patch and repair the existing siding comes with both prohibitive expense and the need for repeated attention in a decade or so. The wiser choice is to replace the siding with a cement fiber siding. This type of siding was added in the 2004 renovations to the original (Covenant Room) building and has practically unlimited life expectancy. COST: see below

Windows

A paired project that spurred increased urgency was apparent leaking around the wall of windows in the Blessing Room. The windows are failing, due both to age and a faulty earlier sealing method. To prevent further damage, we will be replacing the custom-made arrangement (with the same pattern). COST: the windows cost about $22,000 to make. They will be installed with the siding at a cost of about $100,000, for a total of around $122,000 for these two major aspects.

Parking Lot

Our parking lot was getting to be in rough shape, but we achieved some wonderful midterm care this summer! Cracks were sealed, crumbling areas were patched, the top was coated, stalls were re-striped, and a gravel area was added near the gardens. That extends the life of our current parking lot by an estimated five years before we’ll need to replace it. COST: this summer’s work totaled about $9100 (estimate for total replacement in five years is around $135,000)

Shalom Room

The Shalom Room inside the upstairs main doors was designed as a primary gathering and meeting place for our two congregations to merge. Some of the improvements include the things we’ve already been accomplishing. Over the last two years, you’ve noticed the start of a new Welcome Center. John Rowe is constructing a welcome desk to fit that area, which will be a display for print communications as well as a greeting area for visitors. That is also supplemented by the announcement screen instead of the old dry erase board. We’ve adjusted coat racks and created a permanent display for nametags, all to help us relate to each other and guests. COST: these minimal costs have been funded through current budget and volunteer efforts!

Entryway Doors

Along with the welcome into our main space, the upper entry doors require replacement. You’ve likely noticed they are stiff to open and chipping apart. They were actually interior not exterior doors, and don’t function well for security, energy, or basic utility. Tt would do best for keeping the heat in to change them out before winter. We’re also looking at improving the basement door so that the main entrance during the week doesn’t look quite so much like a basement back door and also has wheelchair/disability assistance. COST: upstairs doors replacement is $11,000

Furnace

Our building has 11 furnaces. When a furnace goes out, it could be a sudden unexpected expense. But the MCC has planned for these replacements. So when we got news last month that a 19-year-old furnace was worn out, we were ready with money set aside in a contingency fund. COST: $2200 from budget reserves

Landscaping

This summer we saw the benefit of major landscaping. The prime focus, discussed over the past year, was the removal of the Burr Oak mound. Though the living tree had been a central feature of our identity, the decaying stump and old mound provided a new opportunity for hospitality with our lower entry. Possibilities of how to use the flat space are still being considered, but to begin the leveled area received minimal landscaping and some boulders to continue to give some play area for children, both from MCC and the preschool. The dirt was used to level a dangerous portion of the prayer path into the prairie, helping complete a project underway since Sonja Keesey-Berg’s retirement more than three years ago. Other soil moved between the building and the memorial garden to create a landscaped screen so that worship services or those paying respects at the memorial garden wouldn’t have unsightly clutter of picnic benches, ladders, and the rainwater collection tank. COST: $5500, funded by special reserves held by the congregations and memorial garden

Lighting

The lighting upgrades have two major areas: the Blessing Room and the Shalom Room. The Shalom Room work goes with the hospitality of that space and functioning as two congregations; we’re looking to improve the light quality near the art wall and make it less of a dark cave for those going toward the Covenant Room.

The Blessing Room lights are the most expensive electrical component we currently have and when we turn them on we are instantly at peak usage. That matters, first, because we seek to care for creation and reduce our fossil fuel usage. Second, our power bill charges all of our rates based on our highest demand. The chart gives

a glimpse that power use spikes to nearly double on a Sunday morning when Blessing Room lights are on. More efficient lighting helps not only when we flip the switch, but changes the rate we pay for all our power. Additionally, the new LED lighting will be maintenance-free and much more user-friendly. For example, we’ll be able to dim the lights for Christmas Eve worship, rather than waiting 12 minutes for bulbs to warm up like in a gymnasium. COST: $64,000

Lower Bathroom Re-Design

Like a growing family in an aging house, it is time to examine the uses of our lower bathrooms and update to current needs. We are looking to improve to four separate individual units, each with a toilet and sink.

One main reason is missional hospitality: for half of our 50 years, the MCC has been openly welcoming to people who are LGBTQ+. Our society is realizing such hospitality requires the availability of restroom facilities for those outside the gender binary—who don’t identify clearly as either male OR female—for whom it is a matter both of comfort and of safety. The MCC has one all-gender bathroom near the kitchen—the opposite end of the building from downstairs bathrooms.

The fact that others regularly use and prefer the privacy of that single bathroom upstairs also emphasizes the re-design plans downstairs, because it will be more comfortable for all of us. New higher toilets will be more comfortable for an aging congregation, and separate facilities will better accommodate assisting those with disabilities or young children. Individual bathrooms will also help the safety of our children in the Sunday School area in line with our Parish Protection Program. Another important benefit is in allowing us to reserve one of the units if we were to have a guest living in sanctuary, as part of our efforts to support immigrants as a sanctuary congregation. COST: early estimate is $95,000