Update: Jan. 2008

Bridge to the Future: Giving as of Dec. 31, 2007: $127,172 (Apr-Dec 2007)

Thank you for your continued giving to the campaign.

To see where we have been and check on our progress, visit this Bridge to the future website occasionally. Bookmark this page, or go to www.petalumafirst.com and click on the Bridge to the Future logo.

We're on the Bridge

The first phase of our Capital Funds Campaign is complete and we are well into the next phase. We studied together and communicated facility needs in various ways. When it was time to make our commitments, we pledged a total of $505,000 over the next three years for capital improvements on our campus. Now, we are working on two fronts. Steve Crook heads up the "Bridge Team" which is charged with keeping us updated on our progress in fulfilling our stewardship goals. The Bridge Team will also make new members aware of our campaign and invite them to join with us. The Capital Improvement Committee is already meeting and is planning the actual improvements. Cary Weltken is the chair of that committee. Both groups have committed to involving the congregation and keeping you informed as we progress across our bridge to FPC's future.

Capital Improvement Planning

- by Cary Weltken

Yes, there is a new building in our future and the planning has begun.  The session recently approved forming a new committee to begin the process of planning our next steps after our very successful capital campaign.  This new committee is called the Capital Improvement Planning Committee.
The committee is looking at developing a master plan for the campus, planning a new building and facility improvements like remodeling our current bathrooms.

The Capital Improvement Planning Committee has been charged with the following responsibilities:

• Establish a general long-term building plan (new Master Plan for the campus - required by the city).
• Establish specific remodel plans, which include phase specific short-term details.
• Design a phased spending plan that matches the building campaign's expected giving.
• Recommend contractors to Session for various phases, including church master planner, architect(s), general contractor, etc.
• Report plans, financial needs, monthly to the Session.
• Make recommendations for Session approval for the implementation for each phase of the Facilities Planning and Improvement plan.
• Communicate often with the congregation through its various publications, and in special meetings.
• Meet at least monthly (during some phases, weekly meetings may be necessary).
• Establish and oversee subcommittees to carry out various tasks.

The members of the committee include: Cary Weltken (Chair), Dave Weidlich, Bill Linstrom, Ted Arntz, Loren Dooley, Pam Sommer, Keith Lew and Brent Russell.

The committee is forming subcommittees to accomplish various tasks and we will be looking for volunteers for the subcommittees.  We encourage you to take part in planning the future of our church by joining one of our subcommittees.  Brent Russell is heading a subcommittee to plan the remodeling of the bathrooms and would welcome any volunteers.   
The committee will communicate frequently with the congregation on our progress.

About Bridge to the Future

Over the last two years, the Leaders of FPCP have prayerfully considered the Congregation’s needs and wishes concerning the future of First Presbyterian Church.  With your help and the leadership of our Lord Jesus Christ the Session has chosen to undertake a three year financial campaign to improve and expand the ministries and facilities of the Church. 

A Bridge to the Future promises to be an exciting spiritual journey for First Presbyterian Church.  A journey that will significantly increase our ability to provide an open, inclusive, welcoming environment to match the affirming spirit of our congregation.

What is our Financial Goal? Our need to complete this project is substantial.  Completing the new building and making the improvements to our existing facility is estimated to cost $1,600,000.  This cost includes the current loan balance for the 2003 reconstruction of our Sanctuary. How much of that can a congregation of our size raise in a single, three-year campaign? Comparing us to thousands of church campaigns across the country, our consulting partner (RSI) tells us that a campaign raising $900,000 in pledges would be a milestone to celebrate, a measure of success that would put First Pres in the top 10% of churches across the nation!  While $1.6 million is an accurate point of measuring success, we believe that our church is more blessed and more capable than most churches.  Simply put, our goal is to raise as much money as we can.  Instead of limiting our possibilities we hope to reach as far as God’s grace and your sacrificial commitment will allow.  The more we raise in this campaign, the better our construction, renovation and financial options become. 

What can I do? Get informed and involved. Discover the calling and the vision of the church.  Look at the ministries and the impact of this campaign.  Learn about the projects and about the plans for the future.

We truly believe that we are responding to God’s call and that together we can make this happen!  Stay tuned! Check the calendar on the back of this newsletter for up coming events.  For questions and/or comments, please contact Pastor Dave, Sue Russell, Steve or Karyl Crook.

Yours in Christ,
                  

God…” is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask
or think, according to the power that works within  us…”
Ephesians 3:20

$505,000 Pledged

The Big Announcement was made, Celebration Sunday (Apr. 15):85 Pledges, Total Amount Pledged: $476,353

Update: We have now pledged $505,000 over three years (2007-2010) pledged by around 100 families or individuals.

Questions and Answers

Download the Question and Answers - Fact Sheet (pdf)

The Leadership Team

Program leaders
Steve & Karyl Crook

Administration
Sue Russell

Prayer
Elizabeth Arntz

Children’s activity
Shannon Trayle

Students
Stirling Trayle
Mike Roberts
Brent Russell

Small groups
Tim Scheele

Connect
Suzanna Weltkin

Involvement
Dona White

All Church event
Cindy Newsom

Response
Loren Dooley

BRIDGE
Steve Crook

Print/visual
David Coe

Pastor
Dave Weidlich

RSI partner
Ray Christenson

Key Dates

March 4 & 11   Information packet and brochure available at the Church

March 14-21 Advance commitment calls

March 16 Look for the next Bridge to the Future newsletter

March 18 - Question and Answer Forums - after each worship service in Koinonia Hall. Read more questions and answers HERE.

March 25 - 10:00 AM our Bridge to the Future Event. We will worship together, eat brunch, visit vision stations and finish the morning with worship and a message from Rev. Ray Christenson. This worship and informational event provides a great opportunity to remember our heritage and share our dreams for the future. Please make whatever arrangements are necessary so that you can join with the church family for this celebration.

April 1 - The Big Day - Commitment Sunday
Please bring your commitment card with you to the 9:00 AM or the 10:30 AM service. If you cannot be present, please mail the card to the church or bring it by the church office. If you are unable to be with us, please pray for this historic event.

Dear Church Family,

In 1883, God gave a room full of men and women a vision: to plant a new church in Petaluma. The minutes of that meeting, July 22, records that after "earnest prayer, invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the blessing of the Great Head of the Church," forty-five people signed the founding charter.

Our prayer continues into the 21st century. With our eyes fixed on our leader, Jesus Christ, we still pray for the guidance and filling of the Holy Spirit in our church.

The leaders of our church are convinced that God is calling us to take bold steps forward in our ministries and with the facilities that house them. We have renewed our commitment to helping people grow as disciples of Jesus Christ in the community of the church, reaching out in love to our world.

I believe our door of opportunity is our Bridge to the Future capital stewardship program. Please take the time to read this brochure.  As you do, pray for God to give you clarity about His will for you and your family and how you can take advantage of this opportunity to invest yourself in something eternal here at First Presbyterian Church. Simply ask God, “what is Your will for me as it relates to Your will for our church?”  Then, by faith, follow as the Spirit leads.

This brochure will assist you in your spiritual journey.  What all of us will find as we enter a new door of great opportunity will be exciting.  May God bless you in these holy days.

In Christ's Love,

Pastor Dave Weidlich

Our Mission

First Presbyterian Church of Petaluma is a family of believers united by our love of Jesus Christ and our desire to be His disciples. Our relationship with God strengthens us and gives our lives purpose and direction. We welcome all people so that they may experience God’s love and grace in a Christ-centered community and join us as we reach out to our world with the love of Jesus Christ.

Our Vision

First Presbyterian Church of Petaluma is not a cluster of buildings; it's people. People coming to faith in Jesus Christ, growing in our knowledge of God and faith in God's ways. People reaching out in witness and service to our community and beyond. Bridge to the Future is all about our congregation growing as a family with a passion for God and compassion for the world God loves. It is about inviting God to transform our lives, our church and our community.

Loving God

Living Together

Serving Petaluma

Our Tradition

Our capital stewardship campaign promises to be an exciting spiritual journey for First Presbyterian Church, one that will significantly increase our ability to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment to match the spirit of our congregation.

This spirit has been in evidence from the very beginning of the church in 1883, when a handful of families in Petaluma gathered to worship God. Their dedication sustained the church in its early days and established traditions of outreach, giving and shared service. It was not long before their fruits paid off, with the construction of their new church in 1885 next to the downtown Carnegie Library.

Each generation of our congregation has enhanced the church. The Agape House, built in 1920, and the present office, built in 1930, were already on the property when it was purchased in 1962, the year our current sanctuary, the Christian education wing and kitchen were erected. Koinonia Hall and the Fireside Room were constructed in 1976 through the cooperative effort of church members who personally undertook the construction of these two facilities. And finally, the sanctuary was remodeled in 2003. 

We are guided by our love for Jesus Christ and in His name we are instructed to make disciples of all peoples. Join us to continue this tradition of growth and renewal. Your generosity and commitment will be realized not only through physical improvements, but also in the expanded community of faith you are helping to create. Your gifts will provide a renewed facility for all of us to congregate, worship and engage in our wider purposes!

Our plan

Bridge to the Future is a three-year capital stewardship campaign that is designed to raise funds for new building and improvement projects. Projects will accommodate the needs of our Expanding Ministries as shown on the flip side of this brochure.

By encouraging each person to prayerfully seek God’s will in his or her own life, and inviting three-year pledges above and beyond regular giving to the church’s annual operation budget, our Bridge to the Future will raise funds needed to begin construction.  Only a sacrificial sense of giving can help to lay such a foundation for the future.  Together, with God’s grace working in and through God’s people, we can meet real costs with real commitments. Together, led by God’s will we can go farther by faith than we ever dreamed!

Our Challenge

Completing improvements and renovations is estimated to cost $1.6 million. How much of that can a congregation of our size raise in a single, three-year capital campaign? Comparing us to thousands of church campaigns across the country, our consulting partner (RSI) tells us that  raising $900,000 in pledges would put First Presbyterian in the top ten percent of churches across the nation. While $900,000 would be a success, we believe that our church is more blessed and more capable than most churches. Simply put, our goal is to raise as much money as we can. Instead of limiting our possibilities, we hope to reach as far as God’s grace and your sacrificial commitment will allow. The more funds we raise in the campaign, the better our renovation and timeline and financing options become. 

The Needs of Our Expanding ministries

• Additional classroom space for adult, youth and children’s programs Sundays and throughout the week.
• Multiple purpose area for recreation ministries for all ages, fellowship & dining events, larger seminars and special events.
• Large, modern nursery to play and grow in a safe and warm environment.
• Improved Restrooms to meet the needs of an expanding congregation with diverse needs.
• Music Room for Choirs and Praise Team.
• Facilities for expanded ministry with senior adults.
• Rooms to host community outreach ministries.
• Remedy safety concerns with our current facilities.
• Christian education resource and curriculum center.
• A family ministry center to give us flexible space to develop new ministries in response to the needs of our church family and our community. 

What can I do?

Pray without ceasing ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Seeking God’s will is the foundation for this journey of faith.
Get informed and involved ( James 2:17, 18).
Seeking Christian fellowship and personal Bible study is central to deepening our relationships with Christ.
Discover the calling and the vision of this church.
Learn about this congregation’s ministries and plans for the future.
Share your faith (Matthew 17:20).
Learn from the faith of others, especially the ultimate example…JESUS! 
Make a difference.
It’s OUR turn to make a difference.
Make your own prayerful pledge decision (Malaciah 3:10).
Honor God and His will by faithfully and joyfully making a financial commitment over and above your annual pledge.