The Campaign for Epiphany

How is the Capital Campaign going?  Listed below are the Campaign totals as of October 3. It is still a huge challenge, but I genuinely believe that we will reach our goal by December 31, 2012.

FUNDING SOURCE	GOAL	RECEIVED	NEEDED
Contributors	1,454,500	877,695	576,805
Downtown Partners	200,000	0	200,000
Epiphany Funds	1,195,500	1,100,073	95,427
Grants	400,000	139,250	260,750
Mission Partners	150,000	2,500	147,500
TOTAL INCOME	3,400,000	2,119,518	1,280,482

Here is my optimistic train of thought. We are using our Endowment Fund as a bridge loan so that we can pay our renovation bills. With a successful campaign, we will replenish the Endowment Fund with the amount that we have collected by the end of 2012. One way of envisioning how the goals could be reached is the following:

Contributors: 500 contributions of $1,000 from individuals or 1,000 contributions of $500. At least $100,000 is pledged and promised. The amount needed is $577,000.

Downtown Partners: 20 contributions of $10,000 from downtown businesses and firms or 40 contributions of $5,000. The amount needed $200,000.

Epiphany Funds: All available Epiphany funds have already been contributed to the Campaign. The only possibility in this category is a permanent contribution from the replenished Endowment Fund.

Grants: 10 grants of $25,000. Several grants are in application stage and others are in preparation. The amount needed is $261,000.

Mission Partners: 30 contributions of $5,000 or 300 contributions of $500. Mission partners are churches and religious groups that share our mission of social justice and are particularly interested in Epiphany Mission Center. We are asking congregations in the mid-Atlantic dioceses to help us build Epiphany Mission Center.

How do I feel about the Capital Campaign? I am a little anxious and I am a lot excited. I am confident that the renovation work we are doing is what needs to be done, what we want to do, and what God is calling us to do. Our renovated buildings will be better equipped to enable us and others to minister boldly in the name of Jesus Christ in downtown Washington. Therefore, I am totally committed to the Capital Campaign. In fact, for several months to come, I will be spending the majority of my time on the Campaign. I will also be focusing on worship, pastoral care and leadership. For the current and future health of The Church of the Epiphany, we must have a successful Campaign, and I ask all of you to join me in this commitment.

Many of you have been extremely generous. Others of you are prayerfully considering a level of participation that is right for you. We are all in this together, and that is another dimension of this entire experience that I find so exciting. It is not just money that we are talking about. It is also membership and people – strangers that want to connect with what we are doing, parishioners that have gone before us and prepared the way, future generations that will come to Epiphany to be fed in so many ways. And it’s not just money and membership; it’s also ministry – social justice, formation, worship, the arts, spirituality, and baptismal covenant. And it’s not just money, membership and ministry; it is also mission.

We at Epiphany have a special calling, a particular mission in the Washington Metro Area. Our mission is to be a downtown common, a place where all types of people come to form community, to find themselves and to grow in faith. Our mission is to stretch bravely beyond our comfort zone, while at the same time to stand firmly on the rock of our tradition. Our mission is to be an epiphany, to be a revelation and witness to God’s loving and transforming presence in the world. Our mission is to offer light and guidance to those who have lost their way, including ourselves, and to choose to place yet again our hope and trust in God.

Faithfully,

Randolph Charles

The Campaign for Epiphany

Capital Campaign Update  

FUNDING SOURCE	GOAL	RECEIVED	NEEDED
Contributors	1,600,000	1,009,975	590,025
Downtown Partners	200,000	0	200,000
Epiphany Funds	1,050,000	954,450	95,550
Episcopal Partners	150,000	2,500	147,500
Grants	400,000	139,250	260,750
TOTAL INCOME	3,400,000	2,106,175	1,293,825

We at Epiphany are excited about the renovation. We are committed to making our buildings new,  as we continue to bring new life to our mission and ministry in downtown Washington. An outward and visible sign of our commitment to renewal is the fact that 2/3 of the funding goal has been contributed by parishioners and Epiphany funds. We are even willing to borrow from our Endowment. In order to complete the renovation, however, we need help. We need funding support from the Washington community, from people who share our belief that providing a healthy and vital faith community in downtown Washington is important, and that befriending the poor, embracing the arts and preserving a historic place of peace also add value to the quality of life.

We need to raise $400,000 by the end of the year. We need and appreciate both your contributions and advice.

Our online giving is temporarily down while we move to our new website. For now, you can mail checks made out to "Epiphany" and designated for "Renovation" to The Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St, NW, Washington, DC 20005. You can also send a pledge to the Capital Campaign Ministry Team.

 

Renovation Update   

I am going to use interviews and videos to provide updates on the renovation. They will also be posted on Facebook and our blog. Share the news!

Mesh on scaffolding on stucco

Stairway to Heaven and back

Epiphany Conversations

Sustaining a community in which all are welcome
That's a phrase from our Parish Mission Statement: "We at Epiphany are called by God to journey together in faith, and to reveal the presence of Christ in the world, by sustaining a community in which all are welcome, by celebrating liturgy that nurtures us and sends us forth, and by caring courageously for our neighbors and ourselves." We sustain community through fellowship events like the Pentecost Picnic and Coffee Hour, through formation events like Conversations on the Word and Journey Course, through worship and prayer, and through small group interactions like the ministry teams and the 20s-30s Group.

During a time of transition and disruption, such as the current months of renovation and displacement, it's even more important for us to stay in touch with each other in order to sustain a welcoming and inclusive community. I invite you to do three things: 1) Pray for the entire Epiphany Community every day. 2) Worship at Epiphany during the renovation; one of the strengths of liturgy in the parish hall is a greater sense of community. 3) Call or email someone from Epiphany that you have not seen recently so that the two of you can reconnect.

Here's what I am going to do over the summer which I hope will help in sustaining a welcoming community. I am trying to call every household in order to check in and ask three questions: What excites you about Epiphany? How would you like to see Epiphany develop over the next few years? How are you feeling about the renovation and capital campaign? I look forward to conversations with you about Epiphany passions, dreams and progress.

Sustaining a community via the web 
More and more people are talking and writing about the possibility of using the web and internet technology to build and sustain a faith community. One of the obvious challenges is theological. Christianity is an incarnational faith. God became flesh and blood in Jesus Christ. Jesus commanded us to love one another, and he used a sacred meal of bread and wine as a means of proclaiming and experiencing God's presence within and among us all. Christianity is both physical and spiritual; it is not a virtual reality. This is what I believe. I also believe that, in a world that attempts to control every minute of the day, we need to use the tools that the world has given us for the purposes that are consistent with our values and beliefs. So if the internet can provide a means for both seekers and believers to talk about the faith and help each other grow spiritually, to remain somewhat connected as opposed to completely disconnected, and to learn about faith practices that will move us closer to God, then I am all for it.

Soon, our new website will be launched. The minute it is ready to go public, we will let you know. Susan and I want you to check it out, give us your feedback and opinions, and continue to let us know how it can best support you in your spiritual journey. Susan publishes "This Sunday at Epiphany," which provides news about the upcoming Sunday and week, plus photos of the renovation. I try to publish "Monday Mission Matters" weekly, which includes reflections on Scripture, campaign updates and parish and ministry issues. Check out this article entitled "Social media for congregations" from Episcopal News Service. Here is another relevant article. Go to Monday Mission Matters blog. Go to Epiphany's Facebook page.

Capital Campaign Updates

1317 G St is definitely a construction site. It's exciting to watch G St pedestrians gaze skyward at our scaffolding-encased tower as they walk by. With increased renovation activity, comes increased bills. We have been blessed with numerous examples of generosity. There are many ongoing fundraising activities in place. And we still need to raise 1.3 million dollars. Take a look at the table below. We are reaching out beyond our parish to ask the broader Washington area and Episcopal community to partner with us in providing a renovated environment in which we all can worship as one, befriend the poor, embrace the arts and celebrate our history. FUNDING SOURCE GOAL RECEIVED NEEDED Contributors 1,550,000 1,004,975 545,025 Downtown Partners 200,000 0 200,000 Epiphany Funds 1,050,000 954,450 95,550 Episcopal Partners 150,000 2,500 147,500 Grants 400,000 139,250 260,750 Sales 50,000 5,000 45,000 TOTAL INCOME 3,400,000 2,106,175 1,293,825 Contributors include parishioners, friends, descendants of previous parishioners, weekday associates, outreach volunteers, concert attendees and visitors. Downtown partners are businesses and offices in our neighborhood. Epiphany funds include TDRs, Rectory Fund and other designated funds. Episcopal partners are The Episcopal Church and regional congregations. Grants are primarily regional. Sales include pews, chairs, columbarium niches and items we no longer use. We expect to reach our goal by the end of 2012, but in the mean time, there are bills to be paid. Consequently, the vestry at its July meeting adopted the following resolution: "To authorize the use of the endowment as a 'bridge loan' to pay renovation bills if the church's other sources of renovation funds are exhausted, with the expectation that the funds borrowed from the endowment will be repaid to the endowment by the completion of the capital campaign in December 2012." We want to invite as many people as possible to participate in our renovation; to remember, renew and rejoice; to preserve a place in downtown Washington for the common good, so that we can experience God's presence and do God's will for all of God's people. Share your suggestions with the Capital Campaign Ministry Team. Renovation Updates  The completion date for the church is now closer to early November than early October. Bp. Chane will be with us for All Saints' Sunday on November 6 to celebrate our return to the church. We hope that Bishop-Elect Budde will be at Epiphany in January to rededicate our buildings to the mission of urban ministry in downtown Washington.

Strength for the Journey: A Guide to Spiritual Practice

The following comes from CREDO of The Episcopal Church. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori says, "The work of CREDO is meant to equip leaders in the Church to attend to their own healing and wholeness in every sphere of existence that they may in turn lead others into greater health." I encourage to read below and follow the link to check out this excellent aid to daily prayer and meditation. RCC 

In these readings from Strength for the Journey: A Guide to Spiritual Practice, author Renée Miller introduces listeners to 20 spiritual disciplines that may strike some as a bit of a surprise. Stretching the boundaries of traditional practice, Miller's reflections focus mindful attention on the spiritual dimension of life's common activities, from walking and studying to moviegoing, writing, and using the computer. Her voice alone establishes a cadence of calmness necessary to transcend the seeming randomness of our hectic lives and become aware of God's presence in all the activities of our day. Created for a range of personalities and preferences, from the contemplative to the high-energy extrovert, Strength for the Journey is also available in a travel-size volume accented with stunning color photography by Diane Walker of Bainbridge Island, Washington. 

Whether you're more inclined to contemplative disciplines, to body movement practices or  to experiencing God in the company of others, these weekly readings can feed your soul and point to experiences of communion that you might not have considered. It is our hope that listening to these readings may become a practice in itself. Their insights are meant to serve as one more sanctifying portal, opening us to the sustaining, enlivening and surprising work of the grace-filled Spirit of God.

Beginning with an introduction to spiritual practice, written and read by Brian Taylor, the 20 chapters of Strength for the Journey will be posted here each week through the season after Pentecost. Or you can subscribe to our podcast and have Renee's readings delivered directly to your iTunes library. And then join a CREDO conversation.  

Click here to learn more about Strength for the Journey and to listen to the readings.