Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, NC

Rather than confine the meaning of that ministry to the parish's annual giving campaign, the vestry wanted a broader view of stewardship that would encompass both the short-term needs of the parish as well as our long-term vision for the missions of the Chapel of the Cross.

Out of that effort, then, was born a new Stewardship Formation Committee that might be described as a three-legged stool. One leg is annual giving; one is special, including planned, giving; and the third is capital giving. Parish committees have been created to pursue the annual and special giving agendas, which are reported on separately in this issue of Cross Roads. A capital giving committee has yet to be formed.

Why would a parish need a capital giving function, except when conducting a fund-raising campaign to construct a new building or do other "capital" projects?

There is a good argument to be made that capital giving should be an ongoing part of the life of the parish. I see the capital planning function not as a fundraising mechanism, but as a tool to serve the long-range vision of the parish. Capital planning is future planning.

The Chapel of the Cross and the vestry in recent years have devoted significant effort to devising such a vision through the long-range planning process, completed in 2004, and the current Next-Step Committee which seeks to implement the long-range plan. That plan is a blueprint for our future in the areas of worship, programming, and facilities.

Currently, much effort is devoted to facilities. As we've reported to you before, the parish has engaged the planning firm of Hartman-Cox architects to draw up a master plan for the parish's non-worship space - fellowship hall, offices, and classroom space. All members of the parish will be invited to participate in that planning process soon.

But capital planning includes more than bricks and mortar. The church is blessed with a modest endowment, the gifts of generous individuals in recent years. We would like to build that endowment for the future to enable us to pursue and broaden the church's work in areas such as social ministry, campus ministry, music, and other programs. One suggestion has been that even clerical positions could be endowed, to relieve pressure on the annual budget.

And yes, capital resources will be needed to support whatever physical plan comes out of the master planning process. That is expected to be completed by the end of this year. There is no capital committee today, but part of the Capital Giving Committee's responsibility will be to create a capital planning process that will enable us to move forward with the master plan when it is complete.

We have a historic physical plant that needs updating for our future. We have a vision for that future in our long-range plan. Capital planning is a way for a strong and vibrant church community to ensure that it remains healthy for the future, to look beyond today, and to enrich our missions for tomorrow.

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