June 3, 2018 - Ms. Rosemary Barnes 

 

How many of you know we are in the middle of a Capital Campaign? 

 

Over the past few Sundays, members of the Capital Campaign Committee have spoken at our Sunday services.  These reflections are available on line.   Today, it is my pleasure to reflect about our Capital Campaign.

 

Recently, I noticed a change in my vision.  Since I have a new eyeglass prescription, I figured it wasn’t my eyes, but rather the way I saw things.    So, I removed my glasses and held them up to the light.  There were fingerprints, spots and smudges on the lenses.  After a little detergent and hot water, they were amazingly clear.  I started to think about how often we walk into familiar places and really don’t pay attention to details or subtle changes. 

 

Let’s take a short mental walk around the parish:

How often have you walked into the kitchen and noticed the missing tiles or the broken dishwasher?  Or, have you walked into Gooden Hall and looked at the dark brown, green, yellow tiles?  Now, let’s look at the Rankin Room.  It was never intended to be a meeting room.  In fact on the original drawings  it wasn’t enclosed.   Note that it slants a bit, in fact, one door won’t open and there is a crack near the ceiling above the glass doors.  The nursery doesn’t have restroom facilities or a sink within its’ space, this requires one of our childcare workers to leave the Nursery, as needed. 

 

Are you aware of things that get in the way of our being a welcoming place for visitors and newcomers?   It could be signage, or cracks in the pavement, or a tear in the hall carpet, or something else.   

 

It’s a lot like smudges on the windows or spots on the rug at home.  They’ve been there so long, we forget how they look to those who are new to our space and how those things detract from the overall impressions some may have.  

 

How do you see things here at All Souls’?  Are the spaces in the plan for Tier I, II, III warm, inviting, friendly?  Are we warm, inviting and friendly to new faces?  Do our facilities support our programs and ministries? 

The Compass Committee and your Vestry have imagined, we have a plan to transform our space to be the HUB, and by transforming, we will continue to realize a vibrant All Souls, the HUB of PL and OB.

 

We have a dedicated, productive, hard working team working on this campaign.  If you have not been contacted about the Capital Campaign yet, please see one of us with the ASK ME nametag.   If you have a pledge card and have not yet turned it in, please prayerfully consider joining the Campaign for All Souls’. We look forward to talking with you about The Campaign for All Souls’.  Please join in the campaign.

 

We pray that as we continue the process of imagining together the future of All Souls’ that we allow your Spirit to move amongst us, creating vision and enthusiasm, helping us to see how re- newal of our buildings and grounds can also renew and expand our mission in our Parish. Help us, we pray, to make All Souls’ a place of sanctuary not only for our congregation but also for our neighbors; a place where music and art, preaching and conversation invite people to come for respite, learning, and awakening; a place where all are welcome.

 

The warmth and inclusion we offer to visitors, newcomers and those who have been here on  a regular basis,  is as important as a welcoming and functional space which supports our mission and ministry.