From Our Founding to Our Future is the capital campaign in progress at Christ Church Cranbrook. The campaign seeks to build on our past faithfulness through renovating, redesigning and reconfiguring our current campus to ensure we are meeting the future needs of our parish and our community.

In 2017, Christ Church Cranbrook embarked on a bold strategic planning process that has shaped our ambitious vision to enhance and expand our campus so we can better fulfill our overarching vision of meeting Jesus, finding Joy, sharing Beauty and serving Others. Over the course of two years, a series of meetings, listening sessions, and surveys were conducted in order to give everyone a voice in the process. The feedback we received from these meetings and surveys was vital in determining what changes needed to be made to our church campus. This past winter, after conducting a planning and feasibility study, the Vestry approved the decision to move forward with a campaign that will further our mission as a church.

A capital campaign gift is an extraordinary opportunity to transform the church’s ability to magnify and touch people’s lives with the love of God. While annual pledge support provides necessary dollars to fund our operational budget, capital campaign gifts help expand and enrich our educational and spiritual opportunities. Traditionally, annual pledges will come from annual income where capital gifts come from accumulated assets.

Yes! Pledges received during our annual stewardship/pledge campaign fund the day-to-day expenses of the church. We depend on these contributions to maintain Christ Church Cranbrook and its services/programs. Your sacrificial gift to the capital campaign gift should be above and beyond your annual pledge.

Christian stewardship is a spiritual practice in which we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, receive God’s gifts gratefully and share them lovingly. In this way, we give as God gives. Stewardship is the generous offering of one’s time, talent, and treasure. Sacrificial giving means to give out of one’s substance rather than merely the surplus. This amount is different for everyone. Faithful stewardship invites giving that brings about a positive spiritual change in you and that of your family.

Everyone who considers Christ Church Cranbrook their spiritual home will be asked to consider prayerfully a financial pledge to From Our Founding to Our Future.

All parishioners are being asked to consider a specific gift amount. However, you and God alone determine the amount of your gift. Through prayerful consideration, please consult the various gift plans accompanying the brochure, and remember, we need the participation of all members. Your sacrificial gift  is a truly generous gift regardless of its size.

Most often, this request is based on your previous commitment (both personally and financially) to Christ Church Cranbrook. In contemplating the gift of sacrificial giving, you have an opportunity to have a tremendous impact on our parish as well as future generations. We encourage you to pray as you consider your gift, so that your gift remains from start to finish a faithful response to God’s grace in your life.

While everyone will be offered the opportunity to participate in From Our Founding to Our Future, we know not everyone will be able to participate at the same financial level. By asking for different amounts based on past giving and commitment to the parish, we challenge all to give as they are able and called to do. The guiding principle of this campaign is equal sacrifice, not equal giving.

From Our Founding to Our Future emphasizes multi-year pledging because it allows individuals and families the opportunity to consider larger commitments that they might not be able to consider through a one-time gift. Past experience shows donors who pledge are able to consider gifts four to five times larger than those who make one-time gifts. This is important in a campaign of this magnitude. However, you may also choose to fulfill your pledge in less time.

Pledge forms are important so that the gift may be appropriately recorded and acknowledged by the church office. The church office requires the total amount of the commitment, the amount of the initial payment (if any), the balance and the payment plan selected by the donor. Donors are asked to sign a pledge form as a good faith commitment.

An additional benefit of a five-year pledge period is that donors have great flexibility on how to structure and when to begin their pledge.

Understandably, unanticipated events or situations occur. If for any reason your circumstances change, simply contact the Director of Finance and Administration in the church office to adjust your pledge to align with your new situation.

Yes, gifts to the campaign are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The application of such laws varies with individual financial circumstances. Individuals with specific questions regarding tax deductibility should contact their attorney or tax preparer.

An initial payment is not required. However, From Our Founding to Our Future asks for an initial payment on your pledge that helps the campaign immediately by enabling the church to meet the expenses associated with our larger projects. Many donors prefer to begin making payments on their pledges immediately; some may even give more than the requested 10%. Initial payment checks (and subsequent payments) should be made payable to Christ Church Cranbrook.