This summer our priorities have been 1) to create a welcoming & spiritual gathering on Sundays 2) to invest significantly in our camps & Bus Ministry 3) to encourage special connection of our people in smaller settings and special events. Thank you for praying, for volunteering, for your faithful finances and for coming out! CLA is making a significant difference in lives this season.
I want to update you on four summer projects, each significant and funded because of your tithes.
First, a new boiler is being installed. Our main building has been heated by a boiler, first installed when the building was constructed in 1979. The cost to replace our current boiler with a new high efficiency three boiler system is $167,000. We anticipate savings in the long run due to the age and inefficiency of the old boiler. We are only able to do this because first we ended the last fiscal year with a slight surplus and because of your faithful giving each month.
Second, soon you will see paving taking place on both sides of our parking lot. As part of the agreement with our CLA housing project (Jenny Gaglardi Place), our west gravel parking lot is being paved when they pave the new housing lot. We are grateful for this no cost agreement as the budget is considerable. The Board also agreed to pave the east parking lot (near LSS). This cost will be over $150,000 and will embrace new speed bumps, catch basins, and line painting.
Third, we’ve been encouraging special giving to our Langley Building Fund as part of our Heart for the House campaign. We’ve asked each family to consider a special offering, over and above tithes, to pay off our Conference Hall & new kitchen mortgage. This is particularly good stewardship due to $350,000 in matching funds being available by a donor. Five years ago the original project was about 2.1 million. Now our five-year term on the mortgage is up for renewal, it sits at about $700,000. So far, we’ve raised about $85,000, plus matching of $85,000, for a total of $170,000. Can you help us with this special appeal? You can partner with us here.
The final item is signage. When the Township adjusted 56 Ave, we had to take down our sign to make way for a new lane of traffic and sidewalk. That sign was moved to 213A, our back entrance. The Township plans to plant over 40 trees along 56 Ave. That will make putting a sign on the road challenging if not impossible. Therefore, we are currently looking at a new design in front of our church building (facing 56 Ave). We are early in this process but both traffic flow and placement of a sign are being examined.
Thank you for your partnership in our vision to reach the lost, make disciples and develop Christian leaders. A reminder that we will be moving to two services on Labour Day weekend, 9 and 11 am. This format will be in place until Advent.
