"Foundation for our Future"

I Timothy 6:6-19

A Sermon Preached by the Rev. Douglas M. Donley

September 23, 2001

University Baptist Church

Minneapolis, MN

I was standing on the steps of Northrop Hall a week ago Friday, preparing for the second noontime interfaith prayer vigils organized by the Interfaith Campus Coalition. We were still reeling from the awful tragedies of the previous days, still waiting to hear of loved ones, still trying to make sense of this act of terrorism, trying to have a faithful response, knowing all along that a major part our world-view has been reduced to rubble along with the buildings in Washington and New York. A man with a sad face, concerned for the students, faculty and staff gathered below us, said, "This is absolutely the right thing to do, to stop and pray and be here to support the campus community." He paused and then said, "You know, it’s hard to know at what point to strike the balance between giving deserved attention to this, stopping business as usual to mourn and reflect and getting on with education and other parts of life. If we don’t move on from this, then doesn’t that make the terrorists win?" I told president Yudolf that I thought he was doing the right thing by canceling classes and campus events for a few days before resuming other plans. We both agreed that the events of the past week will definitely affect how we all look at our world and our work.

We are facing perhaps an uncertain future. We don’t know what this new war on terrorism will look like or how it will affect us. What we do know is that we will need each other. What we do know is this church will step up in new ways in the coming months. What we do know is that this church will continue to be a beacon of hope and light in these grim times.

This church family over the past 151+ years has seen the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, the covert Contra War, the Gulf War, and now the war against terrorism which is an extension of the work already done by many peace activists trying to close down the school of the Americas in Fort Bennings Georgia. In this church building and the ones that preceded it, conversations, prayers and responses were worked out in the context of this faithful community. Now it’s time to do it again.

Our church will be even more the center for our peacemaking and justice-seeking activities. It will even more be a place where we need to come together as a community committed to each other and the work of God through Jesus. Our church building needs to be up to the task.

Today’s scripture from first Timothy encourages us to remain faithful in the midst of a faithless world. We are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance (which is also translated as resistance) and gentleness. This is how we fight the good fight of faith. Those of us who have resources, says the writer to Timothy, are not to be haughty or even to set our hopes on riches. Rather, we are to set our hopes upon God who richly provides. We are to do good, be generous and ready to share. This makes for a good foundation for the future, according to verse 19, so that we can "take hold of the life that really is life".

With the blessing and approval of the All-Church Council a Capital Campaign Committee has been working hard over the past three months to put together a campaign to make a solid foundation for our future. We seek to put forth that foundation for the future through a capital campaign designed to address many long-neglected needs at our church house so that we might be better poised to serve in new ways as our world changes. Although we talked about canceling or postponing this campaign given the occurrences of the past two weeks, the Campaign Committee believes that this campaign is a way for us to continue to do good in the world as we attend to the needs of this community of faith. It is one way we can continue to fight the good fight of faith.

Over the summer, we compiled a needs assessment survey. Augmented by two member forums, high priority was placed on both program and building needs. Many members view expansion of programs and the people we serve as a necessity and the key to our future vitality. They also concede that upgrading our building – our house of worship and the hub of our various ministries and activities – as the first, necessary step toward making mission, ministry and membership expansion a reality. As such, it is an immediate priority.

As we looked at all of the facility needs, we originally thought we needed to replace the roof as our highest priority, but we have since found that it is in pretty good shape thanks to other work completed in the past few years. This pushes to the top other pressing priorities. Among the most prominent is the need to repair or replace our windows, add insulation around our pipes, weather-strip our doors, and update our electrical service and system for aesthetic and safety reasons. We also need to add a ramp to our first floor to make this a more useable and accessible space. Most of these needs, once addressed, will both make our building more usable and presentable, and will result in cost savings – funds, which can be redirected to programming needs.

Our goal for this first, critical phase is to raise a minimum of $170,000, which will help us to address our needs and cover contingencies and campaign costs. A challenge goal of $220,000 has also been set which, if met, will enable us to rehabilitate or replace all of our deteriorating windows.

By raising this money, we will directly accomplish four things:

• Our education building windows will be rehabilitated or replaced with an emphasis placed on cost effectiveness and aesthetics. Sealant will be installed between the stone and wood frames during the repainting process to further improve the energy efficiency of our windows and protect their wood frames. Approximately one-half of our most visible windows would be upgraded in this first phase with the remaining windows to be upgraded in a future phase or as the availability of funds allow.
• Insulation would be added around pipes and our doors would be weather-stripped. A recent energy audit, completed just two weeks ago said that we could save roughly $10,000 per year if we implemented basic insulating. Windows and doors are a major portion of our present heat loss.
• Our building’s electrical service equipment, such as meters and distribution panels, would be replaced. Circuitry would be updated as would our fire alarm, exit and emergency lighting systems to comply with current code requirements. Extra circuits and outlets would be added throughout the building, where needed, to increase the flexibility and use of our rooms. Lighting fixtures in our corridors and classrooms would be upgraded, too.
• Finally, a new ramp would be added to provide easier access to the building’s lower level, a space we hope to ultimately reclaim as our mission and membership grows. Making the first floor accessible will also bring our gym one step closer to easier access and make it possible for people in wheelchairs to observe activities in the gym from the balcony area.

This does not address all of our needs, but it does take care of our major structural needs. You’ll hear more about this at the Campaign Kickoff Celebration after church on October 7^th. On or before October 28^th, each of you will be contacted individually about your ability to contribute to this aspect of our ministry.

In support of this cause and campaign, all UBC members and friends are asked to consider special gifts over and above their regular offerings to the church. You’ll hear more about that in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, there are three ways you can become involved in this project.

First, please pray for our campaign's success. Our success will not only depend on your willingness but God’s grace. Pray in thanksgiving for the people who have come through these doors and who have given us this treasure of a building to use as a launching pad for creative ministry.

Secondly, please prayerfully consider becoming a campaign volunteer. About 25 individuals are needed to assist with the campaign in a variety of ways, to assure that the campaign is efficiently and effectively run and that the job of volunteering is easy and enjoyable for everyone. Most people are needed to volunteer for a week or less. I am pleased to announce today that Denise Roy and Tai Shigaki have graciously agreed to serve as our campaign chairpersons with Chea Castro, Don Follett and Kim Donley respectively agreeing to head our important support committees for Spirituality, Communications and Special Events. Hal Gold, Jean Lubke and I have been in on the discussions, too. Please join me in thanking them and then please follow their lead.

Finally, you will all eventually be asked to support the campaign financially too. There are a variety of ways that gifts can be made but long-term subscriptions or pledges payable over a three-year period over and above what you may already contribute regularly to UBC are preferred and ultimately needed to assure both this campaign’s and our ongoing operating success. Please be praying about this as we approach the coming weeks.

The writer of First Timothy says that in a world filled with turmoil and competing loyalties, we are to make a sure and solid foundation for our future based upon the ways and ethics of Jesus. I hope and pray that as we seek to live into this calling as disciples, we might be able to see a new way of living and thriving in these uncertain times. For when everything else seems up in the air, having a foundation that has endured the snares and tests of time is a testament to the future for which we prepare.

May God bless and guide us in the future, built upon the foundation of faith and sustained by this vital community.

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