Building

 

February 2008:  Building Committee Update!

The Building Committee has had two congregational gatherings (one in December 2007 and one in January 2008) in which they presented the proposed architectural plans for the new building as well as to answer questions.  We thank you for your participation in those events and hope that if you were unable to make it to one of these events, you'll seek out a Building Committee member to answer any questions you might have.  The Furnishings Sub-Committee has met and is investigating which items from our current facility will move with us to the new building as well as costs on items we'll need to purchase when we move.  This sub-committee will reconvene after Easter to go over findings and present them to the Building Committee.  The Finance Sub-Committee is in the process of setting up interviews with financial institutions for the purpose of gathering information on loan options.  We will not break ground until there is a large portion of the building cost on hand in our building fund.  The next step in the official process will be to meet with the District Committee on Church Location and Building to approve the preliminary architectural plans; hold a church conference (where all members of the church vote) to approve the architectural plans; get bids and a financial plan for the new facility; then go through the same approval process with the aforementioned groups again.  As you can see, your Building Committee is hard at work looking toward the future and being careful not to move too quickly nor to stay stagnate.  The Building Committee meetings are always listed in the Sunday worship bulletins and are open to everyone.  The meetings are typically held on the 4th Monday of each month, but sometimes scheduling conflicts necessitate a change of date.  Thank you for your prayers and support as we all move forward with God's direction.

 

Land Dedication & Celebration

Sunday, November 6, 2005 we dedicated our land to the glory of God.  Check out the photos.
 

Building Committee
 

August 26, 2005 - Our church officially took a firm step into the future, as we closed on our new property on Old Route 50, east of Crackerneck Road.  We are now proud owners of 16.02 acres of land which will be the next site of the Trenton First United Methodist Church.  Thanks to a generous grant from the Conference Committee on Congregational Development and the faithful giving of our members and friends, we were able to pay cash for the land and not go into debt.  God continues to be so gracious to us as He leads us step-by-step.  More information will be provided in an upcoming Capital Campaign newsletter as the Building Committee continues to work on a timeline for future steps. 

May 29, 2005 - The congregation voted to accept the proposal from the Building Committee recommending the purchase of 16 acres of land located one-fourth mile east of Crackerneck Road on Old US Highway 50 on the south side of the road. This is a huge step which has taken nearly three years to reach. God has been so faithful in guiding us every step of the way, and we will continue to seek God’s will as we move forward in this process.
 

April 2005 - Progress on Land Progress is being made on the purchase of land. The District Committee on Church Location and Building has approved the purchase of 10-16 acres of land. The Building Committee continues to work diligently on purchasing a particular piece of property, but because no paperwork has been signed nor any money been paid, they are not able at this time to share where the property is located. We hope to make this announcement before the end of April 2005. Keep watching for more details and updated information.

April 10, 2005 - Two years into the Capital Campaign, we have raised $156,944 in addition to $56,227 in stock and investments for the Building Fund. This amount does not include the $100,000 pledge from the Conference. We are pleased with the progress of this campaign and know that it will continue to grow as we continually include new people who share our vision of an expanded church. We have great faith in knowing that we will meet our goal 1 year from now.

April 6, 2003 - A Capital Campaign Celebration Banquet dinner was held at Michael’s Restaurant in Highland, IL. Members of the congregation came together to enjoy fellowship and to share in hearing information about the new building project and what it will take on the part of the congregation to raise the necessary funds. It was announced at this banquet that the Conference Committee on Congregational Development had awarded Trenton First $100,000 to apply toward the purchase of land. Throughout the evening, testimonies were shared, plans for the actual building were presented, and words of encouragement and praise were shared. Everyone left the banquet with a brochure of information and were asked to prayerfully consider where God is calling them to be in this Capital Campaign. It was emphasized that the entire campaign is based on prayer and that is where it has to begin!

April 6, 2003 - Children’s Celebration Banquet.  While the parents of Trenton First enjoyed a banquet at Michael’s, the children enjoyed a festive evening of their own at the church. Many gracious folks from St. John U.C.C. in Trenton volunteered their time to take care of our children. The entire church was transformed into many different “fun” areas for the children. They had a great time playing in huge boxes, dressing up and doing puppet shows, coloring, playing games, watching videos and much more. They also had their own special banquet as they enjoyed chicken, green beans, applesauce, and dessert. YUM!

April 20, 2003 - Capital Campaign Pledge Sunday.  This was the day where everyone was asked to turn in their campaign pledge cards after prayerful consideration. We were very pleased and excited to announce that the total amount pledged from this campaign is $ 259,260.

October 18, 2002 - Building Property Recommendation Approved.  Thursday, October 18, at our annual Church Conference led by District Superintendent Rev. Beverly Wilkes, the church council recommendation for a building location was approved! The recommendation selected the northwest corner of New Highway 50 and Illinois Route 160 as the first location choice for our new church. The second location choice would be any corner of New Highway 50 and Crackerneck Road. Please be in prayer that God will lead us to the place we are to build!

July 15, 2002 - Building Announcement.  The Church Council met on June 24th and voted unanimously to recommend to the Church Conference that we build a new church. The Church Conference, a meeting of the entire congregation, then met on July 14th with our District Superintendent Rev. Beverly Wilkes in attendance and voted to approve the recommendation!