A Campaign for Advent’s Heritage

 

Dear Friends of the Church of the Advent,

    Over the next few weeks we will add pages to this section which will describe a project for

renewing and restoring the physical legacy of the Episcopal Church of the Advent and

the Campaign which will support that project. Please read and consider the possibilities that are before us.

    This community of faith is where we hear the promise of the Gospel and from
which we go into the world proclaiming the Good News. It is where we
celebrate, mourn and are renewed.

    We have a rich heritage. It was almost 150 years ago that our fore-bearers began
offering prayer in this community using the tradition of the Book of Common
Prayer. Out of that modest beginning there came St. John’s Chapel, the building
in which we worship, and eventually the parish of Church of the Advent. 150
years of prayer and service is a rich heritage just by itself.

    Those who have gone on before us left us a community but also a material
heritage in our church space and in our parish hall. Now we are charged with
preserving and protecting these buildings for those who will come after us. This
is our responsibility.

    We are charged with carrying on work already begun. That work involves
making our building accessible so that everyone is welcomed. Accessibility
includes providing space and opportunity for education, for the smallest child
and for adults. It means making our space welcoming for all of us, for those
who are physically limited as well as the very young.

     The Campaign for Advent's Heritage responds to these responsibilities. Let me urge
you to consider opportunities of this campaign carefully and prayerfully. I am
confident that you will be moved to give generously.

                                                                                                Faithfully,
                                                                                                The Rev. Dr. John P. Mitchell, Rector

 

 

Advent Heritage Project      

Advent Dreams and Goals

 

Our Dreams

 

We are committed to preserving our historic legacy. We want to pass our gifts on to the future.

 

Our space should be inviting to all, including our children, those who are physically limited and the community we serve.

 

We are responsible stewards of our assets and the world around us.

These ideas are the foundation of the Advent Heritage Project.

 

Our Goals

 

At a basic level, a few simple elements make up the Advent Heritage Project.

 

Preserve and renovate our worship space. Paint inside and out. Replace electrical and air-conditioning systems. Recondition structural elements such as the floors, entrances and sacristy. Repair the windows. This historic space is the future.

 

Open and renovate the Parish hall. Add an elevator so that we can all ust this building. Take advantage of this new accessibility and tie the buildings together. Add space to accommodate our children and the community that we serve. Rehabilitate the exterior.

 

The details are many; but they are all captured by this simple vision. Join the Advent Heritage Campaign and turn this vision into reality.

 

 

Responding with a Plan

 

Our goals and vision, as a faith community and as stewards of a historic legacy — these are the building stones of the Advent Heritage Project. The specifics of our plan reflect the vision and goals of the parish — preserving, maintaining and renewing our facilities while making them more usable, accessible and energy efficient.

 

Repair and Renovate the Church

 

Repair and repaint church exterior replacing damaged siding and caulking the entire structure.

 

Repair and preserve the North face windows, including the historic ship’s window.

 

Replace the ancient heating system of the church with a modern environmentally friendly and financially responsible system.

 

Replace the very tired air-conditioning system of the church with an environmentally efficient system using attic space while freeing up the space in the parking area now used by unsightly air handlers.

 

For safety and efficiency re-wire the church’s electrical system for the first time in decades, including energy efficient lighting, a microphone up-grade and the addition of cameras to allow open doors during the week.

 

Repair and repaint the church interior for the first time in many years.

Expose and resurface original wooden floor of the church.

 

Renovate and expand the sacristy for the first time in 150 years, providing additional work space and the ability to safely store vestments and other treasures.

 

Create Parish Hall Space and Accessibility

 

Construct a Parish Hall elevator giving access directly from the street to both floors.

 

Provide dedicated Sunday school and nursery space by building out over existing space on the second floor.

 

Upgrade and renovate bathroom facilities including an accessible bathroom on the second floor.

 

Re-configure   the Parish Hall stairwell for ease of use and safety.

 

Create additional meeting space on the first floor for parish and community use including both reception space and areas that can be made private from the entrance.

 

Repair deteriorating siding on Parish Hall.

 

Draw the Buildings Together

 

Create a sheltered walk between the buildings to move from one to the other undercover and to access the newly constructed elevator for easy access to the church without stairs .

 

Add a pathway along the western face for additional accessibility.

 

Create a family friendly area by enclosing the front “Bride’s Entrance.”

Renovate front entrance windows and steps.

 

Realizing the Dream

 

All of us make decisions about money based on our relationships. Out of love and recognition of our personal sufficiency, we share our financial resources to support our families, our community, and our society. The total for the different stages of the Advent Heritage Project may seem to be a daunting number relative to these competing priorities. But, by spreading the costs over a five-year term, and by sharing them, the support we are seeking is feasible and appropriate.

 

We invite participation by everyone: parishioners, friends, seasonal members, and the community at large. All will be asked, but nobody need feel pressured. We will complete the project at the pace the funding allows, delaying later stages if necessary. We ask that you prayerfully consider what you can give joyfully and with a sense of sufficiency and satisfaction.

 

If you would like a full copy of our project brochure, more information about our plans or how to participate feel free to send a note to the Parish Office, send an e-mail or give us a call:

Episcopal Church of the Advent

PO Box 261

Cape May, New Jersey 08204

churchoftheadvent@verizon.net

609 884 3065