Please help us budget by submitting your pledge below.   However payments must be sent to or dropped off at the church in person. Please make all checks payable to BGCUMC and indicate "JOYFUL GENEROSITY"  on your check.  Your gift is tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.

 

Please send checks to:

Battle Ground Community United Methodist Church
10300 NE 199th Street
Battle Ground, WA    98604

(360) 687-2542

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Our Vision
In 1997, faced with a 40-year old building that we had outgrown, that was in need of much repair and renovation, and that was located on a site too small for expansion, the Battle Ground Community United Methodist congregation set out on a bold faith journey with the dream of building a new church facility.  We envisioned a church that was accessible to all in a more visible location that would accommodate a larger building.

Our Quest
Over the next four years we received almost $1.2 million dollars from a combination of contributions, grants, and the sale of the old church property.

During the same four years, we acquired 10 acres of land and built a new church.  
Costs for the project were:
Land                                       $  343,681
Land Improvements                      494,597
Building                                    1,120,856
Landscaping                                  23,832
Furnishings                                   67,101
Interest, other expenses                 52,000
Total Cost                               $2,102,067

The difference between our expenditures and the amounts we had received for the new church was covered by mortgages totaling $950,000.

Where we Are and How We Got Here
In 2012, we consolidated and refinanced our mortgages at a lower interest rate.  In the process, the Conference forgave $31,665 of the loan held by them.  As of March 31, our mortgage balance was $661,279, a reduction of $288,721 from that original mortgage.  As a result of the refinancing, our monthly payments were reduced from $6,142 per month to $5,733 with more than half applied to principal.

In June, the three-year Capital Campaign to supplement the mortgage payment ended.  However, our mortgage payments will continue.  Significant gifts directly to the principal reduce the end date for the mortgage but do not reduce the required monthly payments.  We are currently slated to pay off our mortgage in 2027.

Over the years we have been in the new church, we have paid a total of $690,178 toward the mortgage, with $258,213 of that applied to principal and $431,965 to interest.  Of that total, $357,233 has been contributed directly for paying the mortgage and the balance has come from our General Fund and our reserves.

Where We're Headed
During the past several months the leadership of the congregation has explored ways in which we can continue to provide ministry in and for the community while reducing our debt.  We have recommended that a new three-year campaign for funds to be applied solely to the mortgage be conducted.

Our goal is to receive pledges for enough to cover the entire mortgage payment for three years - a total of $225,000.  By securing funding for the mortgage, we will be able to focus our General Fund budget solely on our ministry efforts.

Will we need to do this again?  Yes, we will.  But each time we renew our commitment to retiring our debt, the load will be lighter and the time line will be less.  The total needed over the next three years seems large, but if the amount needed monthly were divided equally we could achieve this goal with an average contribution of about $165 per giving unit per month.  While we each have different resources and commitments, a few generous gifts from those who are able will go a long way toward making our goal a reality.

We ask that you prayerfully consider what you are able to pledge to this campaign.  More information will be provided during the next few weeks so that your decision can be an informed and faithful one.

How Our Building Is Used
During the past year the congregation and community groups have used our church building over 100 hours a month.

Worship: 264 hours, or 21% of the total.  Includes Sunday services, Taize services, special services, and music rehearsal.

Discipleship and Nurture: 492 hours, or 39% of the total.  Includes youth group, Bible studies, and numerous groups that come together for fellowship, mission, and learning.

Outreach:  492 hours, or 39% of the total.  Includes Girl Scouts, Vacation Bible School, Gospel Fest, blood drives, and a theater group rehearsing and performing Godspell last fall, as well as other outreach ministries.

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