To: Members of the St. Paul's United Church of Christ
Re: Purchase of Property at 12N268 Switzer Road
Date: July 29, 2009
Dear Congregation Members,
As you know, St. Paul's has been wrestling with the decision of relocation for two decades. We finally made the decision to move and sold the property at 220 Division Street earlier this year. Through the magnanimous gesture of the Fox Valley Fire & Safety Company, we received a wonderful gift in the form of a temporary home. As delightful as this place is, we know we cannot remain forever. Therefore, the Futures Committee and the Council were diligently committed to finding suitable property for the next phase of the journey of faith of the St. Paul's United Church of Christ.
We believe the Lord has guided us to the place that will be our future home. It is located at 12N268 Switzer Road, on the north west corner of Switzer and Plank Roads. Some of the features are:
· it is 6.2 acres in size (approximately 700 frontage on Plank Rd),
· it is a nice home with 3955 sq. ft. of finished living space,
· the house has a full basement of approximately 3200 sq. ft.,
· there are 4 full baths, 2 half-baths,
· there is a 3-car garage,
· a full kitchen,
· a large deck,
· it is contiguous to the City of Elgin and can be annexed,
· the sales price is $385,000.
This is an excellent value for the land and gives the church several options for our future. Such as, the house could be used for offices and meeting space. It would even be possible to do some renovations that would enable us to worship on site. But, the most important thing, it takes the pressure off the church to find property and allows us to begin the planning process for construction. Planning for construction and fund raising for construction could the longer than the time that will be available at the temporary worship site given the state of the current economy. With the purchase of this property, St. Paul's will have something that is useable for the next two-three-four years as we live into the future we believe the Lord God is giving to us.
Personally, I am excited about this. But, let me be fair in describing the house to you. It does need some tender, loving care. This large custom built house will need decorating throughout (primarily painting inside and staining outside), replacement of at least two windows plus one skylight, carpet replacement and routine maintenance repairs that have been skipped for several years. The total cost should not exceed $40,000. In addition, we will need to meet zoning and annexation requirements, which our attorney assures us will not be a problem. One of those requirements will be the construction of a parking lot.
However, this is still a great opportunity for St. Paul's Church and we express our gratitude to the Futures Committee for recommending this property. The Council believes this is a good opportunity and recommends the purchase of this property to the congregation. Therefore, on Sunday, August 16, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., immediately following the first worship service during the coffee hour, a called meeting of the congregation has been scheduled to discuss and vote upon this matter. At that time the following two motions will be brought before the congregation:
1. The Church Council of the St. Paul's United Church of Christ, meeting on Friday, July 24, 2009, recommends to the congregation that it accept and record the absentee ballots on motion number 2.
2. The Church Council of the St. Paul's United Church of Christ, meeting on Friday, July 24, 2009, recommends to the congregation the purchase of the property located at 12N268 Switzer Road in the amount of $385,000, plus associated closing costs. The voting shall be by ballot.
This is a major decision in the life of St. Paul's and the Council is pleased to give all the members an opportunity to participate in the process through the use of absentee ballots. The church will abide by the same procedures in this process as it did in the selling of the Division Street property. If you are an active member, over the age of 18, who is unable to be in attendance on August 16th, and would like to vote, please call or write the church office and request an absentee ballot. One will be mailed to you. It has to be returned to the office no later than Friday, August 14th, at 3:00 p.m. Because the congregation has not approved the acceptance of absentee ballots and the time-frame for such a crucial decision is so short, Council will ask the congregation at the August 16th meeting to accept those properly submitted absentee ballots. The decision of the congregation at that time is binding.
As we all seek the direction of the Lord Jesus in this matter, do make this a priority in your personal prayer life. Together, we can discern God's leadership in our lives.
Sincerely Yours,
Myron Meglin
President, Church Council
