Brothers and sisters:
I know many of you personally, and some only by email or the phone. Many of you know me, and I am always amazed and gratified when I travel to encounter people who thank me for our web ministry. http://www.orthodox.net is over 10 years old, and has reached literally over several million people (we have over 100,000 viewers a month). Our blog is slowly becoming more popular too.
I treasure the good will and friendships that my web presence has garnered. I have been privileged to hear some amazing stories and help missions from afar with our materials. I am also quite sure that our web presence has been a significant part of the conversion to the true faith of more than a few, and helped direct many to Orthodox churches all over the world.
I am writing you today to attempt to trade a little bit on this good will. We are a small and growing parish, at a critical time. We are about to build a new church on a beautiful piece of ground. We are a little bit short of the projected cost. At this point, we think we need to raise $20,000 dollars before we finish building in the Fall.
I am appealing to you, if your heart so leads, to help us in any way you think is right. Of course, we could use donations, but low or no interest loans, or being put in contact with a potential benefactor is helpful too.
The last part of this appeal is the content our building fund page - "http://www.orthodox.net/aboutus/building-fund.html.
May God bless you and help you in all things.
St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church Building Fund
"The ... founders, benefactors, and the brotherhood of this holy temple ... may the Lord God remember in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages."
From the Divine Liturgy
Every additional $130 in our building fund pays for a sq. ft. of our 1700 sq. ft. temple & hall which we plan to worship in by late Fall, 2008.
We are an active Russian Orthodox Christian community. Our Sunday services are in English with many hymns repeated in Slavonic. We have outreaches to the community in the form of prison ministry, nursing home visitations, and a very full liturgical and teaching schedule. We are the only church in the Metroplex which follows the same calendar used in Russia and regularly includes Slavonic and English in our services and homilies. We have purchased land in McKinney Texas, and are building a 1700 sq. ft. chapel with small hall, to be completed in late Fall, 2008.
We have a two phase building plan.
We plan to build our chapel, with a small hall affixed, for services in the Fall, 2008. The chapel will look like a "real church", with two cupolas, and it will be our worshipping home as we grow and get ready for phase two, which is to build our permanent temple on the same grounds; the chapel will be converted to a church hall with offices. The chapel will cost about $221,000 to build (about $130 per sq. ft., with a 120,000 loan at 7%, paid off in ten years). We are seeking benefactors to "donate a sq. ft.", or a part thereof.
We have set up an account to receive tax-free donations. We will be happy to send you a receipt, and to pray for you and your family as benefactors if you desire. You may also send checks, made out to "St Nicholas Orthodox Church Building Fund", to our treasurer, Reader Nicholas Park, 1.316 Corporate Dr. Lewisville, TX 75067. Email Fr Seraphim, with a list of your immediate family members, so we can begin commemorating you in the Divine Liturgy.
McKinney Texas is the fastest growing city in Texas, with a current population of over 100,000. City projections are a population of over 300,000 by 2020. We will be the only Orthodox Church in McKinney; the closest sister church, in Plano, will be about 20 minutes away by car (on a good day!).
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