news-record.com

“Grounded in Gratitude, Revealed in Prayer and Lived in Faith” is the campaign theme for the proposed creation of a new youth facility for Christ United Methodist Church on Holden Road.
With more than 50 people working on leadership team committees, the campaign for the new youth facility starts today.

“My husband, Ed, and I are committed to this ministry based on gratitude,” said Betsy Sweetman, a member of the campaign vision awareness committee who is serving for the third year as chairwoman of the church council, the administrative leadership team of the church.

Members since 1965, the Sweetmans have strong ties to Christ Church.

“For us, Christ Church is and has been for many years a way of life,” Sweetman said.

“Our daughters were baptized, confirmed and married here and grew up in our Christ Church family. Two of our three granddaughters were baptized here. Many of our lifelong friendships were formed here, particularly through the Cokesbury Sunday School Class.”

The church family has been supportive of the Sweetmans.

“When we’ve experienced life’s bumps in the road, like a house fire and breast cancer, our church family loved us and supported us, emulating God’s great commandment 'to love your neighbor as yourself,’ ” Sweetman said.

Christ Church has grown since 1956, when it was chartered by West Market Street United Methodist Church with a congregation of about 50 families.

It now has a diversified membership of more than 2,100 people.

Because of myriad programs for children and young people, the church has attracted many young families.

Growth has been attributed to strong pastoral leadership, great music and arts programs for all ages, a preschool child-development education program, four different types of worship services and varied ministries and programs that meet different areas of interest.

“I feel that the excellent quality of the (Christ Church) youth program and our commitment to these young Christians call us at the very least to check out the possibility that our youth facility dream can become a reality,” Sweetman said.

In 2007, Cindy Thompson discussed her vision for better facilities for youth programs with the Rev. Jan Brittain, the senior pastor. Other members shared the same vision. Exploratory work was done by a study committee, led by Thompson.

After much discussion and research, the recommendation of the committee to the council was to build a new youth facility.

A building committee, led by Ed Davis, was formed. The building committee recommended hiring Cargill Associates to conduct a feasibility study to determine the reality of raising funds for this new facility and whether it would be broadly supported by the membership.

After personal interviews and member surveys, results indicated there was enough support to move forward, which was done through a church charge conference on June 7, 2009.

If funds are pledged, then the council will call for another charge conference for final approval to build the facility.

Every church member will have an opportunity to vote.

In addition to having better facilities to meet the needs of children, such as a place that feels like their own for worship, fellowship, concerts, learning and small-group activities, the vision includes:

• An after-school program to provide middle school students a safe environment so they won’t be home alone.
• A Christian music and media academy where teenagers are taught musical skills and ways they might use these skills to serve the church and glorify God.
• Comfortable housing for mission teams to spend the night on their way to work at disaster sites.

“From an economical standpoint, both individually and as a church, we are in uncharted waters,” Sweetman said.

Based on member interviews and surveys, the Christ Church feasibility study suggests that $1.5 million to $1.7 million can be raised through pledged funds, paid over a three-year period.

This is approximately the projected cost range to build the youth facility, although final architectural plans are not complete.

To suggest a person or organization who has or is “Making a Difference” in Guilford County, contact Peggy Longmire at rlongmire@triad.rr.com or 288-9040.