Please submit your pledge by April 25, 2026!
Why Are We Doing This?
Dear First Parish Members and Friends,
I wanted to share some context about the why of the capital campaign and how I believe it plays into the overall mission and vision for First Parish. Because while some of the projects are necessary but may feel unexciting — like repairing the sprinkler system, or replacing the HVAC units that are at end of life — they also provide significant opportunities for us to live more deeply into our values. For example:
- We will be able to replace our end-of-life HVAC units with much greener options, reflecting our environmental commitment
- Repairing the sprinkler system also makes it greener, because it will require less power to work properly
- We can add a ramp to the exit from the Common Room, reflecting our commitment to accessibility, which is really a commitment to honoring and welcoming all people
- We could soundproof Room 201, which we are using to provide temporary housing to vulnerable families, and which would make this effort more sustainable in the long term
- We can set aside a portion of the funds raised for the youth to decide how they will be used, empowering our young people
This campaign is also very important for supporting the mission and vision of this church. When you called me to First Parish, one thing that you were very clear about was that you wanted the church to grow, and specifically to grow younger. We want First Parish to be active and thriving 50, or 100, or 150 years into the future, and this is a pivotal time in the life of the church in that regard. Also, if you look around at the world, has there ever been a time when what this congregation has to offer is more needed? We should be growing, and I believe we can be.
To that end, your Parish Board has made a strategic decision to invest in staff who will partner with you in carrying out that vision of growth. You have decided to increase your investment in staff at a time when many congregations are cutting positions or cutting hours. We do not want this investment to become unsustainable due to facility issues dragging down the operating budget. We also do not want a succession of building issues to distract staff from serving you and helping the church to grow in the ways you have envisioned.
So, I invite you to think of the capital campaign in three ways:
- It is an opportunity to care for our beloved building and protect and preserve it for the next generation, as the generations before did for us.
- It is an opportunity to build something even better and to live more deeply into values like environmentalism and accessibility.
- It is one piece of our overall investment in growing this congregation, so that we can be a thriving community long into the future.
Peace,
Rev. Jamie Hinson-Rieger, Senior Minister
“No matter how long you and I have been coming, we are all heirs of First Parishioners who were convinced that this church community was vital. They created ways to hold each other in love, and commitment, and service, even when their resources were scarce, for 300 years. We receive their gifts, and cherish them, and add our own, and pass them forward.”
– Sharon McDonald, Church Historian
“We believe in a future where this building is fully accessible. Where people of all abilities participate fully. Where rocking chairs wait for parents we haven’t met yet. Where teens plant trees for children not yet born. Where light shines out through so many windows, in so many wavelengths, that people see the color that calls to them, and come home.”
– Mark Bailey, Parish Board Member
“Taking concrete action to reduce the harm of climate change is what we must do as individuals and as a church. We need to raise the money to make the changes that the next generation and the world need. Let’s all vote in favor of the capital campaign. I hope you will join us in committing to give generously to make our building and the world a better place.”
– Renu & Dan Bostwick, Parishioners
“If we can make our church more welcoming and interesting for all sorts of people, it can invite new opportunities and connections. New generations eventually become the old, and we want this community to stay flourishing when we come back. It will soon be our turn to lead the future youth, and it’s our turn now to choose that future.”
– First Parish Senior Youth Group