Church Proud as Capital Campaign Nears End

The capital campaign for a Hampton church's major renovation project will soon draw to a close, but church members are confident they'll raise the funds necessary to usher in a new era as they celebrate the 375th anniversary of both the church and the town next fall.

Liz Webster, the co-chair of the capital campaign, said her group to date has raised more than half the $1,125,000 required for the work, which Webster said would make First Congregational the first church building in town "fully accessible" to individuals with disabilities and mobility problems.

Webster said the campaign ends on Sunday, June 3, although she said the group is still holding out hope for a "late flurry" of donation commitments. Even if those commitments don't come this week, Webster said her committee is optimistic they'll raise enough money to have the work completed by October 2013 in time for the .

"We're almost at the end of our campaign, and we're very, very excited," said Webster. "We feel we’re going to make the changes we need to make in the church, and that will be a wonderful thing.

"I can’t quite believe we’re at the end of it. It's going so quickly. It’ll be really nice to see what we can end up doing."

The church, founded in 1638 and later rebuilt and moved to its present location, hasn't undergone significant improvements since the 1950s, said Webster. The planned improvements wouldn't alter or destroy any of the historical pieces of the building.

The original plan was to make the church "more open and inviting" in addition to fully renovating the back of the church, installing ramps and an elevator and performing many superficial upgrades, said Webster.

Almost everything that didn't directly involve safety or accessibility improvements were later pared out of the plan, though, as Webster said the church deemed $3 million to be an unobtainable goal.

The $1.1 million plan is still "conceptual," although Webster said among the things outlined in the current plan include: the installation of ramps and an elevator; taking care of moisture issues in Fellowship Hall; replacing the church's three "demolished" Sunday school classrooms; improving and replacing the church's kitchen and God's Baby Closet, which provides clothing and diapers to young families in need; and performing various town-required safety and code improvements, including the installation of new sprinkler and fire alarm systems.

Webster said more than $675,000 has been raised thus far since the start of the capital campaign — which was aided by an independent consultant — in March. She said the congregational will decide through a vote on Sunday how to use those and any other funds secured through donations if the full $1.1 million goal isn't reached, although she said she doesn't think the "church will have any trouble getting" the remainder of the funds.

"[If we don't reach the goal] we would have to have a congregational vote to determine what we’ll do," she said. "What’s great about our church is everyone has a say."

What many of the 240 members of the church have been saying so far about the improvements has been positive, according to Webster. She said members are "proud" to have the chance to become the first fully accessible church building, as well as improve the parts of the church that Webster feels are vital to First Congregational's success.

Webster said the process has also made herself and others "really rethink" what it means to give to the church. Webster said this is why she thinks the capital campaign will be successful and that the congregation will approve the plans Sunday, especially since the process has been "educational" and eye-opening "on so many levels" for everyone involved.

"We've had to rethink what sacrificial giving is and rethink what we want to see for our church or for our building," said Webster. "If we make our commitment to our church, god is already there for us. It's been a lot of soul searching. It’s helped us rethink our participation and our commitment."

More information about the proposed upgrades and donating to the capital campaign can be found by visiting www.​firsthamptonchurch.​org or by calling the church at 926-8727.