A capital campaign is a congregation-wide effort to raise funds for a concrete purpose – in

this instance, a major building project that will strengthen our church campus for decades

to come. A capital campaign is in addition to the annual operating budget stewardship

season. It is critical for the congregation to support both initiatives simultaneously. Your

capital campaign commitment can be given over a three-year period between 2026-2028

or as a one-time gift.

This campaign primarily focuses on reimagining the function and form of our Outreach,

Education & Administration Building. Originally created in the 1960s to serve as a church

school, our building’s needs have shifted dramatically over time. The existing building is

no longer efficient or effective in meeting the needs of our congregation and community.

We need this building to provide larger, modernized, multifunctional spaces that can

accommodate adults, youth and children in a variety of settings. We believe God is

calling our church to change this building to better reflect the growth of our congregation

and outreach ministries.

Today, we are equipped with strong leadership and financial health. Because of our

continued growth and tremendous vitality, God is calling us to act now to build for

tomorrow. For First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort, it has been an astounding thirty

years since our last capital campaign. Most churches of our size and membership

conduct a capital campaign every seven to ten years.

As our congregation continues to grow, we have an increased need for adaptable spaces

that better support the daily work of our staff and the fellowship, spiritual formation and

outreach of our congregation. The goal of this project is to create bright, versatile and

highly functional spaces that reflect the vitality of our ministry and the warmth of our

welcome. Close attention will also be paid to maximize safety and securing.

The key feature of this modernization is reimagining our largest gathering space – our

Fellowship Hall. By relocating it to the top floor, it will create a higher ceiling, better light

and most importantly a more thoughtfully designed layout to improve visibility and

maximize seating capacity. In addition, we will drastically improve and relocate the

primary entrance to create a fellowship atrium. This new atrium will be designed as a

place of gathering and serve as an inviting and clear welcome to our members and

visitors.

Throughout the building, rooms will have improved technology and configurable furniture

to support learning, spiritual formation and community meetings. Other improvements

will include additional and updated restrooms, improved lighting and flooring, and

hospitable features like coffee stations and a designated waiting area. We also plan to add

dedicated storage, additional office space for future staff growth, and possibly showers and

laundry capabilities for future mission and hosting opportunities. We also plan to beautify

landscaping and significantly improve the ingress and egress of our parking lot to optimize

safety and provide as many parking spots as possible. Though this project does not add

square footage, our footprint will be redesigned to maximize space efficiency for our

needs.

This project will benefit our congregation, ministry leaders and staff, as well as local

mission partners and community groups who need meeting space.

www.FirstPresBeaufort.org • 843-524-3051 • BuildingCampaign@FirstPresBeaufort.org

How does this connect us deeper with our mission and what we believe?

This project is not simply to improve a building. It is about reimagining and strengthening

the spaces where active ministry happens so we can more fully live out our calling to follow

Jesus. As a church located in the heart of Beaufort, we stand in close proximity to the needs

of our community. By incorporating flexible community rooms, we will not only improve

our congregational meeting spaces, but be able to host and support our ministry partners.

This project is expected to cost $3 million. We intend to fund this project through

generous congregational commitments and designated monetary reserves. If needed, we

will leverage a short-term bridge loan to support cash flow during construction.

This campaign is being led and managed by a dedicated steering committee of seasoned

church leaders with extensive fundraising experience – Gary Pennington, John Ferguson

and Ruthann Ray. This means we are not hiring an outside fundraising firm.

Our Building and Property Committee have been considering the needs of our building

since 2017. Throughout this project, we will continue to rely on the professional expertise

of those on this committee including Brad Bowden and Jeff Hiers. Overseeing the

planning and design of this project is Coast Architects, led by church member Arnie

McClure. We are still determining the general contractor and interior specialist.

With joyful financial commitments from the congregation, we expect to have all funding commitments secured by the end of April 2026. The final design, engineering and pre-

construction phase will continue until early 2027, followed by 18 months of construction.

We are asking for 100% participation from every congregational household by

Commitment Sunday, April 26. Your financial commitment can be a one-time gift or a

pledged commitment over three years between 2026-2028. Please prayerfully consider

your financial commitment and fill out the confidential pledge card in one of two ways:

1. Simply go online to fill out this pledge card at www.firstpresbeaufort.org.

2. Fill out and return the physical pledge card to the church office.

We are eager to partner with you and we welcome your questions. Please reach out to the Steering Committee at buildingcampaign@firstpresbeaufort.org