@ Brookside . . . Week of June 20th
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:21
Invest with us in the future of our community church located in the heart of Brookside.
What’s happening?
The roof is crumbling and we need at least $130,000 committed by July 1st to replace it. Since February, we have had four plastic buckets sitting in the hallway between the sanctuary and the choir room collecting freely flowing water. We have started to remove the damaged ceiling, insulation, sheetrock and are trying to mitigate further interior damage.
Can we just fix the part that’s leaking?
An inspection by a roofing contractor revealed that the slate shingles along the flashing where two rooflines meet have disintegrated into a fine powder. We can’t glue it or cover it adequately. The slate is too fragile at this point to do a spot replacement – once we start in one spot, the whole roof will crumble in a domino effect. We need to replace the whole roof.
Why is there a July 1st deadline?
Construction materials are at an all-time high – not an ideal time to complete this project. However, our contractor, Hugo Fonseca (the same roofer who fixed the leak in the connector roof 10 years ago who is locally well-known, well-trusted, and well-respected) has extended the contract price he quoted on May 13th past the original June 13th deadline to give us time to make this appeal. As prices for building materials continue to climb and we face an urgent need to protect our building, we find ourselves needing to get this project started quickly.
What is the scope of the project?
After removing the crumbling slate (and we are looking for environmentally conscious ways to reuse what is stripped) and rotting wood, we will replace the Sanctuary roof with Vermont slate, which typically has a 70-year lifespan and is more durable than the softer slate brought in from Pennsylvania. This is why we call this a once in a generation project. In addition, the roofer will remove and repair the copper gutters and snow guards, which together with the slate give our building its historic character. While slate is more durable, asphalt is more economical, and so the Trustees have chosen to replace the roof over Scialla Hall with asphalt shingles (which only have a 30 year lifespan) that will match the Anderson Wing. It would be a complete job, including repairing the interior and exterior damage related to the failing roof, with a 10-year guarantee on workmanship.
Any money raised in excess of what is needed for the roof will go to other health, safety, and hospitality projects that the Trustees have deemed as necessary but are not as urgent as the roof.
How can I help?
We’ll need to work together. Leadership gifts of $10k+ (we have already secured two) will go a long way in helping us complete this project, however any amount is helpful as we faithfully plan. Your Trustees and Council intend to have a 100% participation rate in this fundraiser, and we’ll announce the total amount of our gifts and intentions soon.
Whether you’re ready to give now, or whether you need more time to make a plan, it would be helpful to hear from you (click on one of the buttons below) before June 30th.
Thank you for your continued support!
The Brookside Community Church Trustees & Council
What do the stories of Genesis have to do with dirt in the garden? How can our garden help us understand God appearing to Moses in a thorny bush? Can weeding our garden be a spiritual practice as we consider Jesus’ parables?
We meet again this Wednesday, June 23rd, from 5:30 to 6:30. We’re excited to see how our garden is growing and learning about what it takes to keep our soil and plants happy so we have a bountiful harvest to donate to our local food bank. This ministry is open to all, any week throughout the summer. We hope you’ll join us! For more information, please contact Betsy Broome, Brookside’s pastoral intern, at ebroomemid@gmail.com.
Following last summer's movie discussion nights, you are invited this summer to a community-wide book read and conversation on "The New Jim Crow," facilitated by local Mendham faith leaders.
"In this incisive critique, former litigator-turned-legal-scholar Michelle Alexander provocatively argues that we have not ended racial caste in America: we have simply redesigned it. Alexander shows that, by targeting black men and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control, even as it formally adheres to the principle of color blindness. The New Jim Crow challenges the civil rights community--and all of us--to place mass incarceration at the forefront of a new movement for racial justice in America."
Register ahead of time, and a link will be sent to you: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlc-2rpz4rE91UWZg4SN5IFZGnhV9FFD2_
In our Hearts, In our Prayers:
For Elaine I.
For family and friends of Gary D’A, including his wife Jeanne and sons Brian and Geoffrey.
For all who grieve Rene D. (friends of Pat & Marc B.)
For all who grieve Tim (family of Linda H.)
For educators, students, and parents who are heading into the summer months.
For our emerging world, our leaders, and all who continue to be impacted by Covid.
For Pride Month and for justice and equality for all God’s children
For the lonely, the isolated, the anxious, the fearful, the sick.
Prayer Joys and Concerns will be listed weekly. Requests received by Tuesday of each week will be included in the following Sunday’s bulletin and @ Brookside and will remain there for a month unless otherwise requested. Please forward your requests during the week to: office@brooksidechurch.org