The Catholic Community of Northern Columbia County

Dear Parishioners,

Giving and gratitude are two unshakeable pillars of faith. Chapter 3, verses 3:9 of the Book of Proverbs states “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

For many decades, St. James Church has been the hub of the community and its communicants relied on the church’s programs, outreach, and events to enrich their lives. Over the past several years, St. James has lost many individuals and families due primarily to the Covid lockdown resulting in people fearful to return to regular mass attendance, but also to changes in mass schedules, other changes that have occurred within the church, and the changing demographics of the area.

Attached please find a new Mission and Vision for the Colbert House (previously the rectory). This new mission and vision are an opportunity for the St. James community to revitalize the parish and parish life. The new mission and vision could help us continue making a difference in many people’s lives and can be a wonderful opportunity to build a stronger community within our church. The Committee continues to work on the evolving list of acceptable uses of the Colbert House.

As you may know (or be aware), St. James is pleased to be able to pursue this new mission and vision going forward. However, in order to support these endeavors of the Colbert House, we will be required to fund all expenses related to the Colbert House independently from regular Church funds. Thus, there is the need to develop a strong and varied fundraising program to ensure there are adequate funds to support all of the proposed activities at the Colbert House. These fundraising efforts will determine the future viability for the Colbert House over the longer term.

The Colbert House committee has determined that the primary fundraising activity will be an annual campaign. This campaign will be supplemented by other various fundraising events throughout the year. The annual fundraising goal will be determined by the committee and be based on historical expenses plus reserve requirements and required major repairs and/or renovations. The annual fiscal period will be the same as the Church fiscal year which is July thru June.

The fundraising goal for the first year is $25,000. This will fund normal operating expenses such as utility costs, insurance, repairs, property maintenance and begin to build a cash reserve that will be utilized for the future. The established goal is based on projected normal operating expenses of approximately $18,500 and a reserve account target of $6,500.

The initial annual campaign is scheduled to kick-off on Sunday November 6, 2022 following the morning mass. Refreshments will be served in the gathering space and Colbert House committee members will be available to accept your completed donor forms with a one-time donation, pledge or indication that you will be donating via the Church’s online giving application. Please consider pledging if this will allow you to contribute a larger amount that can be paid over time. In addition, committee members will be available in the Colbert House to provide a short tour of the building for anyone interested in doing so. Also, an envelope for mailing your donor form and donation will be made available for those who cannot attend the kick-off or prefer this method. Additional details and reminders for the kick-off event will be forthcoming in future weekly bulletins.

Available for download for your use is a Colbert House Donor/Supporter Form that we ask each donor to complete and submit with their donation. This will allow for easier tracking and recording of all donations. A listing of donors (names only, no dollar amounts) to this initial appeal will be published at a future date. If you wish to remain anonymous, please check the appropriate box on the Donor/Supporter Form.

Historically, the St. James community has been very responsive to becoming partners financially so that a vision and mission can be fulfilled. There are numerous examples of this generosity but the most significant was the Church renovation project that occurred in the mid-1990’s. The Colbert House committee is asking our community to be financial partners again to fulfill a new mission and vision for the Colbert House. Please consider making a donation, no matter the size, to help achieve our goal!

Sincerely in Christ,

The Colbert House Committee