The Nehemiah Project

Dear Church Family,

In June of 1989 the Pensacola SDA church received an offer to purchase our former property on Rawson Lane. After negotiations our church decided to accept an offer of $2,500,000. Building our new church took a little over a year, and the University Parkway SDA church was dedicated on July 18, 1992

for a total cost of $2,533,000. Most members felt that to have a church home like this essentially debt free was surely a miracle.  

Through the early years we did not have to spend large sums of money for upkeep. Yet age and weather tend to deteriorate a facility, and in the last few years our church has started to show its age.  

So the Church Board wanted to update you regarding the remodeling and re-furbishing that has been taking place to rectify this, as well as the financial conditions surrounding this process. It has been quite an undertaking. We want to sincerely thank the members who spent literally hundreds of hours coordinating the work and making certain everything was done properly.  

The annex to this letter provides the details on what has been accomplished and what we still need to accomplish. Over $450,000 has been spent in the last 4 years to repair and maintain our church building.  The money for these repairs has come from our church budget’s Building Maintenance Fund ($88,000), funded with your generous offerings to our Local Church Budget; special gifts and donations ($195,000); and insurance proceeds following damage from Hurricane Sally ($280,000). Through God’s provision, your spirit of generosity, and diligent effort, our church family has very nearly completed a long list of items needed to maintain the church structure (see annex). We should have accomplished some of these projects before now, but we are closing in on the goal of having an operational church building.  

Looking forward to 2024, the church board has recognized the need to raise funding for additional maintenance projects. See details in the annex.

The Nehemiah Project is a campaign to raise the money to fund these projects. As Nehemiah sought to build up a dwelling place for God’s people, we seek to follow God’s leading in making our church a welcoming community. A well-maintained and beautiful site reflects God’s character as we reach out to

the community around us.  

We ask that you give liberally and sacrificially as the Holy Spirit inspires you and your family. “For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their abilities, they were freely willing” (2 Corinthians 8:3). You are able to donate by writing “Nehemiah Project” on one of the tithe envelopes, through Adventistgiving.org, or by mailing a check to the church office.  

We hope to begin these projects as soon as possible in 2024, as funding allows.  

Thank you for your support and generosity. Together, we can honor and care for God’s house of worship as we join with Him in spreading the good news... “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6).

Signed,

University Parkway SDA Church Board

Annex

Here is a list of some of the things we have accomplished in the last 4 years:

• New Roof $133,000.00

• Stucco Repair on the Roof $7,850.00

• 25 New HVAC Units $226,000.00

• New Minisplit unit $7,850.00

• Awnings and downspouts on gym wall to prevent water intrusion $18,600.00

• Carpet and Pew upholstery cleaning $700.00

• Replace all “EXIT” signs in the building $3,400.00

• Pressure wash the building $3,800.00

• Repair of rusting handrails $6,500.00

• Replace rotting windows $10,775.00

• Drywall repair and Painting throughout church and school $22,500.00

• Hurricane Deductible Reserve $50,000.00

• Even more repairs that can’t be listed here like lighting, doors, fascia, fences, tile, etc.

Looking forward to 2024, the church board has voted to raise funding for the following projects to finish the maintenance of the church building and to enhance the building and ground’s aesthetics:

• Repaint rusted lintels on 65 windows $4,340.00

• Replace rusted double door to gym freezer room $4,183.00

• Replace signage on University Parkway (estimated) $52,000.00

• Replace sanctuary carpet $30,400.00

• Replace/repair door locks throughout church and school (estimated) $5,000.00

• Repaint foyer and church hallways $4,200.00

• Update landscaping in the front of the church (remaining expenses) $7,000.00

TOTAL FOR THESE PROJECTS: $107,123.00

Further funding would allow us to consider additional projects, e.g. new carpet in the foyer, a sound/media system update, new curbs in the parking lot, asphalt repair and repainting, a new gym stage curtain, window blinds, new windows, modern thermostats, and acoustics in the sanctuary.