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February 21, 2017
Capital Campaign Update: We are Almost At Initial Goal!!
We are almost there! Thanks to the 240 parish families who have made a gift to the  "How Firm Our Foundation" capital campaign, we are just $44,350 shy of our initial $10.1 million goal which will fund all costs associated with our Sanctuary Preservation and Readiness Project. 

Once we reach this major milestone, we will turn our attention to raising the $1.5 million endowment to help maintain our beloved and historic Sanctuary.
 
With the expert guidance of our architect and engineers we've developed a thoughtful plan that will strengthen the Sanctuary and retain its beauty and charm, as well as address several other needs. After much planning and prayer, in 2016, we came together as a parish to raise the necessary funds. The costs we have or will incur include:  
  • Rebuild the Bell Tower to combine structural steel, concrete and world-class engineering to keep it standing for centuries
  • Add a foundation, steel supports, new walls and so much more to seismically strengthen our beautiful - but poorly built -Sanctuary structure
  • Add a brand new tracker pipe organ to be built in Gloucester, Massachusetts by renowned organ manufacturer C.B. Fisk, Inc.
  • Lower the communion rail from the altar level to the floor level to allow everyone, regardless of their physical ability, to join in the Holy Eucharist
  • Add accessible restrooms inside the Sanctuary
  • Repurpose unused space inside the Sanctuary to add a Memorial Chapel with columbarium to enable parishioners to have their cremated remains interred at All Saints
  • Take advantage of the old vesting room to add a new Seaside Chapel that will enable and support lifelong Christian formation
  • Update the rooms of the Altar Guild, Flower Guild and Pew Guild, and add much-needed storage
  • Remove, care for, store and then move into the new Sanctuary our pews, stained-glass windows and reredos (the large carved wooden piece at the back of the altar)
  • Add new plant material and landscaping around the newly updated structure and address drainage issues
  • Pay the fees of our architect, engineers, contractors, fundraiser, permit processors, etc.
  • Fund the costs needed to worship in a different location than our Sanctuary for nearly two years
In short, we will have an essentially new Sanctuary that continues to honor the historic look and feel of our original Bell Tower and Sanctuary.

It is due to the vision and generosity of 100-plus project leaders, Vestry members and staff that we have made such remarkable progress. Words cannot express the deep appreciation we feel for so many who have contributed their time, talent and treasure to this vital project. We have enjoyed the path thus far, thanks to so many of you.

If you would like to help us raise the remaining $44,350 with a new or increased gift, please contact Kathleen or Alyson in the Church Office: kathleen@asbts.org or alyson@asbts.org. 
 
Bitsy Bacon, Sheri Benninghoven, and Edward Birch, Capital Campaign Co-Chairs



Click on the image above to see the latest campaign status report.
This Sunday - 9 a.m. Single Worship Service
New Sanctuary Visuals Available Following Annual Meeting
Since the October 2016 Town Hall gathering to update the parish on the plans to be included as part of the Sanctuary Preservation and Readiness Project, a considerable amount of design work has been under way.

New images from the animation will be available following this Sunday's Annual Meeting. Members of the Project Facilities Committee and staff will be available to explain these new images and answer your questions.

Committee members include Chair Chip Nichols, Pete Adams, S heri Benninghoven, the Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett,  Tom Mack and  George Writer. Alyson Eyer-Delevett, our captial campaign/project staff and Kathleen Winters, All Saints' Director of Administration, are also  members

Comment cards will be available to enable everyone to weigh in on these latest plans.

See you at 9 a.m. this Sunday for a single worship service and then the Annual Meeting! 

Updated image of how the chancel will appear following the lowering of the communion rail, the installation of the new organ, and other updates.

Montecito Association Board Supports Project
Permit Process Off to Strong Start 
This week's Montecito Journal covered the
Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting,
which included the Board's unanimous action to send a letter to the Montecito Planning Commission recommending that our request to update the church's Conditional Use Permit be approved.

The Board's action followed a presentation to its Land Use Committee by Project Facilities Chair Chip Nichols, Rev. Aimée and architect Bob Easton

The Montecito Planning Commission is expected to take up our permit request at its April 17 meeting. Members of the parish are invited to attend this daytime meeting to show our support. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.
Preparations, Research for Sanctuary Closure Begins 
For the first time in many decades, our precious reredos at the back of our chancel was moved away from the fabric screen at the back of the altar platform in order to examine how it was constructed.

The move, which was
overseen by our architect, our contractor, the moving company representatives, and many other s, allowed for us all to see into the inside spaces and construction methods.

This lays the groundwork for the closure of the Sanctuary this fall when reconstruction of our building will begin.

A reredos is defined as  an ornamental screen covering the wall at the back of an altar.  Our reredos was commissioned by Miss Amy DuPont, a part-time resident of Montecito, in 1928.  
Construction Still on Track to Begin This Fall
Working drawings and other construction documentation are being prepared as you read this, which will enable us to put the project out for bid later this spring. 

We expect another Town Hall meeting to take place also in the spring, hopefully in May, so that the parish can stay abreast of the planning, schedule and other details.
 
We have also been keeping the neighborhood informed about our progress and we believe that we will have its full support. And so, we are hopeful of beginning construction this September and reopening in time for Easter of 2019.
Columbarium and Sunday Transition Team Committees Working Hard
Be sure to attend the Annual Meeting this coming Sunday to learn the latest about the work of these two Committees. Remember: a single worship service will take place at 9 a.m., followed by the Annual Meeting.

The Columbarium  Committee has been interviewing firms and developing design and implementation details.   Members of the Committee include Chair Pat McClure,  Pete Becky Adams, the Rev. Paul Collins, the Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett, Ken & Francie Jewesson, Georgia Lynn, Kathleen Winters and  the Rev. Dr. Michelle Woodhouse .
 
The Sunday Transition Team is focusing on where and how we will conduct Sunday ministries during the roughly 18 months that the Sanctuary will undergo its renovation. The following parishioners serve on this Committee: Chair Charley Cairns, Diana Andonian, the Rev. Paul Collins, the Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett, Pamela Hawes, Anne Hopkinson, Leslie Huber, Andy Rosenberger and Leah Watson.