Campania “Stalpi de ctitorie peste veacuri”

Campania “Stalpi de ctitorie peste veacuri” ($10,000 pentru $1,000,000)

Poster Campanie “Stalpi de Ctitorie peste Veacuri” (1/31/2022)

Iubiti credinciosi,

Va invitam si va rugam sa aveti rabdarea de a citi acest mesaj pana la sfarsit. El este extrem de important pentru a intelege pasii necesari pentru construirea bisericii noastre la sfarsitul acestui an si pe parcursul anilor urmatori. Acum, de Craciun, Dumnezeu se coboara pe pamant pentru a ne arata puterea iubirii jertfitoare si a ne spune ca drumul spre Inviere nu poate fi decat prin drumul Golgotei, al suferintei si al Rastignirii. Va invitam sa pasiti alaturi de noi pe acest drum al jertfei de sine de dragul lui Dumnezeu si al spiritualitatii noastre romanesti. La sfarsit, Dumnezeu ne zambeste si ne asteapta cu bratele deschise, spunandu-ne: “Indrazniti, Eu am biruit lumea!” .
Am ajuns intr-un moment crucial pentru comunitatea noastra: inceperea lucrarilor de constructie pentru viitoarea biserica, replica a bisericii Manastirii Moldovita din Romania, monument din patrimoniul UNESCO (Code SV-II-a-A-05673, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldovi%C8%9Ba_Monastery).

In acest email dorim sa va prezentam modul in care am ajuns sa lansam noua campanie “10,000$ pentru $1,000,000 – Stapli de ctitorie peste veacuri” prin care nadajduim ca vom avea 100 de donatori a cate $10,000 fiecare pentru strangerea sumei de $1,000,000, suma necesara pentru inceperea lucrarilor in luna martie a anului 2021 si finalizarea lucrarilor “la rosu” pana in iarna anului 2021. Va invitam sa va alaturati acestei campanii atat de importante si sa ne contactati in ceea ce priveste contributia dumneavoastra, in orice varianta ar fi ea. Avem nevoie de fiecare dintre dumneavoastra pentru reusita proiectului! Dumnezeu va fi alaturi de noi atata timp cat si noi aruncam samanta credintei si a jetfelniciei noastre.

Iata istoria ce a dus la inceperea acestei campanii noi:

· in 2018 au fost reluate activitatile de finalizare a planurilor arhitecturale ale biserici,
· in 2020 s-au finalizat toate planurile si s-a aplicat pentru “Building Permit”
· in Sept 2020, cu purtarea de grija a lui Dumnezeu, Biserica nostra a primit Building Permit
· in 2019/2020, dupa discutiile cu Contractorii s-a estimat costul proiectului la $3,500,000.
· comitetul de constructie a discutat cu peste 80 companii (contractori generali si subcontractori) si a trimis cererea de oferta pentru construirea noii biserici la 15 Contractori generali
· in octombrie am primit 6 oferte (intre 5.5mil si 7.5 mil) pentru construirea bisericii “la cheie”
· Datorita acestei surprize neasteptate, am hotarat ca cea mai buna varianta este sa mergem cu un contract de “Construction Management”, contract care presupune participarea bisericii in procesul de selectare a tuturor subcontractorilor si plata unei sume fixe Contractorului General.
· Estimam ca acesta varianta va reduce costul proiectului la aproximativ $5,000,000.

Asigurarea Fondurilor pentru construirea noii biserici:
· Biserica are in acest moment in conturile bancare suma de $650,000
· Inalt PreaSfintitul Arhiepiscop Nathaniel ne-a confirmat donatia de $850,000 din fondul “Moldovita”, si ne-a trimis scrisori de confirmare pentru cele 2 banci care pot finanta proiectul
· $2,100,000 sunt asigurati de viitorul imprumut bancar.
In concluzie, ne mai lipseste suma de $1,400,000 pentru ca banca sa ne aprobe imprumutul si sa putem efectiv incepe lucrarile.

In urma discutiilor intense avute cu toti voluntarii bisericii noastre, si in colaborare cu echipa de specialisti, am decis sa impartim construirea bisericii in doua faze:
· Faza 1 – Construirea Bisericii “la rosu” in anul 2021, la un pret de approx $2,500,000
· Faza 2 – Finisajele Bisericii (includ si site work) in anul 2022 la un pret de $2,500,000

Avantajele acestei abordari sunt urmatoarele:
· Faza 1, considerand ca noua campanie initiata “$10,000 pentru $1,000,000” va fi un success, o vom construi din fondurile proprii de $2,500,000.
· Odata cu inceperea lucrarilor si vederea cladirii in sine adusa “la rosu” (structura si inchiderea ei pe exerior), consideram ca generozitatea donatorilor va creste.
· Putem sa incepem lucrarile in martie/aprilie 2020, fara sa avem nevoie de aprobarea bancii
· Ambele bancii sunt de acord cu acesta abordare si vor considera suma cheltuita pentru construirea “la rosu” ca equity la acordarea imprumutului pentru “Faza 2”

Faza a doua (Finisajele bisericii), se va putea finaliza mult mai usor fie cu fonduri de la banca, fie cu noi campanii, fie cu donatori mai generosi (cum ne va lumina si ajuta Dumnezeu).

Va stam la dispozitie pentru orice posibile intrebari si idei. Va rugam sa raspanditi vestea acestei campanii si a inceperii acestui proiect la toi cunoscutii dumneavoastra. Este un proiect unic in istoria romanilor de pretutindeni, un simbil al spiritualitatii noastre, o jertfa adusa lui Dumnezeu, un omagiu adus stramosilor nostrii si o mostenire laata copiilor nostri. Va invit ca impeuna sa ridicam aceasta marturie a indentitatii noastre spirituale si asufletului romanesc plecat departe de casa.

Va multumim pentru rabdarea avuta in citirea acestui mesaj. Dumnezeu sa va binecuvinteze jerfelnicia si inima buna!

Cu pretuire,

Pr Cosmin Antonescu

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The “Founding Pillars over Centuries” Campaign ($10,000 for $1,000,000)

Beloved faithful,

You are invited and urged to read this message patiently to the end. It is extremely important to understand the steps necessary to be taken in order to build our church before the end of this year and in the years to follow. Now, at Christmas, God comes down to the earth to show us the power of sacrificial love, and to teach us that the road to resurrection can only pass through Golgotha, sufferings and crucifixion. We invite you to walk by our side on this road of self-sacrifice, with love for God and for our Romanian spirituality. At the end of the road, God is smiling, waiting for us with open arms, and telling us “dare! I have conquered the world!”
Our community has now arrived at a crucial point: the beginning of the construction of the new church, as a replica of the Moldovita monastery from Romania, a UNESCO World Heritage Monument (Code SV-II-a-A-05673, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldovi%C8%9Ba_Monastery).

In this message, we would like to present to you the launching of a new fundraising campaign entitled “$10,000 for $1,000,000 – Founding Pillars over Centuries”. We hope to find 100 donors, each contributing $10,000 to a total of $1,000,000 necessary to enable the beginning of the construction work in March 2021 and completion of the “shell phase” before the end of year 2021.

Out of the 100 donors needed, we are pleased to announce that we already have 40 donors with a total of approximately $370,000. You are invited to join us in this important campaign. Please inform us on your intention to contribute in any financial arrangement convenient to you. We need each and all of you, to ensure the success of the project! God will be with us as long as we will sow the seed of our faith and sacrifice.

The following is the story of this new campaign:
• In 2018-2020 the architectural design drawings were completed
• In 2020 the Building Permit application was submitted
• In September 2020, by God’s grace, the Building Permit was issued
• In 2019-2020, following discussions with a number of building contractors, the cost of the project was estimated to be $3,500,000. More than 80 general contractors and subcontractors were contacted, and an invitation to bidding was sent to 15 general contractors
• In October 2020, six bids were received for the construction of the entire church project at a cost between $5.5 Million and $7.5 Million.
Based on this unexpectedly high cost offers, we decided that the best approach would be to enter into a “Construction Management” contract which would allow participation of the church in the process of selection of all the subcontractors, and payment of a fixed amount of money to the General Contractor. We estimate that this option will reduce the cost of the project to approximately $5,000,000.

Ensuring the funds for the new church construction:
• At the present time, the church has $650,000 in its bank accounts.
• His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel has assured us of a donation in the amount of $850,000 from the “Moldovita Fund”, and has provided confirmation letters to the two commercial banks that are willing to finance the project.
• $2,100,000 represent the future bank loan.
In conclusion, a balance of $1,400,000 is still necessary in order to obtain the bank approval and to effectively begin the construction work.
Following intensive discussions with all the volunteers in our church and with the team of professional experts, we decided to divide the project into two phases:
• Phase 1: Building of the “shell only” in year 2021 at a cost of approximately $2,500,000 and
• Phase 2: Finishing work (including site work) in year 2022 at a cost of $2,500,000

The advantages of this approach are the following:
• Phase 1 will be completed with the church’s own funds, assuming that the new fundraising campaign ($10,000 for $1,000,000) will be successful
• We believe that the generosity of our donors will increase, as they will see the progress of the “enclosed shell” construction work
• The construction work can begin in March/April 2020 without the need for approval by the banks
• Both banks agree with this approach, and will consider the money spent for the completion of the “shell” as equity for the loan that will cover Phase 2 of the project

Phase 2 of the project (church finishing work) will be realized much easier with funds from the bank, with funds obtained through new campaigns, or with money offered by more generous donors (as God will guide and help us).

Please contact us with any questions or suggestions. We ask you to spread the word about this campaign and the beginning of the construction project, among your friends and acquaintances. This is a unique project in the history of all the Romanians outside the mother country, a symbol of our spirituality, an offer to God, a homage to our ancestors, and an inheritance to our children. You are invited to join us in realizing this testimony of our spiritual identity and of the Romanian soul far from our country of origin.

Thank you for reading patiently this message. May God bless your sacrifice and your good heart!

Respectfully,
Rev. Fr. Cosmin Antonescu