Since we last posted an update here, all sorts of progress has been made behind the scenes. We have divided the work into three broad tasks (roofing, steeple, and everything else) and selected Weathercheck LLC as the roofing contractor back in early May.

Because of unexpected delays in getting final approval from LCHIP and DHR, we will not begin that portion of the work until September 2010. In the meantime, we'll be working on finalizing the specifications for the rest of the work and perhaps accomplishing some of the smaller painting projects and carpentry over the summer. Work on the steeple had been planned for the fall, so we need to finalize a contract and strategy for that work as well.

We have the funds for roofing, but the rest of the project remains unfunded at this point, so fundraising is now (finally) a top priority. We've delayed as long as possible while all the other puzzle pieces were put into place, but now it's critical if we are to meet our timetable. The church's Finance Committee and Trustees have taken up the challenge of raising about $75,000 from the congregation and wider community. With the $15,000 challenge grant and some other early commitments, we're off to a good start.

There were a few new messages on the answering machine today. 

Here's the first: Amy Dixon calling from LCHIP in Concord. The LCHIP board met yesterday and APPROVED the grant request made on behalf of South Church. This is truly excellent news, which we'll announce at the Finance Committee meeting tomorrow morning.

Next we hope this news will generate interest and enthusiasm for the private donor solicitations that compose the final third of our funding package. There's a lot more work ahead, but we're getting closer to the goal!

The congregation at South Church called a new settled minister today. Rev. Craig Cowing will be moving to Newport from New York in about six weeks to serve as South Church's full-time minister. In accepting the call, Rev. Cowing mentioned that he has long been interested in New England church architecture and is excited to be working in South Church's meetinghouse, which he first saw pictured in books almost 30 years ago. Excellent news!

We drove our Land & Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) grant application down to Concord this morning, a few hours before the noon submission deadline. 

Although we had already done much of the groundwork, the one missing item was a documented estimate for the project and its various components. This proved more difficult than expected, as one well-regarded steeplejack who had viewed the job became unreachable.

Having held out hope for as long as possible, we invited a local contractor to survey the job with just days to spare; he provided the numbers we needed in the nick of time. And there was more good news: his numbers matched our off-the-cuff estimate of the total cost, so our targets remained unchanged at $160,000. Our LCHIP request was $50,000, matching what we already have committed from our Capital Reserve Fund. We must raise at least $60,000 in private donations in order to fully fund the project — and perhaps twice that much if we are unsuccessful in our grant request.

Our prospects for getting LCHIP funding are quite uncertain, of course, as there is a long list of worthy projects from around the state competing for the limited funding. We'll find out in January 2010, so there's plenty of time to work on other things: fundraising materials, a building stewardship plan, and detailed project specifications among them.

After many months simmering on the back burner, a bequest has provided an opportunity to launch the fundraising effort needed to move this project ahead. And just in time. The mandatory grant-writing workshop for the next round of LCHIP applications will be held on September 10 in Concord. We'll be there, as we hope to leverage this donation through a grant award and additional contributions. The fundraising climate is still quite poor, of course, but the scope of this project is modest and reasonable.

There was a nice article on the Eagle Block in the latest issue of "Kearsarge Magazine" but no mention of James Breck or any connection with South Church down the street. Still, we hope it keeps Newport's historic preservation efforts on the radar.

Representatives from most of the northern New England churches participating in the New Dollars training program met today in Manchester (NH) to share their stories. Tuomi Forest of Sacred Places and Maggie Stier of NH Preservation hosted the session. Rick Monahan, our preservation architect, was also there to present a generic project model that he is developing for use with clients.

The participants reported a variety of experiences. Some were celebrating successful completions. Some were wrestling with their congregations. One project had been suspended just a day earlier. 

Here at Newport we've been going slowly—laying more groundwork, holding special work days, fostering ownership of our facilities, learning more about our structure each day. Rick just delivered the Building Conditions Survey, so now we will be reviewing his advice and estimates to scope out our project and help establish a sustainable maintenance policy for the future.

Representatives from Acworth, East Derry, Lisbon, Newport, and Penacook met today in order to share ideas and learn about the current status of each other's projects. The meeting was facilitated by the NH Preservation Alliance and was quite helpful, as each church is at a slightly different stage. Some are planning, some are fundraising, some are circling back to previous steps but all share two constraints: funding and staffing. Some are making progress by collaborating with the town or neighboring entities. Others feel stymied but remain hopeful.

Within this peer group, we think the Newport project will be modest in scope, complexity, and expense. We are still awaiting the architect's report and estimates. In the meantime, we are connecting with the local historical society and other organizations, drafting magazine and newspaper articles, and cleaning up our church database—all this in preparation for the uncomfortable work of fundraising.

The town of Newport will mark the 250th anniversary of its charter in 2011, and the Newport Historical Society is hosting a meeting to do some brainstorming. Since it was first constructed, the South Church of Newport has participated in town celebrations. What a great opportunity for the church to highlight its deep connections to the history of the town. We can offer exhibit and program space, and we can tell our own story to a wide audience.

It's about time to reintroduce this project to church members. We've been collecting the history and images of South Church for over a year, and our Keynote presentation is growing long. Today we introduced members of the "Afternoon Circle" to some of our historical research. 

This was an opportunity to present topics in more depth than we might have done with an audience less familiar with the church: the rivalry and collaboration of Newport's wealthiest businessmen, the gradual separation of church and state, and the truncated pastorate of the Rev. James Ripley Wheelock, grandson of Dartmouth College's Eleazar Wheelock—dismissed a week before the brick church's dedication. These are all topics that won't get much mention in the "real" presentations but are good sidebar stories that we might use for articles in local media.

Time to bring the minister into the project. Our full team met with our project "coach" and NH Preservation representative, Maggie Stier. A good meeting to review recent developments and plan our next steps. Also, a surprising personal connection.

Our interim search committee had met with interim minister candidates. We are thrilled to receive the good news that our first choice has agreed to join us. When and how we will bring him into this project remains to be seen, but at least we can finally complete our team and count on some exposure from the pulpit.

This note arrived in the e-mail box today:

I am pleased to tell you that Newport’s South Congregational Church has been chosen to participate in the upcoming fund-raising training program for New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont churches.

Whatever happens, we'll be getting some much-needed expertise.