The Bishop’s Church Emergency Fund (BCEF) provides financial support for church buildings in the diocese needing repairs and renovation, usually with a special focus on emergency and unforeseen needs. Through the BCEF, you can support the critical needs identified by the Bishop. The fifth BCEF call of 2015 is to repair steps at St. Thomas' Church in Lyndhurst.
Located in an area closely identified with the Meadowlands Sports Complex, St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Lyndhurst is a historic parish in the midst of some exciting renewal. The oldest church in Lyndhurst, St. Thomas was founded in 1888. The present building at the corner of Stuyvesant and Forest Avenues was constructed in 1958 utilizing a simple A-frame design. The church’s modern interior features natural wood, lots of light, and a free standing altar. In 1984 the original church building, now called the Activity Center, was renovated and rented out for use as a Day Care/Nursery School. A significant percentage of the resulting income was earmarked by the church for outreach programs.
Though the parish is small, its strong commitment to ministries both outside and inside its walls continues to this day. St. Thomas is host to several recovery groups including AA and Narcotics Anonymous. The parish is just a block from the local high school and has become the emergency shelter for its students. St. Thomas also collects non-perishables for the local Food For Friends program. Each year at this time the church reaches out to economically challenged families by participating in the local Giving Tree program. Ministry within the parish is just as vibrant. A Sunday School begun two years ago and a Prayer Circle now flourish. The church’s busy calendar also includes income producing activities like cake sales and rummage sales.
For though the church owns the buildings and the land, it has no endowment, so the budget must be funded almost entirely through pledges, open plate contributions, and earnings from parish functions. “While we work toward our primary goal of increasing membership and securing a Rector, we are always challenged by the unavoidable expenses of maintaining our property,” says Parish Administrator Brenda Sherman. Recent projects have included the rectory kitchen and the exterior of the Activity Center.
Sherman reports that parish is very grateful to the Ward J. Herbert Fund for partially funding some costly repairs to the steps of the parish and rectory. The work had been identified as being urgently needed by Diocesan Property and Risk Manager Jim Caputo. Call #5 of 2015 seeks your support to provide the remaining funding needed for the work on the steps. Your generous support will ease the financial burden on the parish and enable the property to continue to be used safely for the important ministries pursued by this highly committed group of Episcopalians.
Peace,
The Rt. Rev. Mark M. Beckwith
Bishop of Newark
