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"I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, ‘Let us start building!’ So they committed themselves to the common good." Nehemiah 2:18
In researching the latest recipient for the Bishop’s Church Emergency Fund call, we dove deep into the archives at Episcopal House. In a historical file for this recipient, we discovered details of capital campaigns for the building of the original church, founded in 1914, and for the expanded, present day facility built in 1953. This verse from Nehemiah was utilized in both time periods, to speak to the building and maintaining of the facilities in this suburban Bergen County town. It resonates now, a century later, as we issue the second call of 2014 for the Bishop’s Church Emergency Fund, for Christ Church in Teaneck.
As with any congregation, tough choices have to be made whether to maintain the building, or continue to put assets into vital ministries that serve the neighborhood. Christ Church is no exception to this dilemma. Over the past few years, the church has maintained a number of vital ministries: housing an emergency food pantry, preparing hot meals and serving at the Bergen County Community Action Partnership's Drop-in Center in nearby Hackensack, serving as a supporting congregation for the Family Shelter project in Bergen County, and supporting a congregational health ministry. Ministering to the sick, the friendless and the needy isn’t just something that Christ Church prays for on Sundays, it is something they put into practice, for the common good everyday of the week.
At the same time, Christ Church has worked hard to preserve the properties entrusted to their care. Over the past 15 years, roofs, windows, furnaces, and antiquated heating pipes have been replaced on the property. But the work isn’t finished. Additional heating system repairs are needed in the aging rectory; specifically, additional heating pipes need to be replaced. The current system doesn’t provide sufficient heat which makes the rectory unsuitable for the clergy family in residence.
The Bishop’s second call for the Bishop’s Church Emergency Fund is for Christ Church Teaneck. Won’t you commit to help our neighbors in maintaining their buildings for the common good, and to support their work in Teaneck for the next 100 years.