What you can’t see

The beams that form the foundation of our church are a variety of rough hewn logs, and in some cases entire tree trunks that were never milled. They have supported many weddings, baptisms, celebrations of life, and too-many-to-count community events. These timbers have also survived two centuries of intense humidity, heat, cold, and bug damage – but the time has come to reinforce them.

The need is immediate

The trustees, after having a professional engineer examine the foundation have determined that the replacement of the sagging beams is a capital project that needs to be addressed now. The estimated cost to preserve the integrity of the church building by replacing these beams with steel supports is $30,000.

An extremely generous offer to match your gift

Two generous donors have created the financial foundation to replace the beams by offering the congregation a $15,000 matching donation. It means that we can earn $15,000 in financial support for every dollar that we contribute to the project. Every dollar that you give will result in two dollars to complete these important repairs, so $500 donation is really worth $1,000 to our church.

Our goal is to find 30 donors to make a $500 contribution each so we can earn the matching funds and begin construction right away. And, because of the nature of this project, we’re looking for your commitments by September 30, 2010.

You’ll be leaving a tangible legacy

We’ll gather and celebrate everyone’s generosity at the completion of this project where supporters of A Firm Foundation of Faith will be recognized for their contribution to the project.

We made it easy

You can simply write a check and send it to First Parish Church, P.O. Box 187, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA 01944, along with our easy-to-use-form or use electronic giving and note “Firm Foundation” on your donation. If you prefer to speak to the Trustees or Stewardship committee to further understand the need, please contact the church office at

978-526-7661 with your request or perhaps check some frequently asked questions we’ve tried to anticipate.

Thank you for your support!

The Stewardship Committee

Paul Gudonis, Steve Armington, Nigel Cheshire, Mary Ellen Cook, Tom McClain, Tilly Pick, Barbara Smith, Bruce Warren