On Thursday, June 29, 2006 the executive body of the Building Committee met for its monthly meeting. Much of this month’s meeting was spent discussing fundraising activities for the benefit of the Building Fund. Ed Jamie Jr., General Chairman of the Building Committee shared an historical document with the executive body. The four-paged document titled “Building Committee Report for 1966 and 1967” was an eye-opening read for the executive body. Submitted by George G. Bashian Sr., Chairman of the original “Sunday School & Community Center Building Committee”, the report outlined the donations and pledges of various individuals and auxiliaries who helped make the building of our now existing Sunday School and Community Center a reality.

From 1966 to1967, 40 years ago, members of our Armenian community opened their hearts and wallets and successfully raised over $250,000 to make our original Building Project a reality. For almost 40 years we have been using these facilities with few major changes in the structures. Clearly the time has come to change and expand our facilities, just as the rest of society has grown and advanced over the years. In 1966 the average home cost 1/20^th of the cost now. A $20,000 home purchased in 1966 can now be easily sold for over $400,000. Just check your local real estate pages and you will see that these numbers are not an exaggeration. With a 20-fold increase in the cost of building and real estate, it should be no surprise that our Building Project will need funds in excess of $4 million. However, what should come as a surprise is the decrease in percentage of “sacrificial giving” from the faithful of our community.

40 years ago our community was able to raise $250,000, with many generous parishioners donating thousands of dollars from their personal assets. A $5,000 donation in 1966 is equivalent to a $30,000 donation in 2006, according to calculations using the Consumer Price Index. In 1966, many parish auxiliaries also donated thousands of dollars in hard-earned monies raised by numerous parish fundraisers. If we believe these numbers, and there is no reason why we shouldn’t, then we should all question ourselves as to why we are not giving to the church in the same way as our parents and grandparents did. Has our faith dwindled? Has Christianity changed over the years? Are other expenditures more important?

In a day and age where many are returning to spirituality to find some meaning in their life, in a day and age where the news is full of torment and tragedy, in a day and age where so much money is wasted on frivolous, unnecessary excesses of life, why don’t we dig deep into our pockets and give to our church and community center like previous generations? Life was simpler years ago, but it was also more genuine. People supported the causes they cared about in “thought, word and deed.”  People were not as affluent 40 years ago, but percentage-wise people gave more freely to the church from their incomes. Our financial means are a gift from God. We cannot take what we have been graciously given, back to the Kingdom of God. Perhaps, leaving some of these financial gifts behind for future generations to enjoy is the message our parents and grandparents firmly understood and something we need to learn. We need to look back and learn from the lifestyles of generations past.

Many may still question the practicality of expanding our church if the church membership has declined. Historically speaking, the church membership has been stable, although there have been fluctuations over the decades. In 1958 the membership roster registered 525 members while in 2005 there were 543 members. If our community could successfully raise the appropriate funds to build 40 years ago, we should not have any difficulty raising the equivalent funds in 2006 – that is, if we still believe in the importance of our church and community. Let us prove to each other that Christianity is still alive and strong in Bayside. We need everyone’s support in making the expansion of our facilities a reality. We owe it to our future generations to spend our money with the same wisdom that our forefathers had. There is always something to be learned when we turn back the pages of history.

Think about this….We have been placing a dollar bill in the offering plate for years. The dollar of 1966 is worth about 16 cents now. Doesn’t our church deserve more?

Please contact the church office or any Building Committee Executive Body member if you would like to make a donation to support our building project.