Plum Creek continues to grow! In the first eight months of 2024, our average Sunday morning attendance increased by 14% over last year. What's more exciting is that we've seen significantly more baptisms than in all of 2023. And 2023's baptism numbers were up from 2022. Our mission calls us to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Paying off our mortgage will allow Plum Creek to address critical needs that go along with leading people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

Forward to Freedom will kick off this fall and last three years.

Our goal is to eliminate debt. All monies raised will go directly to paying off our mortgage. As of August 1, 2024, our loan balance was a little over $1.454 million at a current interest rate of 6.95 percent (rate adjusts in five years). Our monthly mortgage payment is $11,000 ($132,000 per year). If we raise $1 million through Forward to Freedom, the loan will be paid off in the Fall of 2028 and we’ll save $1,099,000. That means for every dollar we raise through this campaign, we’ll see an additional dollar in interest savings.

Once the debt is eliminated, that money – $132,000 per year – will go toward critical ministry needs. Exciting opportunities that have been discussed, include expanding community outreach (specifically with our new neighbor, Grant’s Lick Elementary), increasing capacity in our kids ministry, hiring additional staff (a Children's Minister will be an urgent need as the ministry grows), and addressing other critical facility needs. Between now and the end of the campaign, we can start funding these projects from the operating budget as our general giving allows. Ultimately, we will continue to pray, “God, what do You want to do through us?” And wherever he leads, we’ll follow.

The Plum Creek staff and ministry teams work together to find the most effective ways to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. Ideas are then presented to the Elders for approval after prayer and congregational feedback. One important factor the Elders will take into consideration is keeping Plum Creek in a debt-averse position. While we can never plan for every contingency, avoiding debt will be a priority moving forward. 

In the summer of 2019, Plum Creek entered into an agreement with Campbell County Schools to sell 80 acres of land for the building of the new Grant’s Lick elementary.  Plum Creek leaders had been praying about the sale of land for some time.  We hoped for God to bring us a neighbor who would open up opportunity for Kingdom growth.  We couldn’t have been happier when the school approached us about the new GLE.  Plum Creek sold the 80 acres for $880,000.

Soon after this sale, the old church property on US 27 was becoming more of a drain to our budget for upkeep and utilities.  We knew that God had led us to focus Plum Creek’s ministry on the Nagel Rd campus.  Again, we hoped for an occupant that would use the building for the good of the community.  We were approached by a potential buyer who wanted to continue to offer a space for kids and families to participate in sports.  We sold the facility for $225,000.  Since that time, we have been able to use the facility for special events and youth summer camps.

These two land sales brought in $1.1 million.  But the sale of the property left us with some needs at the new campus.  Our first priority was Student Ministry.  Students were getting a new home for their ministry for the first time.  We built the LifeCenter for that purpose.  But it wasn’t for just Student Ministry.  We also were able to house the Sharing Center (with walk-in freezers).  This ensured that our longest operating community outreach would keep serving neighbors.  The building also included space for adult small groups.  Since the completion of the LifeCenter – it has surpassed our expectations for usage.  Both ministries and community events are regularly housed in this building.  The cost of the building and contents were around $900,000.

We also still had 48 acres of land to manage.  Our equipment storage facilities were sold with the land.  This required us to build a facility that would house our equipment and some storage for ministry items.  Accessible storage space is at a premium in both the LifeCenter and the church building.  We were able to construct the storage facility (maintenance barn) for around $45,000.

The sale of the old building created a dilemma with the cemetery.  We were required to add some property to the cemetery and build a new road to access it from the south.  We purchased 1.2 acres and built the road for a total of just over $40,000.  Additionally, the cemetery perpetual care fund was not sufficient to cover expenses.  So we made cemetery a church budget line item and began saving for the future financial security of the cemetery.  The perpetual care fund has now increased to over $22,000.

Finally, we have also recognized the need to invest more money in our capital improvement accounts.  Our “new” church building is nearing 20 years old.  We will soon need to replace a roof, do major upkeep on the parking lot, and be prepared to replace HVAC units as needs arise.  Before the sale of the properties listed above, we didn’t have any cash reserves.  Our operating cash regularly fell below $10,000.   The finance team has set as policy to have 6 months of income ($500,000) in our cash reserves account to be able to pay for these types of expenses.  This is part of the healthy financial policies the Finance Team has been working on for years.  We currently have our required cash reserves fully in place.

Summary:  Plum Creek now has the following assets acquired since the sale of the properties ($1.1 M)

Life Center: $900,000

Maintenance Facility: $45,000

Cemetery Improvements: $40,000

Cash Reserves: $500,000

TOTAL: $1.485M

Everyone is welcome to contribute, including church members, friends, family and anyone who supports our mission and goals.

Contributions can be made online at plumcreek.org/give (choose “Forward to Freedom”) or by check, cash, bank transfer, etc. There are also alternative ways to give (e.g. real estate, stocks, planned gifts). Contact the Plum Creek office at (859) 635-9995 or email jared@plumcreek.org for more details.

Yes, you can make a pledge to be fulfilled over a period of time, such as a three-year pledge. Pledges help Plum Creek plan and budget more effectively. Commitment Sunday will be November 24 – that would be a great time to make a pledge. Between now and then, we encourage you to pray, “God, what do You want to do through me?”

Yes, contributions to Plum Creek are tax deductible. But be sure to consult with a tax advisor for specific information about your situation.

There are a lot of variables that affect the impact a contribution will make on the debt.  Our current projection is the most likely:

For every $1,000 given to the campaign:

*              The principal of the loan will be decreased by $1,000

*              The interest that will be saved is $5.79 per month

*              If we didn’t do the campaign, we would expect to pay the loan off in 20 years.  So that is $1,389.60 over the life of the loan saved in interest.

*              Out of the general fund, we budget to pay the interest plus a principal payment that totals $11,000 per month.  This is the Dave Ramsey “Debt Snowball” principle.   So the $5.79 saved from the interest payment also increases the amount going to principal from the church budget by an additional $5.79.  That saves another $1,389.60 (if the loan were to last 20 years).

*              Over 20 years (if we didn’t do the campaign) – that $1,000 contribution:

                *              Principal Reduction:                     $1,000

                *              Interest Savings:                             $1,390

                *              Add Budgeted Payments            $1,390

                *              TOTAL:                                               $3,780

*              So consider the savings in multiples of $1,000 contributions over the 3-year campaign:

                *              $5,000 gift saves $18,900

                *              $10,000 gift saves $37,800

                *              $50,000 gift saves $189,000

                *              $100,000 gift saves $378,000

*              100% of Forward to Freedom contributions go to reducing the principal of the loan.

*              Once the loan is paid off, 100% of the savings go toward ministry.

*              With a successful Forward to Freedom campaign, we will pay the loan off in 4 years.  The scenario above illustrates how savings from campaign contributions will impact ministry well into the future.

If our fundraising efforts were to come up short, we will pay down the mortgage as much as possible and move forward with our plan to reinvest that money into critical ministry needs.

Yes, you can make a donation in honor or memory of someone. Please provide their name and any special instructions when making your contribution.

Yes, we will provide regular updates through the Beacon, social media, church services and Forward to Freedom celebration events to keep everyone informed of our progress.