Dear Peachtree family,
One of my favorite pastoral activities is the invitation to help a couple for a “renewal of vows” ceremony. Usually this takes place at a milestone anniversary whereby a husband and wife declare their promises once again to one another. It doesn’t replace the covenant of marriage, but it does serve to renew it, enrich it, and deepen it.
As we discuss “Renewing the Promise” for our congregation at Peachtree Presbyterian, I am struck by the similarities. God’s promise has united this congregation in love for over 100 years, and while His commitment to us is unwavering, our promise could stand to be revived. Surrounded by years of Christ’s faithfulness, our dedication often needs to be declared again.
I am so hope-filled for the spiritual and tangible blessings we have already seen from the sacrificial generosity of this congregation. Our campus, our community, our ministry endeavors, and our missional reach will all be renewed through this special season.
The resources required to mobilize our vision of God’s Kingdom is substantial, and we are most of the way there. With $40.3 million in commitments, we are over 80% to our goal. As with most capital campaigns, the last 20% is the hardest to raise. However, I have no doubt that our congregation will bind together to renew the promise in our time.
I invite you to take a look through these construction, ministry impact, and financial updates from our Renewing the Promise campaign. Please prayerfully consider how God may be leading you to partner with Peachtree Church as we invest and prepare for a new century of ministry.
With anticipation in Christ,
Dr. Richard Kannwischer | Senior Pastor
Construction Update
The Sanctuary
Abatement and demolition in the Sanctuary is now complete. Scaffolding has been erected throughout the entire nave and transepts. Our beloved Ascension Window has been carefully removed and is off-site being restored by the original designers. Contractors are currently installing cables, duct work, and lighting before completing the ceiling.
View facing from the narthex into the Sanctuary.
The chancel awaits the installation of a new stained glass window.
Offices and Classrooms
Our new church offices are framed on the 3rd and 4th floors, and 8 new Belong Community classrooms are being reframed on the 2nd floor. Footings are being poured for a new freight elevator that will service all 4 floors. The 1st floor lobby is expanding to provide direct access through the hallway to the Passage and the Lodge.
Wilson Chapel
Demolition is complete in Wilson Chapel. The ceiling will be fashioned in an arch similar to the Sanctuary, and the room will be rebuilt from the top down.
Giving Update
As of our publication date, 871 families have made a pledged commitment to Renewing the Promise. The incredible generosity of our church matched with prayerful sacrifice has brought us to within 80% of our goal. Thank you to those who have already made a commitment to supporting Renewing the Promise.
We ask that if you have yet to join us in Renewing the Promise, that you prayerfully consider a gift above and beyond your normal annual giving. Every gift makes an impact and moves us one step closer to our goal of $50 million.
Join Us
We invite you to join us in Renewing the Promise at Peachtree. Our church has been a cornerstone of the Atlanta community for over 100 years and this investment will position us for a new century of vibrant, restorative ministry.
I want to invite you to join with your fellow brothers
and sisters in faith to catalyze the continued movement
of grace, Spirit, and promise for generations to come.
Join me in Renewing the Promise.
Dr. Richard Kannwischer
Fellowship Hall and Saint Andrews Room
The completed Fellowship Hall, which will be our worship space beginning Sunday, September 24, includes upgraded lighting, new flooring, projectors, screens, and a new sound system. Once installed, a new mobile partition will allow us to divide the hall in half for separate concurrent events.
The Saint Andrews Room has undergone a complete transformation with new lighting, flooring, paint, and enhanced technology for multi-use functionality. The original wooden shutters remain, honoring the past where the back of Peachtree Church originally stood. Newly renovated restrooms will open just outside of Fellowship Hall off of our Main Street hallway.
HVAC
An HVAC infrastructure study was conducted throughout our main building, indicating that 9 HVAC units and all system controls need to be updated and unified. We performed a ventilation study and upon receiving this report, additional modifications will be added to specific air handling units. We have enlisted a local engineering group to design our replacement units.
Security and Wifi
With a growing awareness of security needs, we have invested in upgraded camera systems and added access control points across our entire campus for additional security. Our ethernet infrastructure will also be updated with a fiber backbone, connecting the distribution frame campus wide.
Green Space
Working with Sav-a-Tree we have completed a root radar study of the magnolia tree to keep it safe and healthy during the construction of the Green Space. We have placed Sav-a-Tree fencing around both magnolias and the oak at the front entrance to provide extra protection for root structures. This prevents heavy equipment from driving over tree roots just below the surface.
Renewing the Promise:
Kidz2Leaders
Peachtree Presbyterian Church began when a family saw the needs of vulnerable children in their community. Today, we are called to join Christ daily in the restoration of all things, a call embodied in our ministries, generosity initiatives, and mission partnerships. As part of the Renewing the Promise campaign, we will “tithe” the hard costs of construction by directing funds to our mission partners. One such partner is Kidz2Leaders, a gospel-centered program working to break the cycle of generational incarceration in Atlanta.
Kidz2Leaders serves approximately 250 children and family members annually through their four program platforms designed to support a child for more than a decade—starting at age eight and continuing into young adulthood. As one of our Renewing the Promise partners, Peachtree has supported Kidz2Leaders with volunteers and financial gifts.
This summer, Peachtree sent a group of volunteers including 11 high school students, 4 college students, and 5 adults to serve at Camp Hope, a week-long, overnight summer camp that empowers children who have an incarcerated parent. This special week allows each child the chance to build relationships, draw closer to God, find hope, and be introduced to the gospel.
Foard Martin
Foard Martin, a junior in college and a Peachtree Summer Fellow, served at Camp Hope this summer and shared this, “Camp Hope was an amazing experience. I learned so much about myself, the world around me, and how we are all connected through God no matter how different our lives may be. It was very hard to hear some of the stories the kids were sharing with me about their lives. It was very hard to tell a kid who has gone through harder things in life than I, that there is a God who loves them endlessly and unconditionally. But, when I was able to have that breakthrough with the kids and see them want a relationship with God, I can’t think of a better more fulfilling feeling.”
My biggest takeaway from Camp Hope, was that no matter how hard life gets, no matter how distant God may seem, that you can and should always put your trust in Jesus because he has always been there for us, right by our side.
Foard Martin