"The ... founders, benefactors, and the brotherhood of this holy temple ... may the Lord God remember in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages."
From the Divine Liturgy
Would you like to be the benefactor of an Orthodox temple?
Every additional $100 in our building fund pays for a sq. ft. of our 1900 sq. ft. chapel which we are building in McKinney this Fall . We will have an automated way to accept donations soon, and you may also send funds to "St Nicholas Orthodox Church', with memo "Building Fund" to St Nicholas Orthodox Church Treasurer, Reader Nicholas Park, Box 37, McKinney TX 75070
We are an active Russian Orthodox Christian community. Our Sunday services are in English with some hymns repeated in Slavonic. We have outreaches to the community in the form of prison ministry, nursing home visitations, and a very full liturgical and teaching schedule. We have purchased land in McKinney Texas, and are finalizing plans to build a 1600 sq. ft. chapel with small hall, starting in June, 2008.
We have a two phase building plan.
First, we plan to build the chapel, with a very small hall affixed. We plan to have our first worship services by September, 2008. The chapel will be small, but look like a "real church", and it will be our worshiping home as we grow and get ready for phase two. We estimate that we will outgrow our chapel when we double in size, and then, as God allows, we will build our permanent temple on the same grounds; the chapel will be converted to a church hall with offices.
The cost of building, combined with a loss of income since our pastor ceased full time secular work in November, 2007, will stretch us considerably. At our current rate of income, we will use up our building fund in three years paying the land and building mortgage, and are seeking benefactors to help us retire our note so that we can not deplete our building fund completely, and therefore be able to get to phase two as soon as possible.
We estimate that the chapel will cost about $160,000 to build (about $100 per square foot), not including iconostasis. We are seeking benefactors to "donate a square foot", or a part of a square foot. So far, we have donations to pay for 400 square feet. Will you help us to pay for every square foot?
We have set up an account to receive tax-free donations. We will be happy to send you a receipt, and to pray for you and your family as benefactors if you desire. You may also send checks, made out to "St Nicholas Orthodox Church Building Fund", to our treasurer, Reader Nicholas Park, Box 37, McKinney TX 75070. Email Fr Seraphim, with a list of your immediate family members, so we can begin commemorating you in the Divine Liturgy.
McKinney Texas is the fastest growing city in Texas, with a current population of over 100,000. City projections are a population of over 300,000 by 2020. We will be the only Orthodox Church in McKinney; the closest sister church, in Plano, will be about 20 minutes away by car (on a good day!).