What is the primary goal?
The primary goal of The Ezra Project is to establish a permanent capital improvement fund.
How will this fund be used?
To be good stewards of all with which we have been blessed by God, creating a capital improvement fund will allow us to cover major facility expenses without infringing on Memorial’s ability to carry out and extend her mission and ministry.
How much do we need?
To begin addressing our most pressing facility needs over the next few years, we need to reach a minimum goal of $500,000.
Gifts beyond this amount will be kept in the permanent capital expense fund that will help ensure the health and vitality of Memorial’s facilities for generations to come.
What are the most pressing needs?
Our vision team has been identifying pressing needs and gathering multiple quotes for the past few months. The top five most urgent restoration needs include:
- Replace Welcome Center roof
- Replace A/C unit for Sanctuary
- Repair, caulk and paint areas of campus as needed
- Replace sidewalks around church office (current tripping hazard)
- Install new church sign
As of April 2025, the estimated cost of these 5 items was $252,000.
When is Commitment Sunday?
Commitment/pledge Sunday is June 1, 2025. We will celebrate this day with a breakfast potluck fellowship meal!
How long is my commitment?
The financial commitment of The Ezra Project is three years: June 2025 – June 2028. Pledges can be paid weekly, monthly, annually, or in a lump sum. Automatic payment option through Breeze is already available.
Impact on the Mission
Memorial Lutheran Church has nurtured and ministered to the Community of Christ and served the community of Katy for the past 80 years. The charter members of our congregation envisioned a future for God’s people sharing the Good News of Jesus and the offering of God’s grace through His Word and Sacraments under both the direction and the freedom of our Lutheran Confessions. Now, 80 years later, it is our vision to begin restoration and renovation of our campus, so that the generations that follow us will be well positioned to carry on what was started in 1945, entrusted to us in 2025, and one day will be commended to them.
Congregations generally have a life span, a time of ministry which often corresponds to that of a person. For congregations to push beyond those natural influences and be a place that ministers for generation after generation there are several factors that are essential, including:
- A deep love of Jesus and his mission to reach a lost world, more than self.
- A passion for God’s Word and the truth and grace it gives us.
- A community of Christ that is committed to one another and values extending that community wherever they go.
- A fellowship that honors and respects the past and those who have paved the way for us in the present, while at the same time, appreciates the context we are in now, understands the needs for the future, and is willing to apply God’s Word faithfully, creatively, and winsomely to its message, practice, and plans.
The Ezra Project is an opportunity for us to give witness to God and the world of our love for Jesus, our reliance upon and gratitude for His grace given through His Word and Sacrament, our commitment to one another and toward the future of God’s Kingdom in the Katy community, and our hope that Memorial Lutheran Church will be an instrument of the Holy Spirit to extend the Community of Christ for generations to come. Memorial is a special place. It is our faith family and our spiritual home, this side of heaven, and just like our earthly homes, sometimes a little TLC is needed. This is where we gather to be strengthened to live out our faith and the place from which we are sent out into the world to tell everyone what we have seen and heard. We all have been blessed by what has been passed down to us. May the Ezra Project be our blessing to those who follow after us, to a hurting world who needs a place to connect with God and God’s people, and to the name and person of Jesus Christ, our Savior.