Dear Members of PHPC,

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A hearty THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the recent capital campaign feasibility study. We deeply value and appreciate the time you invested, and the insights you generously shared during this process. This letter will provide a summary of the findings and lay out next steps.

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But first, an update on PHPS. Last week, the PHPS School Board shared the news with its families that a facility in Farmers Branch, not far from Parish and Greenhill Schools, is undergoing renovations as their new campus. School leaders feel confident that the building will be ready to welcome students beginning next school year. A subsequent communication advised families that the new facility would not accommodate the preschool. For this school year, of course, both schools are doing well in the North Campus, with weekly Chapel services and special occasions like GrandFriends Day in the Sanctuary. We keep both entities in our prayers and wish them well as they begin the next chapter in their story's history.

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We want to emphasize that the capital campaign feasibility study is unrelated to our annual Commit season.  As you know, every fall we seek pledge commitments from the Congregation to fund the operations of our Church – our mission work, building utilities and maintenance, programming of every description, and staff and Pastor salaries – for the next fiscal year.

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Over the summer, we partnered with our fundraising consultant CCS to assess our capital fundraising ability for future building and financial needs.  

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The CCS team reviewed Preston Hollow’s historic fundraising performance, held a series of interviews, and distributed an e-survey to the congregation, garnering thoughtful insights from 484 members. These findings provided valuable understanding as to how we envision participating in a campaign. The following areas were tested for possible investment:

• Urgent Property Needs: Potential infrastructure projects include replacing mechanical and electrical systems with modern versions, including our HVAC system.  

• Reimagining Building spaces: Potential projects include rethinking multi-purpose spaces, exploring educational programs and areas, envisioning new community gathering spaces and growth.

• Preparing for the Future: Potential reserve funds to prepare for any maintenance or mission-oriented work that may arise.  

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KEY FINDINGS  

• Urgent property needs were a priority. Members understood and supported the premise that addressing critical maintenance issues will be a key component of this campaign.

• Support for reimagining building spaces was mixed. Members were enthusiastic about the potential of redesigned spaces but wanted a clearer picture of what this vision entails.  

• Preston Hollow has strong potential for campaign involvement. There were more than 100 indications of willingness to join a campaign committee or serve in a leadership role.

• Preston Hollow is a philanthropic priority for our congregation. 92% of interviewees identified Preston Hollow as a top philanthropic priority.  

• Now is the right time to begin fundraising. 94% of interviewees and 76% of e-survey respondents believed that now is the right time to move forward with a campaign.

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NEXT STEPS  

The time has come to transition from the feasibility phase to campaign planning. And we are not wasting time getting started! A series of Congregation-wide visioning workshops will begin in November and continue into the early part of next year. These sessions will offer an opportunity for every member to share ideas and be heard. Please deeply consider participating in these conversations when invited.  

Once this planning phase is complete in 2025, we will launch a capital campaign (our first in almost 25 years!) Replacing outdated equipment in the South Campus will be our first fundraising priority.  

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These past nine months have been challenging, but we can all feel relief that our school partners of the past 70 years are successfully plotting a new path, and that we have a generational opportunity – on this our 75th Anniversary – to reimagine and reinvest in the future of this Church that we all love.  

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Prayerfully submitted,

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Special Projects Committee

Current Elders: Lee Coleman, Drew Dahlstrom, Chuck Gall, Anne Smith, Noelle Williams, and Chris Wright

At Large Members: Bill Bond, Janelle Crays, Anne Edwards, Ruth Fitzgibbons, Ted Gardner, Dave Jones, Ed Perrin, and King Scovell

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