During its meetings on Dec. 7, the Council of Elders approved the creation of a restricted fund for the construction and equipping of a new video recording studio. Peter Eddington, operation manager for Media and Communications Services, and I brought the idea forward for Council consideration. After much discussion the Council of Elders approved the fund, and a copy of the final resolution is attached at the end for you to read.

The media department desires to take advantage of the latest technology wherever it can, and has planned for several years to have a much larger space for its video recording needs at the home office. The existing video studio area has been well used over the past 12 years, but its space is very limiting in what we can do—especially with the growing needs of our Beyond Today television program and what can now be done with online streaming video.

If you have had the opportunity to visit and tour the home office in Cincinnati, you will no doubt attest to the very tight space in which our video crew has been working. With this in mind, the Video Recording Studio Restricted Fund has been created to help bring the finances together to accomplish this goal. Donations are tax-deductible in the United States.

The current plan is to add a new section to the home office facility in the form of a “sound stage” area at least 75’ x 50’ in size. The costs involved are one-time building construction and equipment expenses. Within the new building we will design a brand new, state-of-the-art set that will house the latest in studio lighting, 4K camera equipment, audio equipment, digital editing software and production tools.

It is for these construction and equipment costs that the restricted fund has been established. Monies received need to be above and beyond the regular tithes and offerings of our members. In establishing the new studio, we don’t want to impact other important budgetary considerations of the Church, but we feel this is a very worthwhile endeavor to which people may want to give special support. The restricted fund has a targeted of goal of $600,000. Regular reports on progress of the fund and the video recording studio project will be given over the coming weeks and months, including reports in United News and home office e-mail updates. The Church membership will be informed when construction and equipment costs are reached, and any overage received beyond that amount will be allocated to further media efforts.

Therefore, if you would like to support the construction and equipping of the video recording studio, please note on your contribution that it is for the “Video Recording Studio.” You can donate online at donate.ucg.org or by sending your contribution to United Church of God, PO Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254. 

We must be about our Father’s business—both in preparing the brethren and preaching the gospel. Time will tell, but we believe the seeds of the gospel we are sowing will germinate and bear fruit at the appropriate time. Through careful allocation of budget and resources, adding an expanded video recording is a good and necessary step if we are to keep up with technology and the job at hand.

May God continue to bless the various efforts of His people to take care of Christ’s flock and preach the gospel of the Kingdom. The United Church of God, an International Association, takes this mandate very seriously! Please continue to pray for the resources to become available to accomplish God’s will, and we hope that the Video Recording Studio Restricted Fund will help greatly in this regard!

May God continue to bless you and your families.

 

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Video Studio Restricted Fund Resolution - Council of Elders, December 7, 2016

Whereas, the Church desires to expand the home office building by adding an adequate video recording facility to further develop electronic media efforts,

Now therefore, it is hereby resolved that, the Council of Elders establishes a restricted Home Office Video Recording Studio Fund to be administered by the home office for receipt of donations for the construction and expansion of the Media and Communications Services video recording area, and that complete details of this fund be communicated to the membership of UCGIA, and

It is further resolved that, it will be communicated to the membership that donations to the Home Office Video Recording Studio Fund are to be above and beyond regular tithes and offerings, and

It is further resolved that, the membership will be informed when construction and equipment costs (estimated to be between $550,000 to $600,000) are reached, any overage received beyond that amount shall be allocated to further media efforts.