Our youth program has doubled in size in the last 18 months and continues to grow. Our children’s program has more than doubled in that same period. We have added 125 new people to our church rolls during that time, not including the 21 new members we added in September. God brings more people to worship with us each week. Space is at a premium, and we need to increase our parking and overflow capacity. FORWARD enables us to maximize the capacity of our campus and create flexibility in how we can respond to continued growth in all of our ministries.

We asked church members about their priorities last fall when we were looking at the potential for adding another building to campus. Though we decided to pivot from that plan because of the cost, there was significant support around accommodating the growth that we have seen in our youth program. We also heard that you wanted to address the need for more parking, to address upcoming maintenance activity, and to pay off the mortgage on our Jackson Avenue building. FORWARD is designed to respond to all of those areas of concern.

Over the next month, more information will be distributed via mail, Vital Groups and social media. The initiative will run from October 19 through Commitment Sunday on November 16.

Giving Goal cards will be provided to everyone who considers FPCOS their church home. We are asking each family to prayerfully set a goal for their regular giving for 2026 and 2027, in addition to a commitment toward the projects described in the FORWARD Vision Guide. That total amount will be your commitment toward fully funding the vision outlined for FPCOS for the next two years.

As individuals and families, we will set our giving goal based on our capacity, which can change over a two-year period. Things like the loss of a job or a promotion at work happen. So do changes in family, illnesses and inheritances. Our experience shows that most people will fulfill their giving goal. Some won’t be able to meet their goal for various reasons, while others will exceed their giving goal. Should your capacity to give change during the next two years, re-evaluate your giving goal based on your new circumstances. Follow God’s leading and adjust your giving goal up or down based on your new circumstances.

We purchased the house in response to a clear need for additional office space in 2022. It represented a cheaper and more practical option than adding office space on or off campus, which was the other alternative. In addition to the fully occupied office space, it is also used daily for Bible studies, Vital Groups and other meetings. The mortgage is $375,000, and monthly payments are built into our regular operating budget.

Though the Harbor House is a good-sized building (3300 sq ft), we have determined that the building cannot be expanded sufficiently to fully meet the needs for our youth program. Using a combination of the Harbor House, Chapel and Education Building, as we are proposing in FORWARD, allows us to meet our immediate and future growth for youth, in addition to providing enhancements for a variety of other ministries at FPCOS.

Those plans are in the preliminary stages. As they become available, we will share them with the congregation.

We are aware that the gravel lot is next to a tidal waterway. There are several options for the type of surfacing for the gravel lot, and all will be water permeable. The objective is to prevent any negative environmental impacts from our improvements.

We are waiting until the end of the FORWARD commitment period in December to make decisions about timing and contracting for each of the projects we are planning.

You can make contributions through the fpcosms.com website, our One Church giving portal or text using a credit card, debit card or ACH bank draft. You can also use a check, cash or by contributing financial assets. If you have questions, please contact our Director of Finance and Accounting, Becky Hennessey, at 228-875-5326 or at becky@fpcosms.com. Any contributions you make from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027 will be included in the FORWARD initiative. Remember that FORWARD includes both the capital project components and your regular offerings.

Recurring gifts are a great way to stay on track with your contributions. Recurring gifts can be set up via text, through the fpcosms.com website or our giving portal.

You will be able to see your contributions in One Church, our church management system. Instructions on how to access One Church have been e-mailed to our church members and regular visitors. If you did not receive these instructions, please contact the church office at 228-875-5326 or info@fpcosms.com.

Our goal is for as many people to participate in FORWARD as possible, not just to raise money but to move us closer to Jesus. God is generous. We are created in God’s image, and practicing generosity increases our reflection of God’s image. Giving connects us to a greater Kingdom purpose. Giving is not primarily a financial act—it is an act of faith. It is a belief that God can do more with our gift than what we could ever ask or imagine when we practice generosity.

God has richly blessed our church. Contributions to FPCOS have exceeded expenses for the last 10 years, allowing us to build a comfortable operating reserve after fully funding our ministry activities and regular maintenance for our campus.

FPCOS has done a number of successful campaigns in the past, most recently in 2017-2019. That campaign, MULTIPLY, allowed us to expand our Sanctuary and Education Buildings. The total cost for these projects was $2.5M, which was paid off by the end of the three-year campaign window.