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BURTON BRIDGE MINISTRY


a mission of a" twelve Burton, TX area churches!

Business Strategy Plan 2014-2021


Our Mandate
Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. - Jesus (Matthew 25:40)

Our Mission
The mission of Burton Bridge Ministry is to serve our surrounding community in Christs name by building a bridge between racial, cultural, educational, and economic divisions, to bridge the charitable needs of individuals and the provisions of other individuals to meet those needs and by bringing unity to the community.

Executive Summary
What does a community look like where no elderly person feels alone? What happens in a community where every child is given the guidance and support they need to reach their God!given potential? What if there were people standing ready to lend a helping hand to those who truly need it? What can a community accomplish when it comes together with the help of God? Burton Bridge Ministry is our churches attempt to nd out."

Our Vision
We live out our mission by working to build a bridge between the people and congregations of the Burton area by doing the ministry of Christ together in his name, by establishing a variety of ministries that address the needs of our greater Burton community to live out the Good News in the same manner that Christ did, and to help heal and transform our community.

Who We Are!
The name of our organization is Burton Bridge Ministry. Founded in 2010, we seek to work together to serve our neighbors in the name of Christ, seeing our churches as collaborators instead of competitors in building up our people and community. To our knowledge, we are the only community

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Our Member Churches


Bethany Christian Church Christ Way Temple Baptist Church First Baptist Church Greenvine Baptist Church Greenvine Emmanuel Lutheran Church Hollow Springs Baptist Church Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church St. Johns Baptist Church St. Johns United Church of Christ St. Marys Baptist Church St. Pauls Lutheran Church of Rehburg Zion Hill Baptist Church These are all of the churches of the greater Burton area of western Washington County.

in the U.S. where every church has committed to work together as one in this way. We are located at 601 West Main Street in Burton; our mailing address is PO Box 68, Burton, TX 77835; our email address is burtonbridgeministry@gmail.com; and our telephone number is 979!289!2223."

Where We Are!
Burton is a community of 300 residents with a larger area population of 3,500 people. The Burton Independent School District serves 366 students on one K!12 campus. There are 12 churches in and around Burton ranging from very small to over 500 in membership. Originally founded as an African!American community, Burton is divided in two by Highway 290 with the African!American community living on the south side and a predominantly Caucasian community on the north side. A large bridge both connects and separates the two sides."

What We Do!
Our church congregations have come together to address and serve the various needs of our community by direct actions of social outreach ministry, intending to bridge racial, cultural, educational, and economic divisions, and to provide resources and facilities useful for addressing those needs. "

Pledges of Support
Burton Ministerial Alliance - all the pastors of the Burton area churches; Washington County Ministerial Alliance; Burton City Council and Mayor Peggy Felder; Washington County Commissioners Court and Judge John Brieden and Commissioners Joy Fuchs and Kirk Hanath; State Representative Lois Kolkhorst; John Muegge - Attorney and former Brenham City Manager; Burton Independent School District Board and Superintendent James Palmer and Principals DeBara and Stenken; Boys and Girls Club of Washington County, including their branch service in Burton; Faith Mission and J.D. Young and Randy Wells Brenham community ministry; Washington County Habitat for Humanity; Washington County and Burton Chamber of Commerce; Vicki LaRue -Founding Director of Camp for All

Who We Work With!


In addition to our church congregations, we have a#liate relationships and ongoing discussions with Bread Partners, Fishes and Loaves, Boys and Girls Club of Washington County, Faith Mission, Piece Way Ministry and Washington County EMS. We continue to build relationships and seek other service a#liations."

What We Have Done!


We organized in March 2010. In the late fall of that year, we organized into 4 ministry teams to serve our seniors, children & youth, larger community, and those in need of home repairs through Helping Hands. In 2011, the Seniors team began serving lunches once a week to the senior citizens and since that time have consistently served an average of 35 people per week with a total of 1,926 meals served in just 2012. The Youth team hosts a two week day camp called Camp Hope each summer, starting with an average of 35 elementary aged children, to 50 this past
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summer. Additionally, 15!20 teens serve as peer leaders. This team also adopts families with children each year at Christmas. The Community team has hosted beginning computer classes to the community, and each year hosts the Community Thanksgiving service and Good Friday services with a meal served. Helping Hands has completed 9 signicant repair projects that range from better insulation, to painting, to oor repair, etc. In 2012, we added an additional ministry team to sta$ and operate the thrift store which in less than a full year of operation already has seen 2,093 volunteer hours."

What We Are Ca"ed To Do!


We see a number of unmet needs of our community and believe God is preparing us to meet those needs. A key component of meeting a number of these needs has been identied by prior needs assessments and direct requests from members of our community, to acquire property and facilities in order to expand our ministry and services. Over the next 5 to 7 years, we plan to reach the following goals in phases:" a% Purchase a permanent home campus for our ministry that will allow for an expanded thrift store, permanent o#ce and meeting space, and space for new and developing ministries" b% Expand our Youth Ministry to include after!school and mentoring programs, assisting the existing Boys and Girls Club o$ering which is in danger of losing a location for after school care" c% Provide new leadership and location for food assistance distribution, in partnership with Bread Partners and the Brazos Valley Food Bank" d% Expand our Senior Ministry to include more frequent day activities and meals in our own facilities &rather than the church currently hosting the meals%, and begin to provide weekly meals for elderly people who are homebound. " e% Begin providing wellness healthcare and screening services through a partnership with a local healthcare provider " f% O$er facilities for an EMS sub!station to our county EMS service, which seeks a location on our end of the county to decrease response times."

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g% Meet the largely unmet need for early childhood care and education in our area of the county, perhaps partnering with Burton ISD, Head Start, and/or other agencies"

Why We Need Your Help!


We nd ourselves at a crossroads, especially when it comes to facilities. We currently rent a small building that houses our thrift store, our primary source of income. The owner is looking to sell that property. Although we initially considered purchasing that property, the store has already outgrown that location and there is no space to use for any of our other ministries. We are restricted from helping people in deeper ways because of a severe lack of adequate space. We have a plan that not only provides a larger location for our thrift store but also provides for a central Ministry Campus that would allow us to fully live into our mission to serve our neighbors. " An expanded campus will mean greater services to the people of the Burton and western Washington County area. It will provide opportunities for the people of our churches and community to live more deeply into our call to love our neighbors. And it will make a statement that the future of Burton is a bright one in which people continue to cross bridges to meet one another, to do life together, and to bring unity to our community." If you would like to nd out more and think you could be of assistance in any way, please contact us:"

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Pastor Larry Ideker" " Executive Director" " 979!337!4410" " " idekers@sbcglobal.net" "

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Pastor Rich Nelson" Board President" 979!530!2495" revrichnelson@gmail.com "

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Further Table of Contents:


2. Historical Overview" 3. Organization Plan" 4. Ministry Plan" 5. Financial Plan" 6. Marketing/Demographic Plan"

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Appendices
1 ! The Burton Declaration" 2 ! Our initial Mission Strategy Plan" 3 ! Our Needs Assessment Survey" 4 ! Our 2014 Budget" 5!7 Year end Historical Budgets with Actual Income/Expense for years 2011!2013" 8 Cost Summary Estimate of School Property Remodeling and Renovations" 9 Provisional Budget after Acquisition of Properties!

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2. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

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2.1 Beginnings in 2010
Bridge began as an idea discussed during fellowship between pastors at the Burton Ministerial Alliance monthly breakfast. We formulated the Burton Declaration &Appendix 1% after much prayer and discussion in our churches. We set March 23, 2010 as a community wide meeting at the Fire Station to start the new ministry. After much discussion, it was decided to put together a ministry dream team to formulate how to carry out the Burton Declaration. In our second meeting, the name Bridge Ministry was adopted and the ministry dream team put together a Mission Strategy Plan &Appendix 2% covering our rst three years. The community and our churches were canvassed along with our communitys leaders and residents with a six!question needs assessment survey &Appendix 3.% We met monthly at di$erent churches to formulate an organizational plan, a ministry plan based on the results of the needs assessment survey, and to begin implementation of our strategic plan. Our dream team was organized into a board of the 12 pastors and one or two individuals elected from each church. A special committee was formed in June to le for incorporation, write bylaws, and apply for a 501c3 non!prot tax exemption. Our Bylaws were approved in July and we received our State Nonprot Charter and Certicate of Formation in September. A volunteer CPA began work on the 501c3 application. After attempting to come up with funds to lease the old elementary school, it was decided in November to instead pursue leasing the Schulz building at the four!way stop in downtown Burton. We hosted the rst community Thanksgiving service at the Community Center with almost 100 attending. At the end of the year, we formed 4 ministry teams and one committee to complete the nal step in the strategic plan. "

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2.2 Growth in 2011
We elected 4 o#cers and negotiated the lease of the Schulz Building in January. We began our monthly meetings in the new building in February. We opened a bank account, approved an annual budget, rented a post o#ce box, and secured an IRS employer identication number. A sub lease was entered into with the Cockrell family to operate a barbecue restaurant in the front room of the building. Germania Insurance in Brenham donated o#ce furniture and we opened our o#ce and meeting area in the back room of the building. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony in March by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and a kick o$ community event. The Senior ministry team began serving Friday senior meals at St. Johns U.C.C. church facility with each church rotating as the weekly host for the meals and fellowship time. We served an average of 35 seniors during the rst year. Bridge hosted the county! wide Good Friday service in the High School auditorium in April with over 200 attending and the start of a Burton Community Choir with active participation by all of our churches. The Helping Hands ministry team successfully completed its rst project of a home repair and remodeling. The Children & Youth ministry team conducted the rst two!week Camp Hope at the new elementary school in the summer

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with an average of 35 children. Helping Hands completed a second home repair in July. We secured insurance coverage in June. The Community ministry team started a beginning computer class at our o#ce in July with an enrollment of 10. They hosted a fund raising Dinner Theater at the Community Center in August with almost 100 attending. The Helping Hands ministry team completed two more home repair projects during the fall. The second community Thanksgiving service was held at the Community Center with more attending than the prior year. The Children & Youth ministry team had a Christmas caroling hayride and also adopted 12 families including 12 children to furnish with food and presents. Due to declining health, the Cockrells could no longer operate the restaurant and discussion was held as to the feasibility of opening and operating a thrift store. "

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2.3 Success in 2012
The existing o#cers were re!elected and our second budget was approved. In March, our thrift store opened with immediate success. We hosted the second county!wide Good Friday service at the Community Center in April. In June, 10 computers were purchased to resume o$ering computer classes. The Children & Youth ministry team held its second Camp Hope with an average of 40 children attending. A property acquisition special committee was formed to secure additional property to carry out our ministries as the thrift store needed the additional space of the second room. We held an appreciation banquet for all the volunteers in July at the Community Center and conducted another needs assessment survey, which identied that the need for more facilities had grown. The Community ministry team resumed computer classes with 10 students at the elementary school computer lab due to not being able to secure a tower to have an internet connection in the o#ce. A part time Ministry Coordinator was hired to sta$ the o#ce Monday through Wednesday. The third community Thanksgiving service was held in the Community Center with 225 attending. In December the Children &Youth ministry team delivered food and presents to 17 families with 51 children. Helping Hands reported that in the last two years, 6 projects were completed with 275 volunteer hours logged."

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2.4 A Crossroads in 2013
We began the year by re!electing the existing o#cers to a third term and adopting our third budget. Our monthly meetings were moved from the thrift store/o#ce to the science classroom at the elementary school due to lack of space. The third county!wide Good Friday service was held at the Community Center. Washington County EMS proposed an a#liation with them to coordinate health ministry in our area and Habitat for Humanity requested our participation in their plans to build a home in the Burton area in the near future. The Children & Youth ministry team held their third annual Camp Hope during June with an average of 50 children attending. In December, the team delivered food and gifts to 28 families. The fourth community Thanksgiving service held in the Community Center saw our largest attendance to date. Our thrift store proved to be a continued success, averaging '2,500 in income each month. However, the owner of the Schulz Building we have been leasing announced his decision to sell

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the building. After unsuccessfully exploring nancing options with the bank and failing to agree on a purchase price, our property committee began in earnest to locate property to house the thrift store, o#ce, and future expanded ministries. The necessity to reorganize our organizational plan came up due to our inability to secure 501c3 status under the present structure. We found out that our arrangement of 12 churches working as one was unprecedented and was not easily categorized by the IRS. Our o#cers and property committee wrote a new simplied set of bylaws with a smaller Board size, applied for a new state non prot charter and Certicate of Formation, and applied for an IRS 501c3 tax exemption under the new structure. In December, we elected a new president and vice president, re!elected the secretary and treasurer to an additional term, and appointed an executive director. We engaged a realtor and through our agent, agreed to purchase a temporary building and submit a bid for the feed mill property in order to keep the thrift store downtown which is key to its continued success, and to tender an earnest money contract to purchase the old elementary school property for our expanded future ministries. "

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3. ORGANIZATION PLAN

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3.1 Original structure
We rst organized as a confederation of churches with membership consisting of all the members of all 12 churches. Our board consisted of 33 individuals from the 12 churches including all twelve pastors along with one or two church elected representatives. We elected 4 o#cers and formed numerous committees. The committees were quickly consolidated into one committee and 4 ministry teams. After the IRS found it di#cult to classify us for 501c3 status because of our unique nature, we decided to re!organize so as to better t into a more traditional non!prot structure while still maintaining joint participation by our large base of churches."

3.2 New structure


We re!organized in 2013 into a board of directors with the former larger board now serving as an active advisory council. The Board is elected annually by the Advisory Council. The 5 ministry teams of Seniors, Children & Youth, Community, Helping Hands, and the Thrift Store choose their respective leaders annually, hold their own meetings, and report to the Board. They recruit volunteers from the churches and the community at large to carry out the work of the ministries of Bridge. The sta$, consisting of an Executive Director and a part!time Ministry Coordinator, serves the Board in facilitating the daily operation of the ministry."

3.3 Mission Statement


The mission of Burton Bridge Ministry is to serve our surrounding community in Christs name by building a bridge between racial, cultural, educational, and economic divisions, to bridge the charitable needs of individuals and the provisions of other individuals to meet those needs, and by bringing unity to the community."

3.4 Vision Statement


We live out our mission by working to build a bridge between the people and congregations of the Burton area by doing the ministry of Christ together in his name, by establishing a variety of ministries that address the needs of our greater Burton community to live out the Good News in the same manner that Christ did, and to help heal and transform our community."

3.5 Affiliations
We desire to cooperate and a#liate with other ministries and agencies who share our charitable vision to live out the Good News as Jesus Christ did.!

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4. MINISTRY PLAN

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Given the success we have already experienced and the open doors we see before us, we have a bold vision for the healing and transformation of our community. We believe we can be an example to other communities and churches of what they can do in their own hometowns. If it we can do it in Burton, Texas, they can do it where they are too. We have organized and plan to develop and expand three primary area of ministry: On!site ministries; In!community ministries; and Referral/A#liation ministries:"

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I. On!site Ministries
4.1 Children & Youth: We believe Christ calls us to invest in our children and youth and their future and believe this ministry area has the single greatest potential to a$ect positive change in the long term. To begin with, we see a need to support after!school programming, ensure access to food year!round and give our kids role models and mentors rooted in our faith. We have identied a multi!faceted approach to meet the needs of our kids:" 1% Camp Hope, our summer camp, provides a two week camp for children to have activities, recreation, breakfast and lunch and mentoring opportunities. This past year we partnered with school teachers to o$er tutoring and bus transportation as well. We have been relying on the generosity of the school district to allow Camp Hope to happen on their site free of charge. We would like to move this to our own permanent location at the old elementary school after remodeling is completed." 2% Our Christmas adoption of families with children for food and presents. This need was previously met in our community by an organization called Goodfellows, but after 30 years of ministry they disbanded this past year." 3% We work to provide school supplies at the beginning of the school year by coordinating with the school to identify specic needs." 4% Burton Boys and Girls Club " a. Secure a permanent facility. They are currently meeting at the former site of Burton Elementary School. They briey moved to the new school campus but were forced to return to the old site as there is not adequate room for them at the new campus due to sports after school. If the old campus sold to another group, the Club would be without a place to provide after!school programs and would have to quit o$ering services in the Burton area. " b. Ensure the facility adequately serves their needs. Currently the gym can only be used late fall through spring as it has no air conditioning. This restricts all club activities to the
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relatively small cafeteria area. At the Brenham BGC site, the gym can be used year round and there are separate rooms for homework, snack time, art time, recreation and a computer lab. This site is not owned by Brenham BGC but rather was built and is maintained with Brenham City funds. We would like to see similar opportunities for our kids in Burton. The Burton BGC site director has a vision for the current site and has painted and tried to clean it up, even knowing it could be sold." c. Provide volunteers and mentors to support their programming. The Club sends two sta$ people over from Brenham every day. With an average of 25 kids a day, they are limited in the amount of help they can give with homework and other activities." d. Christian mentoring. Studies have shown that the number of mature, supportive adults a child has in their life as they grow up is directly related to their ability to resist the temptations towards drugs, gangs, and other destructive behavior. We believe that having a mature, adult Christian in the lives of our children can make a huge di$erence for them both now and long term. One by one we can make a di$erence and together we can raise the standards of our community." 5% Summer Food Program " a. 56( of our elementary school children come from homes the State of Texas classies as economically disadvantaged and therefore qualify for the reduced!price or free meals during the school year. However, there is no access to a food program during the summer. Many communities partner with the State to o$er a meal to these children once school lets out and we would like to see that happen for our children as well." b. We have also started a weekend backpack food program to provide healthy non! perishable food and snacks to cover the days when the children are not at school. This is already serving over 50 kids in our elementary school." 6% Head Start and Preschool Day Care Program. We would like to coordinate with experienced volunteers who could initiate this federal program in the remodeled facilities. A retired couple with over 30 years experience running a Christian school and Head Start program in the San Diego area have recently retired to our county and are actively helping us prepare to o$er this ministry." 4.2 Seniors: With the upcoming surge in retirees, we believe that it will be an ever!increasing need in our community to ensure that a decent quality of life is extended to these deserving members of our community. We have identied three potential ways to meet their needs:" 1% Expand the noon meal to our seniors from Fridays to 3 days a week and move the location to the kitchen in the remodeled old elementary school." 2% Provide access to a permanent computer lab."

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3% Provide activities and speakers to educate the seniors and their caregivers, and a place to walk and exercise, especially in inclement weather or excessive heat. This would also provide for social interactions because many of them have limited outside contact on a day!to!day basis." 4% Begin delivery of ready to eat food to homebound and disabled people, checking in on their general well being." 4.3 Community: This ministry also has a need of facilities to expand into areas identied by the community needs assessment." 1% Safer access to eastbound Highway 290. Tra#c continues to get heavier and more dangerous with the requirement that all residents of Burton cross 4 lanes of tra#c to head east to Brenham. We want to see a safe access go in on the south side of the highway, allowing people to cross the bridge and head east via that access instead. The Texas Department of Transportation has already approved a highway access to eastbound 290 on the old elementary school campus but cost and logistics to make that happen are prohibitive." 2% Set up a computer lab for youth after school programs, senior programs, and computer classes." 3% Begin a partnership with an area healthcare provider to house a wellness clinic for basic health screenings and general health education. " 4% Provide facilities for our county EMS to sta$ an ambulance sub station to service the western end of the county for faster response times. EMS is actively looking to make this happen." 5% Provide space for our local food pantry, Fishes and Loaves, which serves an average of 70 families once a week. The food pantry is currently housed in a very dilapidated house two miles outside of town which lacks running water or restroom facilities for volunteers or clients. " 6% Begin a partnership with Blinn College to provide space for classrooms to provide job skills training to residents on our side of Washington County." 7% Continue and expand our communitys partnership with Red Cross to provide disaster relief and space for shelter in the event of hurricanes or other disasters." 8% O$er space for events and functions that would be community related, especially to the African!American residents of our community who predominantly live on the other side of Hwy 290. The two churches that are there are without adequate facilities for large funerals and other events." 4.4 Helping Hands: While this ministry is primarily o$!site, a facility would provide space to store material used for ongoing and future projects." 4.5 Thrift Store: This ministry has proved essential to providing an income stream to nance the overhead and maintenance of future facilities and a part of the operating budget of the ministries. A visible location on the main street has been determined to be necessary to maintain the amount of revenue the previous location provided. "
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4.6 Administration: While not a ministry, it is important that the executive sta$ have a central o#ce that is easily accessible to the community to work from, provide referral ministries, and provide a meeting place for the Board and the team ministries. We currently have a part!time ministry coordinator. We would like to move towards having a part!time or full!time paid Executive Director position &this position is currently a volunteer, unpaid position lled by one of our pastors.%"

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II. Off!site Ministries
4.7 Piece Way. For years the people of Bethany Christian Church in Burton, under the banner of Piece Way Ministry, have worked to empower people in the Burton and western Washington County areas to improve their standard of living through better access to running water and sewage facilities. We want to volunteer our service to assist Piece Ways e$orts to care for our brothers and sisters in need and help them escape the third!world conditions that many of them are living in. We intend to directly help individuals and families on a case!by!case basis. We also intend to work with local and state governmental o#cials to nd ways to address these issues on a broader scale." 4.8 Youth Fellowship. We would like to begin youth fellowship that reaches out to our high school age kids as a way to build fellowship and discipleship among our communitys youth. " 4.9 Community Building events in Burton. We would like to increase the number of community!building events that would foster opportunities to deepen our relationships with our neighbors."

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III. Referral/Transportation Ministries
4.10 We intend for Bridge to become a needs!assessment resource for our community, referring people in need to existing social services in Brenham and beyond. We want to work more closely with our A#liates, such as Faith Mission, and other county, state and national resources in referring people to them. We do not seek to duplicate services that are already o$ered by others, but rather work to strengthen them. In cases where transportation is a barrier to receiving these services, we will arrange transportation to the Brenham area."

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IV. Property Acquisition


4.11 The Old Lumberyard ! "225,000 to purchase, additional money to renovate Our successful thrift store brings in an average of '2,500 a month which funds all of our overhead expenses and a good portion of our ministries. The store is so successful it has already outgrown its current location, which has been placed up for sale for an amount higher than the size warrants for us. The lack of parking is an additional concern. A suitable location has been found in the former Burton Lumberyard &currently known as the Pig and Whistle Pub%. This site has a building with over 3,000 square feet, over three times the size our current thrift store. Additionally it has two more buildings that could be used for o#ces and other ministry space. The site provides ample parking. We believe this also has the potential to become a destination shopping experience which would expand our customer base. Additionally, we have located a temporary portable building that could be brought onsite to allow for additional ministry space. The asking price for this location is '225,000. We are currently getting an estimate on the cost to renovate and outt the large building as a thrift store. The cost of the portable building is '30,000. The cost to move and set up the building is an additional '10,000."

) Current rented location" " " "

" Old Lumberyard &Pig and Whistle% Building #1"

) Building #2 &third building not pictured% " Portable building to be purchased and moved!

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4.12 New Construction and Property If the above property cannot be acquired, our second choice would be to look to build new construction on a lot in Burton. The options for this, especially with the need to keep the thrift store near the downtown area, are very limited." 4.13 The Old Elementary Campus ! "250,000 to purchase, "1.08million to renovate After years of discussing the limited options available in the Burton area, the old Burton Elementary School grounds &now vacant and for sale% is the only other site we have identied that could potentially house our ministry but a number of prohibitive factors exist, especially as regards to the deteriorating existing structures and the overall cost to purchase and renovate this facility. The benets to acquisition would include:" 1% It allows us access to already existing space with utilities in place. " 2% We believe the gym and cafeteria can be developed into a facility for a youth/senior center. " 3% Two adjacent classroom buildings with ample space to house health services, a computer lab, a community library, child tutoring, a prayer chapel and other areas of ministry as we grow into them." 4% It gives the Boys and Girls Club the stability they need to continue to develop their programming here in Burton." 5% It allows the possibility that, with possible historical preservation grant funding, the front faade of the building constructed by our African!American community for educating their children prior to desegregation can be preserved as a historical marker to relate the history of the site. The building can no longer be used due to foundation erosion and environmental concerns." 6% The land in the back of the property could be ideal for a city soccer eld, a park, a$ordable housing, and/or other needs." 7% It provides space to rent to potential ministry partners such as Washington County EMS, the Food Bank, health/dental clinics, etc. which would provide some income stream to help sustain the property."

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" Arial view of Old Elementary School Campus, outlined in yellow. The bridge over 290 is visible in the lower left hand corner of the photo. The dangerous highway access is visible just north of the top corner of the school property."

) Classroom building" " " " " " " "

) Rear view of classroom building and additional " portable building"

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) Gym and Cafeteria, location of current Boys and Girls Club in Burton

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) Rear view of Gym"

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) Historic Building" " " "

) Historic Marker"

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) Highway access view"

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) Panoramic view of the back eld!

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5. FINANCIAL PLAN

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5.1 Current Budget &see Appendix 4%" 5.2 Revenue" Our sources of revenue include: monthly contributions from our churches, private donations, and income generated by our thrift store. We are seeking greater support from individuals within our community who have a heart to invest in the future of our people." 5.3 Potential Capital acquisition options" A.% Portable classroom building '30,000, plus '10,000 to move and set up" B.% Old Lumberyard property '225,000, plus additional money to renovate" C.% Old Elementary School property '250,000, plus '1,250,00+ to renovate" 5.4 Grants " We have already had some success in obtaining small grants from the Christ Lutheran Foundation in Brenham, TX, the Brenham Mission Society, and Wheatridge Minstries in Itasca, IL for specic ministry programs. We will be applying in the coming year and beyond for grant funding from foundations, religious organizations and possibly governmental sources. We will also seek funding from private donors in our area who may have the means and interest in seeing Burton Bridge Ministry succeed in our mission and vision to care for our neighbors, loving them as ourselves. With a representation from a broad range of Christian denominations, we are well positioned to apply for grants from a wide variety of sources." 5.5 2014 Budget &see Appendix 4%" 5.6 Year end Historical Budgets with Actual Income/Expense for years 2011!2013 &see Appendix 5!7%" 5.7 Cost Summary Estimate of School Property Remodeling and Renovations &see Appendix 8%" 5.8 Cost Summary Estimate of Farmers Mill Property Remodeling and Renovations &see Appendix 9%" 5.9 Provisional Budget after Acquisition of Properties &see Appendix 10% "

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6. MARKETING/DEMOGRAPHICS PLAN

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6.1 Periodic bulk mail outs to our zip code with information about current activities and with a direct appeal to be a volunteer, donate items to the thrift store, or contribute to the ministry." 6.2 Community appeal at Thanksgiving and Good Friday community services." 6.3 Person to person direct appeals. We send a periodic newsletter to the volunteers, members, and customers announcing news and events that includes an appeal for volunteers and donations." 6.4 Church to member direct appeals through announcements, bulletins, newsletters, emails, etc." 6.5 Develop a website to compliment our already active Facebook page." 6.6 Area Demographics. *" 1% Area population 3500" 2% Square mile land area 275" 3% Educational Indicators " a% 14.7 ( less than 9th grade" b% 11.5 high school non graduates" c% 34.7 high school graduates" d% 15.9 bachelor degree or higher" 4% Economic Indicators * Household Income" a% 13.5 ( below '10,000" b% 8.2 10,000 * 14,999" c% 15 15,000 * 24,999" d% 16 25,000 * 34,999" e% 17.1 35,000 * 49,999" f% 18.3 50,000 * 74,999" g% 6.5 75,000 * 99,999" h% 4.7 100,000 * 149,000" i% 0 over 200,000 " 5% Age Indicators" a% 11.5 ( 0 * 9 years" b% 13.4 10 * 19" c% 8.5 20 * 29" d% 11.4 30 * 39" e% 13.4 40 ! 49" f% 13.5 50 ! 59" g% 11.8 60 ! 69" h% 10.3 70 ! 79" i% 6.4 over 80" 6% Race" Hispanic/Latino: " 5(" White*: " 76.9("
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Black*: "16.9(" Native American*: " 0(" Asian*: " 0.5(" Hawaiian/Pacic Islander*: " 0(" Other*: " 0(" Multiracial*: " 0.5(" 7% Health care service" Mgt./Professional" 26(" Service" 13.3(" Sales/O#ce" 24.7(" Farm/Fishing/Forestry" 6.4(" Construction/Extraction/Maint." 13(" Production/Transportation" 16.6(" 8% Unemployment/Poverty" Unemployed" 1.3(" Below Poverty Line" 11.5(" 9% Health Care Services" Though we have been unable to nd reliable demographic information, we know that many people in our area are underserved. Leading factors are due to local access availability, lack of transportation, and economic restrictions. Scott & White Brenham Hospital is the closest medical facility which is 15 miles from the center of our area. There is currently a turf war going on in Washington County between Scott & White, St. Josephs Health System and the College Station Medical Center for access to providing services. Our hope is that one of these groups, or perhaps the Texas A&M Health Sciences department would work with us in providing basic medical services to our underserved population. We would like to carry out a needs assessment to be able to work to build this kind of o$ering."

* Statistics compiled from US 2010 Census, Washington County Appraisal District, geometrix.com, Zipskinny.com and includes estimates where possible of the partial service area which lies outside of the 77835 area code statistical information range.!

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Appendix 1: Our guiding principals

The Burton Declaration: a response to Gods call to minister to the people of the
Burton/western Washington County area"

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We, the pastors of the Burton Area Churches, share a conviction that:" 1." Our churches are called by God to e$ectively share the saving grace of our Lord Jesus with our neighbors." 2." God has placed our churches, their current leaders and people, in this particular place and time as a part of Gods mission to spread the Kingdom." 3." Our churches are not competitors, we are collaborators who conspire to make the Burton community a more perfect image of Gods kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." 4." The Holy Spirit is guiding Christs Church in Burton into deeper engagement with our community, especially those in greatest need, as Christ commanded &ex. Matthew 25%." 5." We do not wish to duplicate services that are e$ectively o$ered by area agencies, and in fact wish to help people more e$ectively use those resources." 6." Yet we remain convinced there are a number of legitimate needs by people in our community which are not being met. We feel God is guiding us to meet some of those needs." 7." We believe that God has given talents to people in our churches that they have not had an opportunity to put to use in Gods service. If we o$er opportunities for that to happen, everyones life will be enriched." 8." We believe each church should continue to worship, teach, and share the good news in our own unique ways. Diversity of ideas and practice in Gods Church builds it up, as many members build up one body. However, we believe that when it comes to putting Christs body into action by serving people in Christs name and meeting their physical needs, that is something more powerfully done together than separately. " 9." That this process of together becoming more outwardly focused will in turn strengthen what happens inside of each of our congregations. " 10." Developing relationships is critical to the success of this endeavor. Where two or three are gathered, we know Christ will be in the midst of us."

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Appendix 2 - Mission Strategy Plan

Burton Area Churches Mission Strategy Plan


We propose a four step plan to discern what God is calling us to do to further share the love of Christ with our neighbors. The basics of the four steps are:

! Step 1 Create a Dream Team (first meeting in February 2010)


A. B. C.

Step 2 Ministry of Listening (Spring/Summer of 2010) A. The Dream Team will begin by listening to the people in our churches by asking these questions of as many people in our congregations as possible and really listening to their responses. B. The Dream Team will then listen to the people in our community by asking these questions as many people in the community as possible. Examples of how this might be done: Door to door surveys as well as meet with groups like City Council, County officials, School Board and Teachers, Fishes and Loaves, Boys and Girls Club, etc. and especially the people who are living in poverty or some other type of need in this area. We want to really listen and show them we care about what they have to say. Again, building relationships here is crucial.

Create a Dream Team composed of the pastor and one or two lay people from each congregation. Its up to each church to decide if these people come from the congregations current missions ministry or some other group if no such thing currently exists. Each congregations church council should approve and commission these people for this work at its January meeting. The Dream Team will commit to meet for dinner, fellowship, and work once a month for 12-18 months. The Dream Team will create a process (ex. a survey, open forums, etc.) to ask people basic questions about hopes for the future, concerns about the present, perceived needs of the community, etc.

! Step 3 Developing an Action Plan (Summer/Fall of 2010)

A. We will then spend time together reviewing our findings and discerning where God is calling us to act and how. This will include a discussion of what resources we have in the talents of our people to meet the issues we plan to address. B. The Dream Team will then develop a three-to-five-year strategic plan focusing on the areas we feel called to act on together and how we imagine that might collaboratively happen. C. This plan is then communicated in draft form to everyone in our congregations and our church councils for feedback and suggestions. D. These comments are then brought back to the Dream Team for any needed modification of the strategic plan. Wide support in each congregation is required. E. A final proposed plan will then be brought before our congregations for buy-in and approval.

Step 4 Implementation and Support (Fall/Winter of 2010 and beyond) The Dream Team will either begin to implement the plan, oversee its implementation, or create a longer-term Board (perhaps a separate non-profit entity) to oversee the new ministry. This will be a new outreach ministry, powered by our congregations, that serves the needs of people in our community. It will be a ministry that engages the collective talents and treasures of our congregations and the people in them, deepening relationships between our Christian brothers and sisters and those we are called by God to serve in Christs name.

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Appendix 3 - Needs Assessment Questionnaire

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Appendix 4 - 2014 Budget

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Appendix 5 - Year end Historical Budgets with Actual Income/Expense for 2011!

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Appendix 6 - Year end Historical Budgets with Actual Income/Expense for 2012!

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Appendix 7 - Year end Historical Budgets with Actual Income/Expense for 2013

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Appendix 8 - Cost Summary Estimate of School Property Remodeling and Renovations !

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Appendix 9 - Provisional Budget after Acquisition of Properties

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