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CHURCH PARTNERSHIPS
Church partnerships are Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity's
primary building block. When churches join together to support a
Habitat house, the new homeowners are not the only ones who benefit.
Church members who work together on a Habitat project often feel
they receive as much they give.
Church Partnership Programs
Work Days for Volunteers
Construction Materials/Services
Other Ways Your Church Can Help
"As a church, we have strengthened personal relationships and
developed new ones. Many have shared hours of physical labor that
have resulted in new friendships. Overall, we are a stronger church,
having lived, experienced and felt the power and will of God in
seeing this house built."
--A Habitat church partnership volunteer
Church Partnership Programs
Since few churches can afford to give the entire cost of building a
Habitat home, most congregations work together with a group of other
churches to raise construction funds and solicit donations of
materials and services for the project. These churches also provide
volunteers who work side by side with the partner family as they
complete their sweat equity.
Why should your church become a Habitat church partner?
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Building a Habitat house nurtures faith by putting it into
action
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Working together as Habitat volunteers strengthens
relationships within your church community
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Each project offers an opportunity to minister to a local
family in need
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The building of a Habitat house by a group of churches
becomes a powerful Christian witness to those outside the
church
How does a Habitat church sponsorship work?
The sponsoring churches promise to work together to raise the
estimated $100,000 required to build the house. This total can
include both money and donated materials and
services. The churches in the sponsorship also send volunteers
to work at the site. Participating congregations will be invited to
take part in the moving dedication ceremonies held when construction
begins and when it is completed.
A church partnership is a similar arrangement in which the sponsors
commit to raising a total of $50,000.
In return, RVHFH provides and prepares the building site, selects
the partner family, and takes care of the details of transferring
ownership of the completed house. The organization also plans and
schedules the building of the house, contracts building services and
material providers, and provides the necessary financial and
bookkeeping services.
How much does my congregation have to commit to the project?
Each church decides how much it can afford. Your congregation should
make a commitment to contribute funds and/or materials and services
according to its own resources. Past groups have donated funds from
their mission budget, scheduled special offerings, or organized
fund-raising events for the project.
How can I get more information?
For information on becoming a Habitat church partner, contact us at
(908) 704-0016, or email
rvhfh@rvhabitat.org.
Work Days for Group Volunteers
Most of the work of building a Habitat house is carried out by
volunteers and the partner family under the eye of staff site
supervisors, who are professional builders. Participating churches
have the opportunity to send work crews for Saturday work days.
There are some opportunities for young people ages 16-17 to
participate in these work days, although the volunteer crew must
include one sponsoring adult for every four youth. If your
youth group is interested in working on site, please see our section
on Youth – Group Volunteer
Opportunities for more information.
Construction Materials/Services
Materials and services donated by members of participating
congregations count toward the total amount they have pledged to
support construction of a Habitat house. All donations and discounts
provided to Raritan Valley Habitat are tax deductible.
Examples of materials and services routinely needed include:
- Excavation services
- Electrical and plumbing services
- Legal services
- New building materials
How can I get more information about donating materials or
services?
To discuss potential material or service donations, please contact
us at (908) 704-0016, or
rvhfh@rvhabitat.org.
Other Ways Your Church Can Help
Even if your church is not able to join in formally sponsoring
construction of a Habitat house, there are other ways to support the
work of Raritan Valley Habitat:
- Pray for those in need of decent housing and for the
ministry of Habitat for Humanity
- Contribute an annual donation to support our ministry
- Offer your facilities for RVHFH meetings
- Invite a speaker from RVHFH to your church
- Encourage individual church members to join RVHFH
Land
Without land, we have nowhere to build. Locating and
acquiring land is both a major expense and a major time
commitment for Habitat volunteers. Any assistance your company
can provide in identifying and acquiring appropriate home sites
is extremely valuable.
If you would like to discuss a potential land acquisition
opportunity, please contact us at (908) 704-0016 or
rvhfh@rvhabitat.org.
How can I get more information about what my church can do to
help?
For more information about how your church can help the work of
Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity, contact us at (908) 704-0016,
or rvhfh@rvhabitat.org.
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