The Atrium and The Nonprofit Center

@ Ascension Memorial Church

A Message from the Rector

You can't get there from here...not without a bridge. Bridges do several things. They enable us to go from where we are to where we need to be. They increase the strength, number, and variety of our relationships essential to our well-being. They help cultivate partnerships for investing in the common good. Ascension Memorial Church holds the conceptual design of the bridge needed to cross over from here to there, from where we are to where we need to be.

The bridge envisioned is a campus newly configured to serve the needs and aspirations of our parish and of our wider community for decades to come.  Ipswich teens need their own space to gather together after school for pure fun and for pursuing their dreams safely and confidently.  Ipswich families need ready access to vital social services within an attractive space that honors dignity and promotes hope. Cape Ann residents and Ascension Memorial Church parishioners need a smart, architecturally pragmatic and beautiful, multi-purpose, environmentally friendly, event space for community forums, music recitals, fundraising events, birthday parties, pickle ball games, wedding receptions, and yoga.  

The bridge proposed is the outward expression of an intentional decision by Ascension Memorial Church to broaden its commitment to enhance the quality of life within the Cape Ann community. We see a more accessible, user-friendly campus well suited for enriching and supporting a wide spectrum of community members: a community center for housing a nursery school, a teen center, adult educational programming and cultural events for all ages; an outward-facing, public courtyard to enjoy the outdoors or gather with friends; and an equally beautiful building adjacent to our parking lot as a new home for numerous Cape Ann nonprofits, supporting their work with clients by enabling easier access to their services.

Building this beautiful bridge for the benefit our common good will require a great deal of financial support from both sides of the bridge: from the friends and parishioners of Ascension Memorial Church and from interested, supportive citizens and businesses from our Cape Ann community. What the parish needs by way of financial support is equal to what the parish enthusiastically pledges by way of service.  The new campus design, the new community center, the new nonprofit center bridges parish with community, community with parish, in a fresh, renewed manner beneficial to all for being of service to all.

Bridges are beautiful and practical by bringing together this side with the other side, by allowing us to cross over from where we are to where we want to be. We know where we want to be and need to be. We can see it right over there from where we are. What we need now is the good will, the deep resolve, and the sacrificial generosity of us all to get this beautiful bridge built!

The Rev’d Bradford D. Clark

An Evaluation

 At Ascension Memorial Episcopal Church, we believe that thriving churches are the ones that are deeply and visibly engaged with their broader communities. Robust outreach programming along with the many other ways a church can contribute to its community’s well-being, ensures that the church remains vital and relevant going forward.

 For the past 60 years, Boone Hall has faithfully served as a hub for community and parish life. It has welcomed generations through its doors, offering space for connection, support, and shared purpose. But time has taken its toll. The structure, after decades of continuous service, and despite regular maintenance, shows its age, has deteriorated, and can no longer meet the standards, expectations, or needs of the community it once served so well.

A Vision

It is now time to launch a bold vision to construct a new community center, a space designed to bring people together across generations, backgrounds, and beliefs. This new facility will be a catalyst for connection, hosting community events like the Ipswich Rotary Club Senior Luncheon, educational and arts programs like the Northeast Massachusetts Youth Orchestra, and youth mentorship programs like the Teen Drop-in Center (in partnership with Ipswich Public Schools, YMCA, and Public Library). Children’s support services such as the Ascension Nursery School will continue to play a large role in serving Ipswich families. Numerous opportunities for meaningful, face-to-face engagement for our parish and community will be hosted by our Special Events and Outreach Committees and other organizations.

A Strong Foundation

It is vital to Ascension’s future that it remain prudent and disciplined in its approach to financial matters. The Vestry and Finance Committee are confident that our current financial stability and recent growth provides an opportunity to explore the possibility of raising the $10 million required to construct a new building without borrowing, using any of our current endowment, or affecting ongoing annual stewardship. Likewise, the operation of this building is projected to be self-sustaining because it is specifically designed to provide new opportunities for generating additional income for the church through recurring and episodic rentals.

A Concept

The stunning conceptual design is the result of a three-year collaboration between our Conceptual Design Committee and Finegold Alexander Architects along with Copley Wolff Landscape Architects and Fennessy Consulting Services.  Throughout the design phase, the committee’s programming and building use priorities were guided and informed by the Mission ~ Vision ~ Values discernment process that the parish undertook with the guidance of Reverend Edward Cardoza, Missioner for Property Stewardship for the Diocese of Massachusetts and the twelve “Visioneers.” This year-long self-reflection succeeded in bringing together a clear vision of who we are as a Parish, what we want to do and be for each other and the broader community, and the tools we need to accomplish our mission. As we embark on this exhilarating journey, we invite all members of the parish to bring your ideas, energy and talents to this incredible project and help deliver this vision for church and community.

Thank you to the Conceptual Design Team for their dedication and tremendous work in bringing us to this exciting point. The Vestry has now appointed a Capital Campaign Committee to determine the financial feasibility of the project, with plans underway to begin a quiet phase of fundraising, during which potential major donors, individual and corporate, will be approached. Should the results of the quiet phase prove promising, a public phase will be launched and a Final Design Committee, appointed by the Vestry and including representatives of all standing committees, will guide the final steps of bringing the project to fruition.

The Nonprofit Center