(see original document)
The Buffalo Christian Center
March, 2013
Dear Friend,
We write to you today with both deep remorse and uninhibited optimism about the future of the
Buffalo Christian Center. At the end of 2012, the BCC was faced with an unforeseen financial issue,
forcing BCC leadership to make some very tough decisions about the future of the organization. The
difficult reality was that unless something was done, the BCC would have had to close its doors by late
spring 2013. For this reason, the BCC was forced to let go of staff and programs that had served the inner
city of Buffalo faithfully for many years. Programs let go included Friday Bible study lunches, summer
camp, and the bookstore. Even though the bookstore was a staple in downtown Buffalo for many years and
had a dedicated staff, the BCC was no longer able to financially sustain this ministry. Much like Borders and
other bookstores around the nation, we were simply unable to keep up with online book retailers.
The BCC can firmly say that these actions, although drastic, have put the BCC on sound financial
footing moving forward.
The current offering of BCC programs, although smaller, are making a large impact in the
community, especially amongst the at-risk youth of Buffalo.
Merge, which is our Friday night youth program, has seen over 250 youth attend in the past year.
Children who have often never stepped foot into a church hear the gospel message, have group discussions
on relevant topics—such as how to handle conflict resolution—and eat a free pizza dinner provided by the
BCC.
Teen MOPS (Teen Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers) continues to grow in quality and quantity.
This program provides teen mothers with a support group, teaching good parenting skills and offering
encouragement. Recently, every mother in the group raised her hand to indicate she wanted to know Christ
or turn back to Him! What a great foundation for good parenting.
Bills Night Out is our unique partnership with the Buffalo Bills. This year over 400 youth had the
opportunity hear the gospel from some of the most prominent current Buffalo Bills players, including C.J.
Spiller, Stevie Johnson, and Rian Lindell.
Besides the services that we provide, we also make it possible for other organizations to use our
facility at discounted rates. For example, the Buffalo Dream Center continues to have Sunday church
services and an after-school program at the BCC.
Although we are excited about the focus and growth of our current mix of programs, the future of the
organization is the brightest it has been in many years due to a few key developments.
First, the BCC has rejuvenated the board by bringing on new board members in January. Boards are
essential to the health of a non-profit: they are responsible for driving the mission and helping the Executive
Director guide the organization. The new board members are passionate about at-risk youth in Buffalo and
bring new talents to the table. New members include a wealth manager at a local Buffalo financial firm, a
Buffalo police captain, a manager at Moog in East Aurora, the head of men’s ministry at a local church, and
a former Buffalo Bills player. The entire board is committed to the long-term success of the BCC and is
looking forward to aiding in its future growth.
Second, an anonymous donor has come forward recently and promised to MATCH every new dollar
donated by you and our other donors to the BCC before April 30. This matching gift is up to $25,000
dollars. We are excited about this opportunity to have every donor’s gift make “double” the impact. We ask
that you prayerfully consider any gift, large or small, before April 30.
Finally, the BCC has been blessed to receive the pro-bono services of a consulting team. This team
will be working with the BCC over the next five months to evaluate what new programs could be offered at
the BCC to further help at-risk youth. This has been a great blessing for us, as a consulting group with
similar expertise would have cost the organization over $100,000 in fees!
We look forward to sharing the consulting group’s results with you when the project has been
completed in June. We have no doubt that the recommendations will be bold and exciting, providing ways
for the BCC to make an even larger impact on the local community. In the mean time, please feel free to
contact us at with any questions. We would be happy to talk with you about the exciting future of the BCC.
Our hope is that you will continue to play a large part in the BCC serving Buffalo’s at-risk youth.
Regards,
Executive Director and the BCC Board
Jim Swearingen
Leroy Wiggins
Scott Lezynski
Ryan Kozey
Bill Deacon
Brad Butler
David Stabler
512 Pearl St. Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 856-7495
Fax: (716) 856-7497
www.thebcc.org
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