Bring Back the Bell to North Truro

Help us Bring Back the Bell!

The Christian Union Church bell has been silent for many years.

This is because it is due for some restoration work. The structural cradle the bell swings in needs to be rebuilt, and the inside of the belfry tower requires some repair work to keep the animals out.

Please consider contributing to the work of bringing our bell back to life.

The estimated cost for this important work is $14,000.

Why church bells are so important:

Church bells bring people together to worship, celebrate, and honor. They not only tell you when to worship but also when community events and holidays are about to happen. They were also rung in times of emergencies like fires, storms, or crises. Ringing church bells was a way of commemorating and mourning fallen comrades, a family member or community member who has passed, a child who has been born, a baptism, christening, or a first communion.

While it is historically true that church bells may have been heard throughout the day to keep time and notification for events, The Christian Union Church would primarily ring the bell prior to Sunday service and or on special occasions like weddings, funerals, or memorials, and upon request for special events.

One of our head ushers, the late Norman Rose, would supervise enthusiastic children, now adults, to ring the church bell. What a noble and powerful feeling for children, or even adults, to ring a resounding bell and have people come together instead of being told you are making too much noise and to please be quiet.

Ringing the historic bell at the Christian Union Church was, and could be again, a way of calling the community to come together. It is also a way of honoring the special village character of North Truro. This is important to us because it maintains the historic nature and character of the village and holds true to its values and integrity that all are welcome. All are welcome to behold the beauty, peace, and quiet while connecting with nature in an open and affirming celebratory church and village community.

At the Christian Union Church, we understand that we play an important role in our town village, both communally and environmentally. For example, in addition to our bake sales, community breakfast and dinners, book club, and AA meetings, Truro Community Kitchen uses our kitchen and fellowship hall. They make and deliver 100 to 200 healthy meals once a week. In 2024, they launched their green initiative grant-funded program to use washable and reusable containers and bags to deliver the food so there is no paper or plastic waste.

The Outer Cape's natural resources are precious. We all need to do our part in taking care of the land, water, and air, and while it does take a village to make a difference, a church is a good place to start.

Thank you so much to the many contributors to our last fundraiser, which paid for the replacement of the Fellowship Hall ceiling and new, energy-efficient LED lighting in the hall and kitchen. This started us on our way to conserving energy in the building and planning for our future in this historic building.

During the past twelve months, Rise Engineering, a grant-funded non-profit company, has helped us replace our old heating and cooling systems and add insulation for both the church and the parsonage. This, along with TCK's Green Initiative, has helped us reduce the carbon footprint to almost nothing for the church property and the parsonage. Through The Resource Inc., we are also doing a grant-funded raised septic system for the parsonage.

We could not have done this without your continued support.

We are still looking to the future. We are working with a grant-backed solar company to install 33 solar rays on our perfectly positioned church roof, which will be able to support both the church and the parsonage. These grant-funded improvements have totaled over $400,000.

I feel like ringing the church bell to celebrate!

Oops, we are unable to ring it, though! Here is where it gets interesting.

With your “go fund me” contribution, we will be able to maintain our historic legacy of service to the community and let the citizens of North Truro know that they matter.

Thank you for your consideration and or donation. Please share this GoFundMe if you think others would be interested.

With Grace and gratitude,

Reverend Christopher Vazquez