March 8, 2023 Update

We just completed the 4th month of our Welcome Home! Capital Campaign. Four months in, there is actually quite a bit to report on. And if you look closely on the Rush Creek campus, you will be able to see hints of processes that are taking place even now behind the scenes. More on that later.

On Purpose

God is at work in and through this church. It is, in fact, the whole reason for the campaign. A twenty-three year-old facility from which so much ministry emanates creates wear and tear on facilities, and even opens up opportunities into the future.

Leigh Sandera told her story so eloquently last month during a Sunday morning service. It’s worth watching (and re-watching) as a reminder of what this church is about; and even what this campaign is about.

In Pursuit

Accelerated Debt Payments

Just a couple weeks ago we paid off our first loan (of two loans). This milestone is a result of over $37,000 of accelerated debt payments since the campaign began in November!! We are grateful for the patience and generosity of the family that loaned the money as well as the generosity of the congregation to retire this particular debt.

As we approach a new budget year (July 1), we remain committed to accelerated debt payments and with our upcoming budget will incorporate accelerated debt payments into our Ministry Fund until the debt is retired.

Parking Lot Reconstruction

As I write the letter two trucks from Miss Dig are wandering around the property so as to mark out areas that won’t interfere with our soil borings. While soil borings is indeed a boring topic for most, it is actually an encouraging step in the process of our most costly capital replacement. The purpose of soil borings is to better understand the soil foundation that lies beneath our rather large parking lot. This process is part of extensive due diligence to understand what it will take to take up the old parking lot and re-construct a new one. Lord willing, when mid-May arrives and much of our ministry programming takes a break for the summer, our parking lot will be rebuilt; a process that can take a couple of weeks. Many have asked if we will be able to use the church while the parking lot is worked on. The answer is we will be able to worship together on Sundays in our building. During weekdays and on Saturdays, however, we will give the contractors free reign to do their work most efficiently without activities on our campus.

In Perspective

Our goal is to tackle projects serially—as opposed to all at once. And our first goal gets us half way through the campaign dollar goal, improves over half the campus, and can be accomplished at the half-way point of the campaign.

On Point

Our practical plan is to pay cash for the parking lot. As we make decisions, we are looking at three metrics:

1) pledges toward the campaign, 2) financial gifts designated to the campaign, and 3) overall church cash flow. But those are just the important financial metrics.

Our missional goal is widespread participation. By the end of our campaign we are praying for 185 individuals/families participating in this campaign. If you haven’t yet invested in the Welcome Home! Campaign, it is one way that we can strive together to excel in the grace of giving.

With your participation, these first steps are very attainable!

January 22, 2023 Update

In case you missed it…

January 15, 2023 Update

We are two months into our Welcome Home! campaign and already we have much to report on. Prayerfully, we hope to wrap up this campaign by the end of 2023. Yet, we remain committed to the Lord’s timing. With every campaign there are two components to a capital campaign; income and expenses. 

  • As an overview, our Welcome Home! Campaign is designed to be a 14-month campaign. 
  • The campaign seeks to tackle 9 different aspects of capital replacement and improvement over that same 14 month period if the Lord allows. You can read more here about the scope of these efforts. 
  • We have also committed to not going into long-term debt. 
  • Our capital campaign is volunteer-led, and has not been guided by a capital campaign consultant.

Let’s unpack both the income and expense side of the equation at these early stages of the campaign. 

Income:

Pledges: 

As is typical for church capital campaigns, we have encouraged our congregation to pledge toward the campaign. 

As of January 10th, 2023, 59 pledges total $325,000.

Is that good, bad, or otherwise? This is a common question. 

The reality is that some view pledges as primarily a way to register their commitment for their own sake and their own faith journey, others view pledges as a way for the church to plan for expenditures, Still others are not inclined to pledge for a variety of reasons. Additionally, those who do pledge tend to pledge minimum amounts. It is common for pledged amounts to be exceeded by actual giving. 

We have learned  these things from the history of our capital campaign experiences. 

For church planning purposes, pledges are simply one data point for decision making as it relates to the amount and timing of expenditures. History would tell us that pledges may account for 50 to 70% of the dollars that may ultimately come in. More recent history would also indicate that, culturally, younger generations are less inclined to make pledges philanthropically. Further, whether or not people pledge does not necessarily mean they are not committed to support—even quite generously—the campaign. 

So what does that mean for this campaign? It means prayer and steps of faith are required. If we are feeling comfortable as a church, it’s probably not the place where God wants us. So as leadership we are committed to prayer and eager to take steps of faith. 

As of January 10th, 2023, our Welcome Home! Campaign pledged income received was at $166,360 and our non-pledged income totaled $84,500. 

History would tell us that the bigger financial picture emerges after giving patterns are established. Perhaps by the end of the first quarter of 2023, we should have a clearer picture of the income side of the equation.

Keep in mind that due to the generosity of our congregation and the effective stewardship and cost savings from our staff during the last ministry year, $65,000 was allocated toward the campaign when this campaign began. 

Here is the total snapshot as of January 10th, 2023

$325,000 pledged ($166,360 received thus far)

$84,500 non-pledged income

$65,000 prior year giving applied to campaign

$474,500 identified toward this campaign

About capital replacement and improvement expenses and timing

We mention 9 “buckets” that we are trying to tackle with this campaign. Not all buckets—or capital replacement/improvement projects—cost the same amount nor warrant the same priority. Elders and Trustees have been listening to the congregation. In these early stages, we have prioritized those projects/expenditures. They are as follows:

  • Accelerated Debt Payments
  • Parking Lot Overhaul ($500,000 or 52+% of campaign)
  • Worship Center Seating (and the carpet underneath it)

Accelerated Debt Payments

Even before we asked the congregation to participate financially, we heard the two-fold concerns of some in the congregation:  

1) not take on more debt, and

2) ensure that our current debt (roughly $350,000) payments are accelerated.

Our current debt comprises a personal, interest free loan with a current balance of $. Our plan that was implemented Nov 1, 2022 is to pay off that loan by June 30 of 2023. Additionally, we committed to pay on our low-interest bank loan at a rate of $3,250 through June 2023, and then beginning July we will pay down the bank loan at a rate of $4,750 per month to the end of the loan term. That bank loan will balloon in March 2026 at which point we will need to refinance. 

Some have asked why we haven’t paid off the debt thus far. This relates to the rate of inflation of expenditures we know we need to incur; an inflationary rate that exceeds that of the low-interest loan rate.  

When we discuss our plan to not incur any long-term debt, we have some “tools” in our toolbox. We have a healthy balance in our bank account as a matter of course. Our guideline is to keep about three months of operating expenses in reserve. So we would sooner “borrow” from ourselves than take on additional debt. For example, we may borrow from ourselves, in order to place down payments on high ticket items, for example. 

Parking Lot Overhaul

This is our next priority. Our parking lot gets daily use. We have gone through extensive due diligence to vet 3 different companies. Further, one individual (and the leadership of that business) in our congregation has agreed to act as the general contractor for this capital improvement with their fees simply covering the hard costs incurred. So even a worst case scenario keeps us in the zone of our budgeted amount.

Parking lots are more complex than throwing down some asphalt and calling it good. In fact, parking lot longevity is directly correlated to the layers of soil, stone, and other layers underneath what we see and drive on. So when we talk about “worst case scenario” we are referring to what type of erosion has occurred over 22 years and the earth moving that may be needed; something we won’t fully know until the parking lot revamp is underway. We do know our water table has been high in various parts of the parking lot, but we don’t know the extent to which major surgery will be needed under the parking lot until we are able to see it.

The parking lot is a great example of what it means to step out in faith, holding in tension good stewardship.

For example, we could have chosen to pave the parking lot in three stages. This might have reduced our total campaign amount down to $650k (vs. $950k). At the same time the sheer magnitude of the equipment and volume of material required for a parking lot overhaul—staged 3 times—would cost us perhaps $50 or $60k more to stretch this project over three phases. Additionally the rate of inflation is increasing at higher rates than we can borrow money from ourselves or temporarily from our line of credit. 

So while a $650k campaign might feel more humanly comfortable and achievable in the short run, it is more costly and may not be the best stewardship over the long haul. 

We are grateful for a subset of our trustees that have spent hours vetting several companies and have been wrestling with the many crucial details related to the cost, timing, and quality so that this next iteration of the parking lot will last another 20 years!

Worship Center Seating 

Three of the “buckets” we are seeking to tackle with this campaign are somewhat intertwined with Worship Center seating. 

1) Removing seating in the worship center necessitates replacing the carpet under the pews, which

2) leads to the carpet in the balcony and stair wells (which is the only remaining vestige of surface—including green railings—that has not been refreshed in the building), with the exception of

3) about 100 chairs that usually reside in the Creekside and Courtyard rooms that are also green fabric. 

We have researched carpet and painting as it relates to process, timing,  logistics, quality, and cost in mind. Again, we have people in our congregation that work in these industries that desire to help us out in any way they can. We are grateful for those doing the due diligence and also for those offering up their expertise and assistance in these ways.

As for the chairs specifically, we are vetting 3 different companies. Chair technology has indeed changed over the years. And we have spent hours listening to the pros and cons of various seating options. Comfort, flexibility, durability, stackability, maintenance, aesthetic appeal, and cost…all values we are seeking to balance. A team of people will be providing input into any final decision. At this point, however, no decision has been made but for the fact we are confident we are exploring the products of some of the best companies. 

In the midst of the discussion about seating and strong attachments to certain types of seating in a church service and worship center setting, a more fundamental reality is worth noting.

The individual that repairs our pews has indicated that some of our pews are approaching the end of their life. While the pews look safe and sturdy, a few of them are not. Twenty-two years of wear and tear is bound to deteriorate all things—especially sturdy-looking pews that actually have a rich wood veneer but are made of particle board. 

In terms of costs, at this point we haven’t experienced any surprises—except perhaps positively. Meaning we may have an opportunity to spend less than anticipated given the options available as well as the input of those in our congregation that can help with this project.

January 7, 2023 Update

We are two months into our Welcome Home! campaign and already we have much to report on. Prayerfully, we hope to wrap up this campaign by the end of 2023. Yet, we remain committed to the Lord’s timing. With every campaign there are two components to a capital campaign; income and expenses. 

  • As an overview, our Welcome Home! Campaign is designed to be a 14-month campaign. 
  • The campaign seeks to tackle 9 different aspects of capital replacement and improvement over that same 14 month period if the Lord allows. You can read more here about the scope of these efforts. 
  • We have also committed to not going into long-term debt. 
  • Our capital campaign is volunteer-led, and has not been guided by a capital campaign consultant.

 

Let’s unpack both the income and expense side of the equation at these early stages of the campaign. 

 

Income:

 

Pledges: 

As is typical for church capital campaigns, we have encouraged our congregation to pledge toward the campaign. 

 

As of January 5th, 2023, our pledges are at $325,000.

 

Is that good, bad, or otherwise? This is a common question. 

The reality is that some view pledges as primarily a way to register their commitment for their own sake and their own faith journey, others view pledges as a way for the church to plan for expenditures, Still others are not inclined to pledge for a variety of reasons. Additionally, those who do pledge tend to pledge minimum amounts. It is common for pledged amounts to be exceeded by actual giving. 

 

We have learned  these things from the history of our capital campaign experiences. 

For church planning purposes, pledges are simply one data point for decision making as it relates to the amount and timing of expenditures. History would tell us that pledges may account for 50 to 70% of the dollars that may ultimately come in. More recent history would also indicate that, culturally, younger generations are less inclined to make pledges philanthropically.. Further, whether or not people pledge does not necessarily mean they are not committed to support—even quite generously—the campaign. 

 

So what does that mean for this campaign? It means prayer and steps of faith are required. If we are feeling comfortable as a church, it’s probably not the place where God wants us. So as leadership we are committed to prayer and eager to take steps of faith. 

 

As of January 5th, 2023, our Welcome Home! campaign income was at $166,360 (revised from prior report).

 

A natural question to ask at this point is “What portion of the $166,360 given thus far, offsets the $325,000 worth of pledges?”  The short answer is: we don’t know for sure. In part, that is because some pledges are made anonymously. Another part, is that those taking care of the income side of the capital campaign are volunteers who are graciously managing this important aspect of the campaign—something that takes significant time– in the margins of their time. History would tell us that the bigger financial picture emerges after giving patterns are established. Perhaps by the end of the first quarter of 2023, we should have a clearer picture of the income side of the equation.

 

About capital replacement and improvement expenses and timing

 

We mention 9 “buckets” that we are trying to tackle with this campaign. Not all buckets—or capital replacement/improvement projects—cost the same amount nor warrant the same priority. Elders and Trustees have been listening to the congregation. In these early stages, we have prioritized those projects/expenditures. They are as follows:

  • Accelerated Debt Payments
  • Parking Lot Overhaul ($500,000 or 52+% of campaign)
  • Worship Center Seating (and the carpet underneath it)

Accelerated Debt Payments

Even before we asked the congregation to participate financially, we heard the two-fold concerns of some in the congregation:  

 

1) not take on more debt, and

2) ensure that our current debt (roughly $350,000) payments are accelerated.

 

Our current debt comprises a personal, interest free loan with a current balance of $. Our plan that was implemented Nov 1, 2022 is to pay off that loan by June 30 of 2023. Additionally, we committed to pay on our low-interest bank loan at a rate of $3,250 through June 2023, and then beginning July we will pay down the bank loan at a rate of $4,750 per month to the end of the loan term. That bank loan will balloon in March 2026 at which point we will need to refinance. 

 

Some have asked we haven’t paid off the debt thus far. This relates to the rate of inflation of expenditures we know we need to incur; an inflationary rate that exceeds that of the low-interest loan rate.  

 

When we discuss our plan to not incur any long-term debt, we some “tools” in our toolbox. We have a healthy balance in our bank account as a matter of course. Our guideline is to keep about three months of operating expenses in reserve. So we would sooner “borrow” from ourselves than take on additional debt. For example, we may borrow from ourselves, in order to place down payments on high ticket items, for example. 

 

Parking Lot Overhaul

This is our next priority. Our parking lot gets daily use. We have gone through extensive due diligence to vet 3 different companies. Further, one individual (and the leadership of that business) in our congregation has agreed to act as the general contractor for this capital improvement with their fees simply covering the hard costs incurred. So even a worst case scenario keeps us in the zone of our budgeted amount.

 

Parking lots are more complex than throwing down some asphalt and calling it good. In fact, parking lot longevity is directly correlated to the layers of soil, stone, and other layers underneath what we see and drive on. So when we talk about “worst case scenario” we are referring to what type of erosion has occurred over 22 years and the earth moving that may be needed; something we won’t fully know until the parking lot revamp is underway. We do know our water table has been high in various parts of the parking lot, but we don’t know the extent to which major surgery will be needed under the parking lot until we are able to see it.

The parking lot is a great example of what it means to step out in faith, holding in tension good stewardship.

 

For example, we could have chosen to pave the parking lot in three stages. This might have reduced our total campaign amount down to $650k (vs. $950k). At the same time the sheer magnitude of the equipment and volume of material required for a parking lot overhaul—staged 3 times—would cost us perhaps $50 or $60k more to stretch this project over three phases. Additionally the rate of inflation is increasing at higher rates than we can borrow money from ourselves or temporarily from our line of credit. 

 

So while a $650k campaign might feel more humanly comfortable and achievable in the short run, it is more costly and may not be the best stewardship over the long haul. 

We are grateful for a subset of our trustees that have spent hours vetting several companies and have been wrestling with the many crucial details related to the cost, timing, and quality so that this next iteration of the parking lot will last another 20 years!

 

Worship Center Seating 

Three of the “buckets” we are seeking to tackle with this campaign are somewhat intertwined with Worship Center seating. 

 

1) Removing seating in the worship center necessitates replacing the carpet under the pews, which

2) leads to the carpet in the balcony and stair wells (which is the only remaining vestige of surface—including green railings—that has not been refreshed in the building), with the exception of

 

3) about 100 chairs that usually reside in the Creekside and Courtyard rooms that are also green fabric. 

 

We have researched carpet and painting as it relates to process, timing,  logistics, quality, and cost in mind. Again, we have people in our congregation that work in these industries that desire to help us out in any way they can. We are grateful for those doing the due diligence and also for those offering up their expertise and assistance in these ways.

 

As for the chairs specifically, we are vetting 3 different companies. Chair technology has indeed changed over the years. And we have spent hours listening to the pros and cons of various seating options. Comfort, flexibility, durability, stackability, maintenance, aesthetic appeal, and cost…all values we are seeking to balance. A team of people will be providing input into any final decision. At this point, however, no decision has been made but for the fact we are confident we are exploring the products of some of the best companies. 

In the midst of the discussion about seating and strong attachments to certain types of seating in a church service and worship center setting, a more fundamental reality is worth noting.

 

The individual that repairs our pews has indicated that some of our pews are approaching the end of their life. While the pews look safe and sturdy, a few of them are not. Twenty-two years of wear and tear is bound to deteriorate all things—especially sturdy-looking pews that actually have a rich wood veneer but are made of particle board. 

In terms of costs, at this point we haven’t experienced any surprises—except perhaps positively. Meaning we may have an opportunity to spend less than anticipated given the options available as well as the input of those in our congregation that can help with this project.

December 23, 2022 Update

Less than two months into our Welcome Home! campaign, and already we have much to report on. Prayerfully, we hope to wrap up this campaign by the end of 2023. Yet, we remain committed to the Lord’s timing. With every campaign there are two components to a capital campaign; income and expenses. 

  • As an overview, our Welcome Home! Campaign is designed to be a 14-month campaign. 
  • The campaign seeks to tackle 9 different aspects of capital replacement and improvement over that same 14 month period if the Lord allows. You can read more here about the scope these efforts. 
  • We have also committed to not going into long-term debt. 
  • Our capital campaign is volunteer-led, and has not been guided by a capital campaign consultant.

Let’s unpack both the income and expense side of the equation at these early stages of the campaign. 

Income:

Pledges: 

As is typical for church capital campaigns, we have encouraged our congregation to pledge toward the campaign. 

As of December 14, 2022, our pledges are at $318,000.

Is that good, bad, or otherwise? This is a common question. 

The reality is that some view pledges as primarily a way to register their commitment for their own sake and their own faith journey, others view pledges as a way for the church to plan for expenditures, Still others are not inclined to pledge for a variety of reasons. Additionally, those who do pledge tend to pledge minimum amounts. It is common for pledged amounts to be exceeded by actual giving. 

We know these things from the history of capital campaign experiences. 

For church planning purposes, pledges are simply one data point for decision making as it relates to the amount and timing of expenditures. History would tell us that pledges may account for 50 to 70% of the dollars that may ultimately come in. More recent history would also indicate that, culturally, younger generations are less inclined to pledge philanthropically even if they are the “subscription” generations. Further, whether or not people pledge does not necessarily mean they are not committed to support—even quite generously—the campaign. 

So what does that mean for this campaign? It means prayer and steps of faith are required. If we are feeling comfortable as a church, it’s probably not the place where God wants us. So as leadership we are committed to prayer and eager to take steps of faith. 

As of December 14, 2022, our Welcome Home! campaign income was at $170,000.

A natural question to ask at this point is “What portion of the $120,000 given thus far, offsets the $320,000 worth of pledges?”  The short answer is: we don’t know for sure. In part, that is because some pledges are made anonymously. Another part, is that those taking care of the income side of the capital campaign are volunteers who are graciously managing the income side of the campaign—something that takes significant time– in the margins of their time. History would tell us that the bigger financial picture emerges after giving patterns are established. Perhaps by the end of the first quarter of 2023, we should have a clearer picture of the income side of the equation.

About capital replacement and improvement expenses and timing

 We mention 9 “buckets” (you can read more here) that we are trying to tackle. Not all buckets cost the same amount nor warrant the same priority. Elders and Trustees have been listening to the congregation. In these early stages, we have prioritized those expenditures. They are as follows:

  • Accelerated Debt Payments
  • Parking Lot Overhaul ($500,000 is the worst case scenario—52+% of campaign)
  • Worship Center Seating (and the carpet underneath it.)

Accelerated Debt Payments

Even before we asked the congregation to participate financially, we heard the two-fold concerns of some in the congregation:  

1) not take on more debt, and

2) ensure that our current debt (roughly $350,000) payments are accelerated.

Our current debt comprises a personal, interest free loan with a current balance of $. Our plan, that was implemented Nov 1, 2022, is to pay off that loan by June 30 of 2023. Additionally, we committed to pay on our low-interest bank loan at a rate of $3,250 through June 2023, and then beginning July we will pay down the bank loan at a rate of $4,750 per month to the end of the loan term. That bank loan will balloon in March 2026 at which point we will need to refinance. 

Some have asked we haven’t paid off the debt thus far. This relates to the rate of inflation of expenditures we know we need to incur; an inflationary rate that exceeds that of the low-interest loan rate.  

When we discuss our plan to not incur any long-term debt, we some “tools” in our toolbox. We have a healthy balance in our bank account as a matter of course. Our guideline is to keep about three months of operating expenses in reserve. So we would sooner “borrow” from ourselves than take on additional debt. For example, we may borrow from ourselves, in order to place down payments on high ticket items, for example. 

Parking Lot Overhaul

This is our next priority. Our parking lot gets daily use. We have gone through extensive due diligence to vet 3 different companies. Further, one individual (and the leadership of that business) in our congregation has agreed to act as the general contractor for this capital improvement with their fees simply covering the hard costs incurred. So even a worst case scenario keeps us in the zone of our budgeted amount.

Parking lots are more complex than throwing down some asphalt and calling it good. In fact, parking lot longevity is directly correlated to the layers of soil, stone, and other layers underneath what we see and drive on. So when we talk about “worst case scenario” we are referring to what type of erosion has occurred over 22 years and the earth moving that may be needed; something we won’t’ fully know until the parking lot revamp is underway. We do know our water table has been high in various parts of the parking lot, but we don’t know the extent to which major surgery will be needed under the parking lot until we are able to see it.

The parking lot is a great example of what it means to step out in faith, holding in tension good stewardship. For example, we could have chosen to pave the parking lot in three stages. This might have reduced our total campaign amount down to $650k (vs. $950k). At the same time the sheer magnitude of the equipment and volume of material required for a parking lot overhaul—staged 3 times—would cost us perhaps $50 or $60k more to stretch this project over three phases. Additionally the rate of inflation is increasing at higher rates than we can borrow money from ourselves or temporarily from our line of credit. 

So while a $650k campaign might feel more humanly comfortable and achievable in the short run, it is more costly and may not be the best stewardship over the long haul. 

We are grateful for a subset of our trustees that have spent hours vetting several companies and have been wrestling with the many crucial details related to the cost, timing, and quality so that this next iteration of the parking lot will last another 20 years!

Worship Center Seating 

Three of the “buckets” we are seeking to tackle with this campaign are somewhat intertwined with Worship Center seating. 

1) Removing seating in the worship center necessitates replacing the carpet under the pews, which

2) leads to the carpet in the balcony and stairwells (which is the only remaining vestige of surface—including green railings—that has not been refreshed in the building), with the exception of

3) about 100 chairs that usually reside in the Creekside and Courtyard rooms that are also green fabric. 

We have researched carpet and painting as it relates to process, timing and logistics, quality, and cost in mind. Again, we have people in our congregation that work in these industries that desire to help us out in any way they can. We are grateful for those doing the due diligence and also for those offering up their expertise and assistance in these ways.

As for the chairs specifically, we are vetting 3 different companies. Chair technology has indeed changed over the years. And we have spent hours listening to the pros and cons of various seating options. Comfort, flexibility, durability, stackability, maintenance, aesthetic appeal, and cost…all values we are seeking to balance. A team of people will be providing input into any final decision. At this point, however, no decision has been made but for the fact we are confident we are exploring the products of some of the best companies. 

In the midst of the discussion about seating and strong attachments to certain types of seating in a church service and worship center setting, a more fundamental reality is worth noting.

The individual that repairs our pews has indicated that some of our pews are approaching the end of their life. While the pews look safe and sturdy, a few of them are not. Twenty-two years of wear and tear is bound to deteriorate all things—especially sturdy-looking pews that actually have a rich wood veneer but are made of particle board. 

In terms of costs, at this point we haven’t experienced any surprises—except perhaps positively. Meaning we may have an opportunity to spend less than anticipated given the options available as well as the input of those in our congregation that can help with this project.

Welcome Home!

It’s not just the subject matter to a sermon series, it’s also the theme to our proposed capital campaign.The church—the local church—is God’s plan A to share Christ with a lost and hurting world. The church is not the building, rather the church building is a home for His Church to gather to worship Him as we engage in authentic relationships through genuine community in order to individually and corporately reflect Christ more vividly each and every day.

Over a year ago we concluded our Project Renewal campaign. During that campaign we were able to hit the refresh button on most of the spaces inside our facility. We also added a Family Entrance and geared our facility toward even more flexible and adaptable ministry spaces.

As we launched the prior campaign, we knew that the age of our facility and the amazing opportunities God was placing in front of us would eventually require further investment beyond the success of Project Renewal.

Which is why we are so excited to reveal the next step in our pursuit of God’s will for Rush Creek: The Welcome Home! Campaign

Grace Of God

Rush Creek’s ministry is now in its 22nd year here in Byron Center. One doesn’t need to look far to evidence God at work in those who call Rush Creek their church home. A few conversations in the hallway on Sunday morning and you will meet those energized by men’s and women’s ministries, single ministries, community groups for all ages and stages of life. You will see children and students as well as new and seasoned Rush Creek families and individuals contributing to the life of this church and in their spheres of influence.

If you wander through the halls or even drive by the Rush Creek campus throughout the week, that same vibrant scene and more of those same opportunities can be evidenced nearly every day. While the building is not “the church,” our church building, facilities, and campus daily facilitate the authentic relationships and genuine community that can be found by those served on our campus here at Rush Creek. Inside those doors, the Church—God’s people—are intentionally equipped to become a more vivid reflection of Christ.

By God’s grace, extensive use of our campus is the blessing that leads us into this Welcome Home! Campaign. To whom much is given, much is required. And the blessing of such an amazing campus—gently used each and every day by hundreds of individuals— requires time, attention, finances, and resources beyond our annual ministry budget to continue to extend the ministry of our campus to the communities God has called us to serve.

Did You Know?

Rush Creek plays host to over 10 weekly ministry partners and community efforts, and over two dozen unique ongoing ministries of our church.

Each month we conduct or play host to over 100 unique ministry events.

On average, over 400 individuals engage in ministry on our campus each day.

Welcome Home! Campaign

Parking Lot Replacement -$500,000

The need to re-pave the parking lot is both a visible and felt need (literally). It may be helpful to know that our Trustees have thoroughly researched the economies of scale for replacing portions of the parking lot serially vs. repaving the whole parking lot at one time. The recommendation is that we would be better served and will save tens of thousands of dollars if we replace it all at one time. We have budgeted $500k and will aim toward replacing the parking lot in the Spring due to cash flow and optimal time of year for repaving. We won’t know for sure the full cost until we are ready to sign a contract closer to Spring.

Flat Roof Repair -$20,000

A prominent issue that our leadership team is passionate to address is the leak in/near the flat roof. This leak has been around for 15+ years. From an outside perspective, it is logical to ask why the problem hasn’t been addressed. Many attempts have been made, in fact. Yet, leaks are tricky things. And no contractor thus far—and there have been many—has been able to identify the breach or source of the leak. The roof wasn’t engineered with a potential for re-roofing in mind. Additionally our 22 year-old HVAC units (replacement cost of around $250k) complicate the diagnosis and therefore the fix. With the $20k we have a plan/quote to try one more “fix.” We may not definitively know if this attempt will have fixed the problem until Spring. But we believe it to be good stewardship to try this one last approach, as the more likely and assured fix would be closer to $500k including the replacement of the HVAC units.

The Outpost Due Diligence -$20,000

During one of our all-leadership team meetings, the most vibrant discussion centered around a new ministry building adjacent to our garage; this would both expand our opportunities for our student ministries, as well as provide a versatile multi-generational space and indoor/outdoor opportunities. This $20k allows us to dive deep into due diligence and planning to count the cost. This will include renderings, architectural designs, and perhaps even pulling heftier electrical and plumbing toward that area before/while the parking lot is being repaved.

Enhanced Security -$20,000

With the privilege of hosting on-campus an average of 400 people per day during the ministry year, we have a continuous need to enhance our security and the safety of our facilities. This campaign allocates $20k for specifically increasing the number of cameras, upgrading software, as well as retrofitting a handful of doors for security purposes. Paired with this financial investment, our security team leaders have defined roles and responsibilities, provide regular training, have expanded our team, and have developed increasingly intentional protocols for both physical and medical safety in order to be good stewards of the safety for those who God brings through our doors.

Replace Padded Seating Church-Wide -$225,000

This campaign proposal seeks to replace our current seating in the Worship Center, the Creekside Room, the Parkside Room, and the Courtyard Room. The proposal is to replace the pews in the main floor of the worship center with chairs. Further, the plan would be to include replacing the pews in the balcony with theater-style seating. Finally, there are a hundred and fifty green chairs throughout the building that would be replaced by purchasing matchingl padded seating throughout our church. Seating is among the last areas of the building that was not “renewed” during Project Renewal. An FAQ sheet regarding the rationale for changing from pews to chairs is available at the Connection desk. The cost of replacing seating is $225k.

Replace Carpet and Paint in Worship Center, Stairwells, and Balcony -$80,000

The last areas of the building that need to be refreshed to match the aesthetic of the rest of the building include the main floor of the worship center, the stairwells leading up to the balcony, and the balcony itself. What it means to finish these areas well is to re-carpet, paint the railings, and replace the modesty panels in the balcony. Based on our due diligence we have budgeted around $80k for these things.

Enhanced Website & Digital Presence -$10,000

The vast majority of those who visit Rush Creek have already checked us out online… and have done so over a period of time. In today’s world there is no need to guess whether a church might be a good church to attend. That decision is made well before they ever set foot on our campus. Our website hasn’t had a hard reset in over a decade, and it shows. Additionally, our iPhone and Android apps are defunct because it is not sustainable to maintain both an app and website separately. Further, since COVID we went from a monthly printed newsletter to a weekly e-newsletter and we rely even more heavily on social media avenues of communication to keep families informed in real-time. This $10k investment in our digital presence, the new front door to Rush Creek, will enhance our communication to our surrounding community.

Transportation -$25,000

Use of the church van, bus, and trailer is extensive. We average 15 van uses per month for 5 ministries. We also share use of the van with our sister churches Grace Bible Fellowship, Celebration Bible Church, and Frontline Bible Church. Bus use almost single handedly makes Drop Zone possible. While we use the bus once a week this year for DropZone, we’ve used it up to 3 times a week in the not too distant past. Current bus use averages 5 times a month with additional usage for special events. We also share our bus with Grace Bible Fellowship and Celebration Church. On average we transport 60 students per week with a vehicle that is road worthy within the Greater Grand Rapids area. Based on the age and lifecycle of these vehicles we would be remiss to not be planning to replace a vehicle over the next year.

Servicing Debt -$50,000

At the time of this writing, Rush Creek has about $350k of debt remaining which was incurred during Project Renewal. The Trustees have been intentional in discerning an accelerated rate of payment given the low cost of money and the high capital replacement costs due to inflation. With this campaign the Trustees plan to continue to service this debt at an accelerated rate. Further there are no plans to increase the long term debt as we embark on this campaign. The Trustees will pay close attention to the financial commitments made during this Welcome Home! Campaign and plan accordingly. They are already beginning to prioritize the timing of when and how the projects will be completed to match lead times while considering cash flow realities.

Welcome Home! Campaign Total - $950,000

A few things about your financial or
in-kind gifts…

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Only you, our staff accountant, and our church treasurer will know your pledges and gifts.

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Your pledges and gifts are made and held confidentially.

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Any pledges, are really promises made in good faith. We recognize that unforeseen circumstances arise that may alter the timing or amount of intended giving.

Frequently Asked Questions

We are grateful that 32 leaders in this church prayerfully considered, planned, and introduced this campaign to the congregation. Those same leaders were among the first to financially participate in the campaign. We are thankful to God for the unity, the community that continues to strive to be a reflection of Christ.

The approval of the congregation in October 2022 was to both raise and spend up to $950,000 for improvements and even laying groundwork for additional facilities. The leadership is committed to continuing to use prayerful discernment as to how, how much, and when to spend the dollars that are committed in this campaign. In other words, we will continue to sift those decisions through that lens of stewardship; God’s design an our faithfully following of that design for His ministry here at Rush Creek.

Why this campaign now?
Many additional capital items have come to the end of their life. We knew this would be the case as we embarked on Project Renewal (our last campaign). We have been able to tackle other capital replacements since that last campaign (like the entire replacement of our shingled roof!), but there is more to do. Additionally, around 40% of those who actively call Rush Creek their home church were not here during the last campaign. Despite the economy, giving remains strong, the Lord is at work, the capital replacement needs are real, and the leadership has been praying about each facet of this campaign for over one year.
Why tackle so much?
Over half of the capital campaign budget is to replace the parking lot. As leadership prayed over which capital replacements to tackle in the next year and half, we discerned that more money would be unnecessarily spent repaving the parking lot in two or more stages. And while some are asking the question “why tackle so much?”, others are asking the question “why not tackle more?” Both great questions that anchor us in prayer.
Is this the last campaign for a while?
No. We have literally dozens of furnaces, a/c units, large air handling units, a flat roof, and other expenditures that we can anticipate even after this campaign. With this current campaign, we are also laying groundwork for a new outbuilding for which the cost would potentially be paid for through a follow up campaign. What the congregation has approved is the next set of expenditures. With $7+ million dollars in insurable assets—to whom much is given, much is required.
Do we set aside money each year since we know that big ticket items will need to be replaced?
Our current annual ministry budget exceeded one million dollars for the first time this year. We are thankful that even in challenging economic times, God blesses us with the income for such a significant annual budget and amazing ministry opportunities. Philosophically, we have chosen to spend ministry dollars on today’s ministry. Historically we have chosen to tackle capital improvement and replacement, in large part, through capital campaigns. Additionally, a guideline has been to move income in excess of three months operating expenses from the ministry fund into the capital replacement fund. This important topic is something we revisit each year as leadership.
Why do we still have debt?
While we incurred some debt during Project Renewal, since then we have also chosen to tackle a few additional big ticket items such as reshingling our entire roof and repaving office parking spots with concrete in lieu of paying off debt. The choice has been made to not gamble with inflation, nor potentially incur higher interest rates. We could service our entire debt in full today if needed.
When will we pay off that debt?
Fifty thousand dollars is part of this campaign in order to continue making accelerated debt payments. If someone would like to designate their giving to paying off debt we are certainly open to that. At our current interest rate and the effect of inflation on capital replacement costs, we will carry a low interest rate loan as well as a no interest personal loan and continue to pay monthly. At our rate of payment/interest, our debt will be paid off in 2026, with the loan maturing in 2024. Immediately after the vote to proceed with the campaign, the Trustees sat down together to make sure we addressed the plan for debt first and foremost.
Will we incur more debt with this campaign?
No. Not long-term debt. The plan is to address these items in such a way that we borrow only for cash flow purposes. This means that as we anticipate healthy lead gifts and pledges, any initial borrowing would first be from ourselves. Rush Creek maintains a very healthy bank account balance. Second, we may need to dip into our low interest rate line of credit to manage cash flow prior to promised monies being given.
How long is the Welcome Home! Campaign?
The campaign is 14-months long spanning November of ‘22 through December of “23, encompassing two end year-end giving opportunities. Historically calendar year-end is consistently when our congregation demonstrates incredible financial generosity.
Can I designate my giving?
Yes. While general giving allows the most flexibility to accomplish the many tasks at hand, in years’ past, designated giving can also be a powerful encouragement to the congregation as well.
Who is being asked to give toward this campaign?
The short answer is everyone! In early November we asked the entire congregation to participate in the campaign. On Sunday morning you often hear us talk about the other ministries that use Rush Creek throughout the week. We will also avail to their leadership some giving opportunities for those in their programs.
What if we don’t meet our financial goal in pledges?
Historically, giving to campaigns exceeds what is pledged. This was true for our most recent campaigns. That to say, there is not a simple formula to know if we are on track. We are stepping out in faith. Faith, according to Scripture, is the assurance of the things hoped for; the conviction of things unseen. Humanly, it’s comfortable to know to have assurances. Yet, faith is what prompts us to rely on God’s provision. At the same time, we are attempting to tackle many different projects. And we can and will minimize our financial exposure simply by planning well the timing of our capital replacements/improvements.
Is all church leadership behind this campaign?
Yes. No one person is driving this agenda. This is our first campaign under a new leadership structure of the church and the unity has been a huge blessing navigating through a slightly different process. Among the Elders, Deacons, Trustees and Staff, all have shown unity moving forward there is no indication there will be anything less than 100% financial support behind this campaign.