May 11, 2023
Dear Central Church,
We’ve had two very productive and positive vision meetings in the last week. I’m very excited to be moving forward with the “Our Turn Now” initiative.
For this week’s Loop, I decided to share with you some of the “Frequently Asked Questions” that came up in our meetings. I hope they help you understand where we are and how God is moving all of us to be a part of this exciting chapter of the Central Church story.
If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m praying for an amazing move of God on Commitment Sunday, May 21.
Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark
How does this help us reach people for Jesus?
Sunday morning worship and the regular mid-week programming of our church remains people’s “first connection” with our church. It’s in these environments that the Gospel is shared and significant steps towards faith take place.
The proposed changes to our facility recognize what we know about new guests at Central. People come to our church for the first time for one of three reasons:
Something is new (just moved to town for a new job, recently got married, had a baby, etc.)
Something is missing (looking for answers, exploring faith, etc.)
Something is broken (addiction, struggling marriage, family discord, etc.)
The remodeled space will make a positive first impression and provide for a welcoming and inviting space as they work through whatever may be new, missing, or broken in their lives. The expanded Upper Atrium provides multiple points of connection, and the redesigned Sanctuary ensures that our “passionate worship” and Gospel message is communicated beautifully and clearly. The main driver behind this vision is to redesign our spaces so that any barrier to the Gospel is removed and that our space is fully optimized for ministry.
How will we practice baptism in the redesigned sanctuary?
On baptism Sundays, a baptistry will be placed on the platform that highlights the sacrament and allows a better view of the candidate experiencing this life-transforming moment. Although it will be mobile, it will be a high-quality piece of religious furniture and aesthetically pleasing.
Will there be space for the choir?
Yes! The choir will sing from movable stage pieces that will be configured similar to how the platform is currently configured for the choir. These stage pieces can be removed when needed.
What will the seating arrangement be in the redesigned sanctuary?
The seating capacity of the sanctuary will remain basically the same with four main sections of seating. The pews will be upgraded to movable chairs that match the new flooring and wall colors. The chairs will be arranged in rows similar to how our space is configured now.
Movable seating is a strategic decision by our board. It allows the space to have maximum versatility and flexibility. This allows ministry leaders to be creative in how they design services and programs like VBS or a Christmas Eve carols service “in the round.”
From a financial stewardship perspective, the estimates we received to reupholster the pews is equal or more than the cost of moveable chairs. Furthermore, as we think about “stewarding” the limited square footage that we have, we made the decision to go to moveable seating so that the sanctuary could be used for different types of events in addition to Sunday morning worship. We want all of our ministry spaces to not only be aesthetically pleasing, but functional and multi-dimensional.
How long will the construction take place?
Between 4-6 months
Where will we worship in the interim?
Beginning on June 18, we will worship in the Student Center.
What will the worship schedule be during the interim and is this change permanent?
Beginning on June 18, our worship times will move to 9am and 10:30am. Formation Groups will meet during these times as well. Contact your group leader to see if your group is meeting at 9 or 10:30.
Again, this decision is strategic. We want to position our church well for those who are looking for a church home. Church planting data suggests that 9am is a better time than 8:30, and 10:30 is a better time than 11. We need to always think like missional church planters. This is how 82 year old churches thrive!
And just from a practical standpoint, it means a little more sleep on Sunday and you get out just a little earlier. Just FYI, our pastors and children’s ministry volunteers will tell you: Lionel Richie is wrong - there is nothing EASY about Sunday morning. :)
How long does this giving campaign last?
This campaign is a continuation of the original campaign that was launched in February of 2022. We have chosen to keep it as a two-year campaign, extending the end date only slightly to June of 2024. An additional $700,000 in this window is a robust goal, but with the Lord helping us and everyone giving sacrificially, we can do it!
The church paid off its mortgage last year, how is that expenditure being reallocated in the budget? Could that excess be used for this?
The short answer is that several capital expenditures were put on hold while we focused on paying off the mortgage. Having retired the mortgage, those funds for last budget year and for this upcoming year have been reallocated towards building maintenance and improvements outside the scope of the “Our Turn Now” vision.
Additionally, some of the savings accrued from paying off the mortgage was used to underwrite the Student Center remodel, which was a part of the original 2022 vision. To the glory of God, the Student Center was completed debt free and under budget ($380k).
The current general budget includes significant funding for maintenance so that we can adequately care for the facility God has given us. This is possible because we are debt free.
What is the financing plan for seeing this vision become a reality?
With $915k already in hand, we’ll be able to begin construction immediately. We are trusting God to provide the rest by June of 2024 through the “Our Turn Now” giving initiative. However, since it is unlikely that all funds committed will be received during the construction period, we’ll need to use a temporary construction line of credit.
Your church board is asking for your support for this. You will have the opportunity to vote to authorize the use of this line of credit on Sunday, June 4. The vote will also authorize the board to arrange for long-term financing should the need arise. Our finance team is waiting to see what God does on commitment Sunday to determine what this long-term arrangement will look like.
Who do I contact about making a non-cash gift?
You can contact me directly for creative non-cash gifts like appreciated securities, stock, real estate, or other non-cash items. We’ll work together with our executive pastor, Raymond Moore, and our treasurer, Amy Ashlock, to execute efficient and tax-wise transfer of assets to the church.
