More Grace FAQs
Why are we voting on the project before we know how much money has been committed?
Before we asked our church to make such a large financial commitment, we wanted to have a strong confirmation that the vast majority believe God is leading in this direction. The vote authorizes the Building Team to move forward within these budget parameters. If the commitments were to come in unusually low, the Building Team would likely revise the plan to fit the commitments.
We don't want to be a megachurch... The church is already bigger than it should be. Why are we building?
The Elders believe that God has given us this tract of land in a strategic place in our community. Rest assured… you can't fit a megachurch on this property! But we do want to be good stewards of the land we have, so the Elders have asked the Building Team to make a plan that maximizes this site. Beyond that, we believe that strategic church planting can help us respond to future growth. The great commission is all about growth, of making more disciples. We must always be open to adding new people to the kingdom, and we must always make room for more. We must also create adequate leadership and shepherding to make sure that every single person God brings us is well cared for. Know that we will work to foster relationships and community and try to make this place feel small even as we get larger. There are also ministry opportunities that come with a larger church that we hope to use strategically in the future.
Isn't it wrong for a church to go into debt?
The Bible warnings about the dangers of debt, but does not prohibit it. A careful use of debt can be very strategic to help a church reach more people with the gospel, especially if the community is growing quickly. Many of our members have responsible mortgages that have allowed them to secure homes for their families. We believe a similar responsible mortgage will help secure a home for our church family.
If we build, will we go back to one service?
When we moved to two services back in 2019, it was only partially because of space. A significant reason was to improve the quality of our children's ministry. One service means that children's workers have to miss the service. That means lots of rotations with kids seeing lots of different faces. Two services allow us to have more consistent teachers in classrooms as they serve during one service and attend the other. Even if the new building gives us enough room, we will still plan for two services so that our children's ministry can be as strong as possible.
A new building is very expensive. Why don't we just plant churches now?
Planting churches is far more expensive than people realize. To do it right, churches need to pay salaries for multiple staff members, purchase equipment and technology for a worship service, and secure a building either through rent or purchase. Even if we can find an old church building that's no longer used, the amount of retrofitting and updating likely required will be significant. We do want to plant a church someday. When we do, we want to fully resource that church and give it the highest chance of success. We also don't believe that church planting will relieve our crowding enough given the hundreds and hundreds of families moving near our campus. We need more space.
Why isn't there a kitchen in the new building?
To keep the project within budget, we had to keep the kitchen in the old building. The good news is we are doubling the size and adding a large pantry. This is a bit of a walk from the lobby of the new building, but we anticipate using the old building lobby for serving lines when we have events in the new building. That allows for maximum seating in the new lobby without making space for tables with food. Also, the new lobby has a café area where we can make and serve coffee, hopefully not needing the kitchen as much on Sunday mornings.
How do the secure children's wings work?
Three security doors will restrict access to children's areas to only parents, children, and staff. Safety team and check-in team members will monitor these doors. Parents will not be able to take children out of the secure area without a matching claim ticket to the child's name tag. All kids areas have their own restrooms in the secure wing, so children should not need to leave during services.
How will the new version of Grace Kids be different than the current version?
Nursery and preschool will be largely the same. Elementary kids will take advantage of the old auditorium for a kid-friendly worship service. This will include music, video, and live teaching. Kids will also break into age-appropriate small groups with their small group leader to talk about applying what they learned to their lives.
What if I can't keep my three-year commitment?
Your commitment is between you and God. This is not a legally binding pledge. This is simply a notice of your intention of what you hope to give over the three years. If your circumstances change, you can reach out confidentially to our counting team and revise your commitment, either up or down. This allows us to plan wisely as we move forward with the project.
When do we start building?
After commitments are made and financing secured, engineers begin designing the systems and structure of the building. We then secure permits from the county and hold a groundbreaking service. Construction then begins over a period of several months. We would love to see a groundbreaking in the spring of next year, and would really love to be in by Christmas of 2024. However, the permit process can be very bumpy, weather can sometimes slow things down, and supply chain challenges continue to delay construction. So final answer, we really don't know.
What is the adult classroom for in the old building?
For now, this allows us to hold occasional adult classes on Sunday mornings during services. You'll notice the room has two doors, one in the lobby and one in the secure zone. When used for adult classes, we lock the door to the kids' area. If we need this room for overflow of children, we lock the outer door and open the inner door. If the church grows and we need to add more staff, this room can be divided into 2–3 more offices. It's a very flexible space to anticipate growth.
What are the terms of the loan?
This is yet to be determined. Interest rates are high these days so we will shop around. We are talking with a Christian foundation that specializes in church loans and uses the proceeds to help plant new churches. They understand church financing and could offer us favorable rates.
You said 10% of all giving goes to missions. Will 10% of the More Grace project go to missions?
The Elders have approved 10% of regular giving to go to missions. Special project giving like this is considered separate. And, given the size of the project, we're going to need every dollar to succeed at finishing the building. However, none of our missions commitments will be affected in any way by this project.
What happens to the shed?
A larger parking lot means we need a larger water retention area. This means the shed has to move. It will relocate behind the old building.
Why not just build onto the old building? Why do we need the connector?
Building codes have changed significantly since our building was built. We are now required to add sprinklers to new construction. This would be very very expensive to do to the old building, so we are building a firewall with fire doors to make them two "separate" buildings and using a connector to allow access.
What if we outgrow the new building?
Both the building and the parking have been made with expansion in mind. The field next to the new building can house an additional building if we ever need it. We also own the property all the way to the road, so parking can be expanded as well.
Money in our family is really tight. What if I can't give to More Grace?
We are not asking each family to give the same amount of money. But we are asking each family to pray and ask God to lead them on how they might sacrifice to make this new campus a reality. One tool is a creative giving booklet that will be included in your packet. It is filled with lots of ideas on how to sacrifice in surprising ways to free up money for the next three years. Our challenge is to pray and ask God to lead your family in deciding what to do. If he leads you to give nothing to this project, then give nothing and feel completely at peace. If he leads you to give a truly sacrificial amount of money, then trust that he will provide. We believe God has led us thus far to this place, and so we believe he will bring the resources to get his work done.
Can I just redirect my normal giving to More Grace?
We are asking people to make a commitment to give above their normal giving to this project. If you can't do that, then it's better to not participate. Regular giving allows us to continue all the ministries we currently offer. If money is redirected away from these ministries, we might end up with a bigger building but with very little ministry going on inside.
Are there options to solve the growth problems without this large of an investment?
A church must grow in proportion to three areas: seats in the auditorium, space for children, and parking spots. All three have to be increased to handle growth. We looked at portable classrooms. These were surprisingly expensive and yet only solve one of those three challenges. We originally planned a building about $1 million more expensive, but we scaled it down to fit in the budget. Another option is to go to three services, but that brings with it a different kind of cost... increased volunteers, burnout, and less fellowship time between services. We believe the plan that we have addresses the most issues for the least cost.
Is this plan big enough?
Big enough is a tough thing to measure.
The original plan was a larger building that cost $1 million more. The team felt this pushed us into a mortgage that was too risky, so we asked the architect to start over and aim for a smaller square footage.
If we have to expand again, our membership will likely be twice what it is now and our giving capacity much higher. That makes Phase 2 much more doable and the amount of sacrifice across the congregation far less significant.
Why aren't there more adult education rooms?
We managed to squeeze in one adult education room in this phase. That's the potential for two classes across two services.
The primary reason for fewer rooms was cost. We could not fit more square footage into this phase.
A second reason is the feasibility of large-scale adult education on Sunday mornings. To do so would require full children's ministry during the adult education time. If these classes are during a service, that means children are in kids ministry for two services. This is difficult for young kids to do, it causes older kids to hear the same lesson twice (sometimes causing behavior problems), and it inflates our numbers and pushes us toward capacity much quicker. If we do adult ed classes between services, this means launching an entire new layer of children's ministry workers. That is very difficult at our size.
Are the nursery rooms too small?
Our architect has built dozens of churches and suggested these sizes based on best practice and kid-to-leader ratios.
What if not enough money is committed?
Once we know the final amount committed, the actual terms of financing agreements, and the vote by the congregation, church leaders will make a final decision on moving forward. If the amount of money committed is too low and the borrowing amount becomes too high, leaders will likely modify the project to fit within the new budget constraints. We want to be good stewards of both the opportunity set before us and our financial health.
If the commitment amount was too small to move forward at all with the project, we would likely pursue putting caps on children's classrooms or moving to three services.
After I make a commitment, when and how do I start giving?
The three year giving window will begin on December 1. Gifts to More Grace need to be clearly designated. You can do this:
Before we asked our church to make such a large financial commitment, we wanted to have a strong confirmation that the vast majority believe God is leading in this direction. The vote authorizes the Building Team to move forward within these budget parameters. If the commitments were to come in unusually low, the Building Team would likely revise the plan to fit the commitments.
We don't want to be a megachurch... The church is already bigger than it should be. Why are we building?
The Elders believe that God has given us this tract of land in a strategic place in our community. Rest assured… you can't fit a megachurch on this property! But we do want to be good stewards of the land we have, so the Elders have asked the Building Team to make a plan that maximizes this site. Beyond that, we believe that strategic church planting can help us respond to future growth. The great commission is all about growth, of making more disciples. We must always be open to adding new people to the kingdom, and we must always make room for more. We must also create adequate leadership and shepherding to make sure that every single person God brings us is well cared for. Know that we will work to foster relationships and community and try to make this place feel small even as we get larger. There are also ministry opportunities that come with a larger church that we hope to use strategically in the future.
Isn't it wrong for a church to go into debt?
The Bible warnings about the dangers of debt, but does not prohibit it. A careful use of debt can be very strategic to help a church reach more people with the gospel, especially if the community is growing quickly. Many of our members have responsible mortgages that have allowed them to secure homes for their families. We believe a similar responsible mortgage will help secure a home for our church family.
If we build, will we go back to one service?
When we moved to two services back in 2019, it was only partially because of space. A significant reason was to improve the quality of our children's ministry. One service means that children's workers have to miss the service. That means lots of rotations with kids seeing lots of different faces. Two services allow us to have more consistent teachers in classrooms as they serve during one service and attend the other. Even if the new building gives us enough room, we will still plan for two services so that our children's ministry can be as strong as possible.
A new building is very expensive. Why don't we just plant churches now?
Planting churches is far more expensive than people realize. To do it right, churches need to pay salaries for multiple staff members, purchase equipment and technology for a worship service, and secure a building either through rent or purchase. Even if we can find an old church building that's no longer used, the amount of retrofitting and updating likely required will be significant. We do want to plant a church someday. When we do, we want to fully resource that church and give it the highest chance of success. We also don't believe that church planting will relieve our crowding enough given the hundreds and hundreds of families moving near our campus. We need more space.
Why isn't there a kitchen in the new building?
To keep the project within budget, we had to keep the kitchen in the old building. The good news is we are doubling the size and adding a large pantry. This is a bit of a walk from the lobby of the new building, but we anticipate using the old building lobby for serving lines when we have events in the new building. That allows for maximum seating in the new lobby without making space for tables with food. Also, the new lobby has a café area where we can make and serve coffee, hopefully not needing the kitchen as much on Sunday mornings.
How do the secure children's wings work?
Three security doors will restrict access to children's areas to only parents, children, and staff. Safety team and check-in team members will monitor these doors. Parents will not be able to take children out of the secure area without a matching claim ticket to the child's name tag. All kids areas have their own restrooms in the secure wing, so children should not need to leave during services.
How will the new version of Grace Kids be different than the current version?
Nursery and preschool will be largely the same. Elementary kids will take advantage of the old auditorium for a kid-friendly worship service. This will include music, video, and live teaching. Kids will also break into age-appropriate small groups with their small group leader to talk about applying what they learned to their lives.
What if I can't keep my three-year commitment?
Your commitment is between you and God. This is not a legally binding pledge. This is simply a notice of your intention of what you hope to give over the three years. If your circumstances change, you can reach out confidentially to our counting team and revise your commitment, either up or down. This allows us to plan wisely as we move forward with the project.
When do we start building?
After commitments are made and financing secured, engineers begin designing the systems and structure of the building. We then secure permits from the county and hold a groundbreaking service. Construction then begins over a period of several months. We would love to see a groundbreaking in the spring of next year, and would really love to be in by Christmas of 2024. However, the permit process can be very bumpy, weather can sometimes slow things down, and supply chain challenges continue to delay construction. So final answer, we really don't know.
What is the adult classroom for in the old building?
For now, this allows us to hold occasional adult classes on Sunday mornings during services. You'll notice the room has two doors, one in the lobby and one in the secure zone. When used for adult classes, we lock the door to the kids' area. If we need this room for overflow of children, we lock the outer door and open the inner door. If the church grows and we need to add more staff, this room can be divided into 2–3 more offices. It's a very flexible space to anticipate growth.
What are the terms of the loan?
This is yet to be determined. Interest rates are high these days so we will shop around. We are talking with a Christian foundation that specializes in church loans and uses the proceeds to help plant new churches. They understand church financing and could offer us favorable rates.
You said 10% of all giving goes to missions. Will 10% of the More Grace project go to missions?
The Elders have approved 10% of regular giving to go to missions. Special project giving like this is considered separate. And, given the size of the project, we're going to need every dollar to succeed at finishing the building. However, none of our missions commitments will be affected in any way by this project.
What happens to the shed?
A larger parking lot means we need a larger water retention area. This means the shed has to move. It will relocate behind the old building.
Why not just build onto the old building? Why do we need the connector?
Building codes have changed significantly since our building was built. We are now required to add sprinklers to new construction. This would be very very expensive to do to the old building, so we are building a firewall with fire doors to make them two "separate" buildings and using a connector to allow access.
What if we outgrow the new building?
Both the building and the parking have been made with expansion in mind. The field next to the new building can house an additional building if we ever need it. We also own the property all the way to the road, so parking can be expanded as well.
Money in our family is really tight. What if I can't give to More Grace?
We are not asking each family to give the same amount of money. But we are asking each family to pray and ask God to lead them on how they might sacrifice to make this new campus a reality. One tool is a creative giving booklet that will be included in your packet. It is filled with lots of ideas on how to sacrifice in surprising ways to free up money for the next three years. Our challenge is to pray and ask God to lead your family in deciding what to do. If he leads you to give nothing to this project, then give nothing and feel completely at peace. If he leads you to give a truly sacrificial amount of money, then trust that he will provide. We believe God has led us thus far to this place, and so we believe he will bring the resources to get his work done.
Can I just redirect my normal giving to More Grace?
We are asking people to make a commitment to give above their normal giving to this project. If you can't do that, then it's better to not participate. Regular giving allows us to continue all the ministries we currently offer. If money is redirected away from these ministries, we might end up with a bigger building but with very little ministry going on inside.
Are there options to solve the growth problems without this large of an investment?
A church must grow in proportion to three areas: seats in the auditorium, space for children, and parking spots. All three have to be increased to handle growth. We looked at portable classrooms. These were surprisingly expensive and yet only solve one of those three challenges. We originally planned a building about $1 million more expensive, but we scaled it down to fit in the budget. Another option is to go to three services, but that brings with it a different kind of cost... increased volunteers, burnout, and less fellowship time between services. We believe the plan that we have addresses the most issues for the least cost.
Is this plan big enough?
Big enough is a tough thing to measure.
The original plan was a larger building that cost $1 million more. The team felt this pushed us into a mortgage that was too risky, so we asked the architect to start over and aim for a smaller square footage.
If we have to expand again, our membership will likely be twice what it is now and our giving capacity much higher. That makes Phase 2 much more doable and the amount of sacrifice across the congregation far less significant.
Why aren't there more adult education rooms?
We managed to squeeze in one adult education room in this phase. That's the potential for two classes across two services.
The primary reason for fewer rooms was cost. We could not fit more square footage into this phase.
A second reason is the feasibility of large-scale adult education on Sunday mornings. To do so would require full children's ministry during the adult education time. If these classes are during a service, that means children are in kids ministry for two services. This is difficult for young kids to do, it causes older kids to hear the same lesson twice (sometimes causing behavior problems), and it inflates our numbers and pushes us toward capacity much quicker. If we do adult ed classes between services, this means launching an entire new layer of children's ministry workers. That is very difficult at our size.
Are the nursery rooms too small?
Our architect has built dozens of churches and suggested these sizes based on best practice and kid-to-leader ratios.
What if not enough money is committed?
Once we know the final amount committed, the actual terms of financing agreements, and the vote by the congregation, church leaders will make a final decision on moving forward. If the amount of money committed is too low and the borrowing amount becomes too high, leaders will likely modify the project to fit within the new budget constraints. We want to be good stewards of both the opportunity set before us and our financial health.
If the commitment amount was too small to move forward at all with the project, we would likely pursue putting caps on children's classrooms or moving to three services.
After I make a commitment, when and how do I start giving?
The three year giving window will begin on December 1. Gifts to More Grace need to be clearly designated. You can do this:
- By setting up a separate recurring online gift to More Grace.
- By dropping a separate check in the giving box with "More Grace" in the memo.
- By mailing a check to the church with "More Grace" in the memo.
We do not use giving envelopes at Grace, so mark any designations on the check itself. If you wish to give cash, put it in an envelope and mark it with "More Grace".
If you wish to give shares of stocks, contact Jason Pflug at finances@gracebible.com for transfer instructions. Be sure to talk to him before selling any shares as there are significant tax implications.
I feel like the decision is approaching too fast and that the church needs more time to pray about it. What should I do?
The elders are trying to seek the Lord on this decision and to discern his timing. If your sense of God's leading is that the church needs more time, reach out to one of the pastors and explain your concern.
What if my question isn't on here?
Reach out! You can email Eric at eric@gracebible.com or text him at 608.719.8545.
If you wish to give shares of stocks, contact Jason Pflug at finances@gracebible.com for transfer instructions. Be sure to talk to him before selling any shares as there are significant tax implications.
I feel like the decision is approaching too fast and that the church needs more time to pray about it. What should I do?
The elders are trying to seek the Lord on this decision and to discern his timing. If your sense of God's leading is that the church needs more time, reach out to one of the pastors and explain your concern.
What if my question isn't on here?
Reach out! You can email Eric at eric@gracebible.com or text him at 608.719.8545.