To learn more about the Hunter Hall Remodel project, click here.

CHURCH CONFERENCE & VOTE
Sunday, December 8 | 11:30 AM

On December 8, immediately following worship, we will have a very important Church Conference to consider and vote on our long-planned remodel project. This will be a ballot vote (of church members present at the meeting), and I hope that everyone will prayerfully seek the Holy Spirit’s leadership on this crucial decision. We’ve called this proposal, “The Next Chapter,” in recognition of the long history of our church and the series of era-defining risks and sacrifices that have led us to today. The recommendation from our committees is that the church would move forward with the proposed renovation of Hunter Hall and the addition of a covered porte-cochere on the west side of the sanctuary. The bids have come in at $10.2 million, and the church Finance Committee would be responsible for securing financing to cover the difference between what we have raised (currently $4.5 million) and the final costs.

The original goal of this project has not changed:

• Update our children’s facilities to excellence: The current quality of our campus is hindering our ministry effectiveness and our ability to reach new people. 

• Enhance security on our campus—particularly in our children’s areas

• Provide a welcoming and inviting space on this end of our campus: We currently have four entrances to Hunter Hall that look similar from the outside and enter long hallways inside. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why has this taken so long?

During the pandemic, many employees in engineering firms and subcontracting firms retired. In some cases we have waited months for engineering reports or weeks to have bids submitted. We have also worked with all parties on value engineering—selecting materials and methods that provide cost savings while preserving the goals of the project. 

Why is this so expensive?

Construction is very expensive across the board right now. Subcontractors are busy. Employee costs, material costs, and insurance costs have all jumped. The price per square foot for this project is in line with projects in our area and with churches in other communities. Hunter Hall is a big building—27,000 sq.ft. The mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems date back to 1963 and are at the end of life. In addition, we have expensive abatement issues that must be addressed with any construction. 

Are there other (cheaper) options? 

We would find it difficult to achieve our goals for less. If we gave up on those goals, we could do nothing and continue to repair what is broken. We could also choose to paint and redo surfaces like flooring and fixtures. This approach would mask the failing plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems and would leave us without the kind of welcome space and children’s facilities that other churches offer. 

Why doesn’t the exterior of this project follow the classical style of the front of the church?

Through a lengthy process, a committee of long-time members of our church came to agreement on the proposed design as an exciting addition to our campus. Given the diversity of our church, no design will appeal to everyone. The proposal does meet our goal: to have an obvious point of entrance into an open, welcoming space. The beautiful, classical architecture along the front of our campus is a great treasure. It is also, however, an expensive style to replicate today. We could certainly spend much, much more to follow that design along the back of our campus, but that might be considered poor stewardship. Our mission is not to promote a style of architecture but to introduce people to Jesus Christ through our church. If the design does not suit your taste, please prayerfully weigh if the design is somehow essential to our mission as a congregation. 

If you love the classic design of the front of our church, with this project you are not losing anything you love. Neither the soaring columns at the front our building nor the beauty of our foyer is being replaced. What is being addressed are the dreary hallways of Hunter Hall and the very utilitarian back side of our campus. 

What are the risks of doing this?

The costs are significant, and we would be incurring debt for the first time since 1963. 

How would we finance and cover the payment?

The Finance Committee has suggested we borrow both from a commercial lender and from ourselves, through reassigning some endowed funds. This approach would keep a monthly payment at a manageable level. We would cover the monthly payment with funds from our general budget, our capital budget, and end-of-year surplus. 

What are the risks of not doing this?

Continuing with facilities that are inadequate and extremely dated compared to what families experience at other churches will severely limit our opportunities for growth. This has hindered our church’s ministries in recent years. This would certainly be discouraging to our current families with children who have been looking forward to updated space. This would also be discouraging to our staff who are trying to overcome ministry in facilities that are decades overdue for upgrades. It would create obstacles to hiring staff in the future, as well.

Delaying and redesigning carry additional risks. With construction costs continuing to increase, we could spend a year redesigning and reducing the scope by 30%, only to find that construction costs have increased again.  

Will we grow if we do this?

Not necessarily. This investment in our church facilities will certainly generate excitement and communicate to those who visit that children are important to us. Excellent facilities are an important piece of the puzzle. We must combine that with our continued obedience to the Lord, boldness in sharing our faith, and a commitment among all of us to invite people to church.

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