Why are the elders and pastors asking the church family to participate in a giving campaign at this time?
Since arriving at our new Eastchase Campus, we have realized the need for Children’s and Community Group facilities that compliment our main building and provide greater opportunity to reach families that come to our church. Our recent renovation of nursery space was our first step toward this goal. A capital campaign will enable us to build a Children’s Building debt-free as well as help us reduce present indebtedness for future ministry resourcing.
How much money do we hope to raise?
We hope to raise between $6.5-$10 million. This amount is based on our present budget, our previous campaign and the anticipated results for churches of our size in a three-year campaign. However, any amount that is pledged represents sacrificial giving by our congregation and will give us reason to celebrate.
What is the impact on our other facilities?
By relocating children into a new facility, we will free space in our present Kid Connection building to be used for Community Group rooms. This shift will enable us to remove the portable buildings from our site, saving the church approximately $65,000 a year!
Will we incur any new debt by building a children’s ministry facility?
No. In June 2006, the Elder Board passed a resolution to incur no new debt while building a new building. This means that we will take on no long-term or short-term loans. In other words, the sooner our congregation generously and faithfully responds, the sooner we will break ground and complete construction.
How will we address our existing debt with the campaign?
We will continue to pursue reducing debt while also improving our ministry facilities. As we raise money for our new facilities, we will also be significantly reducing our present debt. Every dollar used to pay down debt will free up future ministry resources.
When will we break ground on the new children’s ministry facility?
This depends on how much is pledged and how quickly contributions are received. Since we are building our new facility on a cash-basis, we will need more financial commitments early in the campaign. Our Building Committee is presently working with our architects to begin construction as soon as possible with a “pay as we go” phased plan of construction.
Would we consider selling the 10-acre tract the church owns fronting I-30?
The 10 acres’ frontage on Highway I-30 offers visibility of the church. The intention of the original donors of PBC’s land was that the visibility of I-30 frontage would be a tool for God to use to bring more people to become fully developing followers of Christ. We desire to retain the I-30 property for a sign and future expansion. If the Lord desires us to sell the property, we are hopeful that a PBC investor – or group of investors – would purchase the property and hold it until we had a sense of God’s will for the property long-term.
Do we have any money saved toward the Children’s Building?
Yes. As of March 11, 2007, we have received approximately $3.5 million in cash and pledges toward the total campaign. These funds, presently placed in an interest-bearing account, are from the following: approximately $800,000 from the sale of 22-acres last year (this money was directed, by the original land donors, to be used for a Children’s facility); $247,000 from faithful attendees who have continued to contribute to our original TK2 (Children’s Building account); and approximately $2,450,000 from generous donors who have given to our future vision.
How much will the building cost?
If we build on site, our present architectural plans estimate that an overall 42,000 square foot project (33,000 children’s building, 7,000 commons, 2,000 renovation) will be $6.9 million.
What if we don’t raise all the money we need?
We hope that all PBC attendees will catch the vision for our ministry to children and financial freedom. The timing of contributions will determine the schedule of our construction. We will only build on a cash basis.
Will we also invest in other ministries at this time?
Yes. Depending on how much is pledged, we are hoping to allocate some of our campaign resources to present initiatives, including student ministry, missions, assimilation and local outreach.
What are our expenses in this campaign?
Every campaign incurs necessary expenses to communicate the vision to every person. Brochures, mailings, invitations, videos and DVDs will be produced. Our Campaign Steering Committee will get bids and submit budgets for their respective areas of responsibility. Many PBC members are offering their products or professional services at dramatically reduced prices – or in some cases, at no charge – for the campaign.
Are we using an outside consultant to help us with the campaign?
No. God has given us staff personnel who have significant fundraising experience in both local church and other non-profit settings. For this reason, and because of the great team of volunteers we’ve assembled on the Campaign Committee, we believe that hiring a fundraising specialist is unnecessary.
Would these new facilities allow all children’s programming to be offered both hours?
It would certainly provide us the flexibility to do that. However, the smaller number of children in some age groups (5th and 6th grade, for example) may continue to dictate a one-hour programming schedule so that the group dynamics are maximized for learning and interaction. For these older children, the social dynamic of seeing friends at church becomes more important.
Have we considered extending the Kid Connection versus adding to the Main Building?
Yes. But a greater sense of campus integration would be generated by extending the Main Building to include the Children’s Facility. The Commons area that links the Children’s Building with the Main Building is a cost, but we believe it will be the element that develops the feeling of completion for the campus.
I remember the cost overruns from when we first move to the Eastchase campus. What’s going to be different this time?
Lots! We are using a “Design/Build” process that means that our architect and construction contractor are the same company. They become contractually obligated to design a building that is “designed not to exceed” the contracted price. Many churches and companies now build under this new combined services contract that wasn’t as prevalent when we first built our facilities. Many of the cost overruns from our initial building phase can be attributed to the independent architect designing and engineering a facility that cost more to build than estimated. The Elders and Building Committee are demanding that we will not repeat the process we used previously.
Are there members of PBC that can help?
Yes – and we are relying on them in many ways. The Building Committee is made up of construction and architecture professionals who have given the our church wise counsel throughout the process. To eliminate any conflicts of interest, these Committee Members decided not to have their firms bid on the architecture/construction job. Instead, they have become the church’s advocate throughout the process.
Have we considered all the options available to minimize costly mistakes and streamline construction?
Yes, and we believe that the Design/Build process would produce the best results. Consequently, that requires us going with one architect/builder. That means that the company that designs our new building will be the same company to actually build it. After careful review, the Committee and Elder Board selected Beck Group to serve in that role.
What do we pay for the temporaries used for Community Groups and Children’s Ministry?
We pay approximately $65,000 a year to rent the temporaries. Their removal will eliminate that expense from our budget.
How did we do on the last building campaign?
There are several attributes of the campaign that deserve mention. On managing cost escalation, we did NOT deliver as expected. On meeting congregational expectations on what we were building, we did NOT deliver as expected. But here’s the good news – we DID meet expectations for generating greater than 2 times the annual budget (total pledges of $2.8 million represented 2.3 times our annual budget at that time of $1.2 million). And the even better news is that our generous congregation actually gave $3.4 million – surpassing our pledge total by 21%!
What is our current indebtedness?
We presently owe $8,999,999 on the current facility. We will NOT incur any additional debt to build. We will only build on a cash basis.
Could we phase in building the Commons and Children’s Building onsite?
Yes. We are investigating ways to phase in the facility.
How long would it take to build a new building?
Our architects estimate it would take 12 months to complete the Children’s Building once we break ground.