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ImagineIn Ephesians 3:20, Paul tells us that our God is able to accomplish exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.
At Christ Community Church, we exist to awaken ordinary people to extraordinary life in Christ-centered community. We are a "sending church," cultivating ministers of the Gospel and missionaries to send out both locally and to the ends of the earth! |
We imagine a place on our campus where we take ministers, students, corporate leaders, moms and dads and people from all walks of life and empower them to GO and share Christ where the Lord leads them. This new facility will exist to facilitate all types of leadership development, student growth and discipleship for the Kingdom of God. We ask you to pray about how the Lord would have you to participate in this season of imagination. What are your hopes? What are your dreams? And, How is God calling you to pray and give to this project?
Consider Giving
Potential Giving Chart
Make a Pledge
Financial Planning Overview
History of Vision: At A Glance
After seeing a significant need to enlarge our facilities for our student ministries, Pastor Mike Hofer and a team of general contractors, a commercial property manager, developer, landscaper, and members from CCC’s ministry team, Pastor Keith Cowart, Pastor Derrick Shields, and Church Administrator, Ken Himes, began working together to develop an action plan.
The first proposal, a “Barn in the Woods”-type building that would be fully centered around accommodating our youth, was brought before the congregation in 2017, beginning the start of our Phase 1 pledge campaign.
After a significant time in prayer and deliberation, the Pastoral Leadership Team and Board of Directors felt that the vision was too small and that the Lord had bigger plans to include both students and programs that would support future Kingdom growth (i.e. church planting, pastoral leadership development, banquets, rehearsal dinners, and other events where the accommodation of 100-200 people was necessary.)
The planning team then revisited and expanded the vision of the facility to include more classrooms and a relocation next to the current facility. The exterior plans were also altered to blend with the current CCC structure. A join meeting between the Resource Management Team and Planning Team, which consisted of an architect, engineer, two commercial property managers, a developer, facilities manager, nonprofit building project manager and three general contractors, was held and a recommendation to the Board of Directors was made. The Board then approved the recommendation of the expanded vision.
Earlier this year, the Phase II proposal was presented before the congregation and a pledge campaign began. As pledges were made, the Board of Directors voted to move forward. When a congregational vote took place, the vast majority of the votes were in favor of moving forward with the construction of the facility (85% in favor and 15% opposed). The approval to move forward with construction is still pending by the Alabama-Georgia Conference of the Free Methodist Church and financing has yet to be approved by the Board of the Free Methodist Foundation. There is a three-year plan in place to service the construction loan and reduce the debt with the intention of having a final campaign in 2021 to pay off any remaining balance that may exist. We will use the same methodology as year’s previous when debt was eliminated on the current facility.
The first proposal, a “Barn in the Woods”-type building that would be fully centered around accommodating our youth, was brought before the congregation in 2017, beginning the start of our Phase 1 pledge campaign.
After a significant time in prayer and deliberation, the Pastoral Leadership Team and Board of Directors felt that the vision was too small and that the Lord had bigger plans to include both students and programs that would support future Kingdom growth (i.e. church planting, pastoral leadership development, banquets, rehearsal dinners, and other events where the accommodation of 100-200 people was necessary.)
The planning team then revisited and expanded the vision of the facility to include more classrooms and a relocation next to the current facility. The exterior plans were also altered to blend with the current CCC structure. A join meeting between the Resource Management Team and Planning Team, which consisted of an architect, engineer, two commercial property managers, a developer, facilities manager, nonprofit building project manager and three general contractors, was held and a recommendation to the Board of Directors was made. The Board then approved the recommendation of the expanded vision.
Earlier this year, the Phase II proposal was presented before the congregation and a pledge campaign began. As pledges were made, the Board of Directors voted to move forward. When a congregational vote took place, the vast majority of the votes were in favor of moving forward with the construction of the facility (85% in favor and 15% opposed). The approval to move forward with construction is still pending by the Alabama-Georgia Conference of the Free Methodist Church and financing has yet to be approved by the Board of the Free Methodist Foundation. There is a three-year plan in place to service the construction loan and reduce the debt with the intention of having a final campaign in 2021 to pay off any remaining balance that may exist. We will use the same methodology as year’s previous when debt was eliminated on the current facility.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How did the idea of a proposed youth building originate?
When building our current facility in 2006-2007, we were limited on the total amount of square footage we could afford to build. Thus, we decided to use multipurpose rooms throughout the building. Children, Youth, and other weekly ministries would all share the same spaces. Within three years, our shared rooms had become overloaded, and so we added four portables to try to alleviate the overcrowding we were experiencing. This helped for a few years, but the continued growth in both our Children’s and Student Ministries over the past three years caused us to reevaluate our current facilities usage, overcrowding, and visions for the future. A Campus Development Team was formed to explore the options for constructing a new “Student Ministry Center.” We looked at prefab portables of a larger size… we visited other student facilities in our area... Initially, we thought a simple barn-type structure set back in the wooded area would be a financially viable solution. But once we explored the amount of dirt and trees to be moved and the associated site prep expenses, our architect and team settled on building the facility on the hill at the end of the current overflow parking lot. This also made more sense from a security standpoint. It was then that a decision was made to change from a barn-style building to make it look more like our original facility since it would be visible from Milgen Road.
2. What process was used to approve moving forward on the Student Ministry Center?
In 2017, the Board of Directors entered into a multi-week process of fasting, prayer, and spiritual discernment led by Pastor Keith. The result of this was a decision to approve the use of some of our savings to work with engineers and the architect to get some harder numbers on the costs for the proposed Student Ministry Center. Once that process was completed, a budget of $1.7MM was set for the project, and the proposal was presented to the congregation. Several open-house/Q&A forums were held to share further information and address any concerns. A short fund-raising campaign was held in the autumn of 2017, in which about 1/3 of the congregation pledged about $800K towards the project over a three-year period. The Board also committed to contribute a total of $300K from the church’s savings (at a rate of $100K/yr for 3 years) once construction began. This left a $600K shortfall between pledges and projected costs. Not wanting to incur long-term debt, our Board decided to pause the process, and give further time to listen for God’s direction regarding next steps. Over this period of praying, waiting, and listening throughout 2018, our Board gradually began to discern that God was actually stirring a vision for our church that was much broader in scope than we had originally imagined…
3. How did the idea of a proposed Student Center transition into an idea of a proposed Equipping Center?
Several seasons of prayer, fasting, research, and discussion all throughout 2018 and early 2019 led us to a vital realization: the heart of our church – our God-given identity as a church – is to be a center for equipping and sending the people of God into ministry! All throughout our city, region, and the world. Our current facilities are beyond maxed. Our square footage is used by numerous ministries every day of the week, all throughout the year. Over this past year, God has confirmed His call upon our church to invest ourselves in equipping and sending: with the establishment of a church-planting residency program; a summer ministry internship program; a ministerial candidacy and training program. We also continue to be a church that is raising up and sending out local Christian ministry leaders and foreign missionaries. And our constant aim is to equip all the people of God in every walk of life to be active ministers of the Gospel in their own contexts – in homes and neighborhoods, in schools and businesses, in companies and the marketplace. The people of CCC are called to purposes well beyond what happens within the confines of our campus! But more facilities are needed here in order to do this effectively to the rate, scope, and degree that we feel so called by God. The new “Equipping & Sending Center” will multiply our capacity to provide meeting space for ministry groups, study groups, classes, conferences, and events – all designed to equip our members to be ministers in the marketplace, at school, and home.
4. How much of the initial pledges have been received to date?
About half. Originally, our congregation pledged $800K, and to date, we have received about $400K of this pledged amount. This is right on pace, as we are about half-way through the initial 3-year pledge fulfillment period. The Board has not yet moved any of the additionally-pledged $300K from savings, as construction has not yet begun – but that money is in savings and ready to move as soon as construction commences.
5. What is the estimated cost of the updated facility proposal?
Further site analysis and re-evaluation of our needs in 2018 led the Board to relocate the new proposed facility to sit beside our current administrative wing. This provides the best location in terms of security, transportation, parking, and campus-flow. It also allows our commercial kitchen to service both our current building and the new one with ease. Our most current proposal is set to cost $1.8MM, plus the needed $200K for equipment, technology, and furnishings. And, of course, we are committed to tithing directly to the Kingdom 10% of every dollar that comes in to CCC. This means we have a new total goal of $2.2MM for the site prep, construction, furnishing, and tithe for The Cowart Equipping Center.
6. What are the benefits to financing through The Free Methodist Foundation?
Our friends at The Free Methodist Foundation have a motto of "Stewardship Well Done." Reflecting the Free Methodist Church's values when it comes to stewardship, one-hundred percent of any interest paid on a loan with the FMF goes directly toward the Kingdom. You can learn more about the Free Methodist Foundation here.
