In order to make this facility expansion a reality, we invite you to take part in the Seed Offering. We invite you to share with us how God is leading you to make a financial commitment through 2020. Just as every family sets a budget for their resources, so our Faith Family will set a budget. Our Faith Family’s capital budget will be based on the financial commitments of those in our church. We will not build anything until the funding is available to do so.
The total cost of this expansion is estimated to be $6 million. With our savings of $1 million, we are asking God to provide an additional $5 million. We recognize this is a huge sum of money, but we believe if God desires for these changes to be a part of fulfilling His mission in West Cobb, He will provide. And the coolest part is that each person in our Faith Family can have a part in His provision!
“A deep desire for transformative growth in our spiritual lives is our underlying motivation as we undertake this physical next step.”
We continue to examine how to more fully and deeply shepherd and care for our Faith Family. As our Faith Family grows, so does the need to ensure that we are disciples who are making disciples. Transformation won’t happen in new classrooms and a bigger space for our students to gather. It’s been said, “If you build it, they will come.” They may come, but if they aren’t transformed by the Gospel once they come, we have completely missed the call of Christ.
This is an invitation to transformation that goes much deeper than financial donations. The Seed Offering will allow for additional space to be built, but if our hearts are not continually transformed, we will never be the church God has called us to be. Yes, we are inviting you to give financially, but more importantly, we believe that God is inviting us all to open our hearts to what He wants to do in and through us. A growing church will require deeper places of transformation in each of us. New shepherds will be needed. Ministry leaders will be called to shift from being volunteers to being sowers. And we’ll need to pray. We’ll need to pray like never before.
Will you prayerfully consider this invitation to transformation? Our God is calling. We invite you to respond as He leads.
“May it begin in me, Jesus. May transformation, may awakening begin in me. Right here, Jesus. Right now, Jesus.”
FAQ’S
Why Are We Doing This?
Over the years, our facility has been updated and ministries have been shuffled to accommodate our growth. The focus has never been on aesthetics but instead on providing adequate space for our people to gather. Today, we feel that we are at a place where creative solutions have been exhausted, and it is time to create more space. In addition to the new space, we also need to upgrade components of our building to ensure that all people have access to all parts of the building. This will mean adding an elevator and updating our bathrooms.
One of our deepest convictions as a church is that this is His Church. God is leading His Church. God is feeding His Church. And God is growing His Church. We are doing this to stay in step with Him as He leads.
We did not set out to build a more beautiful building; instead, we want to eliminate potential barriers to people encountering Jesus. As we evaluated our facility, we realized that there were three areas that needed to be addressed: parking, children/youth space and a general gathering place. We need a place to park everyone who wants to worship with us on Sundays. We want our kids (and their parents) to feel welcomed, safe and cared for. Our youth need a place to call their own, and our church would benefit from a gathering place where our Faith Family can connect.
Why Are We Doing This Now?
Over the years, our facility has been updated and ministries have been shuffled to accommodate our growth. The focus has never been on aesthetics but instead on providing adequate space for our people to gather. Today, we feel that we are at a place where creative solutions have been exhausted, and it is time to create more space. In addition to the new space, we also need to upgrade components of our building to ensure that all people have access to all parts of the building. This will mean adding an elevator and updating our bathrooms.
Are We Trying To Become A “Big Church?”
No. We actually want to find ways to help make the church smaller. We are working hard to ensure that people are moving from Sunday gatherings to smaller weekday gatherings. It’s our desire that everyone in our Faith Family is connected to others in our family so that we all “may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Romans 1:12).
How will this change who we are as a church?
These changes will continue to deepen who we are as a church, allowing us to more fully live out our purpose. The structural changes will allow us to create space and opportunity for our Faith Family, our neighbors and our neighborhoods to be transformed by the Gospel to live and love like Jesus. It is our prayer that this added space will allow us to remain true to the calling God gave Sanctuary from the beginning.
What will we do if we don’t raise enough money to cover the full cost of expansion?
We remain committed to being a debt-free church, so we will not build anything until we have received the money to do so. We believe that God will provide the money to pay for the expansion, but if at any point we do not receive the necessary funds, we will wait until we have received what is needed to move forward.
What’s the projected start and completion dates of the full renovation and expansion?
Construction on the parking lot began in November 2018 and was completed in November 2019. Construction on the facility expansion began in November of 2019, with the hope of completing the new space for kids and youth by the end of 2020 depending on how God provides the financial resources. We plan to evaluate the addition to the front of the building once the work on the back is complete.
How and when can I participate?
You can participate now. You can ask God how He wants you to respond to this need and then establish personal plans to give. Donations to the Seed Offering can be received through all of our regular giving channels. You can click “Give” at the top of this page now to donate online.
How much growth will this expansion allow us to accommodate?
The planned expansion will allow for us to grow by approximately 50% before additional facilities are needed. It has never been our desire to grow a megachurch but to faithfully proclaim the Gospel and shepherd those who call Sanctuary home.
What happens when we reach this capacity?
We will continue to seek God’s direction regarding what He desires for us to do in the future. We do not currently have a specific vision for expanding beyond the campus at the corner of Due West and Mars Hill, but we trust that God will guide us as we follow His leading for us as a church.
