The Belong Initiative uses a "one fund" approach. Rather than running a building campaign alongside our annual stewardship campaign and asking you to make two separate commitments, we are asking for one commitment that covers both.

Here is how the $10.4 million breaks down:

• $4.4 million funds the ongoing operating ministry of the church (staff, worship, music, children and youth ministry, missions, and facilities) for two years, 2027 and 2028.

• $6.0 million funds the gap between what we have and what will be required for construction and renovation as described in this initiative.

The important thing to understand is that the $4.4 million is not new money on top of what you already give. It is essentially two years of our congregation's normal annual giving, gathered into the same commitment as your building gift. You are making one commitment, not two, and you are not being asked to give twice.

The proceeds from our two property sales (approximately $8 million) are dedicated to this project and represent the largest single source of funding for it. But they do not cover the whole cost.

The total construction and renovation budget, including a healthy contingency budget, is approximately $14 million. The property sale proceeds cover the majority of it. The $6 million building portion of the Belong Initiative closes the remaining gap.

The property sales made this vision possible. Your commitment makes it real.

We are taking steps now to strengthen planned and legacy giving, and you will hear much more about this in 2027 as we work with our accounting partner, Carr, Riggs & Ingram.

It is worth distinguishing the two. The Belong Initiative is a commitment you make from current income and assets over the next two years. Planned and legacy giving is what you leave to the church through your estate. They serve different purposes and they do not compete with one another.

On the first question: because the property sale proceeds are already secured, we will move forward with construction in some form regardless. If total commitments come in below what we hope, we will adjust the scope of the project to match what the congregation has provided. We will build what we can fund.

We also know that life brings changes no one anticipates, such as an illness, job loss, a family member in need. If your circumstances change, please contact the church office. We will work with you, and we will do so with grace and in confidence.

This congregation is full of gifted people, and this project will need many of them: in hospitality, communication, prayer, design input, and work we have not thought of yet. Contact the church office and tell us how you think you might help.

During the initiative itself, no. The one fund approach is designed specifically so that our ministries continue at full strength. The operating portion funds our existing programs, staff, and missions through 2027 and 2028.

During construction, some programs may need to relocate temporarily or adjust where they meet. We will work with each ministry well in advance to plan for that.  We will not cut ministry in order to pay for buildings.

The possibilities are wide open, and that is one of the most exciting aspects of the plan! Rather than defining every mission opportunity in advance, we want to create spaces flexible enough that we can discover needs in our community and respond to them.

Our current buildings limit us in ways we have grown used to. We turn down partnerships because we lack a space that works. A more adaptable campus changes what we are able to say yes to.

On creation care: the design phase will evaluate energy systems, insulation, lighting, and mechanical efficiency, both because it is faithful stewardship of creation and because it lowers our operating costs for decades to come. We are currently exploring options for solar panels for the same reason. This exploration includes significant grant funding made available through the denomination.

On homelessness: the multipurpose building substantially expands what we are able to host: meals, ministry partnerships, service-provider days, storage and distribution of donated goods, etc. We are not announcing a specific program today, because we want these ministries to be shaped alongside our community partners rather than designed in advance by a building committee. The Belong Initiative provides the capacity to say yes.

On phasing: yes. Our architects are actively evaluating how the work can be sequenced, both to reduce disruption to church operations and to allow construction to track the pace at which commitments are fulfilled. Our intention is to build what we can fund.

Any borrowing would require approval by the District, the Church Council, the District Superintendent, and the charge conference. There is no discussion about the church taking on debt beyond the possibility of a short-term construction loan that would allow the church to begin construction before the end of the two year initiative.

On oversight: church leadership is committed to ensuring all the pieces are in place for due diligence. As we move into the design phase, we will explore the necessary consultants and staff.

The concept is a multi-use, flexible facility. It will continue to serve as a gymnasium where we host local basketball clubs, but it also has potential as an alternative worship space and a venue for theater and performance. Access and circulation from the parking area will be worked out in the design phase.

Restroom accessibility and capacity are among the issues we are addressing. The specifics (which restrooms are renovated, which are added, and where) will be determined during the design phase. Accessibility drives this entire initiative, and restrooms are central to that.

The current plan for the multipurpose space includes a warming kitchen designed to meet our congregation's actual needs. As conceived, the kitchen will serve both the multipurpose building and fellowship hall. A warming kitchen delivers the functionality we need while using the space and the budget efficiently.

We expect some changes, though nothing has been finalized. Our architects are exploring whether a redesign will allow us to recover most or all of the affected spaces while meaningfully improving the flow of traffic through the lot. Final space counts will come out of the design phase, and we will share them with the congregation when we have them.

In general terms, the design phase may take nine to twelve months, and construction another sixteen to eighteen months after that. Our architects are also determining whether phasing the work can reduce disruption to church operations. These are planning estimates, not promises! We will give the congregation firm dates once design is underway.

Absolutely. We anticipate no disruption to the memory garden, and our designers are mindful of that space as they shape our vision for the future.