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Building Renovation Overview
March 1, 2009
The Lord is kind and abundant in all His gracious provisions for His people. And we have experienced that in a material way today. The faith promise card totals for the building project were as follows:
- Cash gifts now = $74,081
- 3-month gifts = $101,160
- 12-month gifts = $201,735
This means that the entire project will begin tomorrow morning and that after its completion and payment, we will have a sizeable amount in the bank for the next phase of the project (approx. $50,000).
Thanks be to God for His great kindness! May our ministry for His glory increase.
February 25, 2009
This past Sunday we had a corporate meeting to unveil the plans for the renovation of the sanctuary building and to ask for your help in a number of areas. We’d like to summarize that meeting and then remind you of how you might pray and help.
After two long years of planning and preparation, the Lord has been gracious to give us an excellent set of plans that should enhance our ministry and worship for years to come. Included in the plans are (see the drawings and powerpoint below for details):
- Improvements to the foyer, including a dedicated space for a library and bookstore, two counseling rooms, and a new secretary and receptionist area
- Expansion of the nursery area, a new parenting room, and significantly expanded and enhanced bathrooms.
- Improvements to the sanctuary, including new seating, new lighting, new carpet, a new sound system, and a number of cosmetic changes including paint, rock work, and faux beams and pilasters.
- A new covered walkway between the sanctuary building and the ministry building.
- And all this work can be completed by May 21, if work begins as scheduled on March 2!
Of course the question about all these things is cost:
- The total cost is $304,000
- The building fund balance is currently $154,000 (approx.)
- Thus, we need to raise an additional $150,000 to completely pay for the project.
So, how might you help? There are several things you might do. First, pray. The Lord has been so gracious over these two years to correct, guide, encourage, and develop both us and these plans. While the wait has seemed long at times, what He has worked in us has been worth every moment of waiting. So pray not only for the completion of this project, but pray that the ministry of GBC would be expanded in these months of construction, pray that we would maintain joyful unity with one another during the finalization of plans and construction, and pray for the provision of the funds.
Over the coming months, there will also be a variety of jobs that need to be done to facilitate worship and ministry during the construction process (e.g., some limited demolition, weekly setting up and taking down of chairs for worship in the ministry building, setting up sound and other classrooms for worship and/or AWANA, and additional need for door greeters — one in each building). If you would like to help with any of the aforementioned tasks, or are interested in knowing what else you can do, please contact Daryl McClendon who is graciously coordinating those tasks (his number is in the church directory).
You can also give financially to this project. We need $150,000 to complete this project. And that is both a large number and a small number. Given our annual budget and what we’ve raised in the past, that is a large number, and demonstrates our inadequacy. But to the Lord who owns all things and is overflowing in His grace and kindness to His people who rest in dependence on Him, it is a small number! He is more than adequate for every work of ministry He has set before us (2 Corinthians 2:16 – 3:6) and He is likewise adequate to provide the financial resources needed to fulfill this project.
In asking you for this amount of money, we are asking you to consider three kinds of gifts. First, is there an amount of money you can give now that will help to raise the immediate cash balance in the building fund? Secondly, we would like you to prayerfully consider what you might give beyond all your other regular giving over the next three months. This amount may be something that you believe to be a significant stretch for you financially, but you have a joyful desire to give that amount, and are trusting that God will enable you to fulfill your desire to give that gift. And finally, we are asking you to consider a similar faith gift over the next twelve months. To summarize, how much can you give now? How much do you by faith promise to give over the coming three months? And how much do you by faith and trust in God’s provision promise to give in the next 12 months?
The reason that we are asking for these faith promise cards is to determine the amount of financial resources that will be available for this project. Our intent is to fund this entire project with our existing cash and these pledges. If there is a significant shortfall between the faith promises and the cost of the project, we will prioritize the various components of the project and do as much as we are able. Should there be a smaller disparity between the pledged amounts and the cost of the project, we will come back to the church body to consider various other options.
To facilitate your ability to communicate your desires, we passed out on Sunday and are also including with this letter a card that you can prayerfully fill out with your family and return to the church by this Sunday, March 1. A receptacle will be in place in the sanctuary for you to anonymously make this faith promise. Would you consider how God might use this need in the life of the church to expand your faith in His provision for you and your family, as well as the ministries of the church?
After reading this letter and having heard the presentation on Sunday, you may still have some questions about the project. The building committee members will be available on Sunday morning following the worship service to answer your questions, or you may contact Bill Matysek (see the directory for his phone number and email) anytime this week with your questions. If you have questions concerning the funding of the project, you are welcome to contact any of the elders (Terry Enns, Russell Martin, Keith Palmer, and Greg Warren) with those questions.
As we said at the meeting, we have been overwhelmed and gratified to see what God has accomplished through us and how we have begun meeting many of our five-year-goals that we established two years ago. Now we wait with godly anticipation and excitement what He will work in our church family in the months and years to come.
By His grace and for His glory,
Terry Enns, for the elders
February 22, 2009
A congregational meeting was held on Sunday, February 22, to overview the building renovation process.
To view the Power Point presentation, click HERE
To see the demolition drawing, click HERE
To see the new construction drawing, click HERE
GBC Master Plan for Ministry and Facilities
December 9, 2008
At the meeting last week, a group of 4-5 contractors was considered, and it was determined that we would interview each of them to determine their abilities for a project like ours, and to discover their level of interest. Additionally, a list of questions for the contractors was drafted, along with preliminary discussion of how the contractor would ultimately be selected.
We have also determined a preliminary order of progress for this project: solicit firm bids from the contractors, and then select a contractor to do the work.
- interview the prospective contractors
- ask the architect to construct a set of drawings that would enable the contractors to provide us with a budget proposal bid
- ask the interested contractors to provide us with a budget proposal for both phases of the project (phase one is the cosmetic changes to the sanctuary — paint, lighting, seating, and audio; phase two is the more extensive moving of walls to create more bathroom, nursery, and counseling space). These bids would enable us to have a “ballpark” idea of the cost, though these bids would be nonbinding.
- have a congregational meeting to talk about the costs of the various projects, and then make a decision about which parts of the project the congregation would like to pursue.
- have a congregational meeting to talk about the costs of the various projects, and then make a decision about which parts of the project the congregation would like to pursue.
- begin construction.
At the meeting last night, we met with four contractors that expressed interest in the job. All of them provided a list of references and talked about their abilities — the kinds of similar projects that they had done. We also talked with each of them about how they would handle insurance issues during the project and how they preferred to be paid, and their availability for work in the coming months.
All of them showed a high degree of competency and expressed interest in the job.
We will now ask the architect to provide us with a set of drawings that will enable them to give accurate budget proposals for us, and then will schedule a meeting time with the congregation. We anticipate being able to have a congregational meeting sometime after the first of the year.
Please continue to pray for wisdom for the building committee, for the selection of the contractor, for the timing of the renovations and for the provision of the finances.
Please also continue to prayerfully consider how you might contribute financially for the completion of the project. While we do have a substantial amount of cash available, we do know that it will not be enough to do both phases of the project.
Building fund balance: $100,569.44
October 18, 2008 Update:
Since the last post, the building committee has met twice with Scott Martsolf to refine the ideas for the remodel of the sanctuary and the rest of the sanctuary building. The goal of all of the changes was to make the building conform to the overall ministry plan of the church so that we would be as effective as possible in the daily functioning of ministry. We want the building to enhance what we do on a daily and weekly basis.
The latest meeting with Scott was on Thursday (Oct. 16) evening, and it was a most productive time. The committee approved the general concept of the latest plan, with only a couple very minor suggestions for further changes.
As for the next steps,
- Scott will make the minor changes and then adapt the plans so that contractors can begin to make rough estimates of the cost.
- The committee will seek three rough bids for the project.
- A presentation of the project and cost estimates will be made to the congregation.
- An approval of the proposed project will be made by the congregation.
- Final, exact bids will be solicited; a contractor will be chosen, and construction will begin.
Additionally, next week (Oct. 25) a number of work projects for the exterior of the property will begin — pruning trees, clearing brush and accumulated debris, etc... If you have questions about this, please contact Don Heep or Daryl McClendon.
Please continue to pray for the building committee, and pray also for God to give you wisdom concerning your part in the completion of this project.
The current building fund balance is: $102,480.84.
September 19, 2008 Update:
The building committee met last night with the architect, Scott Martsolf, to discuss additional potential changes to the sanctuary building. After viewing and discussing his proposal, several items were deemed to need further attention and correction. So during the next week, Scott will make further changes, and as soon as those changes are made (hopefully within a week), the committee will meet with him again. Following that meeting, the committee envisions the following steps:
- finalize the overall design idea and plans with Scott Martsolf (one week?)
- receive some cost estimates for the project (2-3 weeks)
- present the project and cost estimates to the congregation and make a proposal for what portion of the project to pursue and a time line for completing the project.
- solicit bids for the project and begin construction.
Additionally, as we await the construction phase of this project, within the next week a number of work projects for the exterior of the property are being formulated (items like moving the rock pile behind the ministry building, trimming trees, cleaning up brush along fence lines). By next week you should have some additional information about when your help will be needed for those projects.
Thank you for your continued prayers. We recognize this process has been long — and has taken longer than all of us have desired — but we are excited about the prospects of what now lies ahead. Please continue to pray for God's provision.
The current building fund balance is: $102,046.23.
September 11, 2008 Update:
The building committee has scheduled a meeting for next Thursday (9/18) with the architect, Scott Martsolf, to discuss additional potential changes to the sanctuary building. He will have his suggestions and drawings present to discuss with them. They will also be working in the next few weeks on a variety of projects we can do on church workdays (primarily outdoor clean up and spruce up), and begin formulating a timing plan for the sanctuary project.
The current building fund balance is: $102,046.23.
September 3, 2008 Update:
There is nothing substantively new to report. The committee still has not been able to coordinate a meeting with the architect. Hopefully that meeting will be scheduled within the next week. The goal is still to do the sanctuary renovations shortly after the first of the year (some scheduled events preclude starting before that).
The current building fund balance is: $102,046.23.
August 22, 2008 Update:
The building committee has heard from Scott Martsolf, and he evidently has completed his drawings for additional renovation possibilities for the sanctuary building. The committee will attempt to meet with him early next week. The exact day and time is still being coordinated and has not yet been finalized. Pray that they will be able to meet together.
Also, in addition to the other members of the committee (David and Patricia Brown, Don Heep, Cece Hubbard, and Bill Matysek), Daryl McClendon also agreed this week to serve on the committee. Not only will he provide additional insight for the committee, but he will also work alongside Don Heep, so that should Don's health concerns prevent him from guiding the committee for any period of time, Daryl will be able to fill that need.
The current building fund balance is: $101,880.50.
August 8, 2008 Update:
The building committee had planned to meet last night, but due to the health problems Don Heep is facing, they were unable to meet. Since he is being readmitted to the hospital today, it is unclear when they will next meet. The initial ideas from Scott Martsolf should be available soon for the committee to discuss.
Please pray for Don's health and then for wisdom for Scott and the committee about the next step(s) in the process.
The current building fund balance is: $101,705.50.
July 21, 2008 Update:
About 10 days ago the architect, Scott Martsolf, came to the church property to consider some additional changes to the sanctuary building. Since that time, he has been working on incorporating some additional changes into the plans. We expect to have his ideas within the next 2-3 weeks. Following that, cost analysis will be done to determine what part of those changes will be feasible to do in the initial update.
Please continue to pray for Scott, Don Heep, and the rest of the building committee as they seek to do minister to the church body and glorify God in this process.
The current building fund balance is: $101,542.
July 11, 2008 Update:
Last week the building committee had its first meeting since Don Heep assumed the leadership of the committee. They talked about a number of remaining issues that need to be decided (like options for dressing up the windows in front of the sanctuary) and are subsequently seeking bids on the various issues.
Since it will likely be several months before the contractor can begin any work on the facilities, the committee is also considering the needs of the entire sanctuary building to determine what other kinds of changes can be made to enhance the building's functionality for our various ministries. They are in the process of gathering information and facts that will help them make those decisions.
With the goal of gathering more information, Don met with the architect (Scott Martsolf) yesterday to brainstorm some of those ideas. Over the next 2-3 weeks, Scott will begin to put together those ideas in picture form for the committee, and they will then put together their priorities and recommendations and then submit those to the elders and congregation for approval.
Please continue to be in prayer for the committee and the provision of the funds for the project.
The current building fund balance is: $101,492.
July 2, 2008 Update:
Since the meeting on May 18 to discuss the building committee’s recommendations for addressing the church’s facility needs the building committee has been working on a number of different aspects of the project:
- Input and bids are being solicited to resolve some remaining issues.
- Plans are being re-examined and fine-tuned to make sure that all the significant needs are being addressed appropriately.
- A schedule is being worked out with the contractor to determine a starting date. Currently it appears that it may be two to three months before we will be able to begin working on the project and that the project may take several months to complete.
- A brochure explaining the background and phases of the building project(s) is being developed. We hope to have something completed in an initial form within 2-3 weeks.
Additionally, Don Heep has graciously agreed to assume the leadership of the building committee; if you have any questions relating to the project, feel free to talk with him, or any of the other committee members (David and Patricia Brown, Cece Hubbard, and Bill Matysek).
You may also check this webpage (www.gracebiblegranbury.com/building), as it will be updated regularly (hopefully weekly), with current information.
The current building fund balance is: $100,271.10
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