5 Things I Learned by Filling out our Pledge Card

Lauren and I sat down to complete our 2-year giving plan last night.  I put a few hours of prep into it before our talk by evaluating our 2013 budget expenses and predicting our 2014 expenses.  Here are 5 things I learned:

1.  God is good and faithful.  He met all of our needs last year, and enabled us to give to His church.  Whatever fears and concerns we faced last year are gone, and written over all of them is, "God was faithful"...again!

2.  God's timing is perfect.  We noticed several things in our finances are changing at once, allowing us to give more generously.  We paid off a car, we are lowering our monthly housing expenses, we paid off past auto and medical bills.  God is able to weave our finances together in a way that allows for timely giving.  We couldn't have planned it this way.

3.  We have many reasons to walk by fear.  Over the past month, we've been hit with many unexpected expenses.  Our furnace went out, our washing machine was clogged, our garage door broke and our garbage disposal died.  We could easily say, "Now is not the time to give to the church."  But we know God will provide as we step out by faith.  We can find many excuses to follow our fears, but God is able to meet all of our needs.  We are walking by faith.

4.  This is a FAITH plan.  As we decided our monthly pledge amount, we were able to account for most of it.  But some of it we cannot guarantee.  That's why this is a FAITH plan.  We were able to trim down our expenses on eating out.  We also directed some of our car savings to the pledges.  We can pretty much guarantee these offerings will be available.  But we are expecting to give some money from sources that are not guaranteed yet.  We think this money will be available, but we are making the pledge by faith before the money comes in.  We can't account for all of it on paper.

5.  Where our treasure is, our hearts will be.  Over the past 5 years, we had the joy of giving to various offerings.  I remember when we had to raise $50,000 to launch the church.  I remember our first benevolence offering when we raised over $40,000 for people in need.  I remember when we collected our first building offering of $114,000.  By giving to these special offerings, our hearts became tied to the people who were blessed by our generosity.  We were overjoyed to see a full room on launch Sunday as the Gospel was proclaimed.  We were deeply moved as we heard how Harvest was helping people struggling in this economy.  We were excited when the facility search began!  Our hearts follow our treasure, and we are now praying fervently that many souls will be saved, that disciples of all ages will be taught, and that God will be worshiped because we gave to move the mission forward.  

Pastor Ryan recently shared the vision for our new home.  If you were unable to attend a vision night, watch the presentation here.

Building Program Q & A

Do you have a question about the building program?  While we will host several building tours in January and gather feedback from the congregation, feel free to ask your question in the comments below.  Answers to several FAQ's we receive here and through email will appear on this post.  We will use these questions to guide our discussion of the building in the days ahead.

Question:  Exactly how much money is the current gap between what is absolutely needed for the down payment (excluding the repairs we need to make) and how much we have collected thus far? According to my calculation, we have a total of about $450K collected for the building fund ($200K from last year + $250K collected since December) leaving a $50K difference before we meet the $500K required for the down payment . Is this accurate, or am I missing something? 

Answer:  We will provide details at the Vision Nights this week, so be sure to attend one.  But here is an overview:  The way this goal was calculated was: $525,000 down payment + $175,000 for closing costs and immediate repairs = $700,000   We have $201,753 saved up from previous building fund offerings before 12/2013.  Subtract that from the $700,000 and you get the $500,000 goal.  Subtract the amount collected since 12/2013 and the amount still needed is $266,351.  We cannot exclude closing costs and immediate repairs, as the bank expects these repairs to be made right away.  3 furnaces are broken, and the roof is leaking badly.  Both of these problems could become major financial crises if not taken care of right away.  These problems are also decreasing the value of the building, which is effecting our borrowing capacity for an equity line.  We would like to bring the value back up to help finance the renovation project.      

Question: What happened to all the money we collected before December?  Does that count towards our goal of $500,000?

Answer:  We still have that money saved up, but it we need $500,000 more to purchase the building.  The bank wants a $525,000 down payment.  Subtract the $200,000 that we already have, and we need $325,000.  The bank also has concerns about the state of the building, as does our facility team.  We will need to take care of the roof and some of the HVAC immediately after the purchase.  Broken furnaces and ancient air conditioners need immediate attention.  We are allowing $175,000 for these repairs, though the actual amount could be higher.  $325,000 (down payment) + $175,000 (immediate repairs) = $500,000, our first goal we must hit by 2/15/2014.

Question:  Why now?  Why not wait?  

Answer: We've enjoyed a great rental relationship with Stagg High School for the past 3 years.  But they made it clear to us that they want this to be our last year there.  They did say they "might" give us another year if we absolutely needed it, but no guarantees.  Given this fact, we need a new facility sooner rather than later.  We could move the church to Chicago Christian High School beginning fall of 2014, but we feel that would be a step down from what Stagg has afforded us.

Question:  That's a lot of money for a building.  Is it wise to make such a purchase?

Answer:  While 1.5 million dollars is a lot of money, the price is a bargain.  The building was appraised at 2 million dollars just a few years ago.  Also, we are currently spending about $110,000 a year on rental costs for multiple ministries.  Since we are already spending a lot of money on a facility, it would be better to own a home that gives us a return on our investment.  As owners, we will have equity, we can pay down the principal, and the building can increase in value over time.  We can also generate revenue by renting our building out to other organizations for various uses.

How do I know how much to give?

After church last week, a man approached me and said he had a question.  He asked, "How do I know how much to give to the building fund?  I mean, I have a number in my head that wouldn't really cost me anything.  I could give it, and my life wouldn't be any different.  But then I have a scary number in my head, and I don't know what to do."

I love the sincerity of this man's question.  He genuinely wants to make a sacrifice, and he needs some help figuring out what that looks like.  Are you asking the same question?  "Where do I land between cost-less and crazy?"  Here are some helpful guidelines as you decide your giving:

1.  Involve God in the process.  God is far more concerned about your heart than your wallet.  He wants this to be something you "do together."  Pray about your gift.  Ask God to help you through the process as you seek to honor Him.

2.  Involve your family in the process.  If you are married, you definitely need to partner with your spouse on this.  Throw out some "crazy numbers."  Wrestle through the real implications of your decisions.  Pray together that God would teach you and guide you through this opportunity.  If you have kids, talk them through the decision, and have them decide how to contribute, also.  

3.  Know your options.  There are many ways you can give.  We need $500,000 by 2/15, so a one-time gift would ideally be part of your decision.  But we will also collect pledge cards in late January where you can make a 2-year pledge of a special monthly contribution to the building fund.  Did you know you can give stock to the church?  Churches can sell stock with no tax liability.  You also get a tax write-off.  That makes stock a great way to give.  You can also provide a professional service to the church at cost or at a discount based on our building needs.  You could set aside a year-end bonus, or a tax return for the church, as well.      

4.  Make true sacrifices that express devotion to the Lord.  Consider delaying a purchase (newer car, appliance, furniture).  Sell something.  Take a less-costly vacation this year.  Reduce budget line items like eating out or entertainment.  Re-work your cable bill.  Pick up extra work.  Trim down coffee and snack runs.  Take a lunch to work.  Have a garage sale.  Have your kids shovel some driveways or set-up a lemonade stand.  Find meaningful ways to make true sacrifice.

Hopefully this helps you begin the process of deciding what to give to the Lord.

"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."  2 Corinthians 9:7

Pastor Ryan

Harvest Finds a Home

For two years, Harvest Palos has been searching for a new home.  Our future facility team worked tirelessly, following up on nearly a hundred properties around the region.  About a month ago, we heard of a church building that was listed for sale.  We did not expect to find a church building that could meet our needs, so this was a pleasant surprise.  There are many benefits to purchasing an existing church.  Zoning isn't a problem, code compliance is easier, you can move in without much construction, and it just "feels" like a church should feel.  After several weeks of negotiations with the seller, Harvest Palos signed a contract to purchase this building.  The address is 6600 W. 127th Street in Palos Heights.  It is being sold by Life Church of Chicago.  Here are pictures of the building:

Here is a timetable for the next few months:

December-we will conduct inspections, surveys, appraisals, etc.  

January-we will offer several opportunities for the congregation to tour the building and provide feedback.  We will also present a financial goal to help make the vision a reality.  

February-we aim to close on the building, take care of preliminary repairs and updates, and then move in.  

March-we aim to have our first Sunday services in the new building.  

More information is available at Harvest Palos on Sunday mornings.  Stop by our welcome table to find out how you can get involved in the exciting opportunity!

You can give to the building fund at Harvest Palos online HERE.  

Case Study: Harvest Spring Lake, Michigan

Harvest Bible Chapel Spring Lake, MI
Senior Pastor: David Wisen

Pastor David spent most of his life as a property developer and business owner. He is experienced in real estate, acquisition, business management and also church leadership. David was an elder at Harvest West Olive, but he began to feel God calling him into full time ministry.

David stepped out by faith to plant Harvest Spring Lake in 2010. They started in a warehouse with 30,000 sf. The church spent 1.2 million dollars on a renovation. 

They had to fight the city for an occupancy permit. David made the case that the city already allowed public gatherings in industrial zones by permitting strip clubs to open! The city reluctantly approved the permit, and Harvest moved into their new home. Harvest Spring Lake grew rapidly from 200 to 350, and then from 350 to 700. They were already out of space!

Pics form Harvest Spring Lake's first building

As they began searching for a new building, they heard about a weird cult-church led by a man from Australia. This "church" promoted an all-faith religion, and decided to remove the 40 foot cross from the steeple to avoid offending people. Pastor David offered to take the cross and keep it from becoming scrap metal. The Australian guru ran the weird church into the ground and they had to leave the building. Harvest Spring Lake ended up purchasing the 60,000 sf building for 1.2 million dollars. They are currently finishing a 3 million dollar renovation. The new building has a 750 seat auditorium. Harvest plans to re-install the cross to the steeple on Good Friday at their dedication service.

 Check out a Fox News report on the cross controversy featuring Pastor David:

"Where are you looking for the new building?"  This is a commonly asked question.  Our Future Facility Team is searching throughout the Palos region for any properties that could meet our needs.  We've looked at buildings north by 87th street, south on 159th street, east on Cicero and west on LaGrange.  We have been to Bridgeview, Palos Heights, Oak Forest, Orland Park and other local cities.

Also, we are investigating many types of buildings.  A few church buildings are for sale in the area.  Most churches are too small for us, so we have to gauge room for expansion and the price to make a church suit our needs.  We are also checking out warehouse space.  Often warehouses have GREAT visibility on major highways.  The open space inside can be filled with a custom-designed worship auditorium, classrooms, a gym and other meeting space.  Here are some pictures from just one warehouse we walked through:

We trust the Lord will bring about a location of His choosing when the time is right.  We want the process to be Spirit-led so God gets all the glory.

If you see any properties that are worth considering, send us an email!
You can contact me at rhall@harvestpalos.org.