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.

Case Study:  Harvest Bible Chapel Granger, IN

Harvest Granger began with 13 people interested in founding a new church.  They launched in an elementary school in February of 2009 with 250 people.  They settled in at 150 and then began to grow. 

They formed a facility team.  They collected a $13,000 facility offering initially, and began searching.  The team got excited about a 24,000 sf. warehouse on a major road.  However, the Elders were not excited because the site was landlocked, and the price was high.  The owner stopped communication, and God closed the door.

But Pastor Trent was building a relationship with the Pastor of a local church that was dying.  They began to discuss a “Church Adoption” where this church would join Harvest.  They worked on a plan for an entire year, and things were looking promising.  Then in January of 2011, the pastor resigned abruptly, and the deal fell apart. 

Nothing happened for 6 months.  Then, Pastor Trent got a call on Friday.  The elders of this other church said, “We’re in.”  The leaders from two churches met on Saturday, and announced the adoption on Sunday.  God did it in just 3 days. 

This happened while Granger was at about 300.  The new building needed to be renovated and expanded.  It was only 4,000 sf., so they hoped to add another 3,000 sf.  The new building would seat 600.  The project would cost $850,000. 

In July of 2011, they held a facility offering and collected $400,000 in cash and $200,000 in pledges over a 3-year period.  They had saved up $250,000, and they borrowed $200,000. 

After 3 years of worshiping in a school gym, they moved into their new facility in February of 2012. 

They had 470 at their last Sunday in the gym.  They had 601 people at their first service in the new building. 

The new facility accelerated the ministry.  “Whiplash” is the word Pastor Trent used to describe the experience.  The new building is surrounded by 60 acres.  The owner attends the church, and the leaders are praying he will donate the land to the mission.  

Case Study:  Harvest Bible Chapel Davenport

Harvest Davenport began in 2004 with 20 people.  Their launch team worked hard to start this new church, and over 400 people attended their first service.  They began looking for a facility shortly after launch.  They found a big box store sitting on the busiest intersection in the quad city area.  Previously, the building was an electronics store.  The building was 53,000 sf. 

The original asking price was $10 million.  Six weeks later, the owners dropped it to $5.1 million.  They settled on a final price of $4.7 million. 

The church had about 600 people at the time of purchase.  They needed $150,000 in earnest money.  They needed a down payment of $1.3 million.  They had six weeks to do it.  They were only one and a half years old.  They didn't even have elders yet.  After a massive blitz, they collected $1.7 million and made the down payment.   

The building was a mess.  They had a one year build out process.  Their total project cost was $8 million dollars. 

The whole deal almost collapsed when their financing fell through, but then a local bank gave them a loan.  After the building was done, they had $123 dollars in the bank. 

They had 600 people at the time of purchase, 1,000 at their move-in service, and one month later 1,500 showed up to worship.   

They are currently flat out of space.  They have three services and are averaging 2,300 people each weekend.  They have no rooms available, and the building is being used every night of the week.  They are praying to plant one new church every year.