Facility Challenges

As many of you who have been regular attendees are aware, CCC has seen an increase in various key areas, including attendance, visitors, membership, baptisms, the addition of new staff members, an increase in giving, as well as a decrease in available parking spaces. Over the past eight years, our growth has remained on a steady upward trajectory. Our average attendance eight years ago was 510 (including kids), and today, it is upward of 740 (including kids). Attendance averages fail to capture the true extent of the spatial constraints we face, especially during peak attendance days. And so, this pattern has resulted in increasingly congested hallways, overfilled classrooms, and difficulty finding a seat in our two worship services. Furthermore, our financial support remains strong, frequently surpassing our monthly budgeting goals.

Our Plan

After much deliberation over many years, the Elder Board of CCC has decided that now is the time to enter a 3-phase building program to accommodate current and future ministry. This plan will help us better facilitate our mission to make disciples who gather for worship in Spirit and Truth, grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, and go into the world proclaiming Jesus’ good news. The Elder Board sees this as God’s Sovereign hand at work, and we want to respond in faith to what God is doing in our midst.

3-Phase Build-Remodel

Phase 1: Children’s Education Wing and Additional Parking (est. 2024–2025). This includes an estimated five months for design and nine months for construction of a 13,000 sq. ft. building connected to our current educational wing (see concept drawings below). This phase also includes our annexation into the city limits.

Phase 2: Office Addition and Remodel of Existing Building (est. 2025–2026). This includes a seven-month design and a nine-month construction process. We hope to alleviate congestion in the halls, convert existing classes so that we have more and larger spaces for adult and youth discipleship and add a 1000 sq. ft. office space to accommodate current and future staffers.  

Phase 3: New 700 + Seat Sanctuary (est. 2027–2028). While the Elder Board of CCC has not yet approved this stage, we have a preliminary concept for a new and somewhat larger 14,000 sq. ft. sanctuary. This would allow us to repurpose the current Sanctuary into a true multi-use room (a gymnatorium).

Why is this a good idea, and why now?

We believe this approach will do the following: facilitate our mission and growing attendance, help reduce congestion, better support critical ministries (such as Children, Adult, and Youth discipleship ministries), improve accessibility in and out of the building, optimize our existing space, allow us to modernize while preserving our heritage in the existing building, and better enable community outreach.

Why tackle this in 3 phases?

Implementing a three-phased approach for adding and remodeling facilities allows us to manage the costs of a new facility while maintaining the ministry-funding priorities of our mission. It also provides some risk management in that no one knows the future concerning economic booms/downturns, material and labor costs, and ministry growth. This approach allows us flexibility to adapt to changing conditions and various unknowns.

How much will the new facilities cost?

Funding the new Children’s Education Wing and remodeling our current spaces (Phases 1, 2) is estimated at $5,000,000. Phase 3 (new Sanctuary) is estimated to be around $3,000,000. Again, these are only estimates and these numbers will be adjusted once we begin hiring architects engineers and a contractor.

How much do we have saved already?

$500,000 is already set aside for building projects (10% of Phase 1, 2). We also have a pre-fundraising start of $125,000 in matching gifts (would be 15% of funding if matched).

How will we fund the rest?

Our primary aim is to support CCC’s mission, so we encourage you to maintain your regular giving to cover operational ministry expenses. We also encourage you to prayerfully consider giving over and above regular offerings through one-time gifts or contributions above your usual giving. We want to maximize pledges and special gifts in order to reduce our reliance on debt. However, any shortfall not met through donations will necessitate debt funding, and our Fundraising Committee will explore various partnering opportunities for this project, keeping you informed.

What are the next steps?

1. Please pray and commit this endeavor to the Lord. We need His guidance, wisdom, and favor. Please prayerfully consider how you will give and contribute to what God is so evidently doing in our midst at CCC.

2. You can give by writing a check to Christ Community Church. We recommend this because there are some fees associated with online giving. Please note “CCC Building Project” in the memo line when giving to this project.

3. Most of all, don’t forget to pray for the many lives that God will bring us in the coming days. Pray that we will steadfastly and diligently guide them in the teachings of Christ and his gospel.

We will update the church regularly as to our progress.

If you have further questions, please send them to ChristCommunityBuilding@gmail.com

Below are some helpful concept drawings (note: these are merely concepts and not by any means the final drawings or concept art. The purpose of these drawings is to generate approximate costs). We will update these drawings as we get to the design and architectural stage of planning in the near future (Jan–May 2024).