Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Faithfully Forward?
A: Faithfully Forward is the name of our stewardship campaign. As announced, the elders have been considering some next steps in light of our current growth, demographics, and rooms on our campus. The recommendation is to build a multi-use, student building on the south side of the current property.
Q: What is the goal?
A: The goal of Faithfully Forward is that all members and attendees of Vansickle will participate through their prayers, giving, and support. The monetary goal is $1.4 million, which is 2 times our current annual budget, to be given over the next 3 years, which will be used to build the multi-use building.
Q: How do I find out more about the building and campaign?
A: You can attend one of the church-wide meetings or go to our website for the vision and plans. The dates are Oct. 11, 12, 13 and 20 and attendance times vary in order to accommodate all of our members. See the website for more details and architect renderings.
Q: How can I help?
A: You can pray. Before saying “yes” or “no,” pray. Ask, “what does God want for our church?” We believe that we can accomplish anything God calls us to do. Then, be ready to join with the church in the vision of Faithfully Forward. There is a big mission field within a 20-minute drive of the church and it is full of families with teenagers.
Q: How much will a new building cost?
A: Our current plans are being drawn up by a local architect. If approved, we will get a minimum of three bids from local contractors and builders, as required by our church’s bylaws. We anticipate the space will cost about $1mil.Do you want to address why the $1.4 mil goal above is greater than your anticipated cost listed here
Q: How are we going to afford these costs?
A: We believe the only way to do this is to trust God to provide through our members and attenders. First, part of Faithfully Forward will be a stewardship commitment through a one-time gift, over and above one’s tithes and offerings, to be brought on Nov. 10. On November 17, we will focus on a 3-year commitment of tithes and offerings that will begin in January of 2025.
Q: Is it possible to use Jubilee funds for this project?
A: It is possible, but our intention is to use only the money raised through the Faithfully Forward campaign.
Q: How will the space be used for other groups (inside and outside the church)?
A: We hope that the new building will be a place where people will want to be. It will include: half-court basketball, pickleball and volleyball so there will be some great athletic and exercise space. There will be space for small gatherings, too.
Q: Has the current use of churchwide space been evaluated, especially related to how much is unused and all that is being used for storage?
A: We have looked at the current space and we have several classrooms in the education wing and several in the upstairs children’s area that we can grow into. The primary need is space for our students. The current room is too small for them to be all together on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. Lifeway recommends 12-15 sq. ft. per person and our current room is about 20×40 and can hold about 50 students if there was no other furniture or fixtures in the room. There are about 40 chairs set up, plus a sound system, A/V cart and microphones that take up floor space. It is overcrowded for most of our programming.
Q: Would it be possible to have a full-service kitchen in the new building?
A: In the plans, there is a refrigerator, a stove, oven, plus a microwave and an island to serve from. There are cabinets and some pantry space along with some general storage.
Q: Can we add a plan to include remodel costs for other parts of the church in the campaign?
A: Sure, some of the plans that have been talked about are to remodel the current kitchen, pave the parking lot, remodel some of the upstairs kids’ space, build an outdoor playground, and update the worship center. We can only do that once the youth building cost is covered over and above the projected $1mil, hence the projection of $1.4mil (double the current budget).
Q: What will happen to the current youth room?
A: Right now the plans are to keep this space as a classroom to be used by another age group.
Q: Does the church have available septic capacity for the new space?
A: We have talked to a septic designer and they have drawn up plans for additional equipment to handle the additional needs.
Q: What will happen to the storage sheds?
A: The sheds will be moved further west to accommodate the new building.
Q: Are there any new plans for the Kids’ Ministry (like an outdoor playground)?
A: This multi-use building is next in the planning since we remodeled the nursery for our babies and preschool aged children. It would be great to raise enough money in this campaign for an outdoor playground, or…!
Q: What happens if the church votes “no” to building?
A: The elders hope everyone will continue, or start, to give their tithes and offerings as stated. 100% participation is our first goal. If “no” we will keep praying and follow God as He leads.
Q: What happens if the church votes “no” to incurring any debt?
A: We believe the Bible teaches several things about debt. The Bible warns against debt that makes one “a slave” to repayment. Therefore, people need to be wise, not over extend themselves by buying things they want but can’t afford. The Bible also talks about lending to “a brother” and uses parables to teach important lessons. So, debt can be a tool to accomplish God’s will if we are wise. Our prayer is that our members and attendees will commit to biblical stewardship so we can pay off any debt as quickly as possible.
Q: How will security work for the new building?
A: As we grow, our prayer is that our teams, including Security and Greeters, will also grow. Additional members of each team will be needed for the new building.
Q: What is the square footage of the new building and how many people will it accommodate?
A: The projected square footage for the upstairs and downstairs is 7400 sq ft. It is expected to accommodate 120 students in the flexible spaces and 100 students in the classrooms.
Q: How will groups be able to reserve the new building outside of Sundays and Wednesdays?
A: Once the new building is complete, reservations can be made through the church office, just as you can reserve current space. The youth will have priority on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings.
Check out the Plans Here.