-
How do I determine how much I should give? Are you going to ask the people to give sacrificially?
-
When does the commitment period begin and how long does it last?
-
In addition to writing a check, are there additional, creative ways to give that I should consider?
-
Will this financial emphasis on facilities hurt our general budget giving and ministries?
-
Does this project mean that we care more about buildings and money than about people?
-
Will this facility emphasis have a negative impact on our commitment to missions?
-
What is wrong with our current facilities? Why not just stay downtown?
1. What is a Capital Stewardship Campaign? Is it Biblical?
We define an all church campaign as a process by which the people of River Valley, in following the Lord, unite to achieve a common goal to accomplish something extraordinary by the power of His Spirit. A Capital Stewardship Campaign raises resources over a period of time for a special project, usually addressing facility needs.
The concept of a Capital Stewardship Campaign is quite old and very Biblical. 1 Chronicles 29 is a classic example, among others, where God, in working through His appointed leaders, unifies His people to sacrificially and willingly give the necessary resources to accomplish the project that He wants them to complete for His glory.
2. Why are we calling this campaign “The Door”?
We think “The Door” fits perfectly for a couple of reasons:
- First, in Rev. 3:8, Jesus says, “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.” What an unbelievable “open door” opportunity Jesus has given to us!
- Second, Jesus said, "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved.” John 10:9. This truth is what it’s all about and will help keep the campaign focused completely on Him.
- Third, as you know, this new campus sits at the front door of our community. An awesome statement to thousands each day that Jesus, who is the “Door”, stands at the door of our community offering life to all.
And so our Campaign purpose statement is as follows:
The Door campaign is an unbelievable door of opportunity to develop our main campus at the door of Grants Pass. A statement to thousands each day that Jesus is the only Door to eternal life.
Other Key “Door” Scriptures:
- Matt 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. – Jesus
- Rev 3:20 - Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. - Jesus
- 1 Cor 16:9 - A great door for effective work has opened to me. - Paul
- Col 4:2-3 - Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ - Paul
Well over 100 years ago, God opened the door for River Valley (then First Baptist Church) to minister the love of Christ in this community. For over a century He has used the people of this church to play a key role in making Jesus known locally and globally. This Door campaign is an exciting opportunity to build on this rich historical foundation and is intended to position River Valley Community Church for an even more effective ministry both now and 100 years from now, if Jesus has not returned.
3. What are the main goals of The Door campaign?
We do not want to either limit or get ahead of God. So, our main goal is to receive with joy what the Lord wants to give us. We are going to celebrate and wisely use whatever the Lord provides.
It is also a major goal of this campaign that each person in the River Valley family deepen in their faith-walk with Jesus as we seek the Lord, and by faith, obediently and sacrificially give what He asks each of us to give.
Having said this, our financial need is to receive three year commitments totaling at least $3 million dollars. Less than this amount will make the Phase 1 development more challenging to complete. More than this will allow us to also complete some or all of Phase 2 at the same time we are building Phase 1 (at significant cost savings)
4. How big is this project? How much do we think the project will cost? Who is the builder? How do we know we are getting a good price?
- Our Phase 1 floor plan is around 37,500 sq. ft. With the Phase 2 addition it will total 78,000 sq. ft. The property is 10.7 acres, with parking for over 550 cars.
- The final cost has not been officially confirmed. We believe Phase 1 will cost around $8-9 million and around $3-4 million for Phase 2.
- Phase 3 is undefined. Currently, it exists in order to allow for potential long term expansion space.
After considering different Contractors, The Elders decided to hire R.A. Murphy Construction of Medford as the Construction Manager for our project. The Elders were overwhelmed by the integrity and quality of Reid Murphy, a committed Christian and owner of R.A. Murphy Construction. He is one of the largest builders in Southern Oregon and has an excellent reputation. His firm has built churches, schools, offices and hospitals. We know that we are getting a good price because Reid has agreed to build our facility for his cost! This is another one of the great miracles that God has provided during the process. Praise the Lord!!
5. Why are we doing this project in phases?
It would be best for ministry space and most cost effective if we built the whole plan at once. We believe that God is able to provide the resources to complete it all at the same time. But if that is not His will, we will develop in more manageable stages.
6. What if members of the church family want to be involved in the process either as a subcontractor or as a donor of time or material?
We are encouraging anyone with a skill or service that would be useful to this process to contact the building team (preferably in writing)
Sometimes in church facility projects, the people spearheading the process are not always aware of the all the people in the church body who are able and willing to perform a service or provide materials (at cost or donation). Rather than trying to identify every potential source, or list every material needed (door knobs, windows, plumbing fixtures, etc.) we encourage you to contact us if you know your services or company could contribute to this project by providing materials or labor (at cost or donation).
7. What will the facilities look like?
Our buildings have had the “traditional church” look throughout our history. We feel it’s time to project an image that is much more consistent with who we are…informal, nontraditional, contemporary, community friendly. After all, we’re trying to draw people here to share the Gospel. Every obstacle we can remove is a good thing.
Since people in the Northwest are so hesitant about churches, we asked ourselves, what “look” would be most comfortable to someone new? Our immediate response was something “lodge” like, but without the expense of massive timbers and costly stone work. So we’re looking at ways to capture this look as economically and creatively as possible.
Inside, the goal for our lobby is to create a combination living room and “cafe” environment with plenty of room for fellowship and foot traffic flow. We’re planning a few accents in strategic locations, but most of the interior design will be very simple and pretty basic. We’re seeking to be extremely cost-conscious.
8. What kind of “feel” will the main auditorium have?
Well, you know us, we’re sort of married to the concept of multi-purpose facilities. We believe that it is poor stewardship to have such a large room that is a one day a week facility. So, there will be a flat floor with stackable chairs allowing for seven day a week usage including sports, activities, banquets, large meetings, etc. For the weekend worship services, this main auditorium will be an attractive, informal worship space with better sound, acoustics, video, staging, etc. First phase will seat just over 900 and second phase will be expandable to over 1200.
9. When will construction begin? Finish?
Construction will begin as soon as we have completed all required architectural and engineering design work and completed the governmental approval process. Our hope would be that we could start construction late next spring (2007). Completion would be approximately one year later. However, complications in the planning and approval process as well as weather and other issues might result in a later start/finish date. This is an area for us all to be asking for God’s wisdom and assistance.
10. What role will prayer play in this campaign?
The most important!! We are asking everyone in the church family to make this a regular part of your daily prayer time. We will have set aside prayer vigils. We will carve important time out of Home Group meetings to seek the Lord.
11. How will I indicate my giving amount to The Door campaign?
The first opportunity will be presented at our Leadership Advance Commitment event held in early November (probably Nov. 2). Elders, Staff, HG shepherds, ministry team leaders, campaign leaders, and anyone else interested in attending this event will be encouraged to turn in their commitment card to make their pledge sometime before November 10th (at least one week before the rest of the congregation). Most of the congregation will turn in their commitment cards during the worship services on the Celebration Weekend of November 18, 19. Persons unable to attend on that weekend will be able to express their commitment to God by returning their cards at any time.
12. How do I determine how much I should give? Are you going to ask the people to give sacrificially?
No and Yes! Actually, we are asking people to give obediently, however the Lord leads them. Even so, we hope that we all sacrifice our natural tendency to go about this from a human perspective to decide on our own. We hope that we all (individually and as a family) sacrifice enough time in our schedule to pray, to stop, to listen, and to put the Lord first. We hope we all come to God without an agenda or any “off-limits” places and listen to Him, discerning how He wants us to give. We hope that as we reach that Spirit-led conclusion that we will all obey in faith and that it would reflect a heart of sacrifice for our Savior and King.
13. What is sacrificial giving?
God’s view of giving, in a word, is…sacrifice. Too often we act as though giving were the optional side of Christianity. Jesus said giving was a primary means of measuring one’s heart for God. Giving is a way of continually showing our gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross. Giving is nothing less than a direct investment in His Kingdom. And it has dividends that are out of this world – truly eternal rewards!
- Convenience giving is “a little off the top.” Though it may be given cheerfully and willingly, it’s usually given with minimal forethought and doesn’t seriously affect other areas of the giver’s life or attitudes.
- Planned giving requires just that – planning. Still, this can be relatively minor, having little or no real impact on the giver.
- Sacrificial giving comes when we stretch ourselves. Some people can give a very significant amount, but it has little impact on them because of their resources. Others may give much smaller amounts but do so at great costs to themselves. This is why one of our key campaign mottos is “Equal sacrifice, not equal gifts.” Sacrifice requires giving up something of value for something else of greater value. As we make decisions about the way we spend money, we make priorities among the good, better, and best options available to us in our daily living. To give sacrificially is to give at a level that affects our living, our lifestyle.
- There is one more type of giving that deeply pleases the heart of God called Faith Giving. Faith giving is making a commitment to give what God tells us to give even if we have no idea how we will come up with that amount of money. God has to come through because we can see no possible way for this to happen in the human realm. We pray that all of us will be willing to give in this manner as the Lord leads.
14. Will I be pressured to give? Who will know how much I give?
Absolutely not. You will be challenged to give, but never pressured. Your giving to the Lord is a deeply personal matter between you and the Lord.
We encourage you not to disclose the amount of your commitment, except on your Commitment Card placed in the provided envelope, unless God specifically leads you to do so. In general, the focus of our testimonies should be on God’s movement in our hearts and circumstances, as He helps us give sacrificially of ourselves and of the resources He has given us.
Your pledge commitments will be strictly confidential, even from Staff and Elders. Commitment cards will be processed much in the same way as our weekly tithes and offerings are handled - by a small team (2-4 people) in our church finance department. The Cards will be held in a confidential file in the church office, only to be viewed upon your request- in the event that you forget how much your amount is and want to see it.
In spirit, yes, but technically, no. We merely need some way to determine how much money we might expect to receive before we begin the project. Luke 14:28,29: Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him…
Technically, in accrual accounting a pledge is a promise and an enforceable obligation. This is not the case here. This is not an unconditional promise and it’s not a binding agreement. We’re simply asking people to state their giving intentions toward this project to help us assess whether or not we can successfully build, and how much we can build in our first phase if that becomes necessary.
16. When does the commitment period begin and how long does it last?
The commitment period for our campaign is three years. It begins with the Celebration Weekend November 18, 19. Gifts may be offered weekly, monthly, annually, or any other frequency during the three-year period; as a lump sum in the beginning; or as lump sum at any time during the three year period.
17. What if my circumstances change? What happens if I need to change the amount I have indicated to give? What if I am not able to meet my commitment over the three years?
Your commitment is made by “faith” between you and God. It is not a legal commitment. If your circumstances change for better or worse, the level of your commitment may be decreased, increased, postponed, or waived entirely.
18. In addition to writing a check, are there additional, creative ways to give that I should consider?
Yes, there are a number of ways. Please refer to “Ways to Give” sheet. Also see #6 above.
19. Will this financial emphasis on facilities hurt our general budget giving and ministries?
Because the regular ministry expenses of the church go on month in and month out, we are asking that this giving to The Door campaign be over and above your regular giving to River Valley Church.
We have learned that, in the long run, a Spirit-led Capital Stewardship Campaign actually benefits the overall giving to the general church budget. This is the result of the Holy Spirit bringing significant spiritual growth in the hearts of God’s people through the Biblical stewardship emphasis of the campaign.
20. Does this project mean that we care more about buildings and money than about people?
Absolutely not! The buildings we enjoy today help facilitate our ministry to each other and reach our community for Christ. The reason we desire to relocate and expand our facilities is simply to be able to reach more people for Christ and equip them as fully committed disciples.
Money is one of the resources the Lord has given to us to put to work for His glory. Facilities are not the church, the people are the church. But facilities are a very important tool, a powerful tool, in helping facilitate the building up of the people of God. Buildings require money. It is our desire to talk about money in a way that honors God and does not manipulate people. All the staff, elders, and campaign leadership want to stay focused on The Door, Jesus Christ, as we follow His lead in this campaign.
21. Will this facility emphasis have a negative impact on our commitment to missions?
It’s not a question of doing one instead of the other. We can and should do both. In our minds, it doesn’t have to have a negative impact at all. Expanding facilities is simply a way to give us a larger platform to launch local and global mission efforts. Those who say we should give to missions instead of a new facility may be somewhat short-sighted. Because our early leaders had the foresight to build our current facilities, we’re able to invest the way we do in global missions, often approaching $400,000 annually (including short term missions giving). Without our current facilities (constructed over 70, 50, and 30 years ago respectively by so many who have gone before us) we would not have the base to send all these resources to spread the Gospel oversees. Without our current facility, we would not be one of the largest supporters of local para-church and outreach ministries. Without our current facility we would not have sent out dozens and dozens of young people into full time missions and ministry. Imagine the impact we’ll have with a facility that allows us to grow even more. River Valley will truly become a launch pad “reaching out in His name,” more effectively in every way – locally, regionally, and globally.
22. What is wrong with our current facilities? Why not just stay downtown?
While we are grateful for the facilities that God has given us, and while we understand that we never want to be facility driven, it is our strong conviction that our current facility severely limits our ability to accomplish our God-given Mission and Vision. There are many issues concerning our facility that are constant hurdles and hindrances for effective ministry and growth, and there are many things which are inconsistent with our Core Values. We have significant issues in the following areas: safety, security, user friendliness, accessibility, fellowship space, restrooms, parking, crowding/traffic flow, children’s ministry (we love kids, but the crowded space that our kids meet in doesn’t send that same message), etc. Most of these issues would not be a problem for a church about half our size. Our situation is that we have simply outgrown the facility.
Also, since we are a community friendly church that is informal, “come as you are”, contemporary, not real “religious”, not real “traditional”, not “churchy”, we believe it is time that our facility sends a more consistent message with our values and personality.
The question has been asked, “Why not develop a new campus at our present downtown site?” Well, the Elders have come to the Spirit-led conviction that, in the long run, it is a much wiser and cost effective choice to relocate and develop our new campus at the more spacious I-5/Scoville Rd. property. The following are some of the problems and challenges we would face if we were to stay downtown:
Not Enough Land – we have a total of about 3 acres at our present site. This is already, with zero church growth, much too small for a church our size. Land acquisition for potential downtown expansion is some of the most expensive anywhere. It is our conviction that we need at least 10+ acres for our first phase development.
Parking – we have some major parking challenges if we remain downtown. We have been counseled to provide at least one parking space for every two worship service attendees. With a new auditorium designed to seat 1000 (which is not huge expansion), we would need to provide at least 500 parking spaces. When you consider the number of people who stay for two services (children’s workers, adult equipping classes, etc.) we would actually need more like 600-700 parking spaces. You need one acre to park 100 cars – for a total of 6-7 acres to park everybody.
Now some have said that we have plenty of parking downtown. This is true - we could mathematically park 600-700 cars on about 10+ blocks here downtown. But the problem is that a vast majority of these parking lots we don’t own. We have no guarantee how long these lots will be available to us. Also, even if we were guaranteed to continue to have all this parking, most of these lots are “mentally” too far away for many people. They are on the other side of buildings, across streets, etc.
Safety – we are very concerned about the numbers of people who cross busy streets to get to and from the facilities - especially the elderly and young families. A few years ago, we had one of our youth hit by a car while crossing “D” Street. Thankfully, he was not seriously injured, but it could have been much worse.
Working with Existing Facilities – if we stay downtown we face some real challenges with what to do with our existing facilities. What buildings do we keep? What do we tear down? What do we remodel? How do you tie it all together? These challenges are not insurmountable, but could lead to greater expense or limitations that would significantly compromise our vision for our facilities.
Limited Numerical Growth – Due to space and parking limitations, if we stay downtown we will not be able to develop a campus much larger than our present one. This would require us to immediately explore supplemental options such as a satellite campus, church planting, etc. These “supplemental” options are a part of our long-term vision for River Valley, but we would hope that our “mother” campus could be larger and much more user/community friendly than our current campus.
Expense - some have felt that staying downtown is the cheapest option. We don’t believe that this is true. We have been told by experienced contractors and engineers that remodeling costs always run much higher than expected. Also included would be demolition costs. And as we have already mentioned, property expansion downtown is very expensive due to the price of land (approx. $20 sq. ft. downtown vs. approx. $4 sq. ft. for I-5 property). In addition, by staying downtown, we believe, because of the limited increase in campus size, we would need to supplement with another location somewhere else (church plant or satellite campus) that would incur additional cost. On the other hand, by relocating, we have the profitable opportunity to sell off some or all of our downtown facilities to make a considerable dent in the development costs of a new relocated campus.
23. What happens to the people who join River Valley after the campaign? Will they be able to give to the project?
Yes. A follow up team will exist to provide newcomers who desire to know more about the project all the information they would need to pray and listen to how the Lord would lead them.
24. How can I learn more about the project and campaign?
Any of the Staff, Elders and Campaign Leadership team members are available to answer any of your questions and/or get you pointed in the right direction to talk to the most helpful and knowledgeable person.