"EXPANDING OUR MINISTRY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME"

Thank you for your interest in our recent facilities expansion. You can find general information here, including videos, architectural drawings, and Q&A. Questions may be directed to our building committee (Jake Nelson, Daniel Hunt, Chris Rogers, Graham Marshall) or any board member. On December 10, 2017, our church voted officially and overwhelmingly to begin this project, and on May 16, 2021 we celebrated our Grand Opening Celebration & Dedication. Click here to watch that service. Thank you for your prayers and participation as we watched God faithfully direct, provide, and glorify Himself in this endeavor.

"Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31

THOUGHTS FROM PASTOR MARK...

(Click to watch 4 detailed videos presented to the church in Nov 2014.)

CURRENT ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS (click to expand)

***Expanded worship center concept art. Graphic art by Josh Suko.***

KEY QUESTIONS

The following Q&A is based on several years of discussions with building consultants and people in our church. If you have additional questions/input, feel free to speak with Jake Nelson, Daniel Hunt, Chris Rogers, or Graham Marshall (or any other board member). Open communication is important and we value the perspective offered by every person in our church family.

What is our vision & purpose for this project?

Ever since God provided this property in 1995, our chief purpose for construction has been fulfillment of the Great Commission. As Paul reminded Timothy, we are "the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth" (I Tim. 3:15). This Master Plan is not primarily about buildings—it's about people. Reaching people with the Gospel. Serving people with the love of Christ. Equipping people with the power of the Word.

This is not just about us and our needs now—it's about our children and their children. It's about their needs and the ministry we anticipate God will perform for many generations, should He tarry (Matt. 28:18-20; Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Cor. 15:58). We are also aware that God has blessed us with a prime, central location in the rapidly growing Gig Harbor community. Our goal is to be good stewards of this property, both now and in the future.

Shouldn't we pour our financial resources into evangelism and Discipleship?

Yes! That is exactly what having a Kingdom focus is all about. Each of our campus upgrades has put us in a better position to expand our outreach, both locally and internationally. Here are a few pertinent statistics:

Increased Attendance. Between 1995 and 2004 our attendance in the barn grew from 70 to 120. Between 2004 and 2015 our attendance in the new auditorium grew from 120 to nearly 180. Praise God for the opportunity to minister to and worship with more people.
Increased Giving. General Fund giving increased from $116,484 in 2004 (the year before we moved into our current auditorium) to $178,116 in 2006 (the year after). During the same period, our Missions budget increased from $13,150 to $24,750! Last year (2019) our giving to missions was $78,000.
Increased Population. The Gig Harbor Peninsula population has grown by at least 14% since 2000. With the new bridge, population is likely to continue growing at this rate or higher. Job growth is expected to double that rate. In our strategic, central location, we want to maximize the property and buildings God has entrusted to us so we can reach the next generation more effectively. That is why we pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done right here in Gig Harbor… and in Quincy and Ohio and Brazil and Ukraine... just as it is in Heaven."

Why build when we aren't holding double-services and maxing out classroom space?

While additional room for future growth is beneficial, there are other significant factors to consider as well:

The current "relaxed" building codes. In July 2015 we were approved to build under a “minor amendment” status, which means less costs and restrictions..
Efficient layout of classrooms and offices. Operating a church out of a 5-bedroom, 3.5 bath house was certainly doable, but as we grew in size, it was clearly becoming less and less efficient.
Handicap access to the whole facility. The fact that we had five separate flights of stairs throughout the upper facility (particularly the descent in the dismal abyss where our precious nursery was located) was a matter of great concern, both in terms of handicap access and safety.
Larger auditorium for special events. Our current auditorium was originally designed to be larger but had to be reduced due to a change in code. Codes now allow us to add an additional 24 feet in length (a simple construction addition). This will not only accommodate larger Sunday services, but also larger weddings, funerals, and other special events that we have had to go off-campus for in the past. It also allows more room between rows and the addition of a third aisle.
Physical Conduct and Accountability. Having classrooms on various floors (including the basement and the old barn across the driveway) was not conducive to "accountability" in terms of people being alone in far-off rooms (particularly with children). Our education wing plan brings all rooms onto one floor with high visibility.
The experience and wisdom of our founding Pastor. Mark has been with our church since day one and has wisely and prudently shepherded us through each building phase so far. We place tremendous value on his involvement through this final expansion.
Additional benefits include... a Family Ministry Center (multi-purpose room), larger kitchen, larger foyer and restrooms, additional paved parking, and substantial indoor/basement storage, and more.

As you can see, these are significant benefits that will serve our church and enhance our ministry to the community for many generations (1 Cor. 14:40).

*Here is a photo of our August 2, 2015 Sunday morning service. Our mid-summer full house confirmed the value of expanding the facility before our building committee could even give their presentation!*

Would it be better to save and pay cash?

The board has wrestled through this very question since the beginning of our master planning. We find ourselves going back to how faithfully God provided for our current auditorium which allowed further growth in our General Fund and Missions Fund budgets and more importantly, ministry in our community. Rather than working with a local bank, we were blessed to receive a loan from the Baptist Network Northwest Revolving Fund—a fund setup specifically to support new and growing churches in the NW. Finances are once again available to us. The money comes from like-minded investors, and the interest we pay in turn helps support future churches. We love this concept. With our accelerated payment plan, we were able to pay off our last 20-year loan in 11 years (paid in full as of April 2015—praise God).

A key guiding principle applied by the Board during the planning of this project has been to depend on guidance from God, confirmed in part by 1) unanimous decision-making by Board members and 2) broad-based support from the congregation. As we have counted the cost (Luke 14:28), we have seen God provide generously through the sacrificial giving of families in our congregation, considerate contractors who have worked at containing costs, and remarkable timing in the 2020 availability of funds for a loan from Baptist Northwest Network. Our desire is to implement an accelerated repayment plan for the loan as God provides. At the start of construction, all required funds were in place—and we are diligently working to stick to the planned budget. We continuously remind ourselves that this endeavor is 100% a matter of faith in a God who provides. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Ps. 127:1; Jam. 1:5).

Is the whole board in agreement on this?

Our church board operates on the "unanimity principle." If all members were not in support, we would not move forward. After much prayer and deliberation amongst ourselves (and with the rest of the church family and with outside professional and spiritual advisors), we can confidently say that the whole board believes this is the direction God is leading us (Phil. 2:2; 1 Cor. 1:10).

FINANCING

Estimated Project Cost, BUDGET, Loan, and Capital Fund Drive

The following numbers are based on detailed information provided from our builder and lender, as well as current and past church budgets and giving.

Total construction cost estimate: $3,940,250
Building Fund as of start of construction: $612,963
Approved BNN loan: $3,000,000
Monthly payment on above loan at 5.4% interest rate: $16,846

The total cost estimate comprises of a project budget of $3,777,788 which would meet our basic needs and a further $162,432 which would fund additional functionality useful for our effective ministry.

Proposed monthly budget:

2019 actual monthly giving: $43,255 (including contributions to Building Fund)
Estimated 2020 monthly giving: $44,724 (including contributions to Building Fund)
2021 tentative monthly budget: $46,944 (including new mortgage)
Required increase in monthly budget: $2,220 (4.7% increase)
Average annual increase in budget over past 10 years: 6%

Working from historical giving, our leadership is very encouraged at God’s provision and timing in this project. A budget increase of 4.7% is within our means, especially considering the fact that the current facility seating will expand from a maximum 200 seats to about 275 in the new facility. We anticipate that God will continue to add to our number and to the faithful giving of our flock. We rest in knowing He will build His church in His timing.

>>> Some have asked whether they can lend money to the church for this project. The best way to do this is to invest in BNN Revolving Fund which will lend us the money you invest. If you are interested in finding out more now, go to baptistnetworknw.org and click on “Revolving Fund.”

CURRENT STATUS: CONSTRUCTION FINISHED!

Our consultants and architects guided us through the Master Planning stage, Pierce County approved our plans as a “minor amendment,” our building permit was received in early 2020, we had our official Groundbreaking Worship Service & Celebration on July 5, 2020, construction began July 6 with a very reputable builder (Mountain Construction), and we opened our new doors on May 16, 2021.