Friends, I have some exciting news to share with you. After 2 years of searching for a new facility, we have our best opportunity yet! As we come to some pivotal days in our search, I want to invite us to join together in prayer. May God grant us abundant wisdom, provision, and experience of his presence.
The questions and answers below will give important details about what’s happening. Let’s pray together that God will reveal his purposes for us. - Pastor Ken
At IAC, our facility has never been our most important concern. But a facility should facilitate the ministry a church is called to, and our facility has not been doing that well for quite a while. In short, we need a new facility to:
(a) create space at the table on Sunday mornings, both in Worship and Kid Church (in two services)
(b) provide space for ministry and community Monday-Saturday, including Life Groups, Connecting Groups, and classes
(c) deepen our missional investment within the city, creating space to invite neighbors into VBS, host community meetings, and catalyze other outreach opportunities
Since our rental agreement with SDA has been so generous, moving to another rental arrangement would likely have monthly costs similar to purchasing with far less access and flexibility than we currently have at SDA.
Building a new facility is typically double the cost of purchasing a space and renovating it. Therefore, we’ve been looking for currently existing spaces to renovate for over 2 years, and have researched over 80 properties total. Almost all of these have been commercial spaces we would have to convert into a church, because it is extremely uncommon for a church of appropriate size to sell their facility.
YES, and it’s currently a church! We have an initial agreement with Radiant Church to buy their Central Campus at 4020 Maizeland Road (Maizeland and Academy). This facility has:
This facility has a currently functioning Sanctuary, Kid wing, large/medium/small gathering spaces, coffee bar, industrial kitchen, and offices. There’s even room to dream about how we might invite other organizations to join us in releasing the gospel to this neighborhood!
Radiant is an Assemblies of God congregation that has been worshipping at three multi-site campuses: Central Campus, a North Campus (8630 Scarborough Drive), and a Woodland Park campus. For financial and strategic reasons, Radiant has decided to move back to one location. Therefore, they have released the Woodland Park campus to become an independent congregation and are selling the Central property.
As we have interacted with Radiant’s leadership, we have been humbled and amazed by the connection we sense in the Spirit. At the initial tour, we got to pray together with their head pastor for both of our churches. He’s also taken the time to get to know us and our unique story. We trust and truly pray that - as they move towards selling their Central Campus - they will continue to thrive at their North Campus location. As one of their congregants has said: “We needed a financial miracle, and IAC needed a building miracle. God gave us what we needed through each other!”
We realize there might be a temptation to go visit the facility as Radiant is still worshipping in it. We want to encourage giving them space to process their decision well and to wait on the Lord to open the doors for us in his own timing!
If you’ve been to any All-Church Gatherings recently, we’ve clearly said that it would take a move of God for us to find a place we can afford in the short term. To this point in the process, the facility with the lowest estimated cost for purchase and move-in renovations required $14M. We can’t yet afford that kind of price tag.
However, Radiant is selling for $7.5M and may require less than $1M in costs for us to begin moving in. Praise God! It will, of course, require more significant Facility Fund investments (including pledges being fulfilled) to truly make it ours, and the cost of operation will require significant growth in our General Fund.
But this is not only financially conceivable: as we all contribute together, it seems like a reasonable investment that is financially achievable without sacrificing other core ministry and staffing investments.
There are several steps to this process, and we are still in the initial stages. It would be very easy to run ahead of where we are! However, it can be helpful to get a sense of where this journey might lead over the next few months. We’ve highlighted where we are in the process timeline below. At any point in the process, God could close the door, so this purchase is by no means certain. But at this point, we have no concerns about taking the next step.
September 9 - Radiant and IAC Sign Letter of Intent to Purchase (“handshake” agreement)
***CURRENTLY: CALL TO PRAYER AND DISCERNMENT FOR IAC***
October 7: Radiant Church Congregational Vote
Radiant will have a congregational vote on whether to sell the property to us. If Radiant Church votes to approve the sale, then the process will continue.
October 8 - November 21: 45-day Due Diligence Process
During this phase, we will scour the building with a variety of professionals to determine what exactly we would be buying. If overly expensive problems come to the surface during this time frame, we can back out of the deal.
November 8 & 15: IAC Annual Meeting
IAC will have our Annual Meeting - our biggest Church-Wide Gathering of the year - to discuss this facility and its implications for our church. We will have two meetings to choose from, and we would ask that every IAC’er make plans to join us at one of them!
November 17: IAC Church Council Vote
Based on the outcome of the Due Diligence process and congregational feedback at the Annual Meeting, IAC’s Council will vote on whether to proceed with the purchase.
December 21: Current Estimated Closing Date
January - April: Preparation of facility and transitioning ministries and worship to the new location. Much about this process remains unknown. At this point, we do not have an anticipated move-in or first worship service date.
We know that this process brings excitement for the future, grief for what would be left behind, anxiousness about all the unknowns, and lots (and lots!) of questions. Feel free to send questions to facilityfeedback@springsiac.org, and know that we will be updating you as we come upon these key dates in the timeline.
But the most important thing you can do is PRAY. Perhaps prayers like these might be a helpful starting point:
O God, you guide the humble and bring light to those in darkness: Grant Radiant and IAC, in all our expectancy and uncertainty, the grace to ask what you would have us do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices; that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path we may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Based on #77, For Guidance, 2019 BCP
Go before Radiant and IAC, O Lord, with your grace. In all we are considering, give us your continual help, so that all we do may glorify your name. Lead us to the facilities you have for our churches, and wherever you guide us may we receive and release your message of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Based on #76, For Guidance, 2019 BCP
