Friends,
What a joy these last weeks have been! Journeying through Lent, walking together through Holy Week, and beginning our time of “Receiving the Holy Spirit” with Confirmations has been incredibly rich. I am so thankful for the chance to simply gaze upon Jesus and be transformed together.
You may have noticed that during April we didn’t talk much about our facility search. But that certainly doesn’t mean nothing has been happening! Like the proverbial swimming duck, there’s calm above the water but lots of movement underneath.
We are increasingly confident that our offer on 2727 Palmer Park was accurate, and that the asking price of the owner was too high. The costs to make this property code-compliant and a usable worship space are very high, and we are committed to not over-stretching financially. While the owner could return to us at the lower price, he seems no longer interested in selling.
However, there are several other emerging possibilities.
Currently, only a few properties are on the market, and we are actively assessing them as soon as we are notified about them. We are also aware of a few places that are not on the market right now but that might consider selling under the right conditions. We’re very excited by a few of these! We’ve even done some “cold calling” to see if people with properties large enough might be willing to sell.
Please pray for favor in every interaction and that God would open the doors he wants us to walk through (and close the ones he doesn’t). And if you have ideas about possibilities, let us know at facilityfeedback@springsiac.org!
As of yet, no property has progressed to the point where it is time to have a congregational conversation about them. When they do, know that we will be updating you fully and asking for your voice in the discernment process!
In this stage of the discovery process, there are a few new things we’re learning.
Costs: Our initial estimates of $8-10 million for the total project are probably a bit low. However, if we proceed with any needed renovation in stages, a purchase is still very possible. And God could still surprise us with a lower cost!
Partnership Possibilities: Some of the properties we’re looking at have additional space for community partnerships, which is particularly exciting. If you know of charter schools, medical clinics, counseling centers, day-care centers, or other potential partners that might be interested in sharing space with a church, please let us know and connect us (facilityfeedback@springsiac.org). We already have some wonderful possibilities, but we are eager to discover more.
Need for Financial Readiness: We’re also noticing that some properties are emerging that don’t need quite as much renovation. This is, of course, very exciting! Less renovation means less variability in total cost estimates and greater confidence in move-in timelines. The challenge of these properties is that they require more funds up front to purchase.
The more financially ready we can be, the more options we will have. Therefore:
**If you have already pledged to our Facility Fund and it is possible to fulfill your pledges earlier rather than later, please do so! Every dollar given increases our capacity to purchase a property that requires less renovation.
**If you have not yet given to the Facility Fund, you can still make pledges (for fulfillment before March 2028) at springsiac.org/creatingspace. You can also give immediate gifts at springsiac.org/give by choosing the “Facility Fund – Immediate Gift” option.
**If you weren’t around for Capital Campaign in Jan/Feb and would like to know more, just email us at facilityfeedback@springsiac.org and we’ll loop you in!
Please know that you can always ask questions, give feedback, or pass on ideas through the email facilityfeedback@springsiac.org. We want to hear what you’re thinking!
If nothing serious develops, we’ll plan to update you again sometime in June. If something does develop, we’ll make sure you can’t miss it in our communication.
In this active waiting, our faith has not wavered: if anything, it has grown and deepened. The “boundary lines have fallen for us in pleasant places” (Ps. 16:6) because God is with us right where we are. He will provide what we need, when we need it.
With expectancy,
Pastor Ken (for Executive Team)