FAQs

As we look back over the past few years, we are grateful to God for growth. It is a privilege and a
responsibility to help more people to connect to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. God has been gracious and good to us as a church family! We give him the glory, as He uses us to reach people and teach them to obey all that He has commanded. We look forward with faith and anticipation to what God will continue to do for His glory through this body of believers. Growth, of course, brings its own set of positive challenges, one of which relates to the physical facilities which facilitate ministry. Our overseers submitted a recommendation regarding the renovation and expansion of the Youth Center building. Here is some more information about this recommendation.

Q. What is the “Youth Center”?

A. The Youth Center is the grey building located across the parking lot from the main church building. It was purchased in 1983 from the Winona School of Photography (which built it in the 1960s). It was originally purchased, along with the main building of the School of Photography, so that the church could have the land. Though there was originally no intention of using either building for ministry, we have done exactly that for 26 years.

Q. Why renovate the Youth Center?

A. A brief stroll through the Youth Center building quickly answers this question. For those not brave enough to attempt this, we’ll explain. The bathrooms are outdated, out of code, and only partially functional. Except for some paint along the way, the auditorium is pretty much the way it was when the building was built over four decades ago. The chairs need to be replaced, the technology needs to be upgraded, and the space needs to be reconfigured for more flexible use. With the number of teens using the building, the lobby is too small. There are inadequate meeting rooms for the youth and college-age programming. The building is not handicap accessible. In its current condition, the building is not a viable option for use by other groups, age levels, and ministries in the church. Being a good steward of the existing property involves maximizing its potential for use. This requires updating and improving the Youth Center.

Q. Why add on to the Youth Center?

A. By God’s grace, our church family has grown over the past three years. As ministry has expanded, the need for space to facilitate it has increased. The teens need more space as does the whole church body. For example, as part of integrating new families into the church, several new Adult Bible Fellowships have been started in the past two years. We prayerfully anticipate that this will continue to happen. To accommodate this, we need more classrooms.

Q. Why are we adding on when we recently tore down the Learning Center?

A1. The short answer: our number of junior-high students (about 40) has outgrown what their room (upper level, east end) can hold (about 20). This has been the case for the past two years. The temporary solution has been to have students meet in the lobby. A longer-term solution is needed.

A2: The longer answer: When we abandoned the Learning Center building in 2001, we knew we would face a decision about the future of both it and the Youth Center. In the fall of 2007, as we weighed the decision of what to do with the Learning Center, we knew that, whether we renovated or demolished that building, some issues at the Youth Center would need to be addressed. We’ve known for years that work needed to be done, such as repairing and improving the exterior, updating the bathrooms, addressing the seating in the auditorium, replacing doors, and addressing handicap accessibility. When the decision was made in January of 2008 for demolition of the Learning Center, one implication of that choice was that our resources could be directed, at a later date, to addressing the issues of the Youth Center. The choice made then not to spend a large amount to preserve the deteriorating Learning Center now leaves us in a position to address the potential still present in the functional Youth Center.

Q. What was the decision-making process leading up to the Overseers’ recommendation to refurbish and add on to the Youth Center?

A. The Youth Center Strategy Team began meeting in October of 2008. It included some students, some parents, an overseer, a trustee, as well as Bruce Barlow, Tim Wright, and Nick Deck. Its role was to develop a plan to retrofit the Youth Center into a multi-use facility. They were tasked with assessing the needs dictated by our ministry strategy and with listing and weighing options to meet those needs. Starting last summer, they began interacting with the Business Commission, the Trustees, and the Board of Overseers. The process of coming to a recommendation has been extremely thorough with many involved. The necessity of renovating the existing Youth Center was never debated, as this need was obvious to all. The bigger question was the necessity of additional space. After months of thoroughly pursuing options with existing space in buildings adjacent to our property, the Overseers decided that the only long-term, workable option for additional space was to build an addition. Several proposals by the architect were thoroughly considered by all the above-named groups before there was consensus and confidence in the plans which are being recommended. Many hours of tireless work and the involvement of dozens of people in the church body have been invested in coming to this recommendation.

Q. How much is this going to cost?

A. The amount which the Overseers are recommending for a capital campaign is $1.1 million.

Q. What does this amount include?

A. There are four main components.

1) The south revision: bathrooms, entryway, lobby.

2) the auditorium: seating, revision of tiers, ceiling, and full tech and lighting updating.

3) The south addition: a large classroom with a folding partition walls which divides the area into three spaces. Two will be capable of handling 30 people in each space and the large classroom can hold up to 90.

4) The exterior: concrete walks, eaves, soffitt, doors, porch, removal of siding and replacement with yet-to-be-determined material. Other items include the paving of the parking lot, architect fees, a project coordinator for volunteers, furnishings, and landscaping.

Q. Why would we choose to venture into a capital campaign in this economic climate?

A. Good question! There are three parts to the answer. First of all, there are the glaring needs of the Youth Center. We need to fix the bathrooms, etc. Second, we need to steward well the growth of ministry needs and ministry opportunities which God is giving the church at this time. This includes the need for some additional space. We must continue to be dependent on God, trusting He will provide. Third, giving in the church has not only remained strong in the face of economic challenges, it has increased! People are motivated by God to give towards ministry needs and potential.

Q. Do we really need more space?

A. On any given Sunday you could find an Adult Bible Fellowship meeting over at Kingsway Suites, in the Tree of Life lobby, in the conference room of the Brethren Missionary Herald, in the house of church members who live across the street, and in several spots in the Gordon Recreation Center. The same is true for youth group small groups. We are maximizing the available space in our surroundings. For that reason, we need to think towards the future and invest in some additional multi-use space.

Q. Will the renovated and expanded Youth Center be solely for student ministries use?

A. NO! The intention is to create a ministry center that will be attractive and functional for multiple groups in the church family. In addition to youth and college-age ministries, we see Adult Bible Fellowships, the Living Room satellite service, and many other ministries using the space.

Q. Will volunteer help from within the church be used in the construction project?

A. Yes. We will be minimizing the cost of this project in every way we can without diminishing the quality of the final product. A coordinator of volunteers will be assigned the task of engaging people with the project.