July 2026 Building Campaign Update: Laying Foundations with Transparency, Stewardship, and Vision
Dear Christ Church Family,
As we step through the summer season, we continue to be deeply humbled and energized by God’s presence and your faithful commitment to the future of our church. Every step we take toward expanding our facilities is rooted in prayer, careful planning, and a deep desire to build something that honors God and serves our surrounding community for generations to come.
We want to ensure every member of our church family feels informed, included, and connected to the work happening behind the scenes. Here is a look at where we stand this month and what lies ahead!
📋 Don’t Have Time to Read the Whole Email? Here is the At-a-Glance Summary:
- Generous Giving: Over $199,978.58 already received to our campaign (since December 2025), which includes $3446.85 earned in interest; backed by over $2 Million in campaign commitments.
- Open Architectural Search: To ensure complete transparency and stewardship, we are beginning to put together an open Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to select our architect and engineering team.
- Regional Learning Visits: Committee members are touring several recently constructed area churches to learn what worked well for them and gather practical design ideas.
- Planning for the Future: We are meeting with the City-County Planning Commission to discuss zoning and permits early, targeting (very tentatively at this point) ground-breaking for Spring/Summer 2027.
💰 Celebrating Your Generosity: Financial Update
Your faithful partnership continues to be a source of constant encouragement. As we collect commitments, our primary commitment to you is to be diligent stewards of every single dollar entrusted to this ministry.
Here is a quick snapshot of where our finances stand:
| Metric | Amount/Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Campaign Commitments | ~$2,041,556 |
| Building Campaign Donations Received | $199,978.58 |
| Current Strategy | Now that you have started (or hopefully very will soon) giving toward your pledges we are developing a pay as you go plan to help defer debt on this project as long as possible. |
By utilizing our cash on hand to cover initial capital campaign project, architectural, engineering, and permitting expenses, we are keeping our project debt-free during this crucial pre-construction phase. Unpledged gifts also continue to come in alongside multi-year pledges—thank you for your incredible heart for giving!
🏗️ Progress & Key Updates1. Opening the Process for Architectural Selection
We want to "leave no stone unturned" when choosing the partner who will design our physical space. Our committee has decided to issue an invitation/open Request for Qualifications (RFQ) . This allows qualified architectural and engineering firms to submit their credentials, track records, and references.
- Why this matters for us: We are most likely utilizing a traditional Design-Bid-Build approach. This means we will work directly with an architect to design exactly what our church needs first, and then put those complete plans out for competitive bidding among general contractors. This ensures our church maintains total oversight, quality control, and cost transparency.
- We hope to finish conversations with a few local churches about their process and have a draft RFQ to be worked on and hopefully finalized at our next meeting. Once that RFQ is opened we will begin to collect submissions from firms for us to discuss at our September meeting.
2. Learning from Neighboring Churches
To avoid costly mistakes and gain real-world wisdom, our team is visiting several local and regional churches (including Cumberland Trace, Rich Pond Baptist, East Side, and Plum Springs Baptist). We are inspecting floor plans, asking building leadership what they would do differently, and exploring functional designs.
3. Early Work with Planning & Zoning
This week, members of our committee are having a preliminary informational meeting with the City-County Planning Commission. By discussing our Conditional Use Permit (CUP) and site requirements now, we ensure that utility connections, fire safety regulations, and traffic flow considerations are addressed long before heavy equipment ever arrives on property.
🗓️ Next Steps & Looking Ahead
Building a long-term home for ministry is a marathon, not a sprint. As one team member said, "A project like this isn't on Amazon—you can't have it delivered tomorrow!" We are choosing to focus on doing things right rather than doing them fast.
- August 2026: Finalizing regional church tours, receiving preliminary planning feedback, and releasing the architectural RFQ.
- Fall/Winter 2026: Reviewing firm submissions, interviewing shortlisted candidates, selecting our architectural partner, and drafting initial schematic designs.
- Spring / Summer 2027: Targeted timeline for completing detailed blueprints, securing final municipal permits, receiving competitive contractor bids, and preparing for construction.
- Reality Check: All these timelines are tentative but we think that this is a realistic timeline for the next few months that ensures we are able to be good stewards of your generosity and this project.
🛑 How You Can Partner with Us: 3 Calls to Prayer
We ask that you join us in lifting up these specific requests this coming month:
- Wisdom in Selection: Pray for clear discernment for our Building Committee as we issue our architectural RFQ and evaluate design teams.
- Smooth Permitting & Planning: Pray for favor and fruitful collaboration in our upcoming conversations with city/county officials and utility providers.
- Unity and Patience: Pray that God keeps our church body united in joy, anticipation, and steady faith as we navigate this essential foundational work together.
📬 Contact & Next Committee Meeting
Our next formal Building Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11, at 5:30 PM.
If you have any questions, ideas, or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out to our project co-chairs or visit our “Building Project Hub” on our website www.christchurchbg.org\!
- Project Co-Chairs: Betsy Kullman & Mike Gardner
- Church Office Phone: 270-842-4343
Thank you for your faith, generosity, and partnership as we build for the future together!
Warmly in Christ,
The Building Committee Team
Christ Global Methodist Church