> Why Now?
Is it to get people saved and into God’s family? Is it to
learn our Bibles? Is it to make disciples? Is it to love our neighbor as
ourselves? Is it to care for the poor, the orphan, and the widow? Is it to
plant new churches? Is it to fight against spiritual evil? …Simply: Yes.
God has been calling more and more people to New Chapel and
into a deeper relationship with Him, His Church, and His Word. We want to prepare
for what’s happening — more and more people meeting the real Jesus and becoming
part of our church family.
> How do we expect to raise this amount of money?
For some, the amount we’re proposing will seem very
reasonable for the scope we’re undertaking. For others, it might feel like an
overwhelming amount. We all bring different life experiences to financial and
future-planning conversations. We move toward seasons like this with both faith
and wisdom. In faith, we take each step put in front of us with an aim to be
obedient and surrendered to what God is doing in us and in our church. In
wisdom, we have relied on the experience and expertise of financial
consultants, architects, and builders. Their insights, based on factors like
the duration of the campaign, our congregation’s size, and our historical
giving patterns, have helped put this campaign goal together with wisdom.
A campaign of this magnitude may feel like a stretch for our
faith and our giving, but it is not beyond wisdom. This is within our capacity. It will certainly
take thoughtful consideration, prayer, and ultimately sacrifice from every
person who calls our church home.
> How will we utilize these new spaces beyond Sunday
morning?
We love this question because this is what it’s all about! Church
buildings should be used for more than an hour on Sunday… Church buildings should be used all week long! We see a church with
community spaces like a coffee shop and a playground. We envision continuing
what we began with Chapel Ridge Daycare, by adding home school cooperatives and
our own Christian School.
> Will we wait for all of the money to come in before we
start the projects?
One of the cool things about Christians and churches is
that, statistically, campaigns at churches have a high rate of fulfillment — Meaning:
Christians fulfill their pledges (…Isn’t that the type of community you want to
be a part of? So cool!). We’re not planning on all funds coming in immediately –
We expect to see pledges come in over the full 36-month period. We’ll create a
cash spend timetable based on what is pledged that will allow us to start right
away. Our church has also been blessed with contractors and tradesmen who can
donate labor and/or materials to help us begin sooner.
> How do I give to the campaign?
Over the next three years, you can contribute through any of
the current ways we offer. This includes checks, cash, credit & debit
cards, EFT, ACH, online banking bill pay, non-cash assets or commodities,
transfers of stock, vehicle donations, and more. All the ways we receive
contributions are still in play: giving through newchapel.com/give, in the
mail, and the like. We are available to help answer any questions about giving
you might have. You could leverage Year-End Giving to make your gift tax advantaged.
You can give here.
> What if the amount pledged is significantly over or under
the target amount?
We fully expect to reach our goal over the three-year giving
period. However, we do have a plan if we don’t reach this goal. We’ll simply
review and adjust our projects and wait for a future chance to bring them to
life. Like: “Pivot!” On the bright side, if we surpass our goal, it provides a
buffer for possible costs or any effects of inflation on projects that begin
further down the road. And if, for some reason, anyone who has pledged faces
unexpected changes that affect their personal goal, the additional funds can
step in and bridge that gap.
> What if I cannot give right now?
Not everyone has the margin to give extravagant amounts –
that’s okay! Our hope is that each person would embody 2 Corinthians 9:7 in
their giving, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to
give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Like Pastor Joe always says, “This isn’t a pay-to-play!” You’re a part of our
church because of your engagement, not your money. We get it: If you could
you would, in the past you have, in the future you will. That said, there
will be opportunities in the future to engage financially that might catch you
at a better season.
> Should I reduce my regular giving to support the
campaign?
We don’t want to “rob Peter to pay Paul” with this project. Our
church has a ministry-focused general budget that depends on faithful Tithes
and Offerings. Our hope is that this project will be funded by “over-and-above”
giving, over a three-year period.
> Can I use non-cash sources to fund my “Expand This House”
commitment?
Normally, cash & savings are the first sources that come
to mind when we think about giving. In this day and age, we welcome creative
ideas in fulfilling pledges:
• Stocks
• Mutual Funds
• Annuities
• IRA Distributions
• Cryptocurrency
• Assets
(Assets such as: vehicles, land, real estate,
non-cash assets, commodities, or business holdings)
There are often tax advantages to the donor when giving
non-cash assets. For example, it is possible to reduce or eliminate tax
liability on the appreciation of stocks by donating via a stock transfer.
Please check with your tax advisor on these matters, and if you have any
questions about using non-cash assets to fund your commitment, please reach out
connect@newchapel.com.
> How will financial progress be reported to the
congregation?
We plan to share updates at regular intervals throughout the
year! You can expect to hear updates via email, on our church’s Facebook page, and
in service regularly.
