Making Him Known

1. What is the overall size of the new church building and how many people will the sanctuary seat?

Phase I of the new church facility will be over 60,000 total square feet, with sanctuary seating for 1000 people. We will have double the classroom space for our children and there will be separate Middle School and High School auditoriums that each seats over 200 youth. There will also be a Café for fellowship which leads out to a wooded area in the rear of the building. Phase II will include a 2,100 seat sanctuary and will increase the total square footage of the church to over 100,000 square feet.


2. Many churches employ the services of Christian fund-raising consultants. Are we planning to use such services?

No. We are trusting that as we present the need and share the vision of where we believe God is leading (in the same way David did when sharing the plans for the Temple in 1 Chronicles 29:14-17), that God will lay it on the hearts of people to joyfully participate in this great opportunity for Making Him Known.


3. Are we planning to use pledge cards for people to indicate their financial commitments?

No. Pledge cards may be a helpful tool for people to remember the commitment they made, but pledge cards can be unreliable for church planning purposes and, frankly, off-putting to many. We are trying our best to avoid tactics or approaches that, while common among some other churches, are not compatible with the philosophy of ministry at Cornerstone.


4. What is the financial goal of the Making Him Known project?

We are praying for $12 million in donations over the next 3 years over and above the regular weekly offerings that sustain our continuing ministry needs, including all ministry activities, staffing, and on-going operational costs. Our sacrificial gifts will be an investment in the future of the church.


5. What happens if we don’t meet our goal?

We are limited in the loan amount we can service. Thus, we can only move forward as God provides through the generosity of His people. Optimistically, any additional income above the $12 million goal will go to offset the loan that our church needs to close the financing gap.


6. Why choose an architectural firm from Texas instead of one locally?

Our church Board interviewed various firms but decided that a project the scope of ours needed the expertise of a team that had designed churches equal to or larger than what we intended to build. To that end, we selected HH Architects from Dallas, Texas.


7. Can I make one large gift instead of giving over 3 years?

Absolutely! There are several ways in which to give. You may feel led to donate one large lump sum, or break it into monthly or weekly giving; whatever works best for your financial situation.


8. When do we plan to break ground and what is the projected occupancy date of our new building if everything goes according to schedule?

We hope to break ground in 2011 and we hope to have our first service in the new building sometime in 2012. This time frame is dependent upon many variables, so please pray for a timely project!


9. Will there be regular updates of the progress to keep the congregation informed?

Yes. We plan to give quarterly updates, or as often as necessary. You can also check our web site at www.cornerstonechapel.net for updates. Since we are not using pledge cards, we will also give an opportunity for quarterly special offerings which will also provide “markers” to help us monitor our financial progress.


10. Given the downturn in the economy (housing market decline, possible recession), is this the best time to be building?

It’s true that we have all felt the pinch of the economy, but the reality is that ministry never slows or stops because of a recession. As God continues bringing people to our fellowship, we must rely on His provision for a facility that will adequately minister to all He brings, even during times of economic uncertainty.


11. Why not just stay in our current facility?

We will continue adding services and ministering to people as needed to utilize our current building. But over the long term, multiple services create a considerable strain on the staff and volunteers; the overcrowded youth and children’s classrooms and the parking congestion are other realities of our limited facility.