Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted this Vision Campaign? Why now?
The Session is regularly praying for the Lord’s direction regarding future ministry opportunities. We also seek to lead GRC in being wise stewards of the resources God has already given to us. The Session began seriously discussing a new Vision Campaign in 2023, and we decided this spring to proceed. Our decision is not driven by financial considerations or wider market trends, but by Spiritual discernment of many factors.
Why is this campaign called “Sowing in Grace?” Why not call it a capital campaign?
Our Vision Campaigns have financial goals, but the benefit to GRC’s people extends far beyond simple construction or renovation of our facility. We know from our first Vision Campaign in 2014 to expect significant spiritual fruit to be one of the blessings of this effort! Whenever we realign our hearts with God’s heart… whenever we prioritize the needs of the Kingdom over our own hearts’ preferences… whenever we increasingly give ourselves away, as Jesus did, God is pleased, and His people flourish! Sowing in Grace uses the imagery of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13, using a ‘seed’ to represent the message of the Gospel. Our campaign will highlight some ways we seek to continue to reach the lost by proclaiming Christ and investing in the next generation of Christ-followers!
What is our campaign goal? How will the funds be spent?
Our Sowing in Grace campaign goal is to raise $4 million through commitments that are fulfilled over a three-year period. Ten years ago we were able to raise $2.87 million (representing 2.5x our annual budget at the time) enabling us to purchase our current property and help secure GRC’s long-term future. Our congregation today is not only larger but has a stronger Kingdom-orientation. We are trusting by faith that the Lord will enable His people to work together to reach this goal, which represents 1.8x our current budget.
The funds will be spent: (1) To accelerate the expansion of our Counseling Ministry. Since counseling fees largely cover the cost of adding more counselors to the staff, the primary limiting factor is space. We will renovate a currently unused second floor space that is uniquely suitable for private counseling offices, along with adding additional first-floor bathrooms. We’re calling this element “Inside-Out.” (2) To aggressively pursue the hiring of a Pastor of Outreach, ideally someone who is fluent in Spanish. We’ll fund this by paying down about half of our remaining long-term debt on the building ($2 million out of the remaining $4.1 million) which will free up about $120,000 of operating budget each year. We’ll also renovate the main entrance of the church — a project that we were not able to accomplish during our original renovation in 2017. This will have a direct impact on our welcoming of visitors, on safety and accessibility, and on community building. We’re calling this element “Outside-In.” (3) To invest in our leadership pipeline so that GRC can raise up its own pastoral, missionary and counselor-candidates in the years to come. This will involve seminary tuition assistance, robust internship programs, and pastor-elder mentoring of emerging leaders. This “Future-Now” element will also include investment in the spaces used by our growing Youth Ministry (additional spaces that were not renovated in 2017).
What are some key facts and figures from our first Vision Campaign in 2014?
God enabled GRC to generously give $2.87 million toward the 2014 Vision Campaign. This enabled us to purchase and renovate our building and property at 21 Harristown Road, with a 25-year, bond-based “mortgage” totaling $5.6 million. Initial renovation efforts prioritized the sanctuary and our children’s ministry spaces. Limited funds held us back from renovating the main entrance, youth room or gym.
Aren’t there better ways to invest money? Shouldn’t we mainly give to support those who are poor?
Ten years ago, we raised funds to secure a permanent home for GRC. This not only provided financial stability and predictability, but it also strengthened the fabric of our spiritual community. In God’s infinite wisdom, the warehouse space that seemed extraneous to church ministry became a hub for feeding the food insecure during the 2020 pandemic. At the same time, our Diaconate was asked to take over a struggling, local food pantry ministry. Today, Father’s Cupboard distributes food to almost 150 families every other Saturday. That directly affects more than 500 people who are our neighbors! Simply giving money to “the poor” rather than investing in GRC’s long-term service future could not have made this kind of exponential impact. We trust that the 2024 Vision Campaign efforts will enable us to continue to give ourselves away in even more generous and meaningful ways in the years to come.
Why is expanding our biblical counseling ministry such a strategic priority? Aren’t there other ministries that can meet these needs?
The experience of our pastors and counselors tells us that many Christian counselors actually use secular methodologies that lack a Gospel-centric approach. We cannot grow by simply improving ourselves; we need the resurrecting power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to change us from the inside out! Our Biblical counselors combine formal experience in the field with a Gospel-centrality that uniquely assists individuals, couples and families to move from brokenness to healing, from conflict to reconciliation and from despair to godly hope.
Currently, about 25% of the people receiving counseling at GRC come to us from the local community and do not have any church home. Our Biblical counseling ministry has a tremendous outreach impact!
With the arrival of Kyle Mack, our new director of counseling ministries, as well as the hiring of an additional staff counselor, GRC has more than tripled our available counseling hours in less than 10 months. And yet, we’re still unable to meet the growing demand.
In late October, a special adult Sunday School class will provide a more detailed presentation of what makes Biblical counseling so unique and powerful.
What’s more important, that I give to the Vision Campaign or that I continue with my annual giving?
We ask that Sowing in Grace Vision Campaign commitments be over and above your regular giving. It is our prayer that the ministry of God’s Word during this campaign, coupled with encouragement from fellow members, will help to stretch your faith and cultivate greater dependence on the Lord. Giving to the Vision Campaign, missions funding, and even the operating budget itself, are all steps of faith! We have budgetary commitments to maintain, but we also trust that the Lord will enable sacrificial giving toward our campaign goals.
How do the commitments work? Are these firm commitments made to the church?
A Vision Campaign commitment is an intention to give, preceded by much prayer and careful consideration. It is a step of faith, trusting that the Lord will enable you to give over and above your regular tithes and offerings. Each commitment covers a three-year period, during which you may choose to give at any interval. Should your circumstances significantly change (e.g. financial strain, unemployment, health crisis, extended family emergencies), simply communicate with Nancy Rotella, GRC’s Business Manager, nancy@graceredeemer.com.
What happens if we do not reach our campaign goal?
No new campaign funds are needed to satisfy current financial commitments. If we are unable to reach our goal, the Session would determine the priority of funding given to the various new campaign objectives, with full disclosure made to GRC members.
Who can I speak with regarding the Vision Campaign to share my personal thoughts and feedback?
Please reach out to Pastor Peter and Campaign Chair Pam Schopp. You can email them at sowingingrace@graceredeemer.com.
“…neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
1 Corinthians 3:7