The NEXT 5 - Update

A Step Forward

When we launched the Next 5 Initiative last fall, we said that the first step toward finding and funding a permanent home was to secure land in our community.  We said that we would be looking for 5-7 acres of land located in an area of high visibility.  We also said we would very much like to have a piece of land identified and locked down by the end of 2022.  Over the last 8 months we have explored several pieces of property and each one was either too small to allow us flexibility as we grow into the future or priced too high which made the property unreasonable for our consideration.  

 
An Answer to Prayer

About 6 weeks ago we began to seriously consider a piece of land that checked many of the boxes listed above.  The property is 6.06 acres, with 1.5-2 acres of that being in the 100-year floodplain.  It is in the city of Fate along Highway 66 just one mile north/east of Fate City Hall and Bobby Summers Middle School and 2.5 miles from where we currently meet at Highview. 

The property was listed at $625,000 but we asked our realtor open conversation with the seller's agent and see if they would be willing to consider selling the land to us at the same price per acre but only paying them for the 4 buildable acres and have them donate the floodplain to the church as a non-cash contribution.  The sellers were intrigued by that idea and so we started with an offer of $425,000.  After a couple of rounds of negotiations, we settled on a price of $475,000 for the 6 acres and they would donate the remaining $150,000 of their asking price to the church as a non-cash contribution.  

“An Answer to Prayer”

Over the last 8 months, our Next 5 Team, and many others in our church, had been praying for the Lord to give us favor in the eyes of a landowner in our city.  We believed that the Lord was able to turn the hearts of kings like channels of water and so before we ever even knew where the land would be or who would own it, we were praying that He would turn their hearts toward us.  This certainly seems like an answer to prayer.

Next Steps

In the contract we asked the sellers for 90 days to do due diligence and ensure the property would be suitable to build a future church facility.  We will need to secure a survey for the land and the city would also like us to commission a flood study on the property.  The western boundary of the property is a creek that only fills with water when it rains, but they would like to see detailed information on the elevation & potential flooding risk.  It may be that through the flood study we could reclaim some of the land currently in the floodplain. The city planner for the city of Fate has indicated that there is no need to rezone the property, but we would need to apply for a Specific Use Permit. The city only processes SUP applications once a month and the next date on their calendar for that purpose is June 21st. 

This next month we will be meeting with Sturgeon Construction, the design/build firm assisting us, to develop conceptual floorplans, a master plan for the site, and some renderings of the future facility.  Once we have those in hand, we will schedule a meeting with the city’s Design Review Committee.  During that meeting we would present the site plan and concepts and be able to ask any questions we have about utilities, roads, and other matters related to developing the property. 

Next would be a review by the Planning and Zoning Commission on July 21st for their approval.  Following the P&Z meeting, the application would be put in front of the city council for a vote in August.  Assuming we can secure the SUP, we would close on the property toward the end of August.

Financing

Our lender has indicated that the minimal down payment they would receive is 20% of the purchase price which on $475,000 would be $95,000.  We currently have enough funds in the bank designated toward the Next 5 Initiative to make the down payment.  However, the more we can put down, the faster we can begin to develop the property.  What if, instead of putting $95,000 down we put $125,000 or $150,000 down?  Better yet, what if we were able to put $200,000 down when we close on the land?  Every dollar we put down in August is a dollar closer to the end goal of constructing a home for our church in our community.  Would you prayerfully consider how you could help us maximize our down payment?

How to Help

If you are a member of Redeemer and have yet to commit to the Next 5 Initiative, there is no better time than now.  There are still commitment cards at the kiosk in the back of the worship center every Sunday and we would love to have you join us on this journey so that you can celebrate with us when we cross the finish line.

If you are a friend of Redeemer, and would like to assist us with a one-time gift or ongoing monthly support of the Next 5 Initiative, you can do so on the “Give” page of our website.  All you have to do is select the Next 5 designation in the drop down box when you make your gift and every dollar you give will go toward the Next 5.  We would certainly appreciate anything you are able contribute as we seek to fund a permanent home in our rapidly growing city.

“Will you join us?”

There are ways you could contribute other than from your income as well.  Earlier this spring one of our Life Groups hosted a garage sale and donated all the proceeds to the Next 5 Initiative.  One of our member families sold some electronic equipment online and donated the proceeds of that sale to the Next 5 Initiative.  In addition, we recently received a large one-time gift toward the Next 5 Initiative as well.  There are some creative and sacrificial ways you can help us reach our goal and we need more of that creativity and sacrifice as we take this step forward as a church!  Will you join us?

If you have questions about the Next 5 Initiative, please don’t hesitate to ask.  You can reach out to Pastor Shannon here.