Sept 9, 2023 E-News
When I asked Ronda Queen to chair our Leadership Council, I promised her that it would be easy! Little did we know that we would face building eviction due to new fire codes - in the midst of one of the most competitive real estate markets Bloomington-Normal has seen! Everyone familiar with commercial real estate was not optimistic about our chance of finding something that would work for "assembly" (the code category all churches are in) and work for our budget.
That did not deter our daily search, led by Kevin Maffett. Thanks to an excellent commercial real estate agent, a loan fund we qualified for through the United Methodist Church, a generous grant of 60K, and an incredible seller who is moving into retirement in another state, Hope Church purchased our first building on the morning of September 6th!
Our sermon series is about looking for glimmers of hope in our lives -- this is bright shining ray of light!!
It's a 6000 square foot building at 1 Yount, within the business park on the corner of Empire and Hershey. The Jump Spot seller tells us that we are gaining great neighbors in a fun location!
What's Next:
We need to bring the building up to code for assembly. Our contractor has already submitted the architectural drawings to the city and we are waiting for approval and a permit.
As soon as the permit is obtained, the contractors will begin work, likely September and October.
In October, we'll have a capital campaign to pay for the required upgrades, paint, flooring, and what is needed to set up for worship and streaming. While we can dream of lots of fun building ideas for the future, likely we'll raise the funds needed to just get into the space.
In November, we'll host a number of volunteer days to get the rest of the building ready.
IF (big IF) everything moves as planned, our first Sunday will be December 3rd.
This will be a fun time to be part of Hope Church. If you would like to get more connected, feel free to join our Rooted in Hope class, starting this Sunday between services!
That did not deter our daily search, led by Kevin Maffett. Thanks to an excellent commercial real estate agent, a loan fund we qualified for through the United Methodist Church, a generous grant of 60K, and an incredible seller who is moving into retirement in another state, Hope Church purchased our first building on the morning of September 6th!
Our sermon series is about looking for glimmers of hope in our lives -- this is bright shining ray of light!!
It's a 6000 square foot building at 1 Yount, within the business park on the corner of Empire and Hershey. The Jump Spot seller tells us that we are gaining great neighbors in a fun location!
What's Next:
We need to bring the building up to code for assembly. Our contractor has already submitted the architectural drawings to the city and we are waiting for approval and a permit.
As soon as the permit is obtained, the contractors will begin work, likely September and October.
In October, we'll have a capital campaign to pay for the required upgrades, paint, flooring, and what is needed to set up for worship and streaming. While we can dream of lots of fun building ideas for the future, likely we'll raise the funds needed to just get into the space.
In November, we'll host a number of volunteer days to get the rest of the building ready.
IF (big IF) everything moves as planned, our first Sunday will be December 3rd.
This will be a fun time to be part of Hope Church. If you would like to get more connected, feel free to join our Rooted in Hope class, starting this Sunday between services!
Next Saturday (Sept 16) is a landscaping work day - plenty to do to make our new home look great!
Next Sunday (Sept 17) we are also hosting an Open House at 1 Yount for everyone who would like to see the inside.
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