Special Church in Conference October 7 @ 6:30 pm

          The last post announced the Leader's Forum and the Church in Conference which were to take place on September 9th.  We had good meetings on that Sunday night.  One of the points of information had to do with the condition of the West Educational building on our campus.  (This issue has been in discussion and consideration by the building and grounds committee and by the coordinating council since early this summer).  After discussion by the leaders, the coordinating council recommended to the church that a Special Church in Conference be held to vote on this issue.  It was also recommended that the members would be given all of the information prior to the meeting via mail.  The congregation approved this recommendation.  The Special Church in Conference has been calendared for Sunday October 7th at 6:30 pm.  This post is longer than usual because it will include all of the information which will be sent via U.S.P.S. mail to Calvary members about this issue. 

The decision to be made

          At this meeting the congregation will have the opportunity to vote on whether to remove the West Ed building now or to repair and restore it.  This is the original Calvary building (1957).  Its most recent use has been primarily as a Student Ministry building.  It also houses the library and several staff and ministry offices.  Calvary built its current worship center in 1979 and has built a nice Family Life Center (Gym), an attractive Adult Ministry building (Slayton) and a beautiful Children’s Building.  This last addition was the first phase of a master plan, approved by the church in December 2003.  The site plan (see graphic below) included the removal of three buildings (the parsonage, the old children’s building and the West Ed) and the construction of two new buildings (a new Children’s Building and a building that would house the Student Ministry, staff offices and community ministry space).  Two of these buildings have been removed already (the parsonage and the old children's building) and one new one has been built (the new children's and multi-purpose building).  That leaves only the construction of the Student/Office/Community Ministry complex and the removal of the West Ed from the plan approved by the church in December 2003.  Since we have recently paid off the note on the Children’s Building, it is time for our church to start praying and thinking about the timing of this last phase.  Since the church already approved the removal of the West Ed building back in 2003, the decision that remains is "when?" (Now?  Next year?  Two or three years from now?).  

The site plan

          Notice in the graphic above that Phase II of the master plan has parking where the West Ed is currently and the new Student Ministry/Office Complex forms a horseshoe shape with the Multi-Purpose/Children's Building.

          Since no time frame has been set for the beginning of Phase II, the question that is being raised now is, "is now the right time to remove the West Ed?"  Although, it would be assumed that Phase II would follow the order of (1) building the new Student Ministry/Office Complex first and (2) then removing the West Ed, this spring's hailstorm has presented a new possible scenario to consider.

The hailstorm damage on the West Ed

          The hailstorm caused damage to all of our buildings and all of them are being repaired.  However, the building and grounds committee has put the repairs to the West Ed building on hold.  One of the reasons for this is the concern that when interior repairs begin (including the removal and replacement of sheetrock) issues would be discovered having to do with the age of the building.  Previous to the hailstorm the building and grounds committee had concerns about electrical and plumbing issues in the West Ed.  Whether those issues require repair (due to code or other reasons) is not known now but if they are not directly related to the storm, they will not be covered by insurance.  Calvary would have to pay for those.  Additionally, and also related to the age of the building, the repair process requires something called 'abatement.'  Abatement is a meticulous process that ensures that repairs are done in an environmentally safe manner for the workers and for those who will be utilizing the building once it is repaired.  A third reason why the repairs are on hold is because it is estimated that cost of removal of the building is compatible with the cost of repairing it (both of which can be covered with insurance money).  If the church is eventually going to remove this building, it could do so now at very little cost to Calvary.  The other option is to use the insurance money to repair it and when the appropriate time comes to remove it, then Calvary pay the entire cost.

The cost of removal

         At this point the money that we would receive from insurance and the cost for removing the building is as follows:

So it would cost Calvary approximately $15,243 to remove the building completely at this time or almost $190,000 to do it in the not so-immediate-future.  Of course, if the building is removed now, we need to do something with that space immediately while we decide when we might build.  The options would be either a grass-recreational area or a parking lot.  The former option would be significantly less expensive than the latter.

The cost of repair

           The option to removing the West Ed is to repair it and use it until such time as the church decides to move forward with Phase II.  How much would it cost to repair it?  The initial cost which includes the insurance-covered items: roof, HVAC (a/c units), partial abatement, walls, ceilings and floors damaged by the storm is $208,865.  Although this amount is higher than the $173,080 listed above under the insurance claim, we are confident that the difference would be covered by the insurance under depreciation.

          In addition, there are other costs which may be incurred by Calvary that are not covered by insurance.  These costs are unknown because they depend on what is discovered in the building once repairs begin.  It is possible that there would be absolutely no additional cost.  It is also possible that other items need to be repaired or completely redone.  The building and grounds committee refrained from giving any estimates on these costs because of their unknown nature.  However, it was requested at the meetings on September 9 that costs for possible items be sought.  So below is a list of items that may or may not need to be addressed:

As indicated above, it is unknown whether any of these costs will be incurred or not.  The items highlighted in yellow and green are "guesstimates."

          Beyond the cost issues, there are other questions which have surfaced in the discussions.

What about Student Ministry?

          It is evident that the leadership at Calvary places a great premium on Student Ministry.  Our students were displaced from the West Ed since the hailstorm and wandered between the multi-purpose and Family Life Center (gym) during the summer.  However, as the new semester began, Pastor Marcus, with the support of the staff, has made a home for our students in the Family Life Center (gym).  On Sunday morning, the students use all of the upstairs classrooms in the gym.  On Wednesday night "Remedy" meets on the gym floor.  Some of the details of transition are still in progress but this move is meant to provide a place for our students the rest of this school year.  Once a decision is made about the West Ed, plans will be developed either to return to West Ed (if the building is repaired) or to provide adequate space elsewhere (if the West Ed is removed).  Our leaders have expressed that classroom space for student ministry will be a priority even if it means moving adults elsewhere.  That is the great spirit of our Calvary people!

What about office space?

          Currently there are four pastors, two ministry assistants, two associates and at least one part-time person whose offices are in the West Ed building.  If the West Ed were to be removed several of those staff members would be moved to the front office and others would be moved to office space in the children's building until a more permanent solution would be in place.  Removal of the West Ed would require us to secure additional rental storage space.

          Although there may be additional costs in adapting to not having the West Ed, there would also be significant utility savings.

Automatic Building Campaign?

          Some are concerned that when we remove the West Ed we would be forced to immediately go into a capital fund raising campaign.  Is that true?  If so, would we be ready for one now?  Although it has appropriately been mentioned that the decision on the West Ed needs to be made independently of the new construction issue, some see the two as very inter-related.  It is true that eventually we would need to go into a capital fund raising campaign in order to complete Phase II of the master plan.  However, it will be up to the church when to do so.  As has already been stated, arrangements for Student Ministry, office and storage space can be made for at least one-year.  If necessary, other provisional arrangements can be made beyond the one or two-year marks were the church to determine that capital fund raising needed to wait.  

How long would a building campaign take?

          On the average a building campaign can take at least three years (sometimes longer) before completion of a new building.  Often the first step is to organize committees and begin to develop design and architectural plans.  This step can take between 6 to 18 months.  The design phase is followed by the capital fund raising campaign which may last from 3 to 6 months.  After fundraising is completed and financing is in place, construction begins and could take from 12 to 18 months.

What about the memories of the West Ed?

          We recognize that since the West Ed was the original Calvary building, there are many memories related to it.  Some remember being baptized there or having their wedding in that building.  There is great respect for the ways in which God touched lives in that building.  But, as one of our leaders said on September 9th, God can do that in other buildings!  It is not about the building but about God.  It has been suggested that when the West Ed is removed, some items (stained glass, chandelier, etc.) be preserved for a prayer room or small chapel in the new building.  In this manner the rich heritage of Calvary's beginnings will be maintained.

        Below is the link for the newsletter that will go out to church members.  It is in PDF downloadable format:

Special Church in Conference Newsletter to Calvary Members

The Spanish version of this newsletter is downloadable by clicking here:

Boletín en Español

        I hope that this has provided you with enough data to make an informed decision.  We made this issue an item of prayer during our 21 days of prayer.  We continue to pray for the Lord's leadership in this process.  We are reminded that we are called to be wise and that we are also called to trust God.  Once we know what He wants us to do, we can trust Him to do the rest.  It is our desire that whatever the outcome of this decision might be, God will get all the glory for "great things he hath done."