"LET THERE BE LIGHT!"
When God speaks, his words bring light to the darkness of this world. Every week, the light goes out from Auburn Christian Church. It goes out in the message that is preached and sung in worship, and it goes out in the words and actions of God’s people who gather. In all of the spaces that the church gathers, and brings our community together, the light shines in the darkness. NOW IS THE TIME for God’s people to take steps of faith to ensure that the LIGHT continues to shine: For Jesus & For Auburn!
What is the Light Campaign?
The Light Campaign is a strategic giving initiative of Auburn Christian Church, which has been initiated by prayer and by vision within the church and her leaders, to expand and enhance the outreach and ministry that takes place thru the Family Life Center. By expanding these new facilities & eliminating debt, ACC will continue to expand fellowship, youth ministry, benevolence opportunities, and meet many other ministry and community needs.
Prayerful consideration and partnership will guide the church to remain on task and flourish, being the light Christ has called us to be to our community. Join us as we continue to leave a legacy that will have impact into the next 150 years of ministry at ACC, sharing the message of life and hope that is ours in Jesus Christ!
A Message from ACC's Elders
Praise God for continuing to bless our church, as we remain steadfastly focused on the mission of spreading the Gospel beyond the walls of a building. God has guided our ACC elders for strength and courage to step out in faith and vision to build the Family Life Center (FLC). It is now time to continue this journey focused on bringing people to Christ and growing in Christ. Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, “...let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly father”. God has blessed us with the resources to build this facility for His purposes. Now it is time to embrace these new opportunities, as well as continuing to be good stewards of the gifts we have received. The Light Campaign again allows us to join together to cheerfully share God’s blessings, pay off debt, and set forth on the next phase for expanding our mission. Join with us in cheerfully doing all we can to share God’s generosity in new and expanding ways with our community.
A Message from Pastor Nate
“YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”. These are among a few of the phrases that have remained engrained in my heart and life as I seek to follow Jesus. He first uttered these word in his Sermon on the Mount, recorded for us in Matthew 5-7. They are the words that Jesus used to centrally define what it means to be a Citizen of the Kingdom. The life and the love of the Christian is not to be hidden, but is to be on display for the watching world to see. For almost 150 years, Auburn Christian Church has sought to faithfully shine the light of Jesus Christ in a living and faithful way. By God’s grace and guidance, and by the vision and generosity of God’s people, we now have a new central place from which our light-shining activities and gatherings can take place: The Family Life Center.
When I came into the lead pastor role (now nearly 5 years ago), I preached a sermon series called Mountainous, where we spoke of these core identities of a kingdom citizen. Little did I know how God would use those truths to grow me (as a pastor) and grow us (as a church) to take steps of faith that our church had not taken in generations. It has been a true adventure, and we have only scratched the surface of the ways that God will use us and the facilities of our church to bring glory to Him and bring people to Christ. I’m excited for this next chapter in the life of our church, and I’m excited to visit with you about all the ways that we will be used in the future to be a light for Christ … both in Auburn and around the world! Consider joining us in this mission and be a light for Jesus!
When I came into the lead pastor role (now nearly 5 years ago), I preached a sermon series called Mountainous, where we spoke of these core identities of a kingdom citizen. Little did I know how God would use those truths to grow me (as a pastor) and grow us (as a church) to take steps of faith that our church had not taken in generations. It has been a true adventure, and we have only scratched the surface of the ways that God will use us and the facilities of our church to bring glory to Him and bring people to Christ. I’m excited for this next chapter in the life of our church, and I’m excited to visit with you about all the ways that we will be used in the future to be a light for Christ … both in Auburn and around the world! Consider joining us in this mission and be a light for Jesus!
Light Campaign Video Update from Pastor Nate
What is Included in Phase 2 of the FLC?
- Larger Banquet Space: In the current lobby, we can only comfortably seat around 150 for a meal. The newer larger banquet room is designed to seat around 275 people. This will also give us more flexibility when it comes to the types and amount of activities we can host in the facility.
- New Office Space: ACC's current office space is poorly accessible and does not reflect a priority of accessibility when it comes to meetings with our pastors and staff. This new space will create offices for all of our staff together, as well as ground floor accessibility for all who would come to visit.
- Storage Space: This new storage space will give us plenty of space to store our equipment, as well as having space to store materials for a variety of benevolence, missions or community ministry needs. Having a large space like this one will be a blessing and allow us to dream about many possible ways to collect or serve to meet needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Didn’t we just have a campaign? Why are you turning around and asking for more money now?
•We did just have a campaign. In the Harvest campaign, our church was extremely generous. We had nearly $350,000 that was pledged over the 3 years of the campaign, and over $500,000 that was given over the course of it. It was that initial generosity that helped our leaders to know that the congregation was behind the project and we could move forward. With our leadership committed to paying down the debt and completing the full vision of this project, there is great unity of our leadership team toward both of those goals. To do those things, we will continue to give a compelling vision of the future of ACC, and call the church to join us in this mission.
Is it wise for our church to carry this debt?
•This is a question that our leadership asked and prayed about a lot in initially deciding to move forward with the project. One of the things that had been holding us back from initially building was a desire to have zero debt on the project. But there were three issues with that mindset. One, that we could not build the type of building that would be needed merely with the cash on hand or with the initial funding raised. Two, that it would not have required a step of faith on the part of our current congregation or leadership. Three, that we would need to wisely manage how much debt would be prudent to take on. In this third part, the leadership would scale down the portion of the project into a two-phase build, so that the debt of the initial part of the project would not be financially crippling to the church or her current work & mission.
Has the church sought other wisdom and counsel on moving this campaign forward? Can we financially support this campaign?
•Throughout this entire process, ACC has been thru many levels of financial and church health evaluation to ensure that we are being wise in our stewardship. At the beginning of the Harvest campaign in 2020, the church partnered with The Giving Church to both construct that campaign and to evaluate where we were at financially. As well, God provided an incredible financing partner in The Solomon Foundation. TSF has evaluated our church growth and financial health to ensure that we would have both proper credit for lending and proper means to pay down our debts. TSF continues to require our church to report on our financial health annually. As well, the church recently had a third party evaluate our giving & campaign responses from Harvest to ensure that we are headed in a healthy direction financially. Working alongside all of these organizations, we have learned that we serve at an incredibly generous and vision-filled church, and that our church (in the last campaign)
Why Pay down our debt now and not more slowly?
•As most of you know who have taken out loans, the sooner you can pay down debt, the better. Our initial amount that we owe upon completion is just over $1,317,000, with that broken down into mortgage payment at an amount that we will starting paying monthly being approximately $9000. Those payments are scheduled to start around May 1, 2024. As you know, the sooner we can pay more on principle, the less we can pay in interest.
How long will it take to pay off our debt? Do we have a timeline?
•We are in a 30 year mortgage. As the rate of current payment, we would pay it off in that time. But it is the desire of our leadership to invest in paying off this portion much sooner, so that we can move ahead with the second phase of the building, and pay down that debt as well.
Do we actually need a second phase of this building?
•When our leadership was working thru the design phase, there was a list of needs that we laid out that would help fill the needs of the church for the next several decades and lead us into the future. Some of those parts of the project are completed now, in the gym, the youth space, and the new kitchen/fellowship space. But some of those priorities were placed on the backburner, not because we didn’t need them, but to help manage the debt load. Even out the gate of using this building, some have already commented on the crowding when we have a large meal of 125 people or more. Some have also commented on the lack of storage space. These are issues that would be addressed in this second phase of the family life center.
Why did you choose to build in two phases and not just in one?
•We did strongly consider building the whole building at once. But when the debt load was considered, we understood that it would be very difficult, even crippling for the church to pay nearly $12-14 K per month mortgage. It would have affected our staffing and available funds for current ministry, and this was a risk that our leadership saw as unwise. So, it was decided that two phase would be the approach, and our leadership is both committed to and united in this vision of the FLC for the future of ACC.
What benefits will the church actually get from completing a second phase?
•In the second phase of construction, there will be several benefits of adding to the FLC. First, there will be new offices, with a receptionist area and three offices for staff, all on the ground level. This anticipates and is in line with our vision of future growth. Second, there would be a conference room in the office portion of the building, for further meeting space. Third, there would be a larger dining room, to the east of the kitchen. This dining area was designed to seat 275 people. Fourth, the storage space would be expanded to not only hold more tables and chairs, but to also hold other supplies or collected items toward the benefit of future benevolence ministry or missions. Fifth, the office space would have another restroom with shower space, allowing the entire building to be used (in case of an emergency) as shelter space for people displaced by fire or other disaster. The initial design for the building provided for all these things, and our current retaining wall is even built to support the second phase when it is built.
Are we planning to move all of our church activities & worship to the new building?
•There are no current plans to do this. We plan to use both buildings for the foreseeable future, as the FLC requires much manpower to setup and teardown forservices, and does not have nearly the amount of classroom space that our Legacy Worship Center offers.
What are we doing about parking?
•This is an issue that we will continue to seek to address. As our church grows, so will our need for useful parking space. We did add a bit in the construction process on the north side of the FLC, and we have worked with the owners of the “triangle property” (PRC/Old Dairy Chef building) to use the parking on that property at points as well. We will continue to look and pray for further solutions. The need for parking is a great “problem” to have when you are a growing church, and we are a growing church!
•We did just have a campaign. In the Harvest campaign, our church was extremely generous. We had nearly $350,000 that was pledged over the 3 years of the campaign, and over $500,000 that was given over the course of it. It was that initial generosity that helped our leaders to know that the congregation was behind the project and we could move forward. With our leadership committed to paying down the debt and completing the full vision of this project, there is great unity of our leadership team toward both of those goals. To do those things, we will continue to give a compelling vision of the future of ACC, and call the church to join us in this mission.
Is it wise for our church to carry this debt?
•This is a question that our leadership asked and prayed about a lot in initially deciding to move forward with the project. One of the things that had been holding us back from initially building was a desire to have zero debt on the project. But there were three issues with that mindset. One, that we could not build the type of building that would be needed merely with the cash on hand or with the initial funding raised. Two, that it would not have required a step of faith on the part of our current congregation or leadership. Three, that we would need to wisely manage how much debt would be prudent to take on. In this third part, the leadership would scale down the portion of the project into a two-phase build, so that the debt of the initial part of the project would not be financially crippling to the church or her current work & mission.
Has the church sought other wisdom and counsel on moving this campaign forward? Can we financially support this campaign?
•Throughout this entire process, ACC has been thru many levels of financial and church health evaluation to ensure that we are being wise in our stewardship. At the beginning of the Harvest campaign in 2020, the church partnered with The Giving Church to both construct that campaign and to evaluate where we were at financially. As well, God provided an incredible financing partner in The Solomon Foundation. TSF has evaluated our church growth and financial health to ensure that we would have both proper credit for lending and proper means to pay down our debts. TSF continues to require our church to report on our financial health annually. As well, the church recently had a third party evaluate our giving & campaign responses from Harvest to ensure that we are headed in a healthy direction financially. Working alongside all of these organizations, we have learned that we serve at an incredibly generous and vision-filled church, and that our church (in the last campaign)
Why Pay down our debt now and not more slowly?
•As most of you know who have taken out loans, the sooner you can pay down debt, the better. Our initial amount that we owe upon completion is just over $1,317,000, with that broken down into mortgage payment at an amount that we will starting paying monthly being approximately $9000. Those payments are scheduled to start around May 1, 2024. As you know, the sooner we can pay more on principle, the less we can pay in interest.
How long will it take to pay off our debt? Do we have a timeline?
•We are in a 30 year mortgage. As the rate of current payment, we would pay it off in that time. But it is the desire of our leadership to invest in paying off this portion much sooner, so that we can move ahead with the second phase of the building, and pay down that debt as well.
Do we actually need a second phase of this building?
•When our leadership was working thru the design phase, there was a list of needs that we laid out that would help fill the needs of the church for the next several decades and lead us into the future. Some of those parts of the project are completed now, in the gym, the youth space, and the new kitchen/fellowship space. But some of those priorities were placed on the backburner, not because we didn’t need them, but to help manage the debt load. Even out the gate of using this building, some have already commented on the crowding when we have a large meal of 125 people or more. Some have also commented on the lack of storage space. These are issues that would be addressed in this second phase of the family life center.
Why did you choose to build in two phases and not just in one?
•We did strongly consider building the whole building at once. But when the debt load was considered, we understood that it would be very difficult, even crippling for the church to pay nearly $12-14 K per month mortgage. It would have affected our staffing and available funds for current ministry, and this was a risk that our leadership saw as unwise. So, it was decided that two phase would be the approach, and our leadership is both committed to and united in this vision of the FLC for the future of ACC.
What benefits will the church actually get from completing a second phase?
•In the second phase of construction, there will be several benefits of adding to the FLC. First, there will be new offices, with a receptionist area and three offices for staff, all on the ground level. This anticipates and is in line with our vision of future growth. Second, there would be a conference room in the office portion of the building, for further meeting space. Third, there would be a larger dining room, to the east of the kitchen. This dining area was designed to seat 275 people. Fourth, the storage space would be expanded to not only hold more tables and chairs, but to also hold other supplies or collected items toward the benefit of future benevolence ministry or missions. Fifth, the office space would have another restroom with shower space, allowing the entire building to be used (in case of an emergency) as shelter space for people displaced by fire or other disaster. The initial design for the building provided for all these things, and our current retaining wall is even built to support the second phase when it is built.
Are we planning to move all of our church activities & worship to the new building?
•There are no current plans to do this. We plan to use both buildings for the foreseeable future, as the FLC requires much manpower to setup and teardown forservices, and does not have nearly the amount of classroom space that our Legacy Worship Center offers.
What are we doing about parking?
•This is an issue that we will continue to seek to address. As our church grows, so will our need for useful parking space. We did add a bit in the construction process on the north side of the FLC, and we have worked with the owners of the “triangle property” (PRC/Old Dairy Chef building) to use the parking on that property at points as well. We will continue to look and pray for further solutions. The need for parking is a great “problem” to have when you are a growing church, and we are a growing church!
How do I get involved?
Cast Light: We are a growing church because people are sharing the light of Jesus with people around them. Who are you praying for and sharing the light of Jesus with. Be a part of casting the light of Jesus into our community!
Pray: Pray for our church and her future. Pray for how the Lord would have all of us serve and give so that Christ's light would be clearly seen thru us.
Give: Consider with us how the Lord would have you give toward ACC's light-casting work as we look ahead. God has future plans for his church, and we can play a part. We are asking members and regular attenders of ACC to consider making a 3 year pledge toward the light campaign. Feel free to make a pledge as the Lord would lead by filling out one of our pledge cards. Download by clicking here.
As always, you are welcome to give to the Light Campaign by using the following link: https://auburnchristian.org/give.
Pray: Pray for our church and her future. Pray for how the Lord would have all of us serve and give so that Christ's light would be clearly seen thru us.
Give: Consider with us how the Lord would have you give toward ACC's light-casting work as we look ahead. God has future plans for his church, and we can play a part. We are asking members and regular attenders of ACC to consider making a 3 year pledge toward the light campaign. Feel free to make a pledge as the Lord would lead by filling out one of our pledge cards. Download by clicking here.
As always, you are welcome to give to the Light Campaign by using the following link: https://auburnchristian.org/give.
