The Be A Part Of The Story capital campaign began in the fall of 2007 with the goal of raising $20 million to fund four endeavors to be addressed in three phases:
On November 18, 2007, the HFBC family rejoiced when it was announced that nearly $24 million had been pledged – surpassing our goal by more than 20%. Two weeks later on December 2 – “First Fruits Sunday” – those who made financial commitments to the campaign made their first contributions.
Final Progress Report
The church marked the end of the 3-year capital campaign during the Sunday worship services on January 23, 2011, by revealing the total amount raised: $25,318,662.77! Despite the worst economy the nation had seen in a generation and the impacts of Hurricane Ike on the Houston area, God proved faithful to the vision He had given the church. He provided beyond the original goal of $20 million.
As a result, Houston's First was able to fully fund the Worship Center renovation and several on-campus capital projects, give to over 70 mission projects and support more than 110 missionaries, and completely retire our pre-campaign long-term debt. In addition, the project to renovate and expand facilities used by the Preschool & Kindergarten Ministry, Children's Ministry and First Baptist Academy is now 100% funded -- before the project is even finished.
A Look At The Be A Part Of The Story Capital Campaign
CHAPTER 1:
Worship Center Renovation
The Worship Center renovation began in late March 2008. On September 7, the Worship Center reopened – on time and approximately $200,000 under budget. The church was thankful that the project ended on time since Hurricane Ike struck just a few days after the reopening. On November 1, 2009, Pastor Gregg announced that the Worship Center renovation line of credit had been paid in full! With Chapter 1 closed, contributions toward the capital campaign were directed toward projects in Chapter 2 of the campaign.
CHAPTER 2:
HFBC Capital Projects and Mission Projects
With the Worship Center renovation paid off, 60% of capital campaign contributions were allocated to capital projects on the Houston's First campus, while 40% of contributions were allocated to mission endeavors supported by the church.
Renovating the Preschool Ministry area was at the top of the list of on-site capital projects. The original campaign goals allocated about $1 million for a renovation of the existing facilities. However, in the first two years of the campaign, the Preschool Ministry experienced 31% growth and were in critical need of more space. That $1 million would not cover any adequate expansion efforts. Church leaders realized that the initial pledges of nearly $24 million was God's way of providing for Houston's First before we recognized our need for an expanded Preschool Suite. Thanks to the contributions given beyond the campaign's goal, the church was able to do much more than new paint and carpet! Learn more about how we are making room for the youngest members of the Houston's First family using the contributions beyond the campaign's initial goal.
Other capital projects on campus funded by campaign contributions included the renovation of the Christian Life Center, the new multi-purpose Clubhouse and Loft for children, new exterior and interior signage, and new carpet on the second floor. Behind the scenes, improvements to the security system, HVAC system and elevators were also completed.
The list of mission projects funded by campaign contributions continues to grow. Overall, 10% of all donations received will be given to projects in Houston, the United Stated and around the world. An ongoing list of donations given can be found on the Mission Projects Gift Updates page.
CHAPTER 3:
Debt Retirement
When the capital campaign began, the church had approximately $4.3 million in debt. During the 3-year campaign, payments toward the debt continue to be made out of the operating budget. In the fall of 2010, campaign contributions were applied to approximately $1.4 million of remaining pre-campaign debt, with the debt paid off completely by December 2010. Upon paying off the existing debt, this freed up approximately $1 million in funds in the church operating budget to be used for other purposes.