The Be A Part Of The Story capital campaign began in 2007 with the goal of raising $20 million to renovate the Worship Center, fund various capital improvement projects at Houston's First, support local and global missions endeavors, and retire our long-term pre-campaign debt.
However, God moved in the hearts of our church family to pledge nearly $24 million – 20% above our goal! We prayed about how the Lord would lead us to use those additional funds for His glory. Soon, we saw how God was providing for our needs before we realized the challenges facing us.
Our Challenge
- The Preschool Ministry experienced 31% growth in the two years after the capital campaign began in 2007.
- The Preschool Suite is the most utilized space in the building, with rooms in use Sunday through Friday (and sometimes on Saturday).
- The space had not been significantly renovated since 1977 when the building opened.
- The nearly $1 million allocated for the space in the original capital campaign budget only provided funds for a "facelift" of the space.
- Architects stated that $3 million would be necessary to simply bring the space up to current building standards, without providing us with any additional space.
Our Solution
To meet these challenges faced by the Preschool and Children's Ministries, the church decided to:
- Renovate the Preschool Suite on Levels 1 and 2 (Rms 100-123 & 200-221), as well as Level 3 of the west wing (Rms 310-329).
- Create a new multi-purpose room for the Children's Ministry called The Loft (Rm 301) next door to The Clubhouse (Rm 303).
- Construct a 3-story expansion of the west wing immediately adjacent to the outdoor playground.
New construction and renovation of current facilities will cost approximately $7.4 million.
Our Benefits
Renovation and expansion will:
- Increase the space by 14,000 sq. ft. with expansions on 3 levels
- Provide room for an additional 216 preschoolers and 120 children per Bible study hour
- Increase security with fewer entry points and improved electronic check-in
- Provide a more inviting and functional environment for parents and kids alike
- Provide 2 new age-appropriate indoor playgrounds for the Preschool Suite
- Provide a larger check-in area and more classrooms
- Enable Houston's First to impact more families and children for Christ
Our Timing
Construction and renovation began in June 2010 and will continue through August 2011. A detailed timeline of the project is available
here