Grace Building and Capital Updates

Updates on the Property Acquisition and Selling, Building and Capital Campaign teams

Grace recently received a payment of $53,000 from the City to purchase 1/10th of an acre of frontage along FM 1417. The exact timing of the road construction is unknown. Back in February, the church voted, by a 90% margin, to purchase the seven acres across Canyon Creek Drive. We closed on the property a few weeks ago. The church vote led to the creation of a Building Committee and a Capital Campaign team. These two groups will meet throughout the summer in order to deliver a fully realized vision for the entire Grace campus at a future Church Conference. At that Conference the church will vote on pursuing the vision. The capital campaign is scheduled to take place mid-September through mid-October. 

Building Team

Hal Hinckley, chair
Tom Busby, Lay Leader
Erin Clayton
Laura Dominick
Bill Douglass
Sheridan Krov
Gary Rice
Mike Wiggins, chair of Trustees

 

Capital Campaign Team

Keith Lightfoot, chair
Richard Caperton, consultant
Gerri Bandemir
Scott Caldwell
Janet Hayes
Lynne Hinckley
Margaret Kloppers
Rhonda Luckett
Malinda Rice
SueAnn Spencer
A small group of Grace leaders met with potential capital campaign consultants in March, deciding to work with Richard Caperton, President of the SRD Group. The Capital Campaign only had its first meeting last week. The Building Team, on the other hand, has dreamed together, toured the recently renovated Custer Road UMC in Plano, interviewed potential architects, and just yesterday signed a contract to work with Parkhill, Smith and Cooper architects. We will begin the planning and vision process soon.

I invite you to be in prayer for these two teams, the church leadership, and the congregation as a whole as we work on this substantial project over the next several months. Grace has not participated in a capital campaign and building program in many years. And the culture today looks much different than it was in 1990. If we want to be effective in meeting the rapidly changing spiritual needs of the community, we have to be open to trying new things. Jesus wants to meet these people! And Grace has the unique voice to invite and welcome them. It will take all of us, whether we are actively serving on these teams or offering words of encouragement and acts of support, to bring everything into focus.

Paul described the church as the human body:

"Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts" (1 Corinthians 12).

A different metaphor for this way of thinking is offered by Jesus-- our scripture for this Sunday:

"I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15).

Linked to Jesus and each other, we will accomplish great things!

All Grace is Amazing!
-Pastor Frank

PS. It was officially announced at Annual Conference that Christy, the boys, and I will return to Grace for a fourth year. Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement!

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