Step in Faith
Dear Church Family,
Grace and peace!
I am excited to share with you our Step in Faith campaign. It is an exciting time for our church as we step out and trust in God to lead us into our future. Over these last three years God has done amazing things in calling us forth as a church. We have gathered from a number of backgrounds with one purpose – to build a church that stands firm in the traditions and values of the Methodist faith. God has blessed our efforts, and we have, and continue to see, growth.
As we have prayed together for God to lead us, we have heard a clear voice indicating that now is the time for us to take our next step. We have been blessed to have Katy High School as our worshiping location, but we have also felt the longing for a place to call our own. Our Board of Stewards, as well as our Building Team, have done a great job of looking into various options. With much discernment, we have settled on two paths forward - to purchase an existing facility and remodel or to purchase land and build. This information booklet will give you the latest details we can share about the possibilities that are before us.
As you read through these pages, I ask that you prayerfully consider your part in building our future. This is a tremendous undertaking that will truly require God’s guidance for all of us. Each of us has a part, and every part will require a significant step of faith. My prayers join with yours in seeking God’s call for all of us in fulfilling our role in the Kingdom of God.
May God’s grace guide us as we seek to step out in faith and trust in His future for us!
Step in Faith Brochure
Discover the vision, purpose, and heart behind our Step in Faith campaign. Inside you’ll find information about our land and building plans, ways to participate, prayer guides, and answers to common questions. This resource is designed to help you prayerfully consider how God is calling you to join us in faith as we move forward together.STEP IN FAITH BROCHURE
Step in Faith Prayer Guide
The Step in Faith Prayer Guide is designed to help you draw closer to God as we seek His direction for our church’s future. Use it to focus your prayers on gratitude, guidance, unity, and bold faith, asking the Lord to lead us as we step forward together in His plan.Step In Faith Prayer Guide
STEP IN FAITH FAQS
Why are we raising funds when we don’t have a specific project identified?
The short answer to this question is funding. Any step forward will require us to have funds available for a downpayment as well as pledges to give lenders a better idea of our credit worthiness.
What is the status on the ‘old Baptist church’? Why can’t we just buy that?
We are talking with them about the possibility of a purchase, but they have not yet said they are willing to sell it. We are very hesitant to lease because the property needs a lot of repair. We don’t want to get into a lease and then possibly lose access to the high school if it doesn't work out.
We heard there is a possibility of some land that might be donated in the Grange development. Is that the land that we’d be looking at to build on?
We have reached out to the land owner about a donation or significant reduction in cost, but haven’t heard back yet. If the land is donated we would certainly be interested in it. Right now, there is no access to the land in question. If we do decide that we need to purchase land, it is more likely that we would look at land where we could begin building immediately unless we have the land donated.
What is our timeline on making a decision?
Once we have some clarity of our potential funds from the Step in Faith campaign we will move quickly to identify our best path forward and vote on it as a church. We would like to have an option before the congregation by the end of the year.
When could we expect to begin building?
You can certainly wait, but lower pledges to the Step in Faith campaign would certainly lead to a lower amount that a lender might be willing to lend. Those limited funds may limit our options on what we could consider for purchase.
Do we really need to build such a big 1st phase building?
The plans from our initial visit with the architect are a best case scenario. Think of it in terms of a ‘dream house’. We know all of what we want and will look to build as much of that as we can reasonably afford. What a 1st phase may look like will be driven by funds available and prioritization in the design.
Have we considered XXX property?
The quick answer is, most likely. We have a commercial realtor who knows our needs and stays current with the available buildings and land. Many factors come in to play, including zoning and location. Land within the Katy city limits has to meet certain zoning requirement for us to be able to build a church. Land in ‘prime’ locations is also priced for commercial purchase or lease, which is higher than we hope to spend. Existing buildings have to meet our needs for space, parking, and accessibility.
What if we don’t reach our goal?
We will move forward with the pledges and funds that we have and approach a lender to see what total funding we might be able to receive. With this information our building team and board of stewards will look to put forward the best option that we can reasonably afford.
What if all of our options fall through?
Then we will keep looking and trust that God is guiding us. Having funds on hand and an idea of what funding is available following the campaign will help us to focus our search to properties that would best fit our needs while balancing our finances.
What can I do to help us move forward and find a new home as quickly as possible?
Pray! First and foremost, we need to seek God’s guidance. Beyond that, making a pledge to the Step in Faith campaign helps us to secure the funding we will need when we are ready to move forward. The leadership of the church is committed to moving forward as quickly as possible. Once we have clarity, we expect that the church will be able to approve the purchase and we can move forward to design quickly.
Have we considered church members buying land now and then selling it to the church so we don’t miss out on anything while we are waiting on funds or decisions?
Without the certainty of funding and decision, it would seem ill advised to ask members to take a risk on land or a building purchase. A strong pledge to the Step in Faith campaign would provide the church a stronger buying potential while reducing the risk to any individual on a separate purchase.
If our plans don’t work out, can we just stay where we are?
We can certainly stay at Katy High School as well as maintain our lease at the Stellar Bank building. We are not being forced out of either of those. But we do know that both spaces have limits to growth. If neither plans work (land purchase or building purchase) we will continue to maintain what we have in place while also actively looking for leases or purchases that would improve our ministries as a whole.
Could we consider a ‘lease to own’ or other non-traditional means of lease or purchase?
While the building team and the board will consider all options and present the best one forward, we will also have to consider any requirement of the lender. Lenders may not be willing to fund a ‘non-traditional’ purchase.
What if I still have concerns?
Please consider talking to the pastor about your concerns. The goal for the leadership is to be as transparent as possible while also not creating confusion over speculations.
If the building team and the board are making a recommendation, does the church as a whole still have a say in the choice?
Final decisions on land purchase or a building purchase will be made by the church as a whole. The building team and the board of stewards are tasked with vetting all options and presenting what they determine to be the best one. Presenting one options allows for more clarity in a decision. If the church determines not to move forward with the presented option, then the building team and board have a much clearer understanding of the desires of the church moving forward.