Pavilion Project

Dear Hope Family,

My intention writing this letter is to provide you with an update on the pavilion project. When you drive through the parking lot or look out the sanctuary window you can see the progress! We’re almost there. I know all of us are looking forward to taking advantage of the pavilion as a place to worship, fellowship and work together as we continue to build up the body of Christ.

As with any project of such a large scope, there is much that has gone on behind the scenes on which I want to shed a bit of light so we can take the opportunity to praise God for his faithfulness. I also want to be transparent about some of the unanticipated bumps we have experienced so we can pray. My hope is that these prayers and praises will culminate in thanksgiving for God’s gracious and abundant provision.

First, the praise:

• We praise our Father who laid it upon the heart of an anonymous donor to make the substantial donation that started this ball rolling. Generosity was contagious, and many members of Hope proceeded to give toward the pavilion.
• Praise God for Ben ZumMallen! Without Ben we might still be looking at grass instead of a nearly complete pavilion. I could fill a ream of paper with all the ways Ben has served us through his leadership. We are so grateful for Ben!
• We have been blessed by the Landmark Builders team under the leadership of Derek Martin. He and his team have done great work with a genuine investment in what they are building. They have been proactive, responsive and generous, and it has been a joy to work alongside them.
• We are grateful to know that, if all goes according to plan, we will be able to enjoy the pavilion by the beginning of 2023.

Now, the prayer:

• We are required by the city fire department to install a fire hydrant before the pavilion can be used. Neither Jeff Gibbons, our architect, nor Landmark Builders could have anticipated this requirement. The cost of this is $52,325.00, much more than we could have imagined. There are a few silver linings with this, one of which is that if we move forward with construction of the larger sanctuary in the master plan, we will need this fire hydrant in place. Additionally, Hope, as a tax-exempt organization will receive a rebate on the sales taxes Landmark has incurred for the project. That rebate is anticipated to be about $20,000.00, and our intention is to use that rebate to minimize the impact of the fire hydrant. That said, the sales tax rebate was originally earmarked for the purchase of tables and chairs, a fire pit, and two grills. We are now faced with having to determine how and when we might make those purchases.

We want to make you aware of the current challenges with this project in order to provide you with a window into the process, as well as invite you to participate by giving toward these needs.

To finish out the pavilion project as it was originally envisioned, the following items would be needed:

• Chairs & tables (approx. $11,750.00)
• Propane fuel fire pit (approx. $4,500.00 per)
• Grills ($300.00 per)
• Balance of fire hydrant

If you would still like to participate in the project with a financial gift, we would be so grateful! While gifts can be received any time, it would be a blessing to close this project out by the end of the year. We look forward to all that is to come under the roof(s) God has graciously provided us.

Gratefully,
Andrew Applegate

Dear Hope Family,

I am eager to let you in on some exciting developments in the forward momentum of our Pavilion Project.

When we first announced the plan for the Pavilion in December 2021, the overall budget was approximately $675,000 for the project. The Session had approved $250,000 from our healthy reserves to unlock a matching gift of $250,000 from a donor family within our congregation. We had hoped to raise an additional $175,000 so that the project could be fully funded and the church would not need to dip further into our reserve savings to offset the cost of the new construction. To date, through your generous giving, we have received close to $142,000 towards that goal, and we are well within reach!

The exciting news I share today is that this past week another family within the Hope congregation approached the Session to establish another matching gift challenge towards the cost of the Pavilion. This donor is eager to match up to $10,000 in new gifts, which could possibly yield $20,000 towards the final cost of construction. If we can raise those gifts, we are almost at the finish line of the project funding before we even break ground!

Hope has been and continues to be a people of great generosity. The “grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7) is alive and practiced and cherished in our midst. The elders set aside time at each of our meetings to review the generosity of the saints, to thank God for it, to ask for more, and to plead for wise, expectant stewardship of what he has entrusted to us as a church.

I invite you to give to this project and help us unlock this new matching gift. Moreover, I plead with you to pray that the “grace of giving” would be further cultivated at Hope and that even this Pavilion project would be a means of grace and hospitality and ministry to our community.

Grace and peace,
David

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• Making room for relationship: One of the most pressing needs for our congregation and our community is a place for connection, fellowship, and hospitality. This functional, beautiful pavilion will provide a space for gatherings and meals and services. We are envisioning congregational picnics, VBS, RUF gatherings for Wake and WSSU, Young Life clubs, Vespers services, Summer concerts, weddings, and these only scratch the surface of possibility.
• Growing in Stewardship and Development: This project allows Hope to move forward in stewardship of our campus and to develop aspects of the Master Site plan envisioned by and entrusted to us from the earliest members of Hope. The anonymous gift which was a catalyst for this project will hopefully inspire generosity for us all.
• Unifying in Mission: With so much splintered connection over the course of the pandemic, we can often feel that there is little we can accomplish together as a church. This project can galvanize us in ministry.

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Dear Hope Church Family,

We have heard a common refrain over these past 20 months of pandemic – both on our lips and those of our community: many feel stuck in a holding pattern. We hesitate to look too far ahead, let alone make plans, because of the inevitable disappointment that ensues from tweaks or cancellations. We plug along in maintenance mode intent on knocking down the next domino yet not free to dream much or reach beyond our current grasp. We wonder, “How do we overcome the inertia?” The abiding encouragement is that God is not in a holding pattern. He is at work!

Today, we are eager to announce one thrilling way God’s mission is advancing at Hope: the construction of an outdoor pavilion and covered fire pit on our campus!

This project combines and builds upon 2 keys from the pandemic. First, the outdoor service was a key to forward progress in our worship. Many of us enjoyed a renewed sense of friendship and connection with one another as we unfolded our lawn chairs or picnic blankets and worshiped together. Yes, guitars fell over and wind-blown donuts were tragically lost. Yes, shade was at a premium when it was blazing hot and the sun was in demand when it was bitter cold, but through it all the Lord grew us together as a community through the outdoor service. The second key is your incredible generosity, particularly in a season which has caused financial strain for many both within and outside of our congregation. Our giving remained so steady throughout the past year that without interruption we have continued to fund our own ministry initiatives while also remaining faithful to the commitments we have made to ministries and missionaries around the world.

Both of those tangible evidences of God’s work come together as we now pursue this exciting opportunity. Earlier this year a family within our congregation (who wishes to remain anonymous) approached the Session with a desire to donate a matching gift of up to $250,000 towards the construction of an outdoor pavilion to bless and further the mission of Hope Church. What a remarkable gift! In response to this gracious proposal, we contacted Jeff Gibbons, who designed our existing worship hall and education building, to begin drafting plans for the pavilion. After presenting those plans to the Session, we have voted to move forward with this exciting project!

Three motivations animate our decision to move forward with this unique opportunity:

The Session would like to ask you, the Hope Church Family, to participate in this project in three key ways:

The timeline for both structures is 18 weeks once ground is broken. That means by as early as late May we could be enjoying the finished project!

Along with this message please access some of Jeff Gibbons’ renderings of the proposed project. We hope that they will begin to give you a glimpse of the beauty, function, and possibility of the project. We also hope to display some of the plans and renderings in the Worship Hall beginning this Sunday.

In response to God’s grace and his provision of this opportunity, we invite you to make a gift now to the Hope Church Building Fund. You may give directly to this project as you would to the General or Mercy funds. Please denote “Building Fund” so that we know which account to credit with your gift. There is a link below to give online or you may visit hopechurchws.org/giving for a complete list of ways to give.

Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” We are not in a holding pattern. We have agency as God’s image bearers. We also have God’s sovereign care, grace, and provision. Let’s move forward with anticipation of God’s care and follow where he leads by his grace.

Grace and peace,
David Speakman and Davis Mooney, on behalf of the Session