Fact Sheet

Campaign Information Minister's Letter Brochure Fact Sheet

He has provided us a mission…to lead people to Christ, equip them for service in the Kingdom of God, and to send them out to reach others with the Gospel, that God may be glorified. Because this mission calls us to reach out to a growing community, we need to provide adequate space to effectively minister to our neighbors/community.

He has provided us a history of growth…that started in 1977 with Reverend Albert Vander Meer meeting with several families on Sunday evenings for home worship and fellowship. The home meetings continued for 12 weeks, and in October 1977, the first publicly announced morning service was held at the Holiday Inn in Bettendorf. Services were moved to the Georgian Square Office Building five years later. On April 10, 1978, the church was organized with 68 charter members. The current church property was purchased in 1979 with groundbreaking taking place on November 11, 1984, and the first service in the new buildng being held in the fall of 1985. In 1998, a 30 x 60 foot addition (Phase I) was added to provide a larger sanctuary and additional classroom space. This $351,075.00 project was paid for within one year of completion. Four years after the expansion, average church attendance increased from 151 to 251 people. Weekly attendance in 2005 has averaged 275. Throughout the history of Christ’s Family Church, our spiritual and numerical growth has brought us to major decisions. Each time we reached a crossroad, our congregation stepped forward in faith that spurred the ministries and mission of our church.

He has provided us a need…to continue expanding the mission and ministries of Christ’s Family Church. Now there is a need for more rooms for children, teens, and adults. The narthex entrance is overcrowded and extremely noisy after church. Office space is inadequate for current and future staff members. The library is overflowing, and more space is needed for social gatherings and other ministries. Our physical space limits our ability to host community outreach events. In short, our building dictates and limits our mission. What opportunities are we missing? What ministries will not be possible?

He has provided us a vision…to meet the need for expanding the mission and ministries of Christ’s Family Church. The Family Life Center Team started meeting in June of 2003 and researched the future possibilities of church expansion. They sent out questionnaires to ministry leaders, visited other churches’ additions, and they met several times with Zion Church Builders. This spring, the team downsized the overall building by over 2,000 square feet to cut the cost. They checked on the possibility of constructing a metal building, and found that this type of structure would not allow the two buildings to connect for easy access. Housing staff offices and Sunday School rooms in a separate building would not provide a functional option. After researching a few options, the Team decided on a few necessities:

• A handicap-accessible building;
• Plenty of windows to let God’s light shine in;
• Two covered entrances providing shelter in bad weather for car drop-offs;
• Expanding the current nursery;
• Adding a sitting space to read in the current library.

The building plan proposed by Zion Church Builders adds 17,733 square feet at an estimated cost of $2.4 to $2.6 million. Our goal is to have construction underway by 2007.

He has provided us a challenge…in the form of the Reaching UP, Reaching OUT, Reaching IN Stewardship Campaign. In this process we are to Reach UP to God with praise through our worship services, our praise band, our drama group, and our small groups, for the opportunity to serve Him. We Reach OUT to our community and the world with the Good News and the love of God through our mission trips, women’s Bible studies, youth groups, a Bible-based weight-loss program, and hosting funerals for people of the community. We Reach IN to ourselves to feed our spiritual hunger for a closer relationship with God through Sunday School classes, Bible studies, fellowship with other Christians, and being a part of activities and ministries happening at our church. An opportunity will be given for every household in our church to make a sacrificial commitment – over and above our regular tithes and offerings – during a special three-year giving period. No one will be told what he or she should give. No one will be pressured or coerced. We will all be asked to seek, through prayer, the will of God in our lives as it relates to this program. This special giving will:

• deter any use of our annual ministry budget to fund the building project; AND
• keep longer-term borrowing interest at a minimum.

Reaching UP, Reaching OUT, Reaching IN lifts up the point of SACRIFICIAL giving by introducing the theme “Not Equal Gifts But Equal Sacrifice.” This is a biblical interpretation of proportionate giving. We ask that you apply this principle to the stewardship campaign in terms of your ability to give of what you have. There are two spiritual goals we hope everyone will see as very important in this campaign – prayer and sacrifice.

He has provided us the first step…to be completely rooted in prayer. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” — Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) We are calling on the congregation to see this stewardship campaign through the perspective of prayer. Prayer is the foundation on which the entire campaign will be built. Look for God to direct your way. Ask not what you “should” do, but listen for what God would do through you – through God’s grace and your faith. We ask that your emphasis would be on prayers that:

• lift up the ministry of our church;
• the campaign will create an environment that will effectively motivate each of us to seek God’s will for his or her life;
• lift up the leadership of our church who, with the help of the Lord, will guide us spiritually throughout the campaign.

What would happen if every member of our church were to seek God’s will by praying, “Lord, what would You do through me?” What new insights would we find? Lives may be changed! Commitment decisions could grow joyfully out of a spiritual perspective. Instead of simply making a donation decision, let your commitment be a matter of faith that represents your sense of God’s calling in your life or a way of sharing your faith. Make it from your heart.

He has provided us an opportunity…to show our thankfulness for His faithfulness. On Sunday, October 30th, as we come together for food, fun, fellowship, and a time of inspiration and future vision, we all have the opportunity to make our commitments to this stewardship campaign and praise God for his blessings to us.

Now watch Him provide... for  our future   and guide    us along      His paths
Christ’s Family Church ~ 4601 Utica Ridge Road ~ Davenport, IA 52807 Ph: (563) 359-3765 ~ Fax: (563) 359-9089
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” — Matt. 28:19 (NIV)

© Copyright 2003 Christ's Family Church

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