FAQ
I have questions regarding Finish the Work. How can I get answers?
We'd love to hear from you. To learn more about Finish the Work, email us.
Where can I download the current master plan?
Click here to download the current master plan.
What is Finish the Work?
Finish the Work is about people. We believe God is not done reaching the Fox Valley and the world through Appleton Alliance Church. Life change happens here. We are certain God could do more through us than we could ever imagine. But we know we can’t do it without prayerfully following God’s leading. And we certainly can’t do it without you. We need 100% church participation in investing in people who are far from God.
How does this fit with our vision?
Our vision is “Connecting People with GOD and One Another.” We do this through a three-part strategy.
- Evangelism and Discipleship: Reach out to our community, lead people to Christ and disciple them using our 4C Discipleship Model.
- Ministry Space: Provide ministry space to accommodate the people God continues to bring to us. Right now we desperately need to expand our campus in Appleton and help our sister church in Lima, Peru expand their facilities.
- Global Missions: Support global missions by praying for missionaries, supporting the Christian & Missionary Alliance Great Commission Fund, and partnering with our sister churches in Lima, Peru, and Burkina Faso, Africa.
What will we build?
Finish the Work is all about providing space for people. We need to expand our current facility. This expansion will include...
- New Worship Center
- Expanded Discovery Land
- New Student Ministries Area
- Gymnasium for Sports, Discovery Land, and Youth Activities
- Finished Athletic Fields
- Expanded Parking
- Commercial Kitchen
- Coffee Shop (Open to the community)
Our new architect, Progressive AE, has a dedicated and highly experienced worship architecture team to help us with our expansion. They have developed a new master plan that will likely be different from what you may have seen in the past. We’ve been in our current facility for seven years and we’ve learned a lot. We want to be sure our facility reflects our latest thinking and ideas! For more information about Progressive AE, click here.
Why Now?
God works powerfully in challenging times and God’s people should never retreat. We do know this: we are out of space. We’ve gone to four Sunday services to accommodate our growth and we often run out of seats on Sunday morning. Ministry at Appleton Alliance is constrained. We struggle to accommodate new people and our ability to impact the community for Christ is impacted by this. We should never let facility space bottleneck ministry.
While many organizations are facing cutbacks, Appleton Alliance continues to grow. The time to complete our campus is upon us. We realize the economy has created real hardship for some people. We only ask that everyone commit to pray for God’s direction and what He would have you do, and then simply respond as God directs. We will never pressure anyone to give. We’ll trust God for the results, and will move forward in His timing.
What is the total square footage of the expansion?
Our current facility size is about 60,000 square feet. With this expansion we will grow to about 160,000 square feet.
How much is this going to cost?
Right now it is looking like it will cost about $22 million.
What is the financial “comfort level” with the project? What do we need to proceed?
We need to raise a significant amount of cash up front to do the entire project. Cash reduces the amount of the loan we will need and it gives us leverage in negotiating with lenders. We will be talking about this in more detail in future information meetings.
What is the expected completion date?
We broke ground in July of 2011. We expect construction will take 18 to 24 months.
Are we looking at all alternatives to minimize costs?
Absolutely. Our staff and governing board are committed to good stewardship of our resources. The building committee has been charged with building effective ministry space that has multiple uses. Creating space that can be used for multiple purposes will help us keep the cost of the expansion in line.
Will we have to expand again?
There are no plans to expand facilities on our current site once we finish this expansion.
Will our expanded facility appeal to future generations?
Yes! One of our goals is to make sure the expansion appeals to future generations in both space and technology. We did a nationwide search for an architect who has built large churches and picked a firm that is forward thinking and widely experienced in ministry trends.
What about support for our sister church in Peru? Are we helping them with their facility vision?
We have always said “when we build, we want them to build.” The elder board is thinking through how to best make this happen.
What is the capacity of the new worship center? Will the seats be narrow?
The new worship center will seat 1800. The seats will be theater style permanent seats. There will be a few rows near the stage with moveable chairs so that the stage area can be expanded for special events. Total capacity for Sunday worship will be around 2,400 in two "venues"; the new worship center (1,800), and remodeled existing worship center (600).
I’ve heard there is a gym in our expansion. Why do we need a gym?
A gym is a standard feature of most medium sized churches and in almost every large church. Like other churches we will use our gym for children's and youth ministry including AWANA and youth activity nights.
We also have a thriving sports ministry at Appleton Alliance. Since our sports ministry started in 2006 we have seen many people come to a saving faith in Christ. Many of our sports ministry activities and leagues are geared around men. Statistics show that if a man starts coming to church there is an 85% probability that his family will come to church. 150 men participate in our men’s outdoor basketball league, 80% of them do not attend Appleton Alliance Church.
Space for sports in the Fox Valley is at a premium. Just ask any family involved in league sports during the winter. Our new facility will not only help us reach people in the Fox Valley, it will provide more capacity for sports activities.
Is there a shortcut from Discovery Land to the gymnasium?
Yes, hallways can be used to get from Discovery Land to the gymnasium without going through the hub.
Where are adult ministries accomplished in the facility plan?
The facility plan is designed with many multi-use areas. The needs of the adult ministries have been built into the plan, and in many cases adult ministries share areas with other ministries.
Isn’t this church big enough?
Just ask someone who has come to Christ since we opened the doors to our current location. What if, as a smaller congregation, we hadn’t stepped out in faith 7 years ago and moved to a larger facility? We need to make sure there is always room at the table for new people!
A lot of people have experienced life change through God working in our church. The natural result is that our church continues to grow. People keep telling others about how God is changing them through biblical teaching, applied to real life. They invite their friends, family and co-workers to experience it for themselves. When our services are full during prime “church-going” time, we can’t effectively reach people for Christ.
Will there be a playground for the kids?
There is not a playground in the plan at this time. The kids’ ministries are structured in existing spaces in Discovery Land and the new gymnasium.
The current seating is crowded. There is not enough space between the seats.
The main seating area in the new worship center will be permanent, theater style seating with plenty of room.
How many seats are there in the longest row in the new worship center?
There are about 18 seats in the longest row. We wanted a worship center that was large enough to seat a lot of worshippers. But we also wanted easy access to seating, good visibility to the stage, and a layout that promoted the feeling of being a part of the worship service.
Are there multiple drop-off points?
There are two main entrances – one on the east and one on the west side of the facility. There is also a separate entrance into the administration area. Entrances are also available into the chapel and into the gymnasium.
What about technology like wi fi, etc.?
Our design will meet the growing dependence and development in technology.
How about security?
We have used a security consultant in design meetings with the architect. Security best practices will be incorporated in the design.
How will construction be staged to avoid disrupting existing church activities?
There will be some inconveniences, but we expect that all current church activities will continue as they do now on site. The project to expand the space at Appleton Medical Center is a good example of Boldt’s expertise in this area.
Do we really need all of this nice “stuff”? What about using money to serve the poor and missions?
At Appleton Alliance, we always carefully assess: "What's a tool, and what's a toy?" We don't just add equipment or make improvements to facilities without thinking through the reason for it and if it is stewarding our resources well.
In order to stay current in today's culture in the place where we live, we continually strive to make sure that the experience had by all is excellent. The environment speaks the language that will draw new people to ultimately engage with the message of Christ.
The poorest among us are those who will spend eternity separated from God. But we also are committed to serving the physically poor as well. We will continue to invest in helping people with current needs, both here and around the world. We can be in a position to do that with a huge impact because of large number of people who find their way to our church and collectively serve and give generously through Appleton Alliance’s local and global initiatives.
So what do you want me to do?
Don’t think about dollars right now. Start by praying for people in your life yet to be reached. Pray for what God would want to do in and through you. Let Him speak to your heart and simply respond to His leading.
We’re asking each individual or household to evaluate their priorities and spending, consider their current and future resources, and determine how much could be given above their normal general giving that would reflect true sacrifice. You can make your pledge or cash gift at anytime by clicking here.
Everyone can do something, and be part of something truly amazing. God wants to multiply the efforts of His people beyond their greatest dreams.
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