Do you enjoy puzzles and brain teasers? The kind that makes your brain hurt? Like them or not, the building team finds ourselves working on a rather large puzzle, trying to work towards a general floor plan for the new building.
You might be surprised to hear that it's challenging. But it's true! There are so many variables, desires, and limitations. Our team spent significant time early on trying to really understand each existing ministry within New Hope, along with their needs, desires, and potential pinch points with growth in a new space. This formed a document we call the "ministry plan". Then we put together a building plan document based on the ministry plan evaluation. It was a lot of written descriptions of the spaces we deemed a priority within the new building, along with what spaces needed to share access and so on. We also tried to address the need to plan for future expansion if that should become necessary. Then we passed that to the architect.
In recent weeks, we have been working with the architect firm, Anderson Knight Architects, to land on a floor plan that will work well for New Hope. We reviewed an initial sketch and sent it back with requests for revisions. This past weekend, our team was presented the revised floor plan, and we all agree it is getting closer to fulfilling the needs and desires we outlined in the ministry and building plans. But there is still some tweaking to do, and the architects will keep working on it this week.
We understand that some of you wonder why this is taking so long, and what could possibly be so difficult. If you can imagine a really complicated brain-teaser puzzle in which all the pieces must be moved to fit just perfectly, it's a little like that. You might move one piece to where you think it goes, but then, as a result, all of the other pieces move farther from where you want them. Every piece of the puzzle impacts the other pieces.
There are a number of "pieces" our team has to consider in addition to trying to fulfill the space needs we identified in the ministry plan. For one, we have the existing lobby building to consider. We have gone round and round about the best use of that existing space. Those conversations have also explored the wide range of expense vs. cost savings involved in how we use that space. Obviously, what we put in that space dictates a lot about what needs to be built new, however, being an existing building, it has it's own limitations. Additionally, there is an underground sewer line on the property that we have to consider. To move the line, would cost us significantly more money than our church is willing to spend, so we have to maintain a sufficient building easement from that line. We also have to consider parking spaces and how to maintain as much of the existing parking lot as possible in order to save money, and in order to simply have enough parking for the church. These are some of the "pieces" that are just part of the existing land and what it dictates. Then you add in considerations for traffic flow inside the building, security for kidsLIFE spaces, how the new space relates to the existing building, etc. and there is a lot to juggle.
Hopefully, that is some helpful insight into the process. If you are feeling eager to see progress in the form of a picture, rest assured, the building team is just as eager to provide one.
Please be praying that God would guide our process, causing all the pieces to fit in the most honoring way possible.
Know also, that if you have questions or want to hear more in the context of a conversation, the building team members are happy to visit. It's difficult to relay details of our process through large group meetings and written communication. Please reach out to a staff member if you don't know a building team member, and the staff can get you connected.
Thank you for reading, and thank you for praying!
- Conversations with professionals outside of our church. The building team has conversations frequently with various people like architect staff, electricians, plumbers, city officials. May God use this building and the heart of New Hope to draw these people to Himself.
- The architectural drawings. Pray that nothing would be overlooked, and that the plan would be one that can serve our ministries well for many years to come.
- That God would show Himself to be the writer of our story. May He continue provide for New Hope in ways that only He can.
- For enthusiasm and unity of vision for our whole church body as we long to make much of God.
