Hopefully you've received the letter Pastor mailed to the congregation on Wednesday. If you didn't stop by the Diligence Update bulletin board in the lobby on Sunday - it has copies of this week's letter, the Diligence Update that was published in July and the original letter announcing the land deal that was distributed last Spring. You need to read all three documents to get up to speed. In addition to the formal communication, I wanted to share my inside perspective on the whole process...
I’ve been completely amazed at how God has been leading us over the past year or more, particularly with future expansion possibilities. I have been honored to be at the table in multiple meetings and have walked away laughing hysterically at how God’s hand was evident.
The current agreement for purchasing the land across the street is an interesting story. We initially contacted the owners and asked if they would be interested in selling their property to us. We had an initial meeting with the joint owners, both respected businessmen, where
So here are two very successful businessmen who own a tract of land they haven’t seen in some time. They made an investment 10+ years ago. Their plan was to expand their business into
We were confident the property would sell for about $250,000, but the Elders had a good debate about our deal-strategy and timing. I’m a plan guy, I like to have plans and follow them, an idea of the direction in which I’m headed. The whole way this thing was unfolding was a little scary since we didn’t have a plan. We had no idea of how we would use the land other than it would be for expansion. My instinct plus everything I’ve heard and read told me that it would be difficult to garner public support for any proposal to buy property without a comprehensive plan. Nevertheless, it was coming together before we had a comprehensive plan in place.
On the surface, it seemed like the owners were ready to accept our initial offer of $125,000 with no diligence period, but their accountants advised them that they needed an official appraisal so they could accurately book their gain/loss on the sale for tax purposes. When the appraisal came back at $250,000, the owners made it clear they would not accept any less.
There was activity on other fronts too. We started receiving gifts toward future expansion for sources we never expected. Some gifts came from former attenders who no longer live in the area and other gifts came from people who God has blessed recently.
As we pursued our due-diligence research of the land, other opportunities were seemingly dropping in our laps. In one meeting, unexpectedly an individual made us aware of some additional property that might be available. We inquired of two other property owners as to their interest in talking with us about the church purchasing the property. These other developments have had me laughing hysterically as God just keeps putting things in our lap. That’s what has impressed me most over the past year or so, we haven’t been following our plan, we’ve merely been following and walking through opportunities that God has been putting at our feet. These other opportunities have yet to develop; we’ve pursued each appropriately but not in an aggressive forceful approach. We are confident that God will open the doors and lead us in His time.
I’m taking the same approach on the zoning clarification. Yes, it was disappointing to hear the Township Manager clarify that we will not be able to build a large facility on the property under the current zoning. Nevertheless, my disappointment was overshadowed by the Township’s willingness to work with us on other solutions. That the Township Manager sees churches as an important factor in the community should not be taken for granted. I previously worked at a church where the Township viewed churches almost as a nuisance to the community. That church has been unable to expand it’s facility in some 30 years – in part because of the Township. We are fortunate and we should thank God for the climate in which we find ourselves.
So the general course we have followed during the land purchase process is not how I would have scripted it. And while I don’t fully understand why God has brought us along this course to this point, I’m also befuddled by the following questions:
- Why the property owners, who are so successful in business, are giving us the offer when they could probably reap a higher return on their investment if they opened it up to other potential buyers?
- Why the congregation was on board with the land purchase without a plan in place?
- Why people have contributed sacrificially when we don’t have a plan and we haven’t pushed it?
- Why the township is so willing to work with us to solve our needs?
None of these factors makes sense; in some ways, it’s backwards. I don’t know where God is leading us specifically in regards to facility 
expansion, but I’m confident this is an opportunity He has orchestrated. As good stewards we’ve researched just about all we could about the land itself and have found it to be clean. The funds needed to buy the land have been coming in, above and beyond our regular giving, (in fact our regular giving has increased over last year), putting us in a position where we will likely be able to purchase the property without having to use any money out of the General Fund. In my experience, when factors align in that manner on an issue, I've proceeded with faith, trusting that God will direct step-by-step. I think He's doing the same for Grace.
