Frequently Asked Questions

We need to prepare ourselves emotionally and physically to be in transition for a while as we get ready and build our new facility. We will find temporary spaces for our ministries and work on new systems and structures to allow us to thrive during this transitional, “in-between” time.

We have scheduled our last Sunday for June 14. We will have one combined service together in the Sanctuary, followed by a good, ole’ fashioned Baptist potluck in the FLC.

We are working on that right now, with some exciting possibilities! Once we know for sure, we will make sure EVERYONE knows where we will meet and all the other details. Stay tuned!!

The following is an approximate order for the next steps after the sale is approved:

• Negotiations with Emmaus Road begin on move out date, the furniture, furnishings and equipment we will be leaving them, and other odds and ends of the deal.
• We secure the following rental spaces:
• • Storage (for those items we are keeping)
  • Office (a central hub for our business office and records)
  • Sunday spaces (both worship services, plus classrooms for kids and adults

• Communicate last Sunday date and other special events leading up to the closing date.
• Communicate location, times and needs for our new location(s)
• Work begins on clean out, pack up and transition to rented spaces
• New systems developed for ministry in our new, transitional spaces
• Create open house events for folks to ‘say goodbye’ to the building before we leave
• Celebrate the last Sunday in the building
• Celebrate first Sunday in the temporary location

We are working on that, too. Our goal is to keep our student ministries and our Kid Zone events on the same night together, and hopefully at the same place our Sunday Mornings will be. We will be looking for spaces for other midweek ministries like Bible studies, Choir and Handbells as well. Again, stay tuned!!

We are also looking for a place to be our “Mission Control” hub for our Business Manager and our administrative needs and equipment. When we know where this will be, we will communicate this to everyone.

Emmaus Road has agreed to host our Children’s Center for the next school year. It will run as it has normally operated under our ministry umbrella, and Emmaus Road will observe and then decide what they want to do concerning that ministry at the end of the next school year.

The goal is to break ground this summer/fall and do some site preparation and utilities work to be ready for the main construction to start next spring, Lord willing.

We will soon be getting bids for the site prep and utilities, but we won’t bid the rest of the project until we have a better idea of our finances for construction. When we do, we will be asking a pre-screened list of contractors for their best price, and going with the best deal we can make. Keep the Go4th Team and the Church Council in your prayers for when this process begins sometime in early 2027, Lord willing.

Not yet, so before we begin the main construction, we will be doing another capital campaign in Fall of 2026 to raise the remaining amount so we can begin building as soon as possible, possibly Spring or Summer of 2027. Between what we have from the Building Momentum campaign and the sale of the building, we will have over $6.3 million in cash for the project , and we will be able to do the site preparation and possibly put in the utilities and/or pave our portion of 95th Street as soon as this summer.

Once we know what we have in the bank, what we have in pledges and the final costs estimate of the project, we can make an informed, wise decision as a church family about the timing on construction.

YES! We will be launching another capital campaign in the fall of 2026, but if you’re feeling called to give early, please feel free to designate your gift (over and above your regular giving, we still need to do ministry in the meantime!) to the building fund.

We will need lots and lots of people to help with sorting, packing up and cleaning out the building before we move out, and we will need ALL HANDS ON DECK for the transition as we sort out how we need to do ministry in new spaces and places. You can email the office at minassist@firstb.org and tell us how and when you want to help and we’ll find you a spot!