Building Our Next Church Together
…
After many years
of searching for the right opportunities, with the guidance of our Lord, the
support of the Deacon Board and the prayers from the congregations, the RPGMBC
Building Search Committee is finally able to secure the acceptance of an offer
on the acquisition of a site for building our next church together.
Over the past
nine years, we are like the Israelites wandering the desert and worshipping in
a temporary tent. As the 10th
Anniversary is coming, we now have a glimpse of a permanent sanctuary on
earth. We now have the eyes on a secure
place where we can be salt and light, where we can lift up the name of
Jesus. Jesus said: "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will
draw all people to Myself" (John 12:32). Lord willing, RPGMBC will raise a cross high
up at our new site to draw many to Christ in Northwest Richmond.
Why: Our Vision …
Our Vision
Statement states that we are to build a healthy and multiplying church.
Richmond Pacific
Grace MB Church is One church with multiple congregations. By obeying the Great Commandment (Matthew
22.37-39), we will bring life transformation, and hence building a Healthy
Church together. By carrying out the
Great Commission (Matthew 28.19-20), we will become a missional Multiplying
Church to proclaim the Lord’s name through both local and global outreach.
We will continue
on local evangelism such as GSF’s and youth camps as well as children outreach
programs. In addition, we also aim to
reach out to the influx of international students and establish a missional church
in the future.
Where: From Point A to Point B …
Vision is to
lead people from Point A to Point B.
Point A.
Where are we right now in terms of church facilities? The current building at 6391 Westminster
Highway is a 14,795 s. f. leased warehouse.
The lease will expire on October 31, 2016. Annual rental payment is around $178,000,
which accounts to 31% of our 2015 Operating Budget.
Point B. Where
are we going? The address of the
targeted site is 9251 & 9271 Beckwith Road, Richmond. Total area of the land is 31,596 s.f.. With a “CA” zoning, we can construct a ~7,500
s.f. building with the limitation of 300 seats.
The listing price of the property is $3,213,000, with the accepted offer
price at $2,800,000. The building cost
will be $1,300,000 or less. With a
contingency fund of $100,000, the total project cost is targeted at $4,200,000.
Location:
a)
In
the Bridgeport Village neighbourhood, north of Richmond Costco, west of Oak
Street Bridge.
b) Approximately
15-20 minutes walking distance from Bridgeport Skytrain, 5-10 minutes walking
distance from Bus Stop (403 and 430), and ~10-15 minutes driving from Richmond
City Center.
c) According
to Richmond Official Development Plan, this area is planned for Arts
Entertainment and Business Focus. There
will be no residential development but will attract people and traffic visiting
this area.
d)
Within
15 minutes walking distance south of Bridgeport Village is Capstan Village,
which is projected to have approximately 5,800-6,900 new dwelling units in the
next 5-10 years. The amount of the new
dwelling projected increases approximately 10,000 to 20,000 population in the
area.
How: Financially …
Total project costs $4,200,000
Cash on hand
(Building Fund) $1,125,000
Cash to be
available (pledge) $
325,000
Loan
amount required $2,750,000 (25yr variable
rate - currently 3.75%)
Debt to equity
ratio 1.90
Praise the Lord
that we have received tremendous support through the pledges in May-June. We started the 40-Day Prayer Campaign on May
4th which concluded on June 12th. During this period, we have received a total
of 161 pledges which amount to $325,780.
Our original target was at $275,000, and that means the Lord has
exceeded our expectation by 18.47%.
Our God is
surely Jehovah Jireh! He has once again
increased our faith!
As of the
write-up of this sharing, we have received another piece of good news. Our loan application of $2,750,000, to the BC MB and Canadian Conference offices has just
been approved. They are excited
for our vision to raise the Name of Jesus in Northwest Richmond there! Praise the LORD!!
When: The Timeline …
As we look back …
In retrospect, searching for a permanent
church building has always been the priority task since RPGMBC became
independent on January 1, 2006. The
Building Search Committee have been working hard to find a location, brothers
and sisters have been praying without ceasing to seek the will of our Heavenly
Father, and congregations have been giving tremendous support in offerings. God’s faithfulness is witnessed in the
accumulation of the building fund over the years, experienced as we wait upon
the Lord on the process of the purchase, and we are humbled by His provision
through the recent pledge. The Lord is
at work!
This is our prayer: “Lord, we are
ready! Ready to lift up the name of
Jesus. Ready to raise up the cross by
the Oak Street Bridge. Ready to
experience the new trust as we enter the 10th Anniversary! Lord, please increase our faith. Please allow us to partner with You – to draw
many to You. Amen!”
