Sacred Space for Today, Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Five years ago, we started with the question: how can we be good stewards of our resources?  We knew we had more than we needed and, frankly, more than we could properly tend.  It’s been a laborious and hopeful journey to get to this point where we’ve sold half of our property, including our Sanctuary, to a student housing development company that is going to build a 300-bed project for students right next door.  We are using the proceeds to fund our new Sanctuary, welcome center, and nursery.  The economic realities have changed quite a bit since we began this process.  We had hoped the sale would pay for the new Sanctuary project, but the expected costs are now beyond what we received.  The church's consensus was clear: build the Sanctuary we need in a way that remains authentic to our values, even if it means we have to raise the difference ourselves.

On Sunday, August 30, we launched our campaign, “Sacred Space for Today, Bright Hope for Tomorrow,” to raise the funds needed for our new Sanctuary over the next three years.

The Sanctuary is designed for optimal acoustic excellence and will house our refurbished Willis-Wicks organ pipes from 1936 and 1939, along with additional pipes and a new console.  The Sanctuary will seat between 228 and 250 in the pews with a choir loft built for 40 singers.  As you can see, it is filled with natural light and several homages to our former Sanctuary.

The Welcome Center/Narthex will connect the new building to the Melton Building and provide a clear entry point from the parking lot.  The stained-glass windows from our former Sanctuary will light the hallway with a glorious sightline from the pulpit all the way to the turn into the Melton Building.

We are dreaming of a few additional spaces for a future phase, including nursery rooms just off the Welcome Center and a small Chapel/Choir Room to host not only our choir, but also many recitals and small lectures for our church and our neighbors.

We hope you will prayerfully consider pledging and donating to our campaign.  We need to raise $2.8 million over the next three years to fully fund this project.  Our plan is to begin construction in the Spring of 2027.  Pledges will help us determine whether we can move forward with our current design.  Please fill out a pledge card to let us know you want to be a part of this wonderful season of change in the life of Seventh & James Baptist Church.