Dear Ponder UMC Family,

I am very grateful to be your Pastor at this opportune time.  Ours is an exciting church with a great vision for the future. 

As you probably know, we have purchased a new facility, located at 104 Remington Park Lane.  It is our intention to relocate the church to this new facility as soon as possible.  This new building is 50 – 75% larger than our current church, is very friendly to those with mobility issues, is in a wonderful high visibility location, and is relatively new construction.  Most importantly, this new building will allow us to reach far more people for Christ.  We will move as soon as remodeling is complete. 

Building Disciples is the title of our stewardship campaign to raise money for remodeling.  I am asking every family in the church to pray about a special over-and-above three year commitment to the Building Disciples Fund.  In this way we can all have a part in the relocation. 

This letter is accompanied by information about the campaign.  Within the next two weeks you will receive phone calls from the Building Disciples caller team.  They will provide you with information about times and dates for several special events.  They will also answer any questions you may have about the campaign.  They will not be asking for money!  It is very important for you to participate in one of the worship services each of the next three weeks. 

Please join me in praying for the leadership of the Holy Spirit during these challenging days.  I hope the church is a blessing to your life.  I pray for God’s richest blessings of love, joy, and peace to be yours!  I am grateful for your prayerful support.  If we can be of service to you, please let us know. 

Yours in God’s Service,

Rocky Ellison
Pastor

1. Our current church is unappealing to visitors.  We've often been told so.

2. We are out of space.  Both our education and worship space is too limited.  How we conduct the business of the church, and how we worship are adversely impacted by our lack of physical space.  Zoning restrictions prohibit us from building a sanctuary any larger than we have right now. 

3. Maintenance issues - we have a broken pier, a cracked truss, and bare electrical wires.  To fix any one of these items we would be required to fix all of them.  This essentially means tearing down and rebuilding the sanctuary.

4. Parking - we do not have enough parking, and we cannot increase our parking.  We are dependent on using the Junior High and the city park for our needs.

5. Handicap accessibility - our church design is not friendly to those in wheelchairs, or those who use walkers.

 

1. Location, location, location!  This is one of the premier sites in the city of Ponder.

2. Availability - this facility is built and almost ready for occupancy.  We can relocate in a very short time.

3. Space - this facility will effectively double our worship space, as well as our office and education space.  We can increase the size of the parking lot over and over to match the growth in membership.  The 3.2 acres gives us plenty of room to eventually build a state of the art sanctuary. 

4. Design - this facility was designed from the ground up with children and disabled persons in mind.  It is extremely kid and wheelchair friendly.  The intentional design (with no load bearing interior walls) makes it very easily remodeled to accommodate our church specific needs. 

5. Appealing to visitors - this is a newer, cleaner, more modern facility than we have ever had.  It was built in 2002, and has been excellently maintained.  First time visitors come away with a positive attitude about the building, and its potential for ministry. 

6. Price - we could not build this same facility for twice the price we are paying to purchase it. 

 

1. Prayer - nothing is accomplished without God's Spirit and direction.  We need everyone to pray for the church, for the Building Disciples campaign, and for the remodeling. 

2. Time - we need everyone to help out when and where they can.  If you have gifts or talents that would benefit the relocation please volunteer to help. 

3. Money - we cannot move until the remodeling is complete.  We will not start the remodeling until we have the funds available.  We are dependent on the generosity and faithfulness of those who attend Ponder UMC.