
New Picnic Pavilion and Storage Facility
We are excited to embark on this next project of the MSPC Master plan. This project will accomplish two big tasks that will advance our goal of helping everyone feel welcome from the moment they arrive:
Restoration of roughly 1/3 of our main parking lot.
Creation of a new Picnic Pavilion/Storage Facility.
This project will be financed in part by the Fund the Future campaign, though we are also seeking assistance from our community partners and further assistance from the congregation. Our goal is to raise $900k to accomplish this project.
What is Fund the Future?
In 2021, Pastor Tom Sweets launched Fund the Future, an ambitious campaign to raise funds for future building and grounds projects and staffing. Projects projected in the fundraising included upgrading the electrical & lighting, remodeling the kitchen, entry foyer, west entrance, restrooms, and kitchenette, redesigning the parking lot, and building a storage facility for scouts. Pastor Sweets stated that the Fund the Future initiative allocates 25% of its funds for future staffing needs.
Congregants and other groups pledged $800k over five years. While some pledges were designated for particular projects, a large portion of Fund the Future remains undesignated. To date, we have received $650k.
Why The Parking Lot?
Parking lots aren't very thrilling. However, in a suburban church such as ours, an attractive, well-maintained parking lot is a necessary ministry resource. The parking lot is a significant part of the first view that a visiting family sees as they enter the church. Having a clean, level, and safe parking lot communicates that we are a community that cares about welcoming people. Our parking lot is our welcome mat.
More than that, the parking lot is a venue for ministry and outreach. Our parking lot empowers us to serve the community by offering space for community organizations such as the Madeira Mile Road Race, the Madeira Athletic Boosters Plant Sale, the Madeira School District, and others. It also empowers us to host events like the Fall Trunk or Treat and the Summertime Payton's Lemonade Stand. Through our parking lot, we generate immense community goodwill and affection toward our church.
Sadly, our parking lot is in abysmal repair. Potholes riddle the deteriorated asphalt, making it a safety hazard. It communicates the opposite of welcome in its current condition: a dilapidated parking lot tells visitors we're a dilapidated congregation. Delayed maintenance now requires more than simply resurfacing the blacktop. We have to tear it out and rebuild it from the foundations.
Why Only A Third?
While restoring the entire parking lot would be preferable, we must balance what we need with what we can afford. Material costs, particularly for asphalt, have soared dramatically over the past five years. To make this project feasible, we've based our planning on what we thought we could afford without going into debt or completely depleting the Fund the Future money we received.
For this project, we envision renovating a portion of the parking lot that our church and community use the most. Currently, the area we've selected meets our most pressing needs.
Why A Picnic Pavilion & Storage Facility?
For the past decade, our church has been promising our Scout Troop that we will construct a new storage facility. This facility will allow us to consolidate the materials from our current storage sheds and provide a garage for their trailer. Three years ago, as part of the Fund the Future Campaign, we accepted a $25,000 pledge from the Scout Troop toward constructing such a facility.
As we worked on the Fund the Future Facilities Master Plan, we saw an opportunity to make the storage facility something more: a venue for ministry. We create a new outdoor meeting space by incorporating a Picnic Pavilion into the design. It will be a new venue where we can host creative ministries. While the opportunities are manifold, some of the ideas we're already working on are:
Outdoor fellowship events like a movie night under the stars or family picnics.
Outdoor worship event.
Drama and concert events (with our newly formed Lamplight Theater Company).
The Picnic Pavilion, as designed, not only fulfills our promise to our Scout troop but also creates an exciting venue for new ministries and opportunities to invest in families, welcome the community, and even enrich people's faith.
Why Put These Two Projects Together?
Doing these together is less expensive than doing them separately. However, the more significant benefit is that doing them together will significantly improve the visual appeal of our campus. This project will include removing the unsightly sheds beside our playground and moving our trash dumpster farther away from our playground and sanctuary, creating a more welcoming atmosphere.
How Much Is This Going To Cost?
After an extensive search, our Session chose Elevar as our architecture-engineering firm, and we contracted with Oswald to be our construction management firm. The estimates that we have received from them are:
Oswald Construction Estimate - $725,000 ($425K for the parking lot and $275 for the picnic pavilion)
Estimating Contingency (+10%) - $72,000
Architecture / Engineering Fees - $122,000
How Far Along Is The Fundraising?
The Scout Troop designated $25k toward the Picnic Pavilion project as part of its Fund the Future pledge.
In late 2024, the Yeomans family sent a $50k bequest from Tim and Billie Yeomans' estate to the church. They've designated the money for grounds, and in conversation with the family, it was decided to apply the funds toward the Picnic Pavilion project.
The Session decided to allocate $75k of the unrestricted portion of Fund the Future toward the parking lot portion.
We've already had two early gifts toward the parking lot portion, totaling $16k.
In addition, we've received $229,500 in early pledges from congregational leaders, for a total of $395,500!
Restoring our parking lot and constructing a new Picnic Pavilion and Storage Facility are pivotal steps in enhancing our church's welcoming environment and expanding our outreach. Help us make our church campus even more welcoming for everyone here!
Construction begins on June 9, 2025, so we can complete this project by the end of summer.
Please consider making a pledge and being a helper in this great effort to enhance our campus!
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