Important update
from our Leadership Board
This past Sunday, our Leadership Board Vice Chairman Jason Groth addressed our church family with an update regarding parking, our facility, and future plans.
If you were not in our services this weekend, we ask that you take just a few minutes to watch this video that you are up-to-date. You can also read his remarks in their entirety below.
Please continue to pray for our church family and our leadership teams as we seek God together!
Full transcript of Vice Chairman Jason Goth
Hello FAC family. Back in early February during our Sunday services, I gave an update and asked you all to be in prayer regarding a significant decision before us as a board.
First, I want to thank you all for your prayers. We sensed them. At FAC, we don’t just claim Expectant Prayer as a value, we put it into practice. And that’s exactly what happened! We are so incredibly grateful. Speaking for our board, serving this phenomenal congregation is an honor and we feel incredibly blessed.
Today, I’m announcing that, after much prayer, discussion, and research, we’ve decided against the second exit parking lot project. Despite its high cost—nearly half a million dollars—it wouldn’t significantly increase parking or resolve our space issues. Old Higbee Mill remains a two-lane road, and navigating a crowded lot would still be a challenge. We couldn’t justify such a large investment without a clear, effective solution.
So where does that leave us? The same place we have been for sometime: doing our best to lean into God, moving at his pace, investigating anything that could seem viable, praying for wisdom and unity, and making decisions accordingly. And as we see it, a few things are becoming clear.
As far as this facility is concerned, we will continue to be good stewards of it: keeping it in good condition and making it work for us in every way it can. We are so thankful for it! That said, we have determined we will not be making any significant renovations or expansions here. We have thoroughly examined all of these options and it simply won’t work.
If we expand the interior and footprint of our building for several million dollars, the parking lot would be in even worse condition to handle the crowds, and if we add parking for a few million dollars, the interior couldn’t handle the crowds of the now adjusted lot size. In the end, it does not work.
Given this, we currently see that we have three options to explore moving forward:
- Remain here and add more services, though staff and volunteer limits, plus congregants’ preference for traditional times, make this a short-term fix, not a lasting solution.
- Relocate entirely by selling this facility and either building a new facility or renovating an existing space. This option would require careful thought on cost, location, ministry needs, and also involve a more lengthy timeline.
- Retain this facility and establish a second campus. We do not believe God is calling us to plant a new church, but instead he could be asking us to multiply our own church. With this option there would again be much to consider on cost, location, and what we need to continue to do effective ministry.
After hearing these three options, you may naturally lean toward one, or away from another, based on solid reasoning or past experiences. We recognize each choice has its strengths, weaknesses, and costs. Still, as a Leadership Board we would ask that rather than advocating for your favorite, you commit to fervent prayer: for our leadership, our church, and all our hearts. We long to align with God’s will and His chosen path for us at First Alliance.
In my personal prayer time leading to sharing with you this week, I was drawn to John 14:11 where Jesus was speaking to his disciples: “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
That has been my personal prayer for our church: to be in the Word, to listen to others who are listening obediently, and to ask. This time of opening hearts and ears may look different for each of us. Perhaps it is fasting, family prayer time around a meal, or listening in the stillness of your favorite prayer space. In this passage, Jesus encourages his followers to pray, in His name, promising that their requests will be answered—not just minimally, but abundantly—enabling them to do “even greater things” than the works he performed during His ministry. Pastor Paul reminded me recently of a quote from AW Tozer, “Anything God has ever done, He can do now. Anything God has done anywhere, He can do here.” Right here at FAC! So my continued ask on behalf of your Leadership Board is to join us in persistent prayer.
Thank you for your continued commitment to Jesus and His body here at FAC. We believe that God has a beautiful future for us! It is a privilege to serve you.