“Fill These Cities: 25 by ‘25” General Frequently Asked Questions September 19, 2016 What is “Fill These Cities: 25 by ‘25”? “Fill These Cities 25 by '25” is a vision for accelerating Bethlehem's next decade of spreading. As we strengthen core church life on our three existing campuses and establish a 24/7 South Campus on the property we already own in Lakeville, we also sense God calling us to plant 25 new churches and engage 25 unengaged people groups by 2025, for his glory and our joy. Why are we doing this? 1. The now 500+ members and attenders of our congregation worshipping in Lakeville need a facility accessible seven days a week to be able to flourish in church life like the other campuses. 2. As church life is strengthened on all three campuses, we can undertake greater work for the gospel. A big church can do more things than a small church. 3. Church plants are a proven strategy for reaching the unchurched. Bethlehem is blessed with proven capabilities to do so. We sense God's call to plant more vigorously. Three campuses will also allow us to further expand our church planters residency program. 4. Our hearts are freshly burdened for hundreds of people groups in the world to whom gospel ministers have never been sent. Bethlehem is unusually well-positioned and resourced to be senders and go-ers. 5. God is prospering our mission through up-reach, in-reach and outreach ministries on three campuses, 14 church plants, and 113 global partners in 48 countries. God is giving us every encouragement to accelerate. Is this for Bethlehem members only? “Fill These Cities: 25 by ‘25” is for everyone who considers Bethlehem their church – both members and attenders. Our prayer is that 100% of Bethlehem’s congregation will commit to support this vision financially as Pastor Jason preaches and calls us to pray and participate this Fall. What are you asking me to do? Prayerfully consider a larger, two-year financial commitment to fuel a new decade of gospel ambition, deepening our core ministries and widening our outreach through “Fill These Cities”. How much will “Fill These Cities: 25 by ‘25” cost? We are asking God to accelerate “Fill These Cities: 25 by ‘25” by moving in the hearts of his people at Bethlehem to provide $38M over a 25-month period of time from 12/1/2016 through 12/31/2018. The total cost consists of three components: 1. $23M for ongoing Church & Missions (C&M) budgeted operating expenses This assumes modest (5%) budget growth in 2017 and 2018 – approximately $11.2M and $11.8M in 2017 and 2018, respectively, compared to Bethlehem’s current 2016 C&M operating budget of $10.7M. Our current C&M operating budget includes significant funding for church plants and Global Outreach. This increase allows us to accelerate current plans. 2. $13M to build a 24/7 South Campus facility that supports up-reach, in-reach, and outreach from a more permanent, growing base in the southern suburbs. Current plans call for a worship sanctuary that seats 840 (expandable via balcony to 1168), classrooms for all ages, an open lobby gathering space, a kitchen, and a large multi-purpose gym. The building's footprint size is approximately 52,500 sf. When the lower level of the education wing, balcony and mezzanine are included, the total finished space is approximately 76,000 sf.
3. $2M to help finish strong financially in 2016 and be prepared to launch South Campus construction in 2017. December C&M giving has often been in the range of $1.5M to $1.8M. As we move forward with “Fill These Cities: 25 by ‘25”, we want to ensure 2016 ministry expenses are covered, and that we are able to replenish our C&M reserve appropriately going into the next two years. What about our current debt? With this $38M “Fill These Cities” goal in mind, our hope is to begin construction of a South Campus in 2017 without incurring any additional long-term debt (although a short-term construction loan will likely be needed as part of the project). Beginning with our 2015 C&M budget, mortgage payments associated with the purchase and build-out of our North Campus in Mounds View have been included in our C&M operating budget. We plan to continue this practice in ongoing annual budgets - including the next two years of “Fill These Cities”. The remaining balance on our current mortgage is about $3.3M. Just over $11K of each $38K monthly mortgage payment goes toward interest – the rest is applied toward principal. Bethlehem members and friends continue to contribute directly to pay down our mortgage over and above our budgeted C&M payments – for example, over $150K extra has been given so far in 2016. If no extra payments were made, at our current fixed rate of 4% our mortgage would be paid off in less than nine years. Why do we need our own South Campus building? Why don’t we just continue to rent? Church life at Bethlehem is a multitude of endeavors requiring a welcoming and accessible facility available for ministry and outreach throughout the week. Members at the South Campus have been without a building accessible seven days a week for a decade. Additional reasons to construct a 24/7 South Campus building include: 1. God's abundant favor revealed in the fruitfulness of ministry on both the North Campus and Downtown Campus causes us to see more clearly the potential for ministry in Lakeville. 2. It is time to finish the regional I-35 corridor for spreading we envisioned in 2006; a regional launch site from which to plant churches points South. God has already graciously provided over 12 acres of land we already own in a strategic location on I-35 in Lakeville in this fastgrowing local suburb west of the Mississippi—a community projecting substantial expansion of middle income housing. We sense his call to accelerate establishment of that 24/7 campus. 3. A facility of our own permits us to continue to assemble and worship free from limitations on public or privately owned property. We are currently paying around $250,000 annually to rent Lakeville South High School for worship services Sunday morning and the 501 Building in Burnsville for offices during the week. Why the increased focus on church planting? Church planting is one of Bethlehem’s key outreach strategies. Church plants are a proven strategy for reaching the unchurched: the reached, but disinterested or antagonistic here in America, as well as the utterly unreached around the world. In the last 14 years, God has given grace to plant 14 churches from out of Bethlehem. We are excited to see that grow by an additional 25 churches planted (locally, nationally, and internationally), as (God willing) the next decade becomes the decade of church planting at Bethlehem. We are also working together with Bethlehem College and Seminary, which now offers a church planting track and a seminary degree in church planting, to prepare, evaluate and send church planters from each of our 3 campuses.
For further information on Bethlehem’s increased focus on church planting, check out the following items on our website: A Brief History of Bethlehem's Church Planting Involvement New Bethlehem church plants since 2003 as part of our Treasuring Christ Together strategy Treasuring Christ Together Network Why the increased focus on targeting the unengaged/unreached? The lostness of our neighborhoods is only a glimpse of the grave need around the world — hundreds of unengaged people groups living and dying in darkness, without even the faintest flicker of hope. No one is making any discernible effort to bring them the gospel. The lost are not lost on us at Bethlehem. We’re pleading with God to bring gospel light to 25 unengaged people groups through our global partners by 2025, and be “God’s eraser” to reduce the number of people groups on that list who have no access to the gospel. For further information about Bethlehem’s Global Outreach focus, check out the following items on our website: Our Convictions Our Global Partners Sending (including Nurture Program overview) What is “One Fund”, and why aren’t we doing a more traditional campaign to raise funds for a South Campus? Bethlehem already has funding for campusing, church planting, and over 100 global partners included in our annual C&M operating budget. It seemed wise not to create an additional fund for the new ministry initiatives outlined by “Fill These Cities”, but rather integrate them all into our regular C&M operating budget for the next two years (through December 31, 2018) to convey that this is Bethlehem’s unified and multi-faceted mission, and to assist folks so they don’t have to pick and choose between competing ministry focuses. Increasingly, many churches have adopted a “One Fund” approach in which they’ve integrated the funding required for new ministry initiatives into their ongoing ministry operating budget for a season. For Bethlehem, this upcoming “One Fund” runs 25 months (from 12/1/2016 through 12/31/2018). What are our new “One Fund” budget priorities associated with “Fill These Cities”? 1. Build a facility in Lakeville that can be used seven days a week for worship, ministry, and neighborhood outreach. 2. Strengthen our core ministries to better equip more people for faithful gospel ministry among the families, neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces of the Twin Cities. 3. Call Pastor Kenny Stokes to a new position focused on church planting and church revitalization strategies. 4. Invest in the Bethlehem College & Seminary students and church-planting residents who will be sent to plant churches. 5. Expand and focus our Global Outreach ministry by sending global partners to unengaged people groups (those who have never been targeted by missionary organizations). Are we done with campusing, or do we have plans for additional Bethlehem campuses in the future? We have no plans for additional campuses beyond Downtown (Minneapolis), North (Mounds View), and South (Lakeville). Rather, with three strong, thriving campuses established along the I-35 corridor, with God’s help we feel called to make the next ten years the decade of church planting at Bethlehem.
Have we considered breaking Bethlehem up into three separate churches? Yes. This was one of the main questions the elders addressed during our Antioch moment five years ago (see Antioch Moment update during the December 2011 All-Church Annual Meeting: “As announced earlier this year, the elders have come to full agreement that Bethlehem will remain one church on multiple campuses for the foreseeable future until the Lord shows us otherwise.”) More recently, in 2014 the elders clarified and reaffirmed Bethlehem’s “DNA”, describing our Biblical Essentials and Bethlehem Priorities as a vital part of preserving our unity, and highlighting several expressions of what makes Bethlehem one church on three campuses (see DNA booklet section titled “Bethlehem: One Church on Three Campuses): 1. One Affirmation of Faith 2. One Constitution and Set of Bylaws 3. One Elder Council 4. One Membership Covenant 5. One Mission Statement 6. One Budget 7. One Vision Cast From the Pulpit (Video and Live Preaching) A day may come when we sense God’s leading to reconsider this, but for the foreseeable future, we plan to remain one church on three campuses as we strengthen core ministries on each campus and provide a stronger, broader, and more flourishing base for launching church plants and reaching the unengaged/unreached peoples of the world. Have we considered various options in case our $38M “Fill These Cities: 25 by ’25” financial goal is not reached? The Council of Elders and Financial & Property Administrators (FPA’s) have identified general possibilities. Before proposing a specific path forward, two numbers are needed: the congregation's “Fill These Cities” commitment cards will need to be collected and tallied in November, and December's "first-fruits" month of accelerated giving (month 1 of 25) will need to be totaled. Once both are known the first week of January, the elders plan to pray, review next steps, make adjustments (if necessary), and bring a 2017 "One Fund" budget recommendation to the congregation at the Winter Quarterly Strategy Meeting in January 2017 for prayerful consideration and action (a vote). Depending on funds committed and given, possible options regarding the South Campus include one or more of the following: Proceed (with planned South Campus construction): Sign contracts and proceed with construction of a 24/7 South Campus on the property we own in Lakeville. Defer (delay construction start for a season): Defer the start of construction until an appropriate amount is raised and/or committed. Debt (borrow): If all needed funds are not anticipated to be provided during the 25month “Fill These Cities” initiative, consider a mortgage to cover the remaining amount required to complete the South Campus. Downsize, resize, or phased construction: Adjust the South Campus to match available funds, or phase construction similar to the phased build-out of our North Campus. This 2017 "One Fund" budget recommendation will also include appropriate funding for strengthening Bethlehem's core ministries and accelerating our next decade of spreading, especially church planting and engaging unengaged people groups.
“Fill These Cities: 25 by ‘25” Additional Frequently Asked Questions Related to Financial Participation (based on other church examples) September 19, 2016 This section includes more detailed answers to additional “Fill These Cities” frequently asked questions, based on the types of financial participation questions identified by other churches during similar campaigns. 1. What are you asking me to do? Prayerfully consider a larger, two-year financial commitment to fuel a new decade of gospel ambition, deepening our core ministries and widening our outreach. We are asking every covenant member of Bethlehem to cheerfully embrace the covenant commitment we made with each other to “contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.” We are asking attenders and friends who have been helped by and value the ministry of Bethlehem to prayerfully consider linking arms with us as we seek to “Fill These Cities.” We fully realize that we can’t micromanage how the Spirit will move, but we are asking you to prayerfully consider this question: "What is the maximum we can give to 'Fill These Cities' cheerfully and harmoniously without compromising other God-assigned stewardship responsibilities?” Because our sense is that the South Campus should be built on the front end of this decade-long effort to strengthen the core, accelerate church planting and engage currently unengaged people groups with the gospel, we are asking that all members, attenders, and friends of Bethlehem would prayerfully seek the Lord as to their cheerful participation in “Fill These Cities”: in addition to considering an increase in our proportional giving, might we each consider an over and above sacrificial gift out of our assets to help accelerate the launch of “Fill These Cities”? 2. Is $38,000,000 over the next two years outlandish and unreasonable? We all gulp when we hear that number. But remember that our normal Church & Missions (C&M) operating budget over the next two years will likely be in the neighborhood of $23,000,000. We are increasing this budget to $38,000,000 for these next two years because of our need for the South Campus and the desire to accelerate church planting and engage currently unengaged people groups with the gospel. If every covenant member and attender gave 10% of their income to support our C&M budget, one estimate is that $20,000,000 per year would be given. Our sincere desire is that through this extraordinary effort of “Fill These Cities”, those who have yet to discover the joy of proportional giving would discover it and continue it through the decade and beyond. We long for all the people of Bethlehem to engage in the joyful obedience of regular proportional giving. We also realize that there are extraordinary times in the life of the church where God leads some to give in extraordinary ways out of assets that God has entrusted to them (Acts 4:34). The faithful obedience of every member is needed. But the reaching of this extraordinary goal will not be met apart from those with the spiritual gift of giving (Rom. 12:8). 3. How long is my commitment?
We are asking that everyone make a two-year commitment. The fulfillment period for your commitment will begin December 1, 2016 and it will culminate on December 31, 2018. We are praying that after the two-year commitment is up, the deepened experience of the joy of proportional giving will extend through the decade and beyond. “It is more blessed to give than receive”—Jesus (Acts 20:35).
4. What if I’m new around here? We are so glad that you are here! And we are excited that you are considering partnering with us! The local church is God’s “plan A” for conforming us to the image of Christ, reaching our community, and bringing the gospel to the nations. “Fill These Cities” is a great time and a great way to identify with us and to say, “I am all-in with Bethlehem for the gospel!” Much more than your giving, we want your faith to thrive and be encouraged through corporate worship, our small group ministry, and the use of your gifts in the current and future ministries of our church. Click here to explore some of these ministries. 5. What if I’ve never even given to Bethlehem before? If you have never given financially to Bethlehem, “Fill These Cities” is a great time to begin! It is too easy to come into a large, thriving church like Bethlehem and think that they don’t really need my participation, whether it’s giving or serving. Our prayer is that God will use this season to dispel that myth. Every part of the Body of Christ is there by God’s design (I Cor. 12:11ff; Eph. 4:16) 6. How does the one-fund approach to “Fill These Cities” change my giving to support the general budget, missions, facilities, campus expansion, and other special offerings? During this two-year period, every non-designated contribution to God’s work through Bethlehem is a contribution to our “Fill These Cities” initiative which incorporates our traditional C&M budget. Each aspect of the ministry vision God is calling us toward will be funded through “Fill These Cities”. Therefore, every weekend becomes an opportunity to celebrate and contribute to what God is doing in and through Bethlehem as we give to “Fill These Cities” near and far. This “one fund” approach is helping us to realize how truly exciting and strategic our C&M budget has always been. In the “one fund” approach we are simply acknowledging that the Bethlehem family needs a “house” for each of our campuses and that the costs for our South Campus house needs to be part of the family budget. 7. Will giving for mission trips or support-raised positions be counted as a part of “Fill These Cities”? There are many things that God leads people at Bethlehem to give to, and we are thankful for each one. However, for budgeting and planning purposes gifts designated for something other than “Fill These Cities” are not counted as a part of this “Fill These Cities” initiative. For example, the “Fill These Cities” fund does not include giving for Helping Hand, short-term ministry trips or support-raised staff positions, just as our C&M operating fund does not include these areas currently (or in previous years). As you generously respond to these Bethlehem opportunities outside of “Fill These Cities”, your gift will be recorded and reflected in your annual giving statement, in addition to your faith commitment to “Fill These Cities”. 8. Are there additional ways besides cash that I can give to “Fill These Cities”? We love thinking outside the box! Be creative as you explore ways you and your family can give. Don’t overlook stored assets that you own. Gifts of appreciated property (stocks, real estate, mutual funds, jewelry, artwork, collectibles, baseball cards, etc.)
often make great gifts with significant tax advantages. Please consult with a professional advisor for advice in your particular circumstance. If you need assistance with making a gift of property or stock, we would be delighted to help! You can contact Steve Walmsley, Bethlehem’s Financial Secretary, for questions about and instructions on how to do this (mailto:steve.walmsley@hopeinGod,org)
9. What if I’m a college, seminary or graduate student? God has blessed Bethlehem by allowing us to invest in the lives of students through our Campus Outreach ministry and through Bethlehem College and Seminary. Although students are known for living on tight budgets, the student years are an ideal time to develop a Kingdom-focused plan in the areas of personal budgeting and generous giving. This is a time when students from all the colleges, universities, and graduate schools represented at Bethlehem can join forces and go all-in by giving generously over the next two years to help us “Fill These Cities”. 10. What if I don’t have a job right now? What does that mean for my “Fill These Cities” commitment? Fill These Cities is about your total, radical, sacrificial generosity for the advance of the gospel. God knows our every need, and Bethlehem wants to help meet the needs both in our church and in our community. If you do not have a job and are actively seeking one, we’d love for you to share this with your small group leader or one of our elders so that we can be praying for you. We believe that God calls us to action in times of hardship just as much as He does in times of abundance, and that looks different for every person. Fill These Cities is about a heart change – one that is only accomplished by surrendering our lives completely over to God in this area of giving. That may mean that you are being challenged to sell things, to pick up odd jobs, or possibly even to trust God in faith by making a commitment that you don’t quite know how to fulfill right now, but that you believe God will provide for as you seek ways to sacrifice and work towards that commitment. Our goal is that 100% of those who call Bethlehem home will make a “Fill These Cities” commitment. 11. What if I can’t afford to give right now? Even in times of scarcity, God wants our hearts. The widow who gave her last mite did not make a very big financial contribution, but Jesus said she gave the largest gift of all. Fill These Cities is about all of us coming together, giving generously, and trusting God to do the rest. It may mean that God is asking you to trust him by making a faith commitment that you do not know how to fulfill right now. God has supplied our every need in Christ, and we trust that he will honor a heart that wants to give generously in response to the gospel. There may also be ways to be sacrificial with your lifestyle to create margin for generosity in your life. Find ways to involve the entire family in the process of giving generously. Use this as an opportunity to teach children and grandchildren to obey the Lord with a generous heart and to trust him. This is a great opportunity to take a look at our overall stewardship of all that God has entrusted to us. Pray for the kind of grace that was poured out on the Macedonians who gave in the midst of their poverty (2 Cor. 8). 12. What if I’m severely in debt right now? Am I still supposed to give? It’s important for generosity to be a part of our lives at every point. If you are in the process of paying off debt, we commend you, and you should continue to do so. But, the Bible does not teach that we withhold giving until we are debt-free. As we honor God first with our giving, he promises to be involved with every other aspect of finances (Phil. 4:19). Prayerfully consider how you might participate in “Fill These Cities”.
We care about the burden of indebtedness. If you need counsel there are people at Bethlehem trained to give guidance on how to handle debt and would welcome the opportunity to meet with you.
13. What if my spouse and I are not on the same page? If, after prayer and listening and sharing and more prayer, come back to this question: "What is the maximum we can give to 'Fill These Cities' cheerfully and harmoniously without compromising other God-assigned stewardship responsibilities?” 14. What questions do you still have? Please communicate them to any member of our “Fill These Cities” team: Pastors (lead team): Jason Meyer, Ken Currie, Kenny Stokes, Dan Holst, Chuck Steddom, Tom Steller, Jon Grano Elders: Tim Johnson, Jon Hendricks, Mike Meloch Members: Mitch Pearson, Rick Segal