“The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” - Haggai 2:9
“YOU ARE PART OF A SACRED STORY UNFOLDING IN OUR CITY.“
A Letter to Our RESTORE Family
Dear Church,
Thank you for your faith, your generosity, and your commitment to what God is doing through RESTORE Your “yes” is already shaping the future of our church and the lives of countless people
This booklet marks the first of the quarterly updates you will receive Our desire is to walk in transparency and stewardship, keeping you informed about how God is moving through His people and His house.
In each report, you will see snapshots of ministry impact, spiritual formation, and progress toward the renovation of our permanent home While we won’t cover every ministry each quarter, we will consistently highlight how your generosity is strengthening God’s people and advancing God’s house.
When we began this journey, we set out with a goal of $16 million. Today, $14.7 million has been committed or is expected This represents hundreds of households stepping forward in faith, and we are deeply grateful.
You are part of a sacred story unfolding in our city
If you have not yet joined RESTORE, you can learn more inside this booklet There is still a need for every person who calls District Church home to participate in what God is doing.
Thank you for walking with us.
Pastor Aaron Graham
RESTORE God’s People
In January, through 21 days of prayer and fasting, we sought to reset our hearts and cultivate a deeper hunger for God, learning to release what consumes us so we can more fully receive His presence and purpose
STRENGTHENING A CULTURE OF WORSHIP & PRAYER
In December, we reflected on Emmanuel-“God with us” and the hope that through Jesus, God chose to dwell among us in humility, meeting us in our weakness and revealing His grace and love.
In February, we were challenged to embrace singular devotion to the Lord, reframing every season of life single or married as a meaningful calling centered fully on Christ and His kingdom.
Your generosity is cultivating a church rooted in God’s presence, marked by deeper prayer and surrender, and united in wholehearted devotion to Christ All these sermon series were invitations into transformation.
Christmas Celebration Service
January Worship Night
Worship & Prayer Impact
We are witnessing a growing hunger for God’s presence. Nearly 400 devices joined our 21 Days of Prayer, seeking God together across our city and beyond. Each Wednesday morning, nearly 100 people continue to gather to pray for our church, our city, and the world.
At one prayer gathering, five pastors from across our region joined us to pray for unity in the body of Christ a powerful reminder that God is moving beyond any single congregation and strengthening the spiritual foundation of RESTORE.
February- Black Heritgage Celebration
March- Ash Wednesday
21 Days of Prayer& Fasting - 24 HourPrayer
RESTORE God’s House
As we draw closer to the start of construction and have assembled an experienced “ATeam” to guide this project with excellence and integrity We truly have the privilege of working with many individuals who are the best in the nation at what they do
Architect General Contractor
DCS: A highly respected design team with over 50 years of experience here in DC. They have deep experience in historical renovations They lead the overall design and planning effort, translating our church's vision into a code-compliant, buildable plan, and help guide permitting and historic negotiations with the city
DAVIS Construction: The top general contractor in the Mid-Atlantic. Jim Davis, the company’s principal, has a direct family tie to this building. His grandfather built National in the 1920's. Practically, they are the boots on the ground and run the day-to-day construction process Managing the jobsite, schedule, and trade coordination, and they’re accountable for quality, safety, and ensuring everything gets built as designed
Owner’s Representative
Ministry Solutions Group: The top firm in the nation for helping churches understand construction, future planning, and building usage. They act as our day-to-day advocate and project manager, representing our interests with the full project team They help keep scope, budget, schedule, and decisions on track, allowing our staff team to focus on ministry without having to carry every detail of this monumental project. They coordinate all of our consultants, so decisions stay aligned from the original concept through construction while they fight to prevent mission drift and scope alignment.
Audio, Visual, Lighting Interior Design
Summit: A nationally recognized churchfocused AVL designer and integrator serving many of the largest churches across the country They are designing and implementing the audio, video, and lighting systems for all main spaces and the sanctuary They specialize in enhancing the space to draw you while not distracting from the event itself.
Civil Creative: Provides world-class leadership in interior design, shaping the look, feel, and functionality of finished spaces They help ensure the new building "feels like us" while working diligently to honor the history and architecture of the existing space Their workensures the building is beautiful, welcoming, and purpose-built for the way it will actually be used.
Senior Advisor
Adam Weers: A highly committed member of our church who brings significant senior executive-level construction, development, and financial experience He helps us spot hurdles early and is currently shepherding the project through the Historic Tax Credit process
While costs across the industry continue to rise, we are seeing God’s provision increase as well. We continue to experience favor in financing conversations and promising movement around Historic Tax Credit opportunities At this time, we are in a 90-day delay to start construction in order to update the historic features of our drawings and finalize our financing.
RESTORE God’s House
PREPARING A PERMANENT HOME FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
RESTORE is not just about a building. It is about creating a permanent home where lives will be transformed for generations to come.
As we continue moving toward this vision, God is already opening doors for greater impact in our city. We are grateful for our partnership with National Baptist Memorial Church, led by Pastor Lisa, they are currently worshiping at 11 AM on Sundays at Columbia Heights Educational Campus (CHEC).
Together, we are also expanding our outreach Our food distribution ministry now serves families at CHEC on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, allowing us to reach more neighbors including families within the very school where we worship
This future home will help us:
• Expand our ministry reach
• Serve more local families
• Create space for discipleship and spiritual formation
• Establish long-term stability for our church and mission
Your generosity is laying the foundation for lasting impact in Washington, DC— for this generation and the next.
Thankyou for being part ofwhat God is building.
