For a little bit of time now we’ve known that we were in a crisis for our kids with worship space. We’ve added families with young children and literally have run out of room for a growing children’s ministry, there is no where to care for new children now on Sunday mornings. Coupled with insufficient space for our children we are also eager to begin new ministries, a Clothes Closet or Food Pantry. And to continue current ministries – a growing church. We’ve known that we would need to raise financial support to accomplish need for new space, though the cost involved with some of the spaces we were finding seemed so hard to overcome that we hesitated to start a fund raising campaign for building needs.

However, yesterday we discovered a space that not only meets our needs for worship, ministry, and children’s space and is nearly three times larger than other space we were seeing, it also is so incredible affordable – so affordable in fact that we only need to raise just a fraction of what we thought we needed to get into our own building. Because of this I’m very anxious, this morning, to write to you about our need and see how you may be able to help us accomplish, quickly, a fund raising goal to get into this new space soon.

The new space we’re looking at is just off the main intersection of DeKalb, 1st Street and Lincoln Highway – the dead-center heart of our city. It’s a one story building, 3500 sq. feet. As you walk in there is an entry area with a coat room and, to the left, a short hallway to two bathrooms. Going to the right there is a set of double glass doors that is the entry way into the main area. The first area inside those doors has a double sided fire place (the other side is on the raised platform where song and sermon will come from). This smaller room would be great to setup coffee for worshipers as they come in. Going through this room you come to the large main area. The main area would of course be our seating section. To the right of the main area there is a hallway to a small kitchen area and opposite that a small storage room. To the left of the main area there is a very large storage room which would be fantastic for setting up as a Food Pantry or Clothes Closet. On the back wall of the main area there are three rooms that would be used as our children’s space on Sunday mornings.

In the front of the main area is a raised platform where song and sermon would come from. To one side there are two rooms – one storage for sound equipment and chairs, the other a ministry office. To the other side is the double sided fire place. Outside there is ample parking, and, being so close to the heart of the city, we’d be located in a spot for walking and biking types too.

All in all this space is incredibly sufficient for all or our needs at this stage of our church plant.

Besides just being a safe place for worship on Sundays, with great space for our children, and space for us to begin new ministries we would also use the building maybe as an art gallery, a place for local artist, writers, musicians (we have an incredible amount of the “culture class” in DeKalb) to display their art, read their art, or sing their art.

Previous spaces we were looking at where much smaller and much more expensive. Rent at these other spaces ranged from $1800 to $4000 a month and we knew that we needed at least $20,000 to get into the smallest of these buildings.

This space, however, is only $1250 a month (and nearly three times larger!) and we only need $2500 to get in!

We are praying that we can raise $2500 in one week (or sooner!) and have the funds to move in. Then we’re praying we can raise more funds for supplies, painting, and cleaning. We’ll also need to buy new chairs.

If we can raise $2500 now we can get into the building by the middle of the month. At that time we have two mission teams coming to DeKalb that could help us paint and clean and setup. If we could raise $1500 before they get here we would be well set to paint, clean and set up our new building with those teams. That would give us almost a full month to raise another $1500-$2000 for chairs. We’d also like to raise another $3600-$4000 to have three months of rent to sit on just to be prepared for potentially difficult fund raising or giving months down the road.

We know, with all certainty that God has called us to DeKalb and that because we have a genuine calling we know He will provide every need. He’s been good do draw people to The church in DeKalb to hear the Gospel and change their lives – He’s been good to send us helpers and workers for the ministry. He’s been good to send us supporters who have aided us in prayer and financial support. We’re certain that He will provide new space for us to continue to grow, worship, and minister in our city.

We’re prayerful that your participation in contributing to the money we need to get into a new building, our own space for the first time, would be what God uses to “hold the door open” for us to walk through in faith that this is the place God would have us to be to continue to reach DeKalb with the Good News.

You can contribute through our website at www.reachingdekalb.net and click the SUPPORT button.

Or you can contribute by mailing a check to our sending church:

Redeemer Fellowship

1125 Oak Street

St. Charles, IL 60174

I’m asking that if you’re able to support us with this need by sending a check or other gift that you might please respond to this email to alert us so that we can get into the building as soon as possible.

All of us at The church in DeKalb remain incredibly thankful for what God is doing in city through our new church. We’re thankful as well for your aide in accomplishing this new goal for our first building space. Your support is a wonderful partnership in the Gospel, helping to make the Good News of Jesus heard here.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” There is something to Candy Canes and Suger Plum Fairies dancing in children’s heads. Bundling up with scarves and mittens to adventure in the winter wonderlands. Christmas Cards, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Coffee and Cocoa. But best of all, Christmas is the season of hope. Hope, 2000 years ago, that the King would emerge from the virgins womb, Hope that He would would deliver His people from their sins on the cross, Hope that He would emerge, then, from the tomb, and hope that we too will be raised in a resurrection like His.

Christmas, then, is not simply “Peace” and “Joy” and “Believe.” Christmas is the Gospel. That God, in His wonderful goodness, would send His Son into a broken, hopeless, and corrupted world. To live a perfect, sinless life. To die, blameless and unblemished on a cross for sinful man. To be buried. To raise from the grave. To come again…

Christmas is the Good News that

“For us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

And…

“Of the increase of His government and of peace
there will be no end…”

Is this not what we must have? Is this not what we long for!

Here in DeKalb we have spent the Advent season finishing Mark’s Gospel and it has been such a joy to preach three final sermons, individually on the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus, coupling each of them with the hope of Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

Ministry continues to be prosperous. We’re thankful for our city and our people as well as Jesus’ willingness to use us here. And really, the opportunities for ministry here in DeKalb seem endless; there is so much that we can be doing. So, too, we’re thankful for the vision that God has given us to begin a new church here and we’re excited to be accomplishing that vision, bringing people to new life through the Gospel (Worship), becoming a community by the Gospel (Love), and doing life together for the Gospel (Mission).

As we look towards 2010 and make plans to grow as an influential church and see the Gospel become more influential in our city it’s my hope that you would continue to support us both financially and in prayer so that we may continue to do the work that Jesus is putting before us.

I’d like to ask, just one more time this year, that you would consider our work and The church in DeKalb as you look towards your year end giving. We still require over $5000 just for our most basic ministry needs which include staff and ministry needs like health insurance, salary, bibles, and mercy ministry needs. Too, one of our biggest needs and desires, as well as a big part of our vision for 2010 is having our own “multi-use” space which we could use for Worship, Office Space, and Mercy Ministry.

So, along with the $5000 we need monthly we’re hopeful to raise another $20,000 to have our own space in DeKalb.

Giving can be done through our website at www.reachingdekalb.net or mailed to Redeemer Fellowship at 1125 Oak Street, St. Charles, IL 60174.

Would you please consider making a year end gift to our ministry and The church in DeKalb to help make our vision manifest?

Too we hope that you’ll continue to pray for us as we move into 2010. Below are some specific needs:

Pray that God continues to grow our new church numerically and spiritually. Last year we started with 4, today we’re 40ish.
Pray that we continue to meet people and have opportunities to share our vision for our new church in this city. Pray that God would give them a glimpse of the reality of this vision and a desire to be a part of it coming to be.
Pray that we continue to be able to preach the Gospel clearly and that people would hear and believe.
Pray for our people: Students will be beginning a new semester in a few weeks. Townies are struggling with jobs and employment. Young adults are making big, life impacting decisions (it’s hard being a 20 something). And we have four men who have been a part of TcD getting married in 2010!
Pray for our new babies: Nora Oneal and Casey Loar.
Pray for Cherron and myself, as well as Noel and Calvin.
More than anything, pray and give thanks that the Father is satisfied in our efforts to be a Gospel-centered church making Gospel-centered Christians because of the Gospel, the blood and righteousness of Jesus!

I continue to thank God for all of you! Thank you for your participation in our ministry. Thank you for your participation in the Gospel!

Grace and Peace,
Jamie