Plans Submitted to Council
Dear church,
As you know, we have been on a long journey with Kings Baptist Grammar School, working together to see how God might have us best utilise the land He has given us for His kingdom's purposes. During the amalgamation process, we voted to continue a partnership that had first been birthed between KBGS and MBBC, and I'm so glad we did, because it has been such a joy to partner with an organisation that has such a heart for God's kingdom and the mission of reaching MB with the Gospel. A couple of months ago, we presented some of the fruit of that partnership by sharing a revised master plan incorporating both sites, and outlined that Stage 1, which would commence later this year, would be a facility that helped to serve both of our immediate needs.
Since then, our Architect, Studio Nine, has been working with us both and with Schiavello Building Group, to create a building that not only meets our needs but also fits within our budget.
Today, we are really excited to share that with you.
What we're about to show you is a new page on our website. Early next week, this page will go live and will be accessible to the general public. This page will become the hub of communication moving forward and will be a place where we will post images, updates, prayer requests, FAQ's, and more.
So let's go there and have a look - hillsbaptist.com/building-a-home
As you can see, the page begins with the vision and heart of the project, which we showed you all a couple of months ago.
It then moves into updates, and as you can see, the first thing to be aware of is that the drawings for Stage 1 are now with the Mount Barker District Council, awaiting the first round of approvals.
And here's what they are looking at...
Stage 1 will be a shared facility that meets both our immediate needs. For KBGS, they get a gym space, with storage and a small auditorium that can be segmented off so multiple classes can use the area at any given time.
For HBC, we get a permanent stage, baptism tank, production setup, storage, and cafe space for our Sunday gatherings, mid-week ministries, and community connection.
On Sundays, the dividing curtains will be pulled away, creating a space large enough for everyone to meet for worship. (Yes, we'll still have to set up chairs and the sound/production desk will need to be wheeled out and plugged in, but our overall setup and pack down efforts will be significantly reduced.)
The building has been designed with Studio Nine's core values of People, Place and Planet firmly in mind.
Children's Ministry will be held in the Primary School area, likely using the space we currently use for our 4pm service as the all-in meeting space before moving to smaller classrooms.
At the completion of Stage 1, we will continue our conversations about the next most urgent need as we slowly build towards the completion of the full masterplan over the course of the next decade.
So what now?
Before we can turn soil in December and action this project, we have some things we need you, our members, to speak into.
Firstly, as Paul outlined at our Members Meeting in June, this project involves HBC taking out a loan. Praise God that your generosity over the past few years, and KBGS's generosity in partnering with us in the masterplan, puts us in a strong financial position to undertake this build without needing to enter crippling debt.
By His grace, we only need to borrow $4.5m of which KBGS will cover 5/7ths of the cost of repaying that loan.
Given the current cost of building, this is truly nothing short of a miracle of God's grace, and we are so incredibly grateful for every single one of you who have invested in faith towards this project over the years. Obviously, we are praying for God's continued provision and for the ongoing supernatural generosity of our church that we might be able to enter this building debt-free as we continue looking towards the future.
We will be seeking the members' approval to acquire this loan through a vote at our upcoming AGM on November 30. Between now and then, we will be creating a number of opportunities for people to ask questions, dive into the paperwork, seek clarification, and gain a deeper understanding. So keep your eyes and ears open, as from now on, information will be coming thick and fast.
Also, don't forget to follow the journey through the website. Most importantly, let's be praying over this whole project; that God would use it to bring Himself glory and to further His kingdom.
Dave Shepherd