We hear you
The REACH Initiative is a pretty big project that will effect not just current members of WCC and their kids, but future guests and the community around us. Your engagement in the initiative is vital for it to succeed. When you approach us with your questions and feedback, we are encouraged because we know you are engaged and invested in God's kingdom and His church and we invite you to continue to ask questions as the initiative moves forward.
When REACH was first announced earlier this year, many of you approached us between services on Sunday morning or sent us an email with your questions/feedback. We are more than happy to address your questions individually, but when we noticed a theme of common inquires we knew we had to create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Below are some of the most common questions we have been asked. We suspect that some of your questions about REACH may be answered here, but if not, feel free to use the form at the bottom of this page to make your inquires.
When REACH was first announced earlier this year, many of you approached us between services on Sunday morning or sent us an email with your questions/feedback. We are more than happy to address your questions individually, but when we noticed a theme of common inquires we knew we had to create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Below are some of the most common questions we have been asked. We suspect that some of your questions about REACH may be answered here, but if not, feel free to use the form at the bottom of this page to make your inquires.
How long has the leadership been considering these projects?
This has been a subject of prayer with the leadership for many years. Back in 2020 we partnered with Intentional Churches to help us through a process of identifying several projects that needed to be addressed to position us for growth. From these meetings we identified three Visionary Initiative Projects: Engagement, Outreach, and Facility.
- Engagement is a huge part of what turns a group of people into a community. It is how we meet people where they are and develop relationships with them. It encompasses everything from the church website & app to offering a smile and a handshake when we greet them at the front door. It includes the technology used in worship (lighting, audio/visual, etc.), the quality of our online presentation, the resources we make available for Bible studies... it is how all of us work together to engage people as we fulfill our vision, Follow Jesus Together. We have been hard at work with improving these since 2020.
- Outreach is our new normal. Each of us must embrace The Great Commission as a personal lifestyle rather than a "church program." Taking the time to do life with our neighbors opens us up to listen to their stories and share our own. Growth in the immediate area, as well as the tremendous growth north of us, is bringing new people into the fellowship. Maximizing that potential with the online experience has become our second front door. We must be intentional in our reach to help people come to know the grace and truth of Jesus by improving our space here at WCC and looking to the future and planning for a second campus north of us.
- Facility is pretty obvious -- our building at 8145 N. High St. is centrally located in a great part of Columbus, Ohio. We are located on Rt. 23, one of the busiest roads in central Ohio, and we're just minutes from I-270 & 315 and just south of Delaware County, but our building needs some improvement. We know our facility offers a massive amount of potential and that it is well worth investing in for ministry needs today and into the the future. We believe our facility can be a catalyst for what lies ahead.
Who was involved in the development of the REACH Initiative?
The REACH Initiative was conceived when Staff & Elders met with Intentional Churches for several months in mid-2020. They guided us through an in-depth look at our church as it is today and our potential 5-, 10- and 20-years into the future. When it came time to focus our discussion on ways to maximize that potential, a team was formed composed of a mix of Elders, Staff and WCC members. (Intentional Churches offered guidance for whom to invite into this group and they insisted on encompassing a large range of ages from late 20s to late 70s with a mix of both men and women, parents and retirees, singles, marrieds, long-time members, seasoned Christians, and newly committed Christ followers.)
The discussions were intense and thought-provoking, which led Staff & Elders to spend many hours in quiet reflection and prayer. This ultimately led us to the conclusion that for WCC to continue to grow and meet the needs of our current members and surrounding community, we must repurpose our space and begin planning to expand to a second location.
From that point, larger teams were formed which included more WCC members, Elders and Staff and their purpose was to focus on specific aspects of the planning (construction, finance, communication). These teams met to discuss options, hammer out details and ultimately, come up with a proposal. This became the REACH Initiative as you know it today. However, before we could share all of this with you, we first wanted to make certain that we had a fully formed plan/idea of what we felt needed to be done.
As this is still in process, we welcome your questions and feedback. As a way to make ourselves available to our questions, the Prayer Room (rm. 124) was made available on Sunday, March 5 and Sunday, March 12 for Q&A sessions with Elders & Staff to discuss the REACH Initiative. This F.A.Q. was created as a result of questions emailed to the church and from discussions held on March 5 & March 12. Any additional questions or feedback may be directed to Lee Cox via the contact form below.
The discussions were intense and thought-provoking, which led Staff & Elders to spend many hours in quiet reflection and prayer. This ultimately led us to the conclusion that for WCC to continue to grow and meet the needs of our current members and surrounding community, we must repurpose our space and begin planning to expand to a second location.
From that point, larger teams were formed which included more WCC members, Elders and Staff and their purpose was to focus on specific aspects of the planning (construction, finance, communication). These teams met to discuss options, hammer out details and ultimately, come up with a proposal. This became the REACH Initiative as you know it today. However, before we could share all of this with you, we first wanted to make certain that we had a fully formed plan/idea of what we felt needed to be done.
As this is still in process, we welcome your questions and feedback. As a way to make ourselves available to our questions, the Prayer Room (rm. 124) was made available on Sunday, March 5 and Sunday, March 12 for Q&A sessions with Elders & Staff to discuss the REACH Initiative. This F.A.Q. was created as a result of questions emailed to the church and from discussions held on March 5 & March 12. Any additional questions or feedback may be directed to Lee Cox via the contact form below.
Why is it so important to do this now?
- WCC is growing. While this is very exciting, it means we need to be proactive and look at ways we can better utilize our facility to accommodate more families as we maximize the potential of our worship space.
- Our facility is aging and needs improvements. Our Worship Center hasn't been updated since 1993 and it shows. We owe it to the kids growing up in our church, and the community around us, to keep up with wear & tear due to many years of ministry.
- Costs continue to rise. A trend that most people have noticed whenever they tackle a large renovation project is that costs rarely go down. The longer we wait, the more it will cost and we want to be good stewards of the resources God has blessed us with.
What is the projected timeline for this project?
We hope to begin renovations in the kids and youth areas (Education Wing and Family Life Center) as soon as July, after Vacation Bible School. Those areas are projected to be complete by December 2023, which means Christmas Eve will be in the Worship Center, as normal.
The renovations for the Worship Center require quite a bit of work, including the installation of stadium style seats and new technology. We plan to begin work there in January 2024 and expect completion by Easter 2024.
While the Worship Center is being updated we will meet in the remodeled Family Life Center. Once all renovations are complete, the Family Life Center will primarily be for WCCYTH (Middle School, High School & College-Age) to use, but it may also be utilized for some special events.
NOTE: The dates listed above are still tentative as we finalize certain details. Specific dates, including updated timelines, will be announced once they become available. We do not yet have a projected timeline for adding a second campus.
The renovations for the Worship Center require quite a bit of work, including the installation of stadium style seats and new technology. We plan to begin work there in January 2024 and expect completion by Easter 2024.
While the Worship Center is being updated we will meet in the remodeled Family Life Center. Once all renovations are complete, the Family Life Center will primarily be for WCCYTH (Middle School, High School & College-Age) to use, but it may also be utilized for some special events.
NOTE: The dates listed above are still tentative as we finalize certain details. Specific dates, including updated timelines, will be announced once they become available. We do not yet have a projected timeline for adding a second campus.
Where is the location for the next church campus?
We have not yet identified a specific property. However, due to the steady growth in central Ohio, specifically immediately north of us in Delaware County, we are focusing on properties to the northern part of Olentangy school district. We are seeing an influx of families from that area in worship each week.
We also did a study with Revitalize Network, and they indicated that a large population growth is going to occur rapidly north of us, in Delaware County. It was also determined that there are not enough large churches in that area to accommodate that growth. We feel that this is where God is directing us to expand.
We also did a study with Revitalize Network, and they indicated that a large population growth is going to occur rapidly north of us, in Delaware County. It was also determined that there are not enough large churches in that area to accommodate that growth. We feel that this is where God is directing us to expand.
Why are we spending $4 million on this property rather than more on another campus?
Both locations are important, and both have the potential to reach many who are yet to know Jesus. In more recent years WCC has become an outreach focused church. Our mission budget and special mission projects are vital to who we are. Influence with another campus in a fast growing region of central Ohio is important to the future of the church. At the same time we must not ignore our surrounding community and neighbors, or the legacy of those who came before us. Both aspects are very important and we do not wish to duplicate ourselves without first managing well what has been entrusted to us.
What are the advantages of moving to stadium style seating?
Studies have shown that stadium style seating allows for greater capacity and they make it easier to identify open seats. This is especially helpful to newer people who don’t want to be ushered to a seat, don’t often feel comfortable asking people to scoot over to make room and often want to “sneak in and sneak out” during their first few visits. Moving to stadium seating gives us the best balance of additional capacity and aesthetics.
For folks who may require a bit more room, the arms on each seat can be lifted so that anyone may easily sit anywhere they wish in comfort. People with mobility issues may also use the arm rests to push up from a seated position into a standing position. Of course, there will be wheelchair-accessible spots in the Worship Center.
We do not yet have a final number on how many we will be able to seat in the Worship Center once the remodel is complete as the plans are still being drawn up. However, our goal is to maximize seating for the space safely and to do so comfortably and we expect the number to be around 1,000.
For folks who may require a bit more room, the arms on each seat can be lifted so that anyone may easily sit anywhere they wish in comfort. People with mobility issues may also use the arm rests to push up from a seated position into a standing position. Of course, there will be wheelchair-accessible spots in the Worship Center.
We do not yet have a final number on how many we will be able to seat in the Worship Center once the remodel is complete as the plans are still being drawn up. However, our goal is to maximize seating for the space safely and to do so comfortably and we expect the number to be around 1,000.
What was Phase 1?
Phase 1 of the REACH Initiative began on Monday, August 21, 2023. We started with the exterior of the church and a fresh coat of paint to brighten up the outside of the building while providing some additional "pop" to the stained glass over our baptistry.
Then we moved to the Education Wing where we removed and replaced the carpeting on the first floor, then painted the walls. Once that was complete, we progressed to the second floor to do the same. (Kids Ministry classes continued to meet during much of this process.) We finished up the Education Wing with the creation of a "Family Room" where parents and kids can gather, installation of a new wall for security purposes, and then add a slide from the second floor to the first floor! (Shipment of the slide has been delayed, but we hope to have it installed very soon.)
The Family Life Center has now been transformed into the Youth Center and surrounding classrooms have seen a major facelift. One of the things we're most excited about is the addition of a lounge for our youth that will provide them with a space all their own where they can gather together and just hangout.
We praise the Lord that Phase 1 was able to be completed in time for Christmas Eve 2023! The team of contractors, carpenters, painters, A/V techs, electricians, plumbers... each and every person who worked on the Phase 1 project has been amazing and we are so grateful for their expertise and hard work.
And you, WCC members and friends, we so appreciate your patience, prayers and support during the first phase of the REACH Initiative. We still have one more phase to go and we hope that you will continue to be patient and prayerful once that gets started.
Photos of the progress throughout Phase 1 were regularly posted on our social media pages. Feel free to visit our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages to check out those photos, and be sure to follow us to see any future updates!
Thanks again! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to use the contact form below and be sure to check back often for updates!
Then we moved to the Education Wing where we removed and replaced the carpeting on the first floor, then painted the walls. Once that was complete, we progressed to the second floor to do the same. (Kids Ministry classes continued to meet during much of this process.) We finished up the Education Wing with the creation of a "Family Room" where parents and kids can gather, installation of a new wall for security purposes, and then add a slide from the second floor to the first floor! (Shipment of the slide has been delayed, but we hope to have it installed very soon.)
The Family Life Center has now been transformed into the Youth Center and surrounding classrooms have seen a major facelift. One of the things we're most excited about is the addition of a lounge for our youth that will provide them with a space all their own where they can gather together and just hangout.
We praise the Lord that Phase 1 was able to be completed in time for Christmas Eve 2023! The team of contractors, carpenters, painters, A/V techs, electricians, plumbers... each and every person who worked on the Phase 1 project has been amazing and we are so grateful for their expertise and hard work.
And you, WCC members and friends, we so appreciate your patience, prayers and support during the first phase of the REACH Initiative. We still have one more phase to go and we hope that you will continue to be patient and prayerful once that gets started.
Photos of the progress throughout Phase 1 were regularly posted on our social media pages. Feel free to visit our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages to check out those photos, and be sure to follow us to see any future updates!
Thanks again! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to use the contact form below and be sure to check back often for updates!