Building Expansion Campaign Q&A
Will there be more parking added?
No, the City of Ankeny has determined that we will not need to expand our current parking lot.
Why are we not expanding the worship center?
This was an option we considered in our initial meetings. Ultimately, we decided an expansion was not necessary at this time because it is rare that the Worship Center approaches its capacity (usually only on Christmas and Easter services). Because a 205-seat chapel is included in the expansion plans, this will allow us a wonderful space for overflow seating during these high-demand services.
If a worship center expansion is deemed necessary in the future, our facility is designed in such a way that we will be able to do this without significant disruption to the rest of the building.
If a worship center expansion is deemed necessary in the future, our facility is designed in such a way that we will be able to do this without significant disruption to the rest of the building.
What about the Junkyard? Why does the new space not include a designated space for the youth?
Our Junkyard ministry outgrew a dedicated space years ago, and leaders have developed a model that resolves this by letting the students take over the entire church on Wednesday nights. This model has been effective while also allowing us plenty of room for future growth. For this reason, we plan to continue operating in this way. One cool change, however, is that the students will use the chapel for worship time and the expanded welcome center/café for small group breakouts. So even though they will not have a new designated space, they will get to use the new and improved spaces for their time together.
Did the church consider adding a full service kitchen?
Our construction addition will expand the space available for our current kitchen and provide a small kitchen for the preschool. Addition of a full-service kitchen was considered but not included in this phase of improvement. We do have a full-service kitchen addition in our long-term master plan, but did not believe the benefits supported the costs at this time.
Why wouldn’t the church just commit these funds to missions?
We believe this is a commitment to missions in that central Iowa always has been and always will be our primary mission field. The analytics for the western church are not looking good. American church attendance has decreased year over year for the better part of two decades. Meanwhile, today’s kids are growing up in a messy world full of mixed messages about faith, identity and purpose. We believe that God is calling us to minister to our local community like never before, and we believe this expansion project will play a central role in our efforts to do just that.
We want to build a church that is attractive to kids, approachable to adults and warm to all who enter it. From there, we are confident that our people — you! — will be God’s hands and feet to our central Iowa neighbors.
Additionally, national and international missions have always been part of The Ridge’s DNA, and this continues to be the case. We are expectant that God will use this expansion to grow our Ridge family and that this growth will enable us to support our local, regional and global mission partners even better over the long term.
We want to build a church that is attractive to kids, approachable to adults and warm to all who enter it. From there, we are confident that our people — you! — will be God’s hands and feet to our central Iowa neighbors.
Additionally, national and international missions have always been part of The Ridge’s DNA, and this continues to be the case. We are expectant that God will use this expansion to grow our Ridge family and that this growth will enable us to support our local, regional and global mission partners even better over the long term.
How were the architect and contractor selected?
Church staff reviewed a number of proposals and interviewed a number of firms for the required services and ultimately selecting the companies best qualified to perform this project. The general contractor selected will be responsible for engaging the sub-contractors for selected construction services.
When will construction take place?
We hope to begin construction by early April 2025 and have a goal to complete by March 2026. We are planning construction so that we are able to maintain regular Sunday morning services and weekly preschool while work is in progress. We also do not anticipate significant impact on much of our normal weekly church activities. Church staff and the contractors will work closely to ensure we have safe access to our facilities throughout the construction process.
Is the church taking on any debt for this building project?
The Church has a fundraising plan outlined on our campaign homepage (See section titled This is Where you Come In).
If debt will be required to bridge the gap between the fundraising goal and project cost, that will be determined by the Admin board and approved by the congregation along with the 2025 budget.
If debt will be required to bridge the gap between the fundraising goal and project cost, that will be determined by the Admin board and approved by the congregation along with the 2025 budget.
How does the expansion align with new mission statement?
Pastor Mike gave a sermon dedicated to answering this very question. We recommend watching it to hear it straight from him. Watch here.