Building a home for the family, a lighthouse for the lost, and a legacy for the next generation.
Good news, bad news.
The good news is that God has already blessed us with all the money we need to build our new facility. The bad news? That money is still in our pockets, and together we have to find a way to get it out. That is really the whole story of where our campaign stands today, and I want to tell it to you straight, because you deserve nothing less.
Back in May, your Funding Committee made three promises. We said we would avoid debt if at all possible, because even a low-interest loan is punishing. We said we would avoid the steep commissions that professional fundraisers charge. And we said we would build a campaign where everyone at FBC West has a part to play. Those promises still guide every decision we make.
The pledge picture, by the numbers.
Pledge cards are the foundation of the campaign and our single largest source of funds. Here is exactly where those commitments sit today.
Who has pledged
67 of our 241 giving households — just over a quarter.
- 28% have pledged. 67 faithful households have already stepped forward.
- 72% have not yet. 174 households still have room to join the work.
Where the $447,000 comes from
A handful of families are carrying nearly the whole load.
- 56% given by just 2 families
- 32% from the next 15 families giving $5,000+
- 12% from the remaining 50 households
17 families account for more than 88% of everything pledged.
We stumbled out of the gate. We are not going to let it define us.
We know times are tough. People are anxious, and uncertainty is all around us. We understand that completely, but our numbers so far do tell us something important. At our current rate and proportion of giving, we are facing a difficult struggle unless we change course. We simply cannot build these facilities on the shoulders of 17 families, no matter how grateful we are for them.
So here is what we are going to do. We are extending the pledge card campaign through the end of July, and a second letter is going out to every household that has not yet turned in a card. Then we are going to make sure everyone can see the roadmap, and see how a small group of ordinary people can accomplish something extraordinary when they all pull together and each one does a part. We are going to use that Fighting Rock Badger spirit and get to work.
Three promises behind the plan.
Every choice we make runs through these three commitments your committee made from the start.
Avoid debt
Even a low-interest loan is costly. Borrowing just half the projected cost — $5M over 30 years at 4% — would mean a payment we want no part of.
Avoid commissions
Professional fundraisers commonly charge 30% to 40%. That is money that should build a sanctuary, not pad an invoice.
Everyone involved
This is the heart of it. No one carries the burden alone, but everyone carries something. There is a place for every person to help.
A repeatable, scalable engine — three activities every month.
This is the plan that lets ordinary people do extraordinary things. Each month runs on the same three simple rhythms, all year long.
Building Fund Sunday
One dedicated collection on the third or fourth Sunday. Give by QR code, by the black box at the entrance, or by check — pledge or not, every gift counts and gets credit.
Life Group Food Event
One food event each month, hosted by a Life Group, with a different menu all year. Fill your belly and help fill our coffers before you head home.
Signature Event
One larger entertainment or fundraising event each month — think Red, White & Bluegrass — designed to draw the whole community together.
Debt-free in nine years.
Beginning in 2027, if we pair steady pledges with the monthly engine, we can build both the multipurpose building and the sanctuary — and owe nothing when we finish.
That is the number I want you to remember.
Divide our $1,000,000 annual pledge goal by 241 households and you get $4,149 a year — roughly $80 a week. And here is the striking part: that is only 5% to 7% of the median income in our area, less than the tithe you have been taught your whole life. If everyone participates, no one is overwhelmed.
There is a place for you in this.
Too many fundraisers and the same few people burn out. Too few, and it takes decades. The roadmap threads the needle by giving every person a way in.
One day, families will be strengthened, lives will be changed, and people will come to know Jesus in the home we build together. They will not know who gave, who volunteered, or who sacrificed. But they will be blessed because we all did — humbly and faithfully.
If everybody does a part, nobody is left out.
The bad news is that our new facility will not pay for itself. The good news is that God has already provided the people who can make it happen — and they are sitting right here.