Update 7/31/08: The Building Committee is continuing to meet with The Aspen Group in trying to finalize a conceptual renovation/expansion plan. There are a variety of needs that we are trying to address with this plan which makes the process complicated and tedious. Over 100 volunteer ministry leaders identified the outside appearance of the building, flow and organization of the inside of the building, an improved and more secure children's area, expanded atrium space and cafe and resource center, improved adult education space and updated restrooms as priorities. We have realized this will be a multi-phase project and are trying to agree on what phase one will include. We are also aware of the uncertainty of today's economy, and are trying our best to maximize what we are able to accomplish in phase one of this project while minimizing the cost as much as possible.

Update 4/20/08: On Monday night, April 14, another round of programming meetings were held with Aspen Group personnel. Representatives from Children's Ministries, various Adult Ministries, hospitality and events volunteers, Resale ministry, and an open meeting were held that night. There was great input and some helpful suggestions about our future building renovation and/or expansion were presented. Aspen is now working on preliminary drawings that will be presented at the next Building Committee meeting, April 21.

Update 3/22/08: We have also contracted the services of Fishhook Communications, a Christian agency, to help us sharpen our vision focus, strengthen our strengths and improve in our weak areas as revealed by the TCI church survey results from last Fall. This is the group highly recommended by The Aspen Group - as they have worked together on other church projects. There is lots of energy and concern going into all of this - all for the advancement of God's Kingdom through First Church of the Nazarene!

Update 3/14/08: On Tuesday, March 18, there was an open meeting for anyone who desired to have input into the Feasibility Study on future facility expansion and renovation options. The meeting was led by Rev. Steve Cook, our Project Director from the Aspen Group. An Aspen Group architect was also present. This meeting was one of ten on that same day with ministry teams. There will be another open meeting in April for your input.

Update 2/26/08: The Feasibility Study for future options for facility renovation and expansion, led by The Aspen Group, continues. Another meeting of the Vision Task Force took place on Monday, February 25. More than 60 of our staff and volunteer leaders participated in ministry-group discussions on the space needs and vision for their area of ministry, on a night with a much-warned snowstorm blowing in! The next round of discussions will take place in March and April, with each ministry group meeting with the Architects and Project Director from The Aspen Group in a more focused and detailed discussion. The goal of the Aspen Group is to have a "rendering" of a possible building plan ready for our consideration by June. Please continue to pray for this important and exciting process!

As first announced in September 2007, we are working with the Aspen Group, based in Frankfort, Illinois, on a Feasibility Study to determine needs and explore possible renovation and/or expansion options for our Lemont facility. An important element in this process was the All-Church Survey taken by over 250 in our congregation last October. We have already widely distributed summary copies of the results, and they are available again at the Connect desk if you didn't receive one.

Rev. Steve Cook, our Project Director from Aspen, met with all elected and appointed lay leaders, the Vision Task Force (app. 80 people), this past Tuesday night to give a detailed summary of the survey. He challenged us to accentuate our strengths as a church and to explore how to strengthen our weaknesses. The top strengths and weaknesses are summarized in the survey results available at Connect. This will be an on-going process of development that will continue apart from the details of the Feasibility Study.

Pastor Ulmet reported from the Staff that five significant changes are already being implemented in response to the survey:
1. Focusing on 2008 as the "Year of Deeper Connections" - with God and with each other
2. Staff developing better communication with and receiving input from volunteer leaders
3. Discussing ways for better communication with the congregation and receiving input
4. Financial summaries year-to-date were sent to all givers with the 2007 giving statements
5. Increased focus on individual and group Bible Study and on the resources we offer for personal spiritual growth

The Feasibility Study, as reported in the October, 2007 church newsletter, is a "process of determining what options we have with our present facility and property." It is also a process of determining facility needs for future growth of our ministries. The next step in this journey is for Rev. Cook and other Aspen people to meet with various volunteer leadership teams for seeking this input, which will begin in February. There will also be at least two announced opportunities for this input from any member or attendee who desires to come. Those are not yet scheduled. Be listening!

As this input is received, the Church Board and Building Committee will monitor and consider this input, and the Board will determine what, if any, proposal to bring to the congregation. The final decision for any borrowing of funds or major expansion or renovation rests with the voting membership of the church, after approval by the Board. No agenda has been set, no dates have been determined and no decisions have yet been made by the Board. We are still in the information-gathering part of the journey.

We will work harder to keep you informed at each step in this process through the monthly newsletter, weekend bulletins, church web site, weekly e-mail update and verbal announcements in weekend Worship Gatherings. Should you ever have any questions, please feel free to contact the Pastoral Staff or Church Board members.

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