Rebuilding our Sanctuary Plaza on solid ground—and creating a safer, more accessible, and more welcoming space for future ministry.
Sections of the plaza began sinking more dramatically this past spring, affecting a larger area than before. Portions of the walkway had to be barricaded to prevent someone from walking across unstable ground.
Professionals were brought in to investigate, and what they discovered beneath the surface revealed a problem far more extensive than anyone had anticipated. Using specialized equipment to probe beneath the plaza, investigators found numerous underground cavities extending throughout the area, some nearly twenty feet below the surface. The ground beneath the plaza was no longer providing the support it was supposed to.
The only lasting solution would be to remove the unsuitable material and rebuild the ground properly. Since mid-August, crews have been working steadily to get this problem solved.
As the plaza is rebuilt, we’re making long-needed improvements that will help transform a passageway into a safe, beautiful and functional outdoor ministry space. In the future, it can become a place where people gather, children participate in activities, families connect, and ministry happens.
✓ A new ADA-accessible entrance into the Lindsay Building.
✓ An attractive brick and wrought-metal perimeter near our Children’s Center.
✓ Improved pedestrian flow, landscaping, and places to gather.
✓ Updated signage and design that complements our historic buildings.
Pray for wisdom, safety, provision, and the successful completion of the work. Then prayerfully consider a special gift to the Building Fund above your regular tithe and offering.
Aproject of this magnitude comes with a significant financial commitment. The total project goal for Firm Foundations is $1,075,000, including the reconstruction and planned improvements. We immediately applied $75,000 previously designated for plaza improvements, leaving a $1 million giving goal.
We entered this project debt free, with $484,988 in its Building Fund. Those resources have allowed construction to move forward without unnecessary delay, even as the scope of the work has evolved. The goal now is to fully fund the project through special contributions, restore the Building Fund to approximately its previous balance, and remain debt free.
Online giving: select Building Fund. Gifts and pledges may be made through December 31, 2026.
When the former Ellis Building was demolished in 1992, portions of the basement and demolition debris were left underground and the area was filled and covered by the present plaza. Over time, that material has deteriorated and settled, creating voids beneath the plaza. After more than thirty years of periodic repairs, engineering studies indicated that the underlying problem needed to be addressed comprehensively.
The affected area is being excavated to remove demolition debris, deteriorating materials, abandoned tanks, and other unsuitable material. The area will then be rebuilt with properly engineered and compacted fill before the plaza is reconstructed. Rather than continuing to repair individual areas as they settle, we are addressing the underlying cause.
Yes. The purpose of the project is to remove the unsuitable material beneath the affected area and rebuild it on properly engineered ground. While no construction project can guarantee that a future issue will never arise, the work is designed to correct the underlying conditions responsible for the settling we have experienced.
The goal is not to close our campus to the community but to make the plaza more useful for ministry. Our Children’s Center opens directly onto the plaza, only a short distance from busy downtown streets. An attractive brick and wrought-metal perimeter will allow the plaza to become a safe outdoor ministry and gathering space while also providing greater security for our buildings when the church is closed.
In addition to rebuilding the plaza, plans include a long-needed ADA-accessible entrance into the Lindsay Building, improved pedestrian flow, new landscaping, enhanced campus signage, and architectural improvements designed to complement our historic buildings. The goal is to create a plaza that is safer, more accessible, more welcoming, and more useful for ministry.
Before the structural problem was discovered, the church was already preparing to make improvements to this area. Because the plaza must now be excavated and reconstructed, completing these improvements at the same time avoids tearing into newly completed work later and allows us to address the entire area thoughtfully and economically.
The total project goal is $1,075,000. The church immediately applied $75,000 previously allocated for plaza improvements, leaving a giving goal of $1,000,000. Existing Building Fund resources allow construction to proceed without delay, but our goal is to fully fund the project through special gifts, restore the Building Fund to approximately its starting balance, and remain debt free.
Pray for wisdom, safety, provision, and the successful completion of the work. Then prayerfully consider a special gift to the Building Fund above your regular tithe and offering. Gifts may be made now or pledged through December 31 and may include cash, checks, online giving, Qualified Charitable Distributions, or gifts of appreciated stock.
