Places Need Churches

Every one of us at Christ Community Church has the opportunity to put churches in communities that need a healthy, gospel-proclaiming, church like Christ Community.

WHAT ARE YOU ASKING ME TO DO?
First and foremost, we are asking that you pray and seek God’s direction on what he is asking of you. Take your next step. Engage in personal reflection with God. Talk with your spouse, your family, community group, or others about what this commitment will mean for this next exciting season of your life. We are asking that you make a sacrificial commitment to gospel-centered generosity—whatever it is that God leads you to do. Follow his leading.

Finally, we ask that you prepare to be amazed. We serve an awesome God and he is going to move in huge ways.

WHAT IF I AM NEW AROUND HERE?
Whether you’ve called Christ Community home for 40 years or 40 days, we would love for you to join us in bringing hope and love to people who are searching. This is a perfect time for you to put a stake in the ground and make Christ Community your church.

WHY ARE WE STARTING NEW CAMPUSES?
Let’s answer that question with a question. Why do you attend the campus you attend? The most likely answer is that you attend the campus closest to your house. When we first started the DeKalb Campus (our first “multi-site” campus), it was because there were 150 or so people driving from DeKalb to St. Charles to attend Christ Community. They eventually wanted to start a church in their community because while they were committed enough to drive thirty minutes to church, they knew that would not likely be the case for their neighbors and co-workers that they wanted to invite to church.

Putting churches in various communities is about reaching the people in that community. We want every one of our campuses to reach more people in their community with the good news of the Kingdom of God. New campuses are about reaching new communities. Places need churches because people need Jesus.

HOW DO WE DECIDE WHEN AND WHERE TO PUT CAMPUSES?
This is a complex undertaking that can be simplified by being prayerful in the process. God opens doors and closes doors. That’s simple, right? Coupled with faith-filled prayer, we also do the diligent work of research. We engage in demographic studies, explore communities, talk with city officials, have conversations with church leaders, pay attention to what churches are already in a given area, and consider the location’s proximity to other Christ Community campuses. We are a church in the Chicago suburbs, and while we stay open-minded about the fact that God might do something we don’t expect, we stay focused on ministry in the Chicago suburbs. As the suburbs expand south and west, that’s where we are primarily looking.

IS THIS JUST ABOUT EGO OR EXPANDING OUR BRAND?
No, it’s about Jesus. It’s not about our name, it’s about his name. We want Jesus to be magnified and exalted in as many places as possible. We are not trying to put churches in new places or grow our existing campuses simply so that Christ Community can be bigger. We do these things because Jesus came to “seek and save the lost.” Our God is the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep to go and find the one that has wandered off. This is about the love of God and the people He loves. We do not think stopping, stagnating, or shrinking is admirable.

DO WE HAVE A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF CAMPUSES WE WANT TO HAVE? WHY DID WE PICK TWO FOR THIS CAMPAIGN?
We feel called to continue our campus strategy of putting churches in places where people need Jesus. We do not have a target for the number of campuses. We chose two campuses for this campaign because we believe it is realistic and it will stretch us. Knowing the work and cost of launching a new campus, and having a good idea of how much money a church like ours can raise during a campaign like this, it is the math that informed us that we could realistically start two new campuses debt-free.

YOU MENTION PLANTING NEW CAMPUSES DEBT-FREE? WHAT IS THE CHURCH'S APPROACH TO DEBT?
Christ Community currently has no debt.

We believe there is such a thing as responsible debt, and some opportunities are worth securing a loan. That being said, we do not engage in long-term planning that includes taking on debt. We plan to pay cash for purchases, buildings, renovations, and ministry expenses and consider loans when unexpected opportunities arise. Our goal is to put healthy, sustainable churches in places where people need Jesus. We believe being healthy and sustainable is much more likely without debt in the picture.

CAN I TRUST CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH WITH MY GIVING?
Christ Community Church has a long track record of maintaining the highest financial integrity. Church leadership realizes the responsibility to honor your gifts through biblical stewardship practices, ethical business standards, and financial accountability. Annual budgets are constructed with the Trustee Team and approved by the Elder Team. The staff work within the parameters of that budget. An audit from a reputable outside firm is conducted each year. Access to giving records are provided online and the Finance Team is available to answer any questions you may have. A great way to be reassured is to ask around and hear what others say about why and how they give at Christ Community Church.

WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT ADOPTING CHURCHES. WHAT IS THAT AND WHY IS THAT THE ONLY WAY WE WILL START A NEW CAMPUS?
There are a variety of reasons why churches struggle and eventually close. If current projections hold true, 40 out of every 100 church buildings will no longer be used for church by 2040. Adoption is when a struggling (and often dwindling) congregation asks us to come to revitalize the church by becoming a campus of Christ Community Our Aurora, Streamwood, and Huntley campuses are examples of this. We are thrilled when God uses us to revitalize a church that may have closed. The advantage of this approach is that it comes with existing land, building(s), and a core of people. We believe God has led us to embrace this kind of work. However, we do not embrace this approach to the exclusion of planting campuses in places where an adoption is not in play. Our ultimate goal is to put churches in places where people need Jesus. Adoption is a significant part of our approach, but we do not limit ourselves to an “adoption-only” mentality.

DOES IT REALLY COST $6M TO LAUNCH A NEW CAMPUS?
We have done some things right over the years when launching new campuses. We’ve also learned from our mistakes. We now have a thorough three-phase financial plan for launching new campuses. We’ve diligently considered every expense and calculated the average cost of launching and funding a campus for three years at approximately $4.5M. This number could be lower or climb as high as $6M depending on factors like the condition of the building and if we are adopting a church that currently has debt. The goal is to fully staff and fully fund a new campus for three years, at which point there are at least 200+ people at that campus, and the campus is financially self-sustaining. We are confident that $6M is at the high end of what it costs to launch and fund a campus for three years. We’ve chosen to stay cautious and conservative by acknowledging the possibility of such while knowing it could be significantly less expensive.

Here is a basic overview of the three-phase plan:
•DISCOVERY PHASE (MID RANGE = $52,500)
This phase includes everything up to identifying a community and location.

•PRE-LAUNCH PHASE (MID RANGE = $2,527,500)
This phase includes the time between identifying the location and launching the
first public worship service—approximately one full year:
•CI Initiatives in the community
•Events/Gatherings
•Building Prep
•Property Prep
•Parking Lot Prep
•Legal Fees
•Marketing
•Campus Pastor (1yr)
•Staff Team (6 months)

•POST-LAUNCH PHASE (MID RANGE = $1,922,500)
This phase includes operating the new campus for a full three years. These are
expenses only. *Amounts based on projected giving.
•Launch Events
•Local Ministry Budgets
•Local Operations
•Salary/Benefits
•*Central CI /II
•*Central Ministry Fund
•*Cap-Ex Savings
TOTAL MID RANGE = $4,502,500

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE CAN LAUNCH A CAMPUS FOR LESS THAN $6M?
$6M is at the high end of what it costs to plant and fund a new campus for three years. If we are able to do so for less than $6M, any unused monies will remain in an interest-earning fund that will be used to plant future campuses.

IS IT HARD TO FIND STAFF FOR NEW CAMPUSES?
Yes, it is. But we’re not scared of things being hard. Sometimes we find good people who don’t currently attend Christ Community by posting the staff position for hire. We are thrilled when we hire good people from the outside, but it does take some time for a person to learn Christ Community culture, values, and processes. This is a big reason that we’ve created the residency/internship programs: to take seriously the task of training the next generation of church leaders right here at our church. Who knows whether or not you may end up on staff someday! We’ve also spent the past year or so working on what we are calling the Leadership Pipeline. We are being more intentional than ever about relational discipleship in order to help people in our church develop the confidence and competencies to be more influential and take on higher levels of responsibility within the church. We are committed to launching campuses with fully trained staff and volunteer teams.

WILL EXISTING CAMPUSES STRUGGLE IF PEOPLE GO TO HELP START THE NEW CAMPUSES?
We suppose that if we were haphazard, this would be a possibility. However, we will be intentional about how we build the staff and volunteer teams to launch new campuses. We do not intend to sacrifice one campus for the sake of another. Our existing campuses will likely thrive as we collectively engage in the exciting work of launching new campuses. Churches struggle most when they lose sight of their mission, not when they are focused on their mission.

DO YOU REALLY EXPECT THOSE LARGE GIFTS ON THE GIVING CHART?
In a word…yes! For some of us, we’d love to imagine a day when we could give a gift that large- $500,000, $1,000,000, $1,800,000! Wouldn’t that be incredibly rewarding to be able to do? Our experience from past capital campaigns is that there is always a group of people who have been blessed by God with significant assets that can give a gift of this size. Whether it is an inheritance, the sale of a business, property, or investments, asset giving is a tremendous way to invest in a Kingdom initiative like this. For Places Need Churches to be successful, it will require all of us to prayerfully and sacrificially give from our income and some to give a significant gift from their assets. We’ve seen it before and are confident we will see it again.

WHO DECIDES WHAT HAPPENS TO THE $1.8M COMMUNITY IMPACT/INTERNATIONAL IMPACT MONEY?
While no Scripture you can cite requires a church to give away a tithe (10%) of the tithes and offerings people give to that church, we think it is a generally good idea. God blesses generosity, and we think it is a good idea for the church to model the same behaviors we encourage for those who call Christ Community their church. That’s why 10% of all money given to Christ Community goes to funding our CI and II ministries. Every year, when the annual budget is set, 10% of the budget automatically goes to CI/II.

This campaign is no different. Ten percent of every dollar given will be designated for Community Impact and International Impact. We are a staff-directed and elder/trustee-protected church. This means that the staff in our Community Impact and International Impact departments will decide how best to utilize and distribute funds to our partners. Our trustees and elders make sure that all designated funds are used for their intended purposes. In other words, designated funds always get used for their designated purposes.

International Impact - One project currently being pursued is a collaboration with Faith Comes By Hearing to distribute next-generation tech audio Bibles to possibly two million people in the areas of our international partners.

Community Impact - Hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida are reminders of how funding CI enables us to respond quickly with additional resources with partners like Samaritan’s Purse for disaster relief.

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE RAISE MORE THAN $18M?
First, we celebrate! Every dollar given beyond $18 million will go to fund the church residency program that is training tomorrow's leaders.

WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS FOR THE EXISTING CAMPUSES?
We want every Christ Community campus to be effective and grow. Here are the projects that we have identified for each campus.

All Campuses - We will enhance our ability to broadcast effectively to all campuses and online. One component of this enhancement is A.I. language translation. This initiative provided funds for the equipment and service fees associated with implementing language translation at every campus. This strategic move has enabled us to reach all people in our respective communities by providing both audible translation and/or transcription in 50+ languages. It also caters to the needs of the deaf and hearing-impaired community. The A.I. translation service also makes our online videos and sermons accessible in 50+ languages, thereby enhancing our digital outreach

Huntley - The Huntley Campus is growing. We’ve been working hard to remove the growth barriers. This has already included a significant parking lot expansion as phase one of a master plan to expand the campus. Our Little Journey Preschool is currently sharing space with KidsWorld on the weekends. As this campus continues to grow, we will need to create more space in the building for both KidsWorld and a variety of ministries. We’ve been coordinating with architects, engineers, and designers to make sure we have a good plan in place to accommodate growth. Money raised from the campaign will replenish funds used to pay for the expanded parking lot and address costs related to planning a building expansion.

Aurora - While not an exciting project, our Aurora campus would greatly benefit from connecting to city water. Much like the SC/SE campus just a few short years ago, the Aurora campus has an aging well/septic system. At the SC/SE campus, this resulted in occasional running out of water. At Aurora, it results in non-potable water in the building, along with some unpleasant backups. Additionally, the septic tank is situated right out of the church building's back door, negating any possibility of an outdoor patio or future building expansion in that area. Connecting to city water alleviates current problems and allows for future improvements/expansion.

DeKalb - Our church campuses endeavor to meet the needs of their respective communities in various ways. Our DeKalb Campus is right across the street from DeKalb High School and near NIU. With high school and college students specifically in mind, campaign funds will be used for the creation of an outdoor patio space, equipping the Hub and setting aside funds for programs and initiatives directly related to reaching high school and college students.

Streamwood - This growing campus needs more KidsWorld space and better space for students and midweek ministries. We have acquired a small strip mall adjacent to and accessible from our church parking lot. The building is not currently usable for ministry. Funds from the campaign will allow us to remodel the building, creating a great space for kids and students and space for this campus to expand.

St. Charles/South Elgin - The Hub opened in 2008. It’s time for a refresh. The Hub is not only our primary student ministry space; it is also used for various other ministries. Additionally, the Hub Theatre is our only other space besides the main auditorium equipped for broadcast. Therefore, the Hub gets used a lot! An outdoor pavilion next to the playground will allow families more opportunity to gather and create a much-needed outdoor space for Camp Commotion. Finally, we are planning for the creation of multi-purpose sports fields with a pavilion in the field south of the parking lot.

*These projects represent our best understanding of each campus in the present moment. Projects may shift. Even if projects shift, no more than $4.2M will be spent on existing campuses.

HOW LONG IS MY COMMITMENT?
We are asking that everyone make a two-year commitment. The fulfillment period will culminate at the end of December 2026.

WILL THERE BE YEAR-END GIFT PROJECT DURING THIS TWO-YEAR CAMPAIGN?
It is our habit each year to identify a worthwhile project that we all contribute to at the end of the year. The Place Need Churches initiative runs from December 2024 through December 2026. That means that there will not be separate Year-End Gift projects for 2024, 2025, or 2026. Since the Year-End Gift projects often provide significant funding for our international partners, it is worth noting that $1.8M of Places Need Churches is being set aside for International Impact and Community Impact.

WHAT FORMS OF CONTRIBUTION WILL BE ACCEPTED?
Contributions can be made online as well as via cash, check, and electronic fund transfer from your bank. Additional forms of contributions include stocks, bonds, trusts, property or other items of that nature. You may have other resources that God has blessed you with in the past that he might be calling you to give during this time. Please let us know if you need assistance with facilitating gifts of property or stock and we would be happy to help you. Learn more about asset giving.

I'M HAVING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES, SHOULD I STILL GIVE?
That’s a tough question because every person’s situation is different. Difficult circumstances like medical bills or unemployment happen. Budgets can be tight, and debt can be a burden. We also live in a culture where the average person spends every dollar (or more) that is earned. This campaign might be a good prompt for some of us to reevaluate our approach to generosity and money management or take back control of our money by taking the Financial Peace course. Please learn more on the Financial Freedom page if you need assistance with this or if you would like to speak with a budget coach. Church is at its best when everyone participates, but not everyone does the same thing or participates at the same level. You should be okay with that! Since we don’t know each person’s financial circumstances, what we ask is that everyone prayerfully considers at what level they can participate and try to hear from God on the matter. Then, we don’t want you to give a dollar more or a dollar less than that. We hope what accompanies this initiative is a spirit of enthusiasm and generosity, not a spirit of guilt or obligation.