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VILLAGE CHURCH
New Ministry Centre
A Ministry Centre that develops leaders and plants gospel-centered churches.
The search for a Ministry Centre solution started in early 2013 with a 6-year journey that resulted in the first step of land purchase and re-zoning completed in 2019. To get to that point we saw challenges and overcame miracles resulting in six acres of land at the corner of Highway 10 and 148 St in Surrey, BC - all paid for. We then began the detailed design of how the new facility would need to function to meet our existing needs. This work took about two years culminating in the start of a campaign (Village 2021) that was started in February 2020 but immediately paused in March 2020 due to the pandemic.
The Elder Team, along with consultation from other leaders, have discussed and prayed about the project numerous times over the past two years - what we are building and why. In addition to the many reasons already outlined below, the pandemic presented us with a new risk of operational instability. The precariousness of not having a facility where we can execute core ministry out of and under our control presents a genuine risk of not being able to minister effectively into the future.
We continue to affirm that a building is a necessary component in fulfilling our mission. It is therefore not a question of if but when.
Although we welcome continued giving, we believe it is wise to launch a new and fresh campaign once the new Senior Leadership is established. We would estimate a new campaign to begin sometime in 2023.
During these past few years, many of you have continued to give to the New Ministry Centre Fund and we are so grateful for that. There is no expectation or obligation to deliver on the commitments made back in early 2020 but still, many families have continued to give knowing that this project continues on in the background and will happen.
As of July 2022 we have approximately $5M in the fund allowing us to continue with the ongoing detailed design and construction drawings that have been further revised during this period to adjust for constantly increasing costs. Our goal over the next year is to get to the permit submission stage so we will then be simply waiting on financial resources to be confirmed for excavation to start.
We had an unprecedented situation of having a campaign interrupted at its launch by a global pandemic. None of this is a surprise to God. He is in total control, and we are confident he has allowed the delay and what might feel like an interruption for specific and important reasons which we see more clearly now.
Please continue to pray for wisdom and discernment as we navigate the timing of a fresh start to raise the necessary resources to fund this important multi-decade legacy.
Why We
are Building
It is what God is calling us to do.
The new Ministry Centre will further empower us to develop leaders and plant gospel-centred churches across Canada, better fulfilling themission of seeing people transformed into fully devoted followers of Jesus.
COST EFFECTIVE
The cost-benefit analysis shows a build solution to be more cost-effective in the long term over a “continue to do what we're doing” scenario.
for any questions regarding the new ministry centre, please contact john broadhead.
Gospel.
Community.
Culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the property?
The property is located on the southeast corner of 56 Ave (Highway 10) and 148 Street in Surrey, BC – adjacent to the building where our current leased Ministry Centre is located. The property is just under 6 acres in size.
Why this location?
It was difficult to find land that was large enough and had a chance of being rezoned to our needs. Much of what looks like open land is reserved under the provincial land reserve program, so it is unavailable to build on. Where there are land options, it is zoned as light industrial, residential, or commercial with little to no guarantee that the residents or the City of Surrey would approve appropriate rezoning.
Our goal was to find a plot of land that was a workable size, had a reasonable chance of being rezoned, had the ability to share parking, and was not an exorbitant price. Before this particular site, we had interest in 2 or 3 other properties that we pursued. The present location was brought to our attention through an introduction from the City of Surrey who were very helpful with our search. The journey to find a long-term solution started in early 2013.
When will construction begin and how long will it take?
The pandemic has messed with our timeline but subject to a restart of the campaign, as well as the amount of pledges and giving received, we would like to break ground sometime in 2024.
Construction time is currently estimated at about 18-24 months.
Will there be enough parking?
Yes. This was a key part of the development application that included a detailed study where experts analyzed peak usage. The property itself will include over hundreds of spots including underground parking. We have a reciprocal parking agreement with the neighbouring 14928 56th Street lot (our current Ministry Centre) on weeknights and weekends, and street parking on 54A Ave to the south. As well, we have an agreement for shared parking on weekends with the Benchmark East Building at 152nd Street and 54A Ave (via shuttle service). This brings the grand total to well beyond what is required.
We have committed to being a good neighbour (via a signed agreement with the City of Surrey), and will enforce no parking on any of the residential streets on 148th Street and to the west.
Is this too much money to be spending on a church?
The short answer is No because this is not just a building for one church community - it's a facility to resource a movement across Canada and beyond.
As of 2022, we are already resourcing 11 churches, and the vision is for many more in the coming decades. In order for that to happen we need a facility that can scale to those kind of numbers as we train leaders and develop content to support that goal.
Secondly, the size represents the space we are currently using (renting and leasing) every week across multiple buildings in Surrey, BC. Taking that square footage and projecting out typical costs per square foot of a multipurpose building (including auditorium and parking), you quickly see how the building cost is what it is.
We exist to see people transformed into fully devoted followers of Jesus.
MORE CHURCHES
SUPPORTED AND PLANTED
The flexibility, space, and technology available will not only allow us to better support and resource our existing locations but also allows us to develop more leaders so we can plant more churches across the country and around the world.
A PLACE TO GATHER
A multi-purpose building serves our city, the greater Vancouver area, as well as the larger Village Church family with a place to gather, connect, and grow.
LONG-TERM STABILITY
Our current facilities have put us in a precarious position that exposes us to risk and holds us back from moving forward. A building we control gives us the security and stability to do more effective ministry long into the future.
LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY
AND CONTENT
Our investment in innovative technology maximizes the teaching and talent we have to more effectively resource the church at large and spread the gospel around the globe.
IMPACTFUL MINISTRY
A building designed specifically for our needs gives our ministries the capacity to be far more effective locally, nationally, and globally.
Why underground parking?
The City of Surrey does not allow above-ground parking structures.
In addition, because land value in Surrey has risen dramatically over the past few years, the cost to build underground parking is beginning to approach the same cost of buying land that could accommodate surface parking (assuming there was land available and able to be rezoned accordingly).
Why can’t we just keep doing what we are doing?
There are many reasons why we cannot just do nothing, most of them related to limitations that block our vision/effectiveness, higher costs, as well as our growing vulnerability. The pandemic also presented us with the new risk of operational instability. The precariousness of not having a facility that we can execute core ministry out of and under our control presents a genuine risk of not being able to minister effectively into the future. This is explained more in a Lease vs. Build analysis we conducted in 2017, summarized here.