Property

Church: More than the building. 

Church: More than the building.
Buildings, property, brick and mortar all serve a purpose. They are assets. Things we can move and touch and depend on. They are physical ways we mark meaning. A wall is no longer just a wall once it bears the pencil marks of a kid growing up in time. A space becomes a home when you add rugs and chairs and tables and people and food and trash and brooms. 

The physical space exists always to serve the people. Not the other way around. And we have to keep that in check. Always.


As we think about more... land, parking spaces, buildings, trees, gardens, etc, let’s not lose this focus. Let’s always ask, “Who else can this serve?” “What needs of our community can be met?” These are the questions we've been asking ourselves as we work toward God's 20 year vision.

The Session and Building Working Group of Downtown Church have been working to faithfully steward God's 20-year vision with flexibility and clarity.

You can listen to the Sermon from this Sunday that kicks off our Land campaign ask. 

We have two phases for this vision:

(1) Purchase the corner lot (Calhoun/Gregg) + improve the site with a driveway, parking and landscaping.
The corner lot of land beside us won't be available forever. Session believes it would be a bummer to not buy this land and gaze at a gas station or skyscraper instead of expanding our footprint for future ministry. The added driveway on the south side of Central Energy will provide us access to our property and lead cars to safe and accessible parking at the back of the property. The construction for the new driveway and parking are already underway, hence why you see diggers and dirt moving to the side and back of the property.
This phase of site improvements adds significant landscaping to beautify the property. 

(2) Build the Front Porch + pay down current loan
The “Front Porch” is a building we need for our growing kids and youth. The Front Porch will require additional fundraising in the future. Securing this land now ensures we can design it to meet our growing ministry needs without being limited by available space.
In next fundraising stages, we will also pay down our current loan on Central Energy. This loan is for just under 2 million. Since this loan’s interest rate is 4%, Session has decided to act on the land and site work first before addressing the loan.

The Financial Details for Phase 1:

How much will the corner lot and site improvements cost?
2.5 million 

Why do we need it? 
We are worshipping 400 people weekly at DTC and the number keeps growing.  BullStreet Development is taking off. We will get boxed in and priced out if we don’t act now. 

Is this project viable?
Yes. For the past year, Dawn and our fundraising team have been assessing our capacity to take this next step. Our leadership team and a few donors have gone first and to date, we have raised almost  $1.4 million in pledges. We need your help raising the remaining $1.1 million dollars in pledges. 

Goal : 2.5 million
Raised to date : 1.4 million
Need : 1.1 million 

Session has called a Congregational meeting for Sunday, October 5, 2025 to show our support of buying this corner lot and to formally request permission from Trinity Presbytery to enter a legally binding contract with the Developer. As you have questions about this purchase, please find one of our elders or Building Working Group members in the corner near the building materials before or after worship on Sundays.

Building Working Group
(practical doers)

Michael Quinn, Real Estate Attorney
Lee Hammersla, Construction Expert
Jason Tompkins, Real Estate Developer + Elder
Brad Shell, Commercial Real Estate + Elder
Todd Martin, Landscape Architect
Stephanie Kimbrough, Master Gardener
Leslie Biddle, Master Gardener
Bunny Johnson, Elder 
Kristen Jerome, Accountant + Elder
Kristen Horne, Attorney + Elder
Wiggins Bates, Director of Property and Technology for Downtown Church