Answers to Some Common Questions

It is a capital campaign aimed at giving The Town Church an Established Presence and Sending Posture in Fort Collins by raising funds to purchase the Harmony School building and remodel the gym for sanctuary, lobby, and office space.

In the spring of 2019, we learned the building we currently lease will either be sold or leased at a much higher rate. Because the building is not a long-term solution for us, we put together a team to search for a permanent space that would not only allow us to own, but also enable us to take next steps in seeing the Gospel transform everything.

These next steps included:

1. Finding a permanent location central to the life of the city.
2. Having space in the building for community involvement and service.
3. Furthering our ability to reach Northern Colorado.
4. Creating more room for The Town Kids.

Through a series of God-ordained conversations and thorough exploration, God clearly brought the possibility of purchasing the Harmony School building to our attention.

Over the last year or so, God has continued to open doors as we pursue the purchase of this building that meets every element we desired in a new space, plus many additional benefits.

Here are some of the original and additional benefits of the new building, captured by the phrases Established Presence and Sending Posture:

ESTABLISHED PRESENCE

Rather than continuing to rent, it enables us to own a building at the busiest intersection in a residentially-dense neighborhood of Fort Collins. This gives us a permanent space that is central to the life of the city.

SENDING POSTURE

The new location is easily accessed within Northern Colorado. This aids our desire to be "in" the community and at the same time reach out to plant more churches throughout Northern Colorado.

The new building also gives us more room to grow as well as provide us with multi-functional space. This allows us more space for The Town Kids in addition to areas (lobby and sanctuary) that can be transformed and used for various community events.

The new building also gives us an immediate presence in the community by enabling a Christian preschool to continue to reach families with the Gospel and by allowing us to care for those families as a trusted referral church.

The total purchase and remodel price for the Harmony School building is roughly $5.25 million. This includes:

1. The price of the current building: $4 million.
2. The price to remodel the gym into a worship space: roughly $1.25 million.

Of the total purchase and remodel cost:

1. $1.25 million has already been committed.
2. $1.5 million in financing is being pursued.
3. $2.5 million needs to be raised.

There are three main elements to timing:

1. Closing on Feb 15, 2021: $250k needed.
2. Remodel (when funds are available): estimated $1.25M.
3. Pay-off balance to sellers: $250k each year over 4 years.

Our initial Commitment Night where we will indicate what we will give to the Planted Campaign will be December 13.

Given the timeline above, financial gifts can be given immediately or over the course of 4 years and may include gifts of cash, stock, or other marketable securities.

As we are able, we ask we all give generously sooner rather than later. This will result in three main benefits:

1. Help us secure favorable financing by demonstrating our commitment and capacity to the bank.
2. Enable the remodel of the gym sooner (hopefully even before we occupy the space!).
3. Shorten how long we will be in fundraising mode.

You have several options to give financially:

1. Online (credit, debit, or ACH).
2. Mail a check (PO Box 2064 // Fort Collins, CO 80522).
3. Transfer a gift of stock (The Town Church, acct# 494238116 at TD Ameritrade).
4. In-person (cash or check in the giving slot in the lobby of our current building).

Harmony School Christian Early Childhood Center (or "Harmony School") is a Christian preschool that has been strategically serving Fort Collins since 1978.

This depends on how the capital campaign performs.

If we are able to raise the funds needed for the complete remodel before closing, we plan to begin meeting in the new space following construction (probably fall of 2021).

The remodel can also take place in three phases. The phases we are able to complete depends on how much is raised.

If the funds are not raised before closing, we plan to begin meeting in the un-remodeled gym late February or early March 2021.

Yes, we will have access to a parking lot specific to the Harmony School building as well as the larger parking lot within the shopping center.

Harmony School will operate normally by using the classrooms Monday through Friday. The Town Church will use the classrooms for The Town Kids on Sunday mornings. The remodeled gym is our space seven days a week.

We will own 100% of the new building. Harmony School will lease their space from us.

There will be roughly 350 available seats in the planned new sanctuary with the future ability to add a mezzanine for additional balcony seating.

Our current sanctuary roughly seats 200 at capacity.

Per a survey completed earlier this year, only 3% of responders indicated the move would adversely affect their attendance.

Being a school building rather than traditional church building, the Harmony School has at least two major benefits:

1. The Harmony School will be able to continue to operate. This not only utilizes the building well throughout the week and creates revenue for us, but also supports the ongoing strategic work of the Harmony School.
2. If the time comes, it will be much easier for us to sell a multi-use building rather than a traditional church building.

Between October 18 and December 13, we are asking all of us to pray and consider how we might give generously toward the purchase and remodel of the Harmony School building.

While financial gifts can certainly be made before December 13, we have set aside that night as our Commitment Night where we will meet at the Harmony School and indicate what we financially commit to the Planted Campaign.

Financial commitments can take the form of cash, stock or other marketable securities and can be made immediately or over the course of 4 years.

If we are able, we ask that we all give generously sooner rather than later. This will result in three main benefits:

1. Help us secure favorable financing by demonstrating our commitment and capacity to the bank.
2. Enable the remodel of the gym sooner (hopefully even before we occupy the space!).
3. Shorten the period of time we will need to raise funds.

Yes! This is a tax-free way to give appreciated assets.

We have a brokerage account through TD Ameritrade for this very purpose.

You can initiate the transfer from your brokerage account using the information below, visit TD Ameritrade's office in Fort Collins, or reach out to us and we'd be happy to help.

Here's the info you need for the transfer:

1. Our account number: 494238116.
2. TD Ameritrade's DTC number: 0188
3. TD Ameritrade's address: 200 South 108th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68154-2631.

All funds given toward PLANTED will be placed in a separate account for capital expenses. Accordingly, this is where any unused funds will be placed with the intention of using them toward building expenses.

Given a few assumptions and excluding any needed further capital fundraising, we anticipate our total monthly operating costs in the new building to be around $51,000.

Our current total monthly operating costs are around $46,000.

We anticipate the additional needed cashflow to be largely offset by Harmony School's lease of the classrooms.

Yes, Harmony School will be able to continue their work and operate into the future.

Harmony School will lease their space from The Town Church, helping to offset the operating costs of the new building.

No!

The new building and the money needed to purchase and remodel it are not the most important outcomes. Rather, our growing faith and reveling in God's glory far outweigh the brick, mortar, dollars and cents.

We are most excited about anticipating how God will show us more of His glory and grow our faith in the process. While we strive to be faithful in our pursuit of the new building, we ultimately trust God with the results and believe He is good no matter how PLANTED performs financially.

Our current plan is to pursue $1.5 million in financing.

This will be our mortgage, most likely over 25 years. Current estimates place our monthly cost for the loan to be roughly equivalent to our current rent payments.