LeaderLines: “Status Update on our Facility Update”

The neighborhoods immediately around our church facility have the highest home values in northwest Austin. We need to keep that in mind as we think about our church buildings.

The most recent edition of the Community Impact for Northwest Austin ran a story on real estate in our neck of the woods. You can find it online here. Be sure to take a look at the illustrations that accompany the report:



According to the piece, Austin is the tenth hottest buyer’s market in the U.S. for 2008. And our part of Austin has some of the highest values. Across the last five years, home values in the 78759 ZIP code have increased over 21 percent, standing at about $350K on average.

We need to make sure that the look of our church’s home matches the look of our community’s homes. To accomplish this, it’s time to do some updating and upgrading. Our facility matched its neighborhood when it was first built in the early 70s, and we need to do what it takes to match the improved value of the neighborhood today.

That’s the third phase of a renovation project I believe God led me here to accomplish. I believe God called me here to lead the renovation of our heart, our program, and our space.

I’ve been speaking and writing about this for the last 5 years. The word “renovation” comes from the Latin word renovare, which means “to make new again.”

The renovation of our heart means that we need to renew how we think. Across the last 5 years, we’ve recommitted to fulfilling God’s mission across the street as well as supporting God’s mission across the sea.

The renovation of our program means that we need to renew what we do. Missionaries in a foreign place try to connect with the culture of the people they’re called to reach, and we have to do the same thing in the mission field God has called us to reach. Trying to think as missionaries to Austin has resulted in changes to our schedule and our worship services and to the way I try to communicate the gospel each Sunday. Theology never changes but methodology has to.

The renovation of our space means that we need to renew how we look. Across the last several years, our focus has been on the first two renovations. Now we’re ready to make some updating and upgrading to our facilities. I have a 15-member “First Impressions Team” meeting with me to suggest improvements to our campus. We hope to have a report to the church in June.

As a partner in leadership at our church, please be in prayer as our church family moves into this important third phase of Hillcrest renewal!
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I’ve written about the need to improve our facilities before: here, here, and here. Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.