Frequently Asked Questions

MEDCO Construction has been selected for preconstruction services.

Few, if any. The façade must be "harmonious" with the rest of the shopping center, which means that it will always look the same as it does now.

We will be reviewing these needs and will publicize a list once it's completed. We will be careful on who completes what type of tasks to ensure that we have professional quality work completed.

No. The HV campus will become a multi-purpose space. We will not paint nor architect this space for a specific ministry. We try to utilize the space for as many purposes as possible.

We don't plan to, but we have that option if we choose. We are currently using MEDCO Construction in a "negotiated general contractor / construction manager at-risk" arrangement.

We narrowed the broad field of available architects to a short list based upon their existing portfolio and the recommendations of trusted advisors. All architects on the short list (which included Omniplan, PB2, and Beck, among others) were interviewed. Shanks Architects was selected.

The only portion of the adaptive reuse that could be delayed in a multiphase approach would be the office space; all other major building areas (worship center, preschool, and children) are required on day 1. However, we have a very real need for office space that in some ways is actually more urgent than our need for a larger worship facility, so that component should not be delayed; the relative cost savings would be minimal. Building everything at once would result in greater efficiencies and a resultant savings in cost. We recommend a single-phase build and one "grand opening."

Only to the extent that the quality of video will improve because we will have much better recording capabilities in the Flower Mound campus than we currently do in Highland Village.

Our desire to grow deeper has not changed and will not change. Our hope is that our people will grow deeper through a myriad of different lanes, e.g. groups, Bible studies, retreats and seminars. We will continue these and hope to improve on each as we move forward.

Ten million dollars is the first cost estimate that we ever "officially" announced, and that estimate was not formed until March 2008. It would have been impossible to estimate the cost of the Flower Mound campus buildout without at least a conceptual design, as certain design choices impact the cost dramatically. We did not release a conceptual design until March 2008, so any prior "estimates" were purely rumor and speculation, and nothing more. They had no basis in reality.

It would be difficult to list concisely every variable that contributes to the $10 million project cost, but the following points of clarification should help:

1. This project is not a renovation; it's a retrofit. Those terms mean two very different things. A renovation is simply a "facelift"; the building's purpose and use remains the same. A retrofit involves the adaptive reuse of a structure built for a completely different purpose entirely. We're retrofitting a grocery store in order to turn it into a church, which is far more difficult, time-consuming, and costly than a renovation.
2. The $10 million project cost involves much more than basic construction. In fact, the construction portion is only about $6.5 million. The rest of the cost includes such items as audio, video, lighting, preschool equipment, furnishings, security systems, telephony and data, architectural and consulting fees, building permits, etc.
3. While a church is not the most complex building ever built, it's certainly not the simplest. Here are just a few of the many complexities that contribute to the overall project cost:
   • We require enough HVAC to cool a 74,000 square foot building containing nearly 2,000 people and thousands of watts of theatrical lighting down to 70°F when the ambient temperature outside is 100°F (or hotter). That's a lot of HVAC, and it costs money. (The mechanical systems formerly employed in the Albertsons are useless here.)
   • Our current design has 23 separate restroom facilities with no fewer than 51 individual stalls. Since these restrooms did not formerly exist, plumbing must be jackhammered through the existing slab.
   • The worship center must be built with soundproof, double-insulated, triple-sheetrocked walls, light trap entryways, acoustic dampening systems, etc. These items are not extravagances; they are the minimum necessary to make the room functional. The worship center also requires 1,438 seats and 1,438 ESV Bibles to go under them, not to mention lights, cameras, projectors, switchers, mixing consoles, lighting consoles... The list of required equipment literally goes on for pages and pages. We try to be as frugal as we can at The Village, but there's no way to change the fact that these items will cost a substantial amount of money.
4. The footprint of the original Albertsons store is approximately 61,000 square feet. We're transforming it into a 74,000 sf facility by building an occupied mezzanine. Building a mezzanine costs more than simply finishing out the existing floor, but we want to squeeze as much useful space out of the building as we can. We believe it is a wise investment.

We plan to keep them. We feel that it would be foolish to give up a versatile, multipurpose facility with nearly 500 parking spaces so close to the Flower Mound campus. We are considering utilizing this space for our Student Ministry worship services and multi-purpose events.

The exact size is yet to be determined, but it should seat approximately 1,400.

Depending upon the financial status of this project, we hope to be in the building Spring 2009.

Approximately $10 million. However, we will strive to keep the costs as low as possible.

It is not currently for sale. If it becomes available, we will definitely look into the feasibility of purchasing it.

We will try to allocate the parking directly associated with the building (around 300 spaces) for first-time visitors, handicapped attendees, and families with newborns or infants. Members and regular attendees will be shuttled from a nearby parking lot, either our current lot in Highland Village or the Marcus High School parking lot, which is only about a block away.

If parking at the Albertsons is completely full, you will be able to ride a safe, comfortable shuttle from a nearby lot.

We are in the design phase right now. However, we are planning to build the main sanctuary, preschool (Little Village), children's ministry (Kids' Village), and office space in this facility. The locations of other ministries (e.g., Student Ministry, Recovery, etc.) are still being reviewed. See the question above regarding the use of our current facilities in Highland Village.

That depends upon our attendance when the build-out is complete. Based on our attendance at this time, we would host three services.

The lease on Building 9 will remain in effect until the spring of 2010. We will still get plenty of use out of the facility before the lease expires.

Our lease at at 3105 F.M. 407, Building A, Flower Mound, Texas 75028 extends until November 2008. Our offices will continue at this location until that time, after which they will likely move into the Flower Mound campus.

In 2005, we launched the Greenhouse Effect capital campaign target primarily to purchase 35 acres on F.M. 1171 in Flower Mound. Due to internal requirements, we needed to raise $2 million during our campaign kick-off in order to proceed with the due diligence on the property. We did not reach that financial goal. However, due to generous donations, we were able to pay cash for the following projects:

1. Relocation of our staff offices to an off-site facility. Completed November 2005.
2. Renovation of facilities located at 1700 Highland Village Road. Completed January 2006.
   • Expansion of Worship Center seating capacity from 440 to 770 seats
   • Modification of preschool classrooms
   • Addition of preschool classrooms
   • Sound equipment upgrades
   • Security and aesthetic upgrades to the Martin Building
3. Construction of additional parking lot. Completed in April 2006.
4. Purchase of video and peripheral equipment to launch our video services in January 2007

Because we were able to substantially accomplish the projects set before us in this capital campaign, we elected to stop the campaign early. The donors who made faith promises to the campaign were relieved from their continued giving. To honor our commitment to our church body, we felt it was best to stop the campaign.

We are so grateful for the Lord's favor upon our church. Our people are experiencing transformation in their lives. The gospel of Christ continues to be preached boldly and unashamedly. We must continue to rely on God for direction. We need to have faith that He will provide and protect us as we seek to meet the needs of the people of The Village.