Building Project
The Long and Winding Road
As with many important life accomplishments, vision and plans play out in unpredictable ways. Such is the story with the FUMC building project in Taylorville, IL. Some 25+ years ago, our congregation began to dream of improving our current facility constructed in 1919 as well as building an adjacent new addition to serve our congregation and expand our community outreach.
This dream was resurrected in 2014 with the formation of a committee called MAPP (Ministry Assessment and Planning Process) that involved a comprehensive study regarding our church’s future.
The FUMC received a sizable gift in 2013 from a family estate in memory of their experience at our church many years ago, now called the Duncan-Kendrick Memorial Fund. This gift enabled our church to seriously contemplate our dreams. The MAPP committee organized their thoughts garnered from the study and developed a case for action. The conclusions summarized our challenges as we looked toward the future. We found:
- A continued slow decline in church membership and finances
- Significant safety and security concerns exist with our current building
- Our facility is not easily navigable for aging or physically challenged attendees
- Our 103 year old facility needs the flexibility to serve a wide variety of congregational and community needs, particularly youth and unchurched.
- The building has no areas for welcoming or bonding
In June of 2019, the MAPP team approached the congregation regarding upgrading and renovating our existing building as well as constructing a new addition. The congregation overwhelmingly approved this project estimated at a cost of $2.5 million. Formal architectural drawings were completed and bids were let. Expectations were that ground might be broken in the Spring of 2020. Then the road got rocky! The low bid was in excess of $4 million, the pandemic hit, in-person church services and regular events were interrupted, building materials soared, supply chain issues were rampant, and our building project was unable to move forward.
In September of 2021, the MAPP committee again approached the congregation about the lack of progress, pandemic issues, and increased costs. Our members directed that the project continue. A general contractor was hired, sub-contractors were locked in and materials were ordered. On March 20, 2022, we celebrated our official ground breaking. The project is now underway and we hope in 2 years, God willing, we will have an upgraded church coupled with a new, modern addition.
Now with the project completed in the spring of 2023, we look forward to continuing to live into the dream that we believe God has for this church!
Whereas the road has been long and winding and filled with bumps, our church remains committed to this building project and vision below:
- Position FUMC to succeed going forward
- Ensure our facility is safe and secure
- Design a facility well-suited to serve all
- Facilitate and expand ministries
- Energize, excite, and unite all who enter our doors
The future is unpredictable, but the FUMC is ready to meet the challenges ahead to serve our congregation and community.
For a taped discussion from August 2022, click:
https://www.facebook.com/FUMCTaylorville62568/videos/447307650493528