Healthy Things Grow!
Healthy churches grow, and our church has been growing consistently for over five decades at our current location. In 2018, we launched 2 additional services, (bringing us to a total of 4), to accommodate significant growth in the church. We have been good stewards of our property and are maximizing its attendance potential. At this point in our growth, a new location is an essential step toward touching more lives with the truth, grace, and love of Jesus Christ.
Our Vision
To build a facility that becomes a center for advancing the culture and mission of Christ and His church.
The Latest
Moving at the Speed of Generosity
LOCATION
In November 2019, Five Lakes Church purchased 15 acres of land on Mitchaw Road in Sylvania, next-door to Central Trail Elementary School. Our purchase was made with cash donations designated for this purpose. We are debt-free and in a healthy financial position.
View Google Map of area
FUNDING
Our strong prayer and desire is to move forward without running a large capital campaign; however, this will only be possible as God miraculously provides for us. While specific financial realities and implications are still being determined, we can be definitive about two things.
1. We will continue move forward at the speed of generosity.
2. We will not move forward in any way that would jeopardize the financial foundation of the church or incur unhealthy levels of debt.
BUILD PARTNER
After vetting three design-build firms, we chose to work with Midwest Church Design and Construction on this project. Members of our leadership teams will be working with other skilled members of our church to determine the design.
FAQS
Healthy churches grow, and our church has been growing consistently for over five decades at our current location. In 2018, we launched 2 additional services to accommodate significant growth in the church. We have been good stewards of our property and are maximizing its attendance potential. At this point in our growth, a new location is an essential step toward touching more lives with the truth, grace, and love of Jesus Christ.
Much has changed in our world in 2020, but our leadership continues to believe God is calling us toward building on Mitchaw. We anticipate that Jesus will continue to use our church to change lives, we expect to see our church gatherings and activities grow during 2021, and this new space will be essential to make room at the table for further growth in 2022 and beyond.
Adding seats is theoretically possible, but it is not sensible for at least a few reasons:
- Structural changes ranging from moving walls to installing a mezzanine in our sanctuary could be done, but these options would cost $500,000-$1,000,000, take up to a year to complete, and would only expand our realistic seating capacity by about 100 seats.
Streaming our service into additional seating environments is currently happening. Adding substantially to the amount of additional seating available will be counterproductive because necessary facility changes will negatively impact our children’s ministry, student ministry, and life groups. - Parking complication would be amplified by any seating capacity additions. Our parking lot is inadequate to support increased attendance during our largest services. We are unable to expand our parking lot due to insufficient storm detention capacity on our property.
Yes, and this may become part of our vision for the future. Our feeling is that a launching/sending church must be strong enough (culturally, organizationally, and financially) to support a second campus during its first years. To develop this sort of foundation, we would need to expand to 6+ full services at our current location. A new location with a larger sanctuary space and better spaces for children and students will be a prerequisite for considering multi-site possibilities.
1960’s – Land purchased on McCord Road and sanctuary built
1980’s – Office and children’s wing built
1990’s – New, expandable sanctuary built
2000’s – Sanctuary and children’s wing expanded, built gym and students’ wing, etc.
2010’s – Maximized use of current land, praying into expansion possibilities
Building Process Overview
- Vision cast for the growth and expansion of our church
- Anonymous donations amounting to $775,000 designated toward the purchase of land for a new building
- Exploration of possible locations for expansion
- Reached a purchase agreement on 3/7/19 for 15 acres of land, able to purchase and remain debt-free
- Land purchase, environmental studies, core samples, zoning, etc.: completed 11/2019
- Selected a design-build partner & develop contract: Midwest Church Design & Construction (Perrysburg, OH)
- Ran Focus Groups with ~100 people
- Build Team established
- Developing master plan intended to make full use of our land on Mitchaw Road
- Schematic design, design development, & construction document processes
- Specific time frames and financial targets to be determined
This group is composed of staff, elders, administrative team members, and church members tasked with guiding forward our building development from concept through completion.
Team members:
- Benton Cole
- Greg Arnold
- Kristy Sutton
- Michelle Keeling
- Rick Maroney
- Mike Zippay
- Jeff Ballmer