Light for the Future (LFTF) was launched in 2022 as a five-year, two-phase campaign to eliminate our current debt and build a new ministry center.

Several years ago, the Lord gave us the vision to expand our ministry to the Fox Valley Church body and our neighbors. Since then, we’ve been praying and looking for the right time and opportunity to get started. When God suddenly provided the opportunity to purchase the adjoining property to the east, Fox Valley Church responded with an overwhelming “Yes!”

Now is time to work together to provide a ministry center that will help us reach more people for Christ and better serve our church family. We’ve had to be diligent and creative, working with tight and limited spaces, to stay on mission. Yet, the Gospel is the engine that propels us forward, and people are responding.

2022? Is that right? [LB1]

The proposed addition is a significant project designed to accommodate and serve the people God is drawing to Fox Valley Church. While our goal is to avoid debt, a project of this magnitude involves many variables beyond our control. It’s conceivable we may need to take on some debt.

However, we serve a God for whom nothing is impossible. He may provide in ways we can’t foresee, potentially allowing us to complete the project debt-free.

We are committed to responsible financial stewardship. Any decision to proceed will require a favorable vote from our members. Throughout this process, we will prayerfully seek God’s guidance and trust in His provision, whatever form it may take.

Rest assured that we will carefully consider all options and only move forward in a way that we believe aligns with God’s will for Fox Valley Church.

We are trusting God to provide $10,250,000 for the completion of this project.

$7,730,000 is needed for the worship center addition, $1,230,000 for the Journey Land renovations, and $1,290,000 covers the fees, furnishings, and equipment.

What we build is contingent upon the amount of money that we raise and what the members approve by vote.

The proposed addition is for 13,500 sf and includes:

• New 700-seat worship center
• New entry vestibule
• New lobby
• New men’s and ladies restrooms
• New storage
• New utility rooms

Pending the amount of money pledged and the approving vote of the congregation, the following proposed renovations are planned for the existing building:

• Existing gym, gym storage, men’s and ladies restrooms, kitchenette, utility room, family restroom, some offices and Journey Land (JL) classrooms to remain as-is
• Existing lobby and worship center remodeled for new Journey Land check-in, classrooms, storage, and large group area
• Existing kitchen remodeled for two new, family restrooms
• Existing cafe/gathering area remodeled for new Journey Land check-in/lounge
• Existing Journey Land classrooms expanded and/or modified
• Existing Journey Land classrooms and two single-user, jr. toilet rooms remodeled for new meeting room, storage, and kitchen
• Existing multi-purpose room and five offices remodeled for new cafe/gathering space
• Remodeled area: ~ 11,500 sf

• Worship Center:
  • Existing: 3500 sf (~ 250 seats)
  • New: 9100 sf (~ 700 seats)
• Lobby:
  • Existing: 1000 sf
  • New: 2400 sf
• Cafe/Gathering:
  • Existing: 1400 sf
  • New/Remodeled: 3200 sf
• Journey Land & Student Ministry:
  • Existing: 7100 sf
  • New/Remodeled: 8400 sf
• Parking:
  • Existing: 235 spaces (includes 60 on gravel)
  • New/Expanded: 400+ spaces (paved)

Pending the amount of money pledged and the approving vote of the congregation, the proposed renovations for the exterior include:

• Parking for 400+ total vehicles
• New canopy
• New outdoor gathering space and play areas
• Landscaping
• New water/sewer utility services
• Possible second access drive (right-in/right-out @ Huntley Rd.)

A congregational vote with membership approval is needed to proceed.

The proposed plan is that construction would start in the Spring of 2026 and finish in the Spring of 2027.

We are hoping for minimal disruption on Sunday mornings. Certainly, there is a lot of work to be done in all these spaces to repurpose them for Journey Land and Student Ministry. Some spaces, like the current worship center, can be built out without interrupting Sunday morning because we will be in our new worship center. Some spaces will be more challenging to repurpose without some minimal interruptions. Since the gym will be transformed back to a more exclusive Student Ministry space, they should have minimal impact.

We’re genuinely sorry to hear about your experience. Understandably, such an experience would leave you feeling cautious. Your trust is important to us, and we want to assure you that financial integrity and transparency are valued at Fox Valley Church. Here’s how we strive to honor that commitment:

1. Regular financial reports are made available to all members.
2. Our books are audited annually by Capin Crouse, an independent accounting firm.
3. We maintain an open-door policy for questions about church finances. (Reach out to our Director of Financial Stewardship Ministry by emailing fuentes.a@foxvalleychurch.org.)

That said, we want you to feel completely at ease with your decision to participate – or not – in Light for the Future. There’s no obligation or expectation for you to give. We believe giving should be a joyful response to God’s leading, not a result of pressure or guilt.

If you have any specific questions about how funds will be managed or want to discuss your concerns further, you are welcome to arrange a conversation with a member of our Pastoral Council. (See below.)

Pastoral Council

Bob Brogan (847.354.3535), David Cahill (231.670.3614), Duane Careb (847.774.6420), Rob Schrader (224.622.1997), Adam Vietmeier (224.374.2319), Jere Miller (847-338-1037), Jason Arneson (630-615-1424) and Tom Atchison (847.844.1010 x15)

Pledge cards are still available in the office. If you need a commitment card, email office@foxvalleychurch.org, and a staff member will assist you. We will also distribute new pledge cards at the beginning of March for anyone who wants to make a new pledge or update their original one.

Approximately 70% of FVC’s members pledged.

Without eliminating our previous debt, we would have been financially prohibited from expanding our facility to accommodate growth. Debt can hinder our ministry growth, and we ideally prefer to operate debt-free, but we recognize that achieving our building goals may require taking on some debt. However, we look to God as our faithful provider – just as He helped us pay off $1.4M in just 14 months. We trust that if He leads us to take on debt to serve more people, He will also provide to eliminate that debt. Our ultimate goal is to maximize our ministry potential with the property the Lord has provided for FVC, serving our current church body and those from the community whom God will draw to our church.

Absolutely! We have been experiencing an increase in giving in the past few years. Our budget has grown from $1,040,000 in 2019 to $1,500,000 in 2024, in addition to giving to LFTF.

This is an important question and one that the elders have been discussing for almost two years. As we saw in our congregational meeting, the Pastoral Council is already working on a transition fund to keep Fox Valley Church in a strong financial position with respect to the transition.

More services are not a long-term, sustainable solution. Additional services are taxing on all the staff. As we have explored more services with multiple pastors in the past, we found it is difficult for a church our size to put more financial resources toward preaching.

You can share our vision for a regional epicenter for spiritual transformation with other likeminded people, businesses, or foundations that might be excited to partner with the work God is doing here.

Three prayer requests were mentioned during the congregational meeting; the request regarding clean fill is no longer needed. Please pray regarding:

1. Kane County: Pray for in-kind gifts. Pray Kane County would gift us road access that would not require a deceleration lane or an additional access point on our property.
2. Village of Carpentersville: We will need to hook up to water and sewer. Pray that Carpentersville will give this to us at little to no cost.

The Journey Land space percentage seems low because the Journey Land check-in and gathering spaces aren’t accounted for in the 18%. The gym, which will be designated for Student Ministry, will also be available to Journey Land during the weekend. It’s important to point out that Journey Land is gaining designated space that will allow our children to be safe and secure.

Parking is somewhere in the 350-space range now, and additional land in the east would be available in the future, allowing us to park up to 600 cars.

Our plan is as scaled back as it can get.

Before we start, we will have to make sure we can cover the construction loan and have a solid financial plan to cover all the expenses. The members would have to vote before we proceed.

The plan is to break ground in 2026. In the May congregational meeting, members will vote to move forward (or not).

As we grow, we hope people will grow, too, along with their desire to serve. We trust that God will bring people who are prepared to fill the gaps.

We are asking the entire church body to fast and pray on Fridays from now until Good Friday, asking the Lord: What are you saying to me personally about LFTF? We are asking the body to prayerfully consider giving an extra one-time gift, adding another year to their current pledge, increasing their pledge amount, or a combination of the three. We are also looking to those outside the FVC family who share our vision for an epicenter of spiritual transformation and might want to financially support the vision.

We are currently investing money.

FVC volunteers are welcome, but specific people and tasks would need to be identified and reviewed by the Building Committee.

The project’s civil engineer advised that no OFFSITE fill is needed at this time.

There are no plans to sell any portion of the FVC property. There have been discussions of a shared access road from Huntley Blvd. to the FVC parking lot and the Menards parking lot. This type of new entrance/road would most likely be a shared expense between the Village of Carpentersville and FVC in a future development phase.