Light for the Future (LFTF) is 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 neighbors. Since then, we’ve been praying and looking for the right time and opportunity to get started. Then, with the suddenness and power of a lightning bolt, God provided the opportunity to purchase the adjoining property to the east, and FVC responded with an overwhelming “Yes!” What we could not do for over two decades, God instantly accomplished with a definite “Now is the time.”

Now is the time for what? 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.

God says in Isaiah 58:10 that “if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then will your light shine in the darkness.” God has placed us here to shine His light for those who are hurting, oppressed, and far from Him. But our debt is preventing us from doing all we can to minister to the surrounding communities. Eliminating our debt will free up the financial resources currently tied to debt reduction. As a result, we will be able to fully invest in sharing the hope of the Gospel with our neighbors living in darkness.

Specifically, we will be able to launch new ministries, open our building to more community events, and have more space to help those in our community who desperately need the light and love of Jesus.

God has entrusted us with this ministry center and property to maximize our impact for the kingdom. He did not give us this land to watch the grass grow, nor this ministry center to merely enjoy. Instead, He has called us to maximize what he has given us to shine His light on the darkness, minister to the lost, and to steward all His good gifts well.

The LFTF campaign will include two phases: a vertical and a horizontal. The Israelites needed God to remove the barrier of the Red Sea (a vertical wall to hold back the sea), so they could continue to the Promised Land (a large horizontal open space). Likewise, we need to eliminate our debt (a vertical obstacle) to build a new ministry center and expand our ministry (a horizontal mission).

The vertical phase is a two-year effort to remove the debt barrier, our Red Sea, that has consistently hindered effective ministry. Phase one of the overall plan is to eliminate $1.4 million of debt.

The horizontal phase is a three-year effort to build a larger ministry center that would allow us to reach more people for Christ, increase our influence in the community, and better meet the needs of people God is bringing.

Our current ministry center that once fit us like a nice glove is now tight and no longer serving us well. God’s provision of the adjacent property at this time signaled to us that now is the time to advance His kingdom. He provided the property in His timing to advance His mission.

Our church body and ministry style has grown and changed. Consequently, our facility no longer fits us like it once did. Our current ministry center, like the debt, is hindering our ministry opportunities. After several years of prayer and seeking counsel, the elders believe now is the best time for the campaign. And we believe the best way forward is through one large, expansive two-phase plan.

That is a great question! The Pastoral Council moved proactively in the search process for a new Student Ministry Director, and the search is coming along nicely. However, the Lord gave us a wonderful gi  in the person of Cindy Goldenstein, who brings energy, creativity, and love for children to keep Journey Land humming. In addition, Mary Gibson, who has served us well for years, continues to be a strong leader for our children. God also provided Andrew Beck and Lauri Marmorstone to serve as volunteer youth directors until God directs us to a new youth pastor.

Further, we are also poised for forward momentum with Kate Urosevich in worship and Julian Guevara in our Life Group ministry.

In other words, although we are still in the hiring process for one full-time position, we are quite operational with our current team.

Pre-Covid, the Pastoral Council contracted with an architectural firm to determine feasibility of maximizing the entire property.

The all-church survey that we completed in 2021 revealed that a large majority of people were in favor of eliminating our debt. We are in the initial steps of our 2-year plan to do that.

While it may not be appealing to only focus on eliminating our debt, we need to break free from this financial bondage before we move forward with our plans for the future. While the elders, staff, and ministry teams all have dreams of what their ministries could look like, they will present those dreams later to the congregation for discussion and approval. We ask that you pray, trust, and seek the Lord’s leading for FVC’s next steps on our Light For The Future journey.

Our campaign begins and ends on our knees. Please commit to ongoing prayer for the following:

• Pray for our church leaders and the committee chairs to be wise and discerning.
• Pray for God to guide and speak clearly to us regarding the gi s He’d ask us to surrender to advance His kingdom.
  • “Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.” 1 Chronicles 29:16
• Pray for wisdom and knowledge from God to influence our every move as we desire to bring light for the future.
  • “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:17

As God continues to clear the way for the possibility of using all the property, He’s given us a large, expansive plan that only He can fulfill. Just like the miracle of parting the Red Sea and providing the Promised Land, God is ready to show us His power and surprise us with new miracles. We can’t wait to see how it all unfolds!