ENCS Hub
Update & FAQ

After much prayer and consideration, we are excited to announce that we are making plans to move our worship gatherings from C&C to our Ministry Hub this fall.

We are grateful that God has provided a place for us to renovate and expand to make our own, and we want to get there sooner than later.
Our goal is to have our last worship gathering at C&C on October 29th which means our first worship gathering in the Hub will be on November 5th.

UPDATES

Why move this fall?

  1. We believe that moving from an auditorium to what feels more like a living room is better aligned with our mission and core values.
  2. Moving to the HUB will give us more freedom. 
    • Freedom to establish our own identity apart from another church’s building.
    • Freedom to decide our own meeting times.
    • Freedom to design our space for our needs.
  3. November marks the 1 year anniversary of our meeting in C&C. While they have been generous towards us, we don’t want to overstay our welcome at C&C. They did not want to get into a long-term contract. We only have til the end of the year.
  4. Renovations will take a minimum of 3 months which will be longer than we have left at C&C. We don’t want to wait until construction is finished or move in when construction is ongoing.  
  5. By moving ahead of renovations, we can set up and continue ministry while renovations take place. Our contractors have assured us that we can meet in the HUB during the time of renovations.

Considerations

  • Our plan is to offer 3 simplified worship gatherings starting in November. 
    • Our short-term goal is to simplify and make our gatherings sustainable for those who serve faithfully at our church.
    • Our current plan is to have only one gathering with full kids ministry available.
  • We have plans in place to begin renovations at the HUB this year, but until those are complete, we will be limited to 50 people in the main hall plus limited extra seating in the lobby area.
  • Once the renovations are complete though, we will be able to double our capacity. We understand that navigating 3 worship gatherings will pose a new challenge for us, but we consider this an opportunity to grow in faith, in our giftings, and in intimacy at the same time.
  • By offering 3 different worship times, it also gives our church family the ability to grow by reaching new people.  
  • Offering different time slots opens up more possibilities for our people.

What does this mean for you?

We've surveyed our church family to discern the best times to offer our gatherings at the Hub. We believe that the times we’ve decided on will best meet our church family’s needs during this transition. As we begin to meet in our new space, we will continue to assess our needs, listen to feedback from our church family and teams, and adjust as necessary after we begin gatherings at the Hub.

We will have 2 morning gatherings and 1 evening gathering. Our gathering times are 9:30 am, 11:45 am, and 4:30 pm.

We are asking our church family to commit to consistently attending one gathering time slot each week. Though this will not be an immovable RSVP, prior commitment will help ensure that we have enough room in each gathering for everyone.

Once we are through construction, we will reassess what our needs are.

FAQ

Gathering Logistics & Considerations

  • What will the worship gathering look like? Will they be exactly what we’re doing at Cross and Crown or will they look different?
During construction, we will be simplifying our gatherings. This means that we are not necessarily aiming to have things to the same extent as we have in the past. Instead, we are assessing our people and resources to gather together as a church family in a realistic and sustainable manner. We are enthusiastic about the chance to be more creative with our gatherings.

  • What does having 3 gatherings look like for people who serve on teams (worship, kids, tech, hospitality, etc)?
    Our ministry directors are in conversations with their teams to determine what this shift entails and the approach each team should take. We are allowing those who serve to explore and shape this transition. There are many creative ideas for what this could look like, but our goal is to simplify and make our gatherings sustainable.

  • Is there only one pastor giving the sermon for all 3 gatherings? I'm concerned about pastors being burned out. The same for our worship team.
    In October, our teaching pastor, Pastor Danielle, will be returning from medical leave. She will resume some of the responsibilities that Pastor Perry has temporarily taken on in her absence. Furthermore, we have already conducted one preaching lab (and plan to have more) to raise up and train individuals with a desire to preach and teach the Word. We are actively expanding our teaching team and will continue to make progress in that regard.

  • What will the parking situation be?
We’re working on negotiating with the owners of nearby parking lots. It’s been promising so far! We’re hopeful that we’ll get a deal for convenient parking close to the Hub. Additionally, street parking all around the Hub and in the residential area a block away is free on Sundays!

  • Will there be a livestream for one or more of the gatherings?
During renovations, we will not be live streaming our gatherings. We will be recording audio of the sermons during the interim period. 

Kids Church

  • Is it safe to use the hub while construction is in progress?
    Our contractor has assured us that after the demo is complete, they will clean up and partition the areas we require for our Sunday gatherings. Furthermore, there will be no construction or demolition activities taking place in the main kids' space. If there are any additional measures needed to ensure the safety of the space, we will address them.

  • What will the kids ministry look like for all 3 gatherings?
    So far, after talking with our kids team, we'll have two different experiences for our gatherings. At our 9:30 am gathering, there will be “Kids Class”. This will be a teaching-oriented kids church experience, more or less a copy-paste of what we’re currently doing.
    At our 11:45 am and 4:30 pm gatherings, we will have a simplified “Kids Fellowship” available. This will have Christ-centered activities for our kids, but be more community and fellowship focused.
Like everything, as we begin to meet in our new space, we will continue to assess our needs, listen to feedback from our church family and teams, and adjust as necessary after we begin gatherings at the Hub.

  • What is the plan for the children's space? Will the ages still be divided? What about sound considerations?
We have designated the Community Room as our primary kids church space during our Sunday gatherings. This space is already (mostly) soundproof, which we’re grateful for! In this space, we’ll be using dividers to section the age groups. In addition to this, we have some ideas for creatively utilizing a portion of the lobby for extra kids church space.

Future

  • Is this a long-term lease or are we purchasing the hub? Are there plans to purchase? What is our backup plan if either one of those fails?
Initially, we signed a three-year lease. However, we have the approval to extend that lease to five years or even longer. Our preference is to remain as renters rather than purchasing, as we are content with letting landlords handle major issues. Fortunately, our landlords have been very accommodating and have shown no intention of making any changes to our space. In the unlikely event that they do, we will be given sufficient notice to make appropriate plans.

  • Do we have the budget for our current construction project and future expansion plans? 
We as a church have been conservative in our finances for years, we have saved so we have a decent cushion in the bank.
We’re currently waiting on what the full cost for the entire renovation will be, but we have seed money to start the renovation process. That being said, we do not want to deplete our savings for this project, but we will be raising the funds to help cover the renovation costs.

  • Is there flexibility to expand above a 100 person capacity as our church grows?
We could fully rent out the space next door if we choose. We could also continue to have multiple gatherings or start gatherings in other spaces throughout the city.

  • Once the renovations are done will we move from 3 gatherings to 2 gatherings?
We will reassess our needs once we finish the renovation process. 

  • Do we expect to lose anyone in this transition? How can we navigate the new schedule challenges if we shift back to mornings?
No, we do not expect to lose anyone. However, it is possible. As churches make changes and adjustments, it may not always accommodate everyone. We encountered this when we started meeting at Cross & Crown. Some individuals were unable to attend the 4pm time slot due to family obligations or work.
When we announce our new gathering times, there may be individuals who are affected by the changes. If you find yourself in this situation, we encourage you to reach out and start a conversation with us! By offering three different time slots, we hope to better accommodate various scheduling needs.

  • How can we help?
Hopefully you took our gathering time survey and let us know your preferences!
Additionally, as we solidify what our Sunday teams’ needs are, we’re anticipating new areas for people to help. Please be open to how God may be calling you to use your gifts here at ENCS! We’re hoping we can spread the burden out amongst many, so the church can flourish.
Most importantly, please pray!

  • Is the long term vision still to transition to home churches (Acts 2 community)? Can we start doing that now instead of using the Hub for traditional gatherings?
    Some people are familiar with this concept, while others may not be. During the pandemic, our leadership team took the time to pray about our future and evaluate what is truly essential in being a church. This led to the development of the "Home Church Initiative." The initiative involves starting new gatherings in homes, drawing from the lessons we've learned from our community groups. We have a Group Development Team working behind the scenes to envision what this type of Acts 2 community could look like in our specific context.
    In all likelihood, we will aim to pilot this initiative in 2024, alongside establishing our presence in the Hub. Our goal is to make an impact both on the campus and university, as well as in the surrounding community. The Hub will serve as a place to train and equip leaders, who will then be sent out to the communities where we reside. This way, we can live out our calling as a family on a mission.
    As a leadership team, we have discussed the implications of expediting this process to complement our move into the Hub. This has been a long-standing plan, and we are committed to executing it with excellence. It is important to us that every aspect of the process is carefully considered and that individuals receive thorough training. Our goal is to equip people to effectively teach, lead, and host in homes, so we do not want to rush this decision. We aim to establish a supportive infrastructure for our leaders to avoid unintentionally hurting people. While we are working on both things simultaneously, we have intentionally planned our timelines to ensure the successful execution of both transitions.

Other Questions

  • How will this affect C group meetings at the HUB during the week?
    Not at all! This move means that we will have everything in one place, eliminating the need to go between different locations.

  • How are we saying thank you to Cross and Crown for their generosity and kindness?
    We have recently started paying them for use of their facilities. This was beyond our budget, so we are loving them by faith. We want to encourage you to be faithful in your tithing because this enables us to do these types of things.