FAQs
September 2022
What are the details of the expansion? What is being included?
The expansion will include:
1,000 sq ft main floor with multi-use auditorium and seating for 600 in regular and community gatherings.
A full basement to serve children, youth ministry and outreach programs with 11,000 sq ft of flexible space.
Engineered sound, lighting and visual capabilities that will facilitate clarity in the spoken message and connected, lively worship.
Café for people to connect with each other before and after Sunday gatherings.
Mezzanine with fellowship and prayer area.
More capacity for community use and the addition of space for a possible pre-school in the future.
When will construction be finished?
It is exciting to see the building so close to completion. We’ve gone from a steel structure in June of this year to now seeing the stucco being finished on the exterior and the doors and the windows installed. As previously communicated, some unavoidable delays in the early stages of the project moved the completion date further than originally anticipated, but we are in the final stretch. Construction should be complete by late December, and after working through the final details with the contractor, we hope to be in the building sometime in January. Due to the time of year, the final landscaping will be done in the spring.
What is the total cost for the expansion and how are we paying for it?
With some necessary adjustments during construction, the total cost of construction is approximately $10 million (previously estimated at $9.62 million). As of October 2023, campaign savings are at $6.7 million, with additional commitments of $36,000 for the 2022-2023 campaign year. In July 2022, 79% of Eaglemont Church Core Team Members voted 84% in favour of incurring a debt load of up to $3.85 million (approved by the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada) for the building expansion. With $6.7 million saved to date, $3.3 million still needs to be raised.
Below is a chart outlining potential mortgage scenarios (note, these are not final/confirmed amounts but examples of what our mortgage for the expansion may look like).
Are there any costs not included in the $10 million? What about increased operational costs for the church?
While it is hard to know exactly what operational costs will look like until we are in the building, the expansion will essentially double the size of our church so it is estimated the operational costs will be double that of the current facility (approximately $7,000/month more).
How long is it anticipated it will take to pay off the debt assumed for the project?
That is difficult to answer as it depends on the amount that comes in for this expansion project over the next year. It would likely be a 20-year amortization, but Eaglemont Church has a history of paying off debt much quicker than expected. We would hope for the same for any debt that we may have in this chapter of our church’s life.
Why was the decision made to proceed with the building expansion given recent economic and pandemic-related challenges, and the fact that we aren’t overcrowded in our existing space?
When Pastor’s Council made the decision in 2015 to proceed with saving for the expansion, Eaglemont Church was facing space constraints in the children’s and youth ministries. While the number of children and youth attending Eaglemont Church and programs open to the community has fluctuated over the past seven years, it was still felt that it would be wise to prepare for future growth now and not when we reach capacity again. As discussed at the July 2022 information session, it was also felt that waiting any longer would result in costs increasing even more, and church leadership was also concerned we were at the point where our rate of saving would not likely keep up with the rate of inflation.
While the 'physical' building and construction work are exciting and will continue to be so as we see the progress, our vision from the beginning for the expansion has been about expanding faith in our community. We want to have the necessary tools in place to allow us to reach people in Beaumont and region with the message and love of Jesus Christ. That’s the only reason that we would step into something this big.
How can I give financially to the campaign?
Click here to find out more about how you can give to the campaign.
What is the Faith Expansion Capital Campaign (FECC) and how does it differ from the Building Expansion Lead Team (BELT)? What are their roles?
The Building Expansion Lead Team oversees all aspects of construction of the expansion. It was formed in 2014 to initiate the process of having drawings developed as well as an initial cost estimate. Its members include individuals from our church family with experience in such areas as construction, engineering and audio-visual/electronics. The team has worked closely with the architect (N53) and Construction Manager (Delnor Construction) on the detailed design and tendering of the project and will continue to work with the Construction Manager throughout the construction process.
The Faith Expansion Capital Campaign began in 2015 when the decision was made to begin saving for the building expansion. The FECC team’s main role is to communicate information about all aspects of the expansion and associated fundraising campaign to the Eaglemont Church family and the community of Beaumont. This includes sharing testimonies of individual faith journeys during the expansion, progress reports and financial updates/milestones. The FECC team has also overseen a number of events held to raise money for the expansion, particularly in the first three years of the campaign.
In late 2021, the FECC team began working jointly with BELT as we got closer to a decision about construction and the required debt load vote that took place in July 2022.