From our earliest days in the summer of 2016, our desire has been to establish a church that would be a Gospel light to its community and a welcoming home to believers. That desire has taken us on a journey: from Pioneer Training at West Park to church services at Farragut Middle to our current location at Hardin Valley Academy.
On March 28, 2021, the church voted to purchase the property on Valley Vista Road. By God’s grace and your generosity, we were able to purchase the property with cash on April 30, 2021.
We continue to be excited and grateful for this property. It provides us a helpful and highly visible location in the community where we are already serving. It has space to meet our current needs and room to grow. This property is also conveniently located to our current congregation and to the many communities that surround this area. We believe this property will be a great resource for more ministry.
Now we are eager to take the next step at Valley Vista!
Initial Development Plans
In late Summer of 2021, the Elders and Land Team had presented an initial site plan that included two buildings:
- All-in-One Worship Center: Worship Center/Gymnasium, Children’s Ministry wing, Adult and Student wing, Ministry Offices, Welcome Area, Kitchen, and Storage areas. (~ 23,000 sq. ft.)
- Future Building: Projected to be a Community Center-type facility with additional education space. Exact details were to be determined. (~ 15,000 sq. ft.)
New Development Plans
At a recent Valley Vista Info Meeting, the Elders and Land Team recommended that, rather than try to build the all-in-one Worship Center immediately, Immanuel pursue a phased approach. Phase 1 would include part of the parking lot and construction of the Community Center first, and Phase 2 would include the completion of the parking lot and construction of the Worship Center (with additional education space included).
At a more reasonable cost, this phased approach would allow us to take advantage of the Valley Vista property more quickly (perhaps moving in as early as by Dec. ‘23).
Phase 1 would meet our current ministry needs. It would let us consolidate current property leases (Ministry Center, HVA, storage units, and Community Center at Dogwood Rd), while at the same time creating some new ministry opportunities. This first phase would also include an expansion option while still allowing the option of constructing Phase 2 someday, if the Lord wills.
A church is more than a building, but we believe, done in the right spirit, this project can foster our church life and its ministry. It can help show the community that we are here for the long haul and serious about investing in their lives and in this area. A permanent facility can also act as a foundation for future generations of Immanuel Church and their future ministries. It can even help us eliminate present rental expenses.
Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us in this project?
How to Partner
If the Lord leads you to help lay these Future Foundations, then we invite you to partner with us in the following ways:
- Pray with Faith: Join us in praying for this project. Pray for wisdom and guidance. Pray that we would know the Lord’s direction.
- Give Joyfully
- Be encouraged. Through God’s provision and your generosity there is currently over $587k dollars in the Future Foundations Fund.
- Try giving. We believe the act of giving is a blessing to anyone who gives (“…remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”- Paul, Acts 20:35). This is true no matter the amount (Luke 21:3), and so we are challenging everyone to give, even if it is only a penny.
- Be encouraged. Through God’s provision and your generosity there is currently over $587k dollars in the Future Foundations Fund.
Next Steps
Attend the June 26 Family Meeting. Join us in the HVA Library at 5:00pm as we discuss what’s next for the Valley Vista Project. There’ll also be a vote regarding pursuing the proposed direction (ie, beginning with the Family-Life/Community Center). Thank you for considering this, and please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.