Last updated May 25
10 Building surveys have been received
Keep up-to-date on questions that have been raised through the survey distributed May 17, 2026. If you would like to make your pledge, you can do so here. If you would like to watch the Sunday video from May 17 that walks through the entire project scope in a Q&A format, click here.
Q: Will renting the space to Paedeia limit its availability for others to use?
A: If Paedeia Christian Academy were to relocate back to New Life after the construction of the building addition, its still unlikely there would be much conflict with usage. The 1,600 square feet of finished space is the most likely area Paedeia would desire for potential classrooms. The loft and gymnasium are unlikely to be used by Paedeia except for specific scheduled times. Its important to note that the building addition is not tied to the Academy — they are mutually exclusive projects.
Q: Wouldn’t having a new kitchen be helpful, or locating the building addition near our current kitchen be good?
A: Yes, a new kitchen would be helpful. Our builder estimated the cost of the additional building length and outfitting the kitchen to be $250-300,000. If fundraising allows us to explore this cost beyond the initial $1.4 million to build the “base” addition, we’ll definitely consider it. As for the location of the addition and its proximity to the existing kitchen, we’re working with the builder to select the best location. We have to consider issues of drainage, property lines, utility lines, the expense of moving dirt, and existing structures (parking lot, playground, trees and gardens).
Q: Since the addition doesn’t help with the size of the sanctuary, what about space problems on Sunday morning?
A: Options for additional space on Sundays include overflow in the fellowship hall, adding additional services, overflow in the new gym, planting a church, or relocating New Life. Options 1 and 2 are the most likely in the next several years. The expense to increase the size of the sanctuary, for the amount of use it receives (essentially just Sundays) is cost prohibitive and not being considered.
Q: What amount of loan is “too big” after we know the total amount of pledges?
A: The pastors have not made a decision about this yet. Financing $1 million will cost about $104,000 a year, in addition to the costs of maintenance, cleaning, insurance, etc. This is not a sustainable amount with our current general budget. Raising pledges for year 1 (construction year) and years 2-3 is critical for moving forward.
Q: How many basketball hoops?
A: Probably two hoops to begin with. If we have sports teams or leagues that want to use the space in the future, we could expand to more hoops as need and budget allows.
Q: What will the gym floor covering be?
A: We will likely start with the lowest cost option, a polished cement floor. Epoxy, a used wooden floor, or a new wooden floor could be added in the future as we better see how the space is being used, and the cost for these upgrades.
Q: Could we level the ground behind the church building to have a more usable field to play in?
A: Yes, that’s an option we’re looking at. If we build on the northwest side of the property and use the large flat space that is there now, it would be ideal if we could replace that space in the back acre.
Q: Should we pay off the existing loan on the building before taking on new debt?
A: The current mortgage is about $150,000. We will work with the bank to determine whether its best to pay that loan off, or wrap the debt into a new loan. That decision will be based on fundraising and on comparing the interest rate of the new loan to that of the existing loan.
Q: Will the second floor loft in the addition be accessible by elevator or stairs?
A: We haven’t yet answered that questions. Stairs will be more cost effective, but limit usage. A middle ground option would be a lift with a smaller weight-bearing load than a traditional elevator.