Building

Do we have enough classrooms and are they big enough?

God willing we won’t have enough classrooms in the near future but the constraints of a $3.7m budget mean that we need to start with 3 classrooms and a crèche room. Both the garage and granny flat in the existing house can both be converted to additional classroom and meeting space. If funds allow, refitting the garage would be a priority. There is a retractable wall between each of the 3 Kids classrooms to allow for larger Kids Church activities to occur in a small hall.

Is the crying room big enough for mums with prams? What is the viewing like? Can you make crying room doors extra wide to easily fit prams?

Babies are welcome in the auditorium. The crying room has been deleted from the plans due to budget constraints. However, it won’t be difficult to add this in at a later stage and at similar cost.

The foyer can also act as another crying room and the breakout space can also be used (if not being used for another purpose at the time), since there will be speakers into the breakout space which can be turned on to allow people to hear the auditorium speaker if required.

To enhance versatility for playgroups, should there be access to a playground from the crèche room?

An external door has been added to the crèche room to allow direct access to the outside courtyard. Budget constraints do not currently allow for construction of a playground. Alternative methods of funding a playground will be investigated as soon as the building is constructed. It’s clear a playground safely attached to the creche would be a very helpful addition.

Is the kitchen large enough and for safety reasons should the servery be moved away from the high traffic area in the corner of the breakout space?

The location of the servery has not changed from the original plan as it is the only part of the kitchen area that provides wide access to both the breakout space and the courtyard outside. Any re-location of the server caused more problems than it solved. However to redirect traffic coming down the corridor from the crèche, crying room and classrooms a Perspex screen will be placed at right angles to the server.

Is there sufficient storage space?

There is a storage space at the front of the main auditorium (which also improves acoustics) and an additional storage room in the break out space. Storage in classrooms and the creche will be added when funds allow (currently not in our budget and plans) and will probably include a long bench with storage underneath. If we raise enough funds during building we will include classroom cabinets in the project.

Do we have sufficient toilets and should there be an airlock entry for toilets?

The 3 male cubicles and 6 female cubicles as well as an accessible toilet/nappy change room exceed planning requirements for a building of this size and nature. In response to feedback, plans have been adjusted to incorporate a more discrete entry for both male and female cubicles.

Why is the foyer ‘cut in’ and is there enough space for congregations coming and going?

The updated plans have seen the foyer in the south eastern corner decreased in size and now squared into the building and accompanied by a covered loading/drop off bay with the access ramp moved to the southern side of the building. On advice from our architect the foyer and outdoor covered area have been designed to work with expected people flows.

Given our budget constraints should the land at the eastern end of the property, which incorporates the dam and will be required by the Council for their southern feeder road, be sold now rather than waiting many years for a higher offer? Should the dam be fenced off?

Due to the dam being located within a wetland area an authority to remove the dam has been requested from the relevant government authority. At this stage, we don’t plan on removal due to the cost but will likely fence the area for safety. For many years we have negotiated with Council over the sale of a portion of land at the intersection of Ploughmans lane and Cargo road. However, if we proceeded with a sale at this stage it would be at a very reduced rate. If Council later requests the sale the price will be substantially higher. For this reason we haven’t proceeded to sell that land.

Is the number of car parking spaces sufficient for two concurrent services? Why have 3 separate carparks, will it increase congestion, particularly in the western carpark if it is full? Could an additional carpark be added to the north of the buildings?

The current carparking exceeds the required standard. The new carpark design keeps some of the gravel carpark near the house as overflow parking in excess of requirements. The north of the buildings is excluded from development due to its proximity to our neighbour.

Finance

How much has been spent on the property project to date and what on?

As at 30 June 2020 the total amount spent on the Ploughmans Lane OEC Ministry Centre project was $550,000 on the following: consultants i.e. architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, road, tree removal etc. All of this spending is part of the $3.7m project budget.

What is the current status of our building loan?

Our lender, Baptist Financial Services (BFS) has approved our loan and documentation has been drawn up. OEC Partners approved a loan of up to $2m. There is a $200k contingency component that is not included in our overall budget but may be needed if costs increase. Our advice is any increased cost is likely to occur in the initial stages of the project from unforeseen ground conditions. Please pray for this!

We are very thankful for God’s provision of BFS to lend us the money to complete the project.

What are the projected ongoing costs once a constructed building is operational?

Running costs, including power, water, gas and maintenance are expected to be around 2% or project cost. So our estimated ongoing costs are around $70,000 per year. Our current rental costs for multiple venues for Sunday services and numerous other meetings during the week including the Cinema office space are approximately $80,000. Although moving into the house to use as an office means we will no longer receive rental payments of around $20,000 per year.

1. In relation to council rates we expect to be exempt as a Place of Worship.

2. In relation to fit out, services (electrical, plumbing etc) are included in the build price. We expect costs for furniture and AV fit out will be around $60-80,000. It is also worth noting that OEC’s current AV equipment, which is still relatively new, can be utilised in the new building.

3. In relation to interest, an annual interest rate of 5% (current expected rate from our lender) and a loan of $2m, our annual average interest bill would be $100,000 per year. Total annual repayments (principal and interest) would be $190,000 or $255,000 (for 10 or 15 year loan terms). Our annual giving to building has been over $200,000 consistently and in two years (before the Startup fund was opened) we exceeded $300,000 in giving to building.

What can we do as a congregation?

Please pray!

• That we would have a building that would greatly assist our job of proclaiming the gospel in Orange and beyond.

• For wisdom and good information for the building committee and a good working relationship with our builder.

• For maintained unity in the gospel, even as many of us will have very different ideas on the way forward for our building project.