Open Door Campaign

New City Church,

Church plants are born when God calls His people to action. Two years ago, the group that formed New City Church was sent out to begin a new work in one of the fastest growing communities in America. We set out to be a church that not only proclaims the Gospel, but lives it out here in Ankeny and even throughout the world.

God has graciously blessed our efforts already – if you were not a part of the original group that planted the church, you are an evidence of that blessing! But the landscape we entered in 2019 has changed. Churches are not allowed to meet in public school buildings yet. A few church plants have already left town and many people in established churches have not been back to church in months. If anything, the need to proclaim the Gospel to the people of Ankeny is even greater than when we started!

It is the elders’ conviction that God has opened a door for us to meet that very need.

Our proposal: New City Church would raise funds to purchase a building that will serve as a worship center and home base for Gospel ministry. We have carefully and prayerfully laid out the case for why this building is a unique opportunity and how we should respond.

The Open Door Campaign is a renewed call to action. God is using New City Church for His glory. In the midst of an uncertain time, He has given us an unequivocal opportunity. How might He be calling you to act?

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Colossians 4:3

– The Elders

The Opportunity

LOCATION 849 S. Ankeny. Blvd.

BUILDING SIZE 20,000 sq. ft.

CLASSROOMS 14

CHILDREN’S WING

PARKING SPACES 181

SANCTUARY 500 seats

DRIVE-BY TRAFFIC 20,000+ cars/day

The Plan

The Charge

Our goal is 100% participation in the campaign. We know God cares more about the giver’s heart than the actual number on the check.

This is why our number one objective is NOT to reach a number, but that every New City Church-goer would grow by giving.

Our charge to you: take the next step(s) in your giving. Locate where you currently fall on the chart below. Pray and consider what step God would be calling you to make. Trust God to bless your giving.

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:7

STEP 1FIRST–TIME GIVER
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
2 Corinthians 8:12
If you have never given to the church, this is your opportunity to get involved. The gifts God finds acceptable are the ones given willingly.
STEP 2REGULAR GIVER
You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthians 9:11
After you’ve given for the first time, the next step is to make giving a part of your life. Carve out a part of your budget that is dedicated to God each month. The blessings will be for you AND for those for whom you are giving.
STEP 3TITHER
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
Malachi 3:10
A tithe is 10% of your total income. In the Old Testament, the Lord commanded the Israelites tithe to support the operations of their temple worship. At New City, we ask all our members to tithe or be working towards a tithe. This is not just so we can continue to operate, but so God might “open the floodgates” and “pour out so much blessing.”
STEP 4SACRIFICIAL TITHER
God’s people faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts.
2 Chronicles 31:12
A tithe in and of itself can be a sacrifice. In Israel, a tithe was the foundation and then, as the Lord continued to bless, the people brought gifts in addition to their tithes. They did this at every feast and throughout the year. In order to meet our goal, we are asking anyone who already tithes to consider what kind of sacrificial gift you can give in addition to your tithe.
STEP 5“TWO MITES” GIVER
All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.
Luke 21:4
It is fitting that one of the best examples we have of a giver in Scripture is a poor woman with almost no money – only two mites. And yet in the story, she is exalted by Jesus because the rich gave much, but the poor woman gave everything. At this level of sacrifice, you no longer think about how much you can afford to give, but how much you can afford to keep. For the Two Mites Giver, every asset is on the table, even those our culture would consider radical (home/land equity, investments, retirement, estate dollars).

The Questions

What is our arrangement with Keystone?
The elders have been in communication with Keystone leadership for several months. They are a true Gospel-centered church and we would consider them co-laborers for Christ. Keystone is aware of our intentions, but we do not have an exclusive deal. The point of the Open Door Campaign is to get our church in a position to make an offer.
Why $2 million?
The property has not been appraised yet, and likely won’t be until closer to the sale. Two million is the round number Keystone has given us, and that number is close to the assessed value.
Where will all the funds come from?
Most of the funds we hope to raise within our own church. We have a head start with our budget surpluses (around $200K over the last two years). But, we will likely need help beyond the NCC family, so we will be asking friends of the church to consider contributing. In addition, we hope to pursue other means of funding like grants, corporate matching gifts, etc.
What if we don’t raise the funds?
Oh ye of little faith! We plan on pursuing every avenue available to us. If the Lord closes the door, we will use the funds raised for a future ministry homebase.
Why now?
We believe it is no coincidence that just as church-planting became much more difficult in our community, New City has been given an opportunity to partner with a fellow Gospel-believing church and establish a permanent homebase for ministry. Our finances have been trending in a positive direction since the beginning. Our body has grown, both in number and maturity, and we desire greater opportunities to continue to reach Ankeny and beyond.

The Hope

NUMBER OF GIFTS
GIFT LEVEL
MONTHLY GIFT OF
GIFT TOTAL
1
$200,000
$16,667
$200,000
1
$150,000
$12,500
$150,000
1
$100,000
$8,333
$100,000
1
$75,000
$6,250
$75,000
2
$50,000
$4,167
$100,000
4
$35,000
$2,917
$140,000
5
$25,000
$2,083
$125,000
5
$15,000
$1,250
$75,000
7
$10,000
$833
$70,000
8
$7,500
$625
$60,000
9
$5,000
$417
$45,000
24
$2,500
$208
$60,000
68
TOTAL
$1,200,000

The Progress

Funds Pledged
$1,500,861
We’re getting close but still need support!

The Commitment

God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7). But in the first part of that verse, He also asks us to be intentional about our gifts.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion…

We want you to be intentional. Pray first, decide in your heart how generous you want to be, then commit to that number. Then click the button to give what you’ve committed in your heart.