OUR BUILDING PROJECT
With an estimated population of 25,342 in 2023, Pickerington is one of the fastest-growing communities in central Ohio. It has grown 139% between 2000 and 2022. It is expanding faster than 94% of similarly-sized cities. Due to the growth of our city and the multiplication of our church body, we see much benefit in continuing to pursue a new building space.
A LETTER FROM
OUR PASTOR
It is with great joy and excitement that I share with you that the population surrounding Maranatha—both in Pickerington and in Canal Winchester—is growing quickly. Therefore, we must not only focus on how well we are caring for one another at Maranatha but also on how we can minister to the new people who are joining our communities.
One of the ways to work towards accomplishing this is to continue our pursuit of a new building in Pickerington. We know that this would not be the only way forward, but pursuing a larger facility and gathering space is what the Lord has continued to make clear to us.
It’s been exhilarating for us as a church to follow the Lord as He advances this movement. Not only will this space provide more room for the church in Pickerington to gather as one body on Sundays, but this project will also allow us to more effectively train ministry leaders, raise up additional church planters, and creatively serve our community.
We hope that the people of Maranatha, as well as individuals, churches, companies, and business owners, would be willing to invest in this project financially, in prayer, and in helping us spread the word to others who may desire to come alongside what God is doing in our community for His glory.
I want to thank you for taking the time to learn about our vision for Maranatha’s future. Our prayer is that this building will stand as a testimony to the holiness of God and be a sanctuary that represents Christ to our community for generations to come.
ABOUT US
OUR PURPOSE
Maranatha’s purpose is to foster and develop gospel clarity, biblical depth, and a noticeable Christian community in the local areas God has placed us.
OUR MISSION
We are pursuing this purpose by displaying God’s holiness and goodness in all areas of life. We teach God’s Word faithfully and passionately. We pray fervently for His will to be done in and through our church. We expectantly share the gospel in hope. We desire that those who are lost will be saved and that those who are saved will be strengthened in faith by Jesus. We purposely care for all people—displaying the love of Christ and endeavoring to equip the whole church body to join in the mission of the kingdom.
OUR VISION
The biblical word Maranatha means, “Come, Lord.” We chose this to be our name because it continually centers our attention on our returning King Jesus while we pursue the coming of his kingdom here on earth.
TIMELINE
Our church desires to be hospitable to the people who come through our doors every week. Currently, we have exceeded our building’s capacity.
The only growth options available to us are adding additional gatherings or pursuing a larger building space. Additional gatherings put an inevitable strain on Maranatha’s community and culture. For this reason, we are pursuing this building project as a means of meeting the developing needs of our entire church body.
With a bigger space, we will be able to creatively serve our community through more outreach opportunities. This will assist our goal of supporting external ministries and community needs.
Some examples of this include a beautiful facility to host weddings and funerals, gym and field space to be used for community events, and additional classrooms that could serve home-school co-ops.
This space will allow us to more effectively train ministry leaders within Maranatha and assist other churches in equipping leaders. We will be able to develop a learning environment to raise up church planters and planting teams to be sent out with greater stability.
Our Canal Winchester congregation will be able to leverage this asset for their future facility needs. Ultimately, we see this building as an opportunity to help us answer the call to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
DESIGNED WITH A PURPOSE
The reason Maranatha has chosen a more traditional building design is that we desire to create a monument for the Lord that will always display His holiness. We hope to create a space that is both functional and beautiful so that both vibrant worship and fruitful ministry can flourish.
Our hope is that this structure would serve our current church body and that it would stand as a witness of truth for generations to come. We desire to create a building that will always be recognized as a church.
If for some unforeseen reason this building became inhabited by an organization that is not a church, it will always look like a place where Jesus Christ was worshiped. If that were to happen, our hope would be that eventually another gospel-centered church would be moved to re-acquire this place and recommission it as a proper place for worship of our Creator God.
WHAT IT WILL TAKE
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Our current Pickerington building is worth an estimated $1 million.
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The future building site has nearly doubled in value since we closed in April 2023.
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The estimated total for this project, building and land, is $10 million.
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Completing the project in two phases would increase the total cost by $2 million, not including building cost inflation.
THE GOAL
We plan to fundraise $5 million of the $10 million needed through the giving of our members, visitors, and outside supporters. The graphic shows the type and number of gifts we need to accomplish this goal.
By raising $5 million, we can sell our current building and take on a $4 million mortgage. This would amount to a monthly payment of $26,000.
Currently, we have a monthly mortgage payment of $19,000. This includes the $1,500 mortgage on our current building and the $17,500 we are paying on the land, which will allow us to pay it off in five years.
This means we will only need an additional $7,000 monthly to meet the $4 million mortgage requirements. This will be achievable with our projected growth.
PRAY
Will you join us in fervently praying for Maranatha as we follow the mission and vision God has given us? Specific things to pray for:
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Wisdom and clarity in each step that we take towards our hopeful future.
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Our church to creatively raise our financial giving and support for this project.
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The Lord to bring forward businesses, organizations, and other churches to assist us in reaching this goal.
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Opportunities for our church to reach our primary fundraising goal of $5 million.
GIVE
Our church body has already begun to raise financial giving and support for this project. From April 2023 to December 2023, we have internally raised just under $80,000 internally for this initiative. Would you consider partnering with us financially as we prayerfully follow where God is leading us?
JOIN
If you feel compelled to do more than pray or give financially, please reach out to us at contact@maranathaohio.com . We desire to connect with you and help you get involved in both the community and the mission of our church body.
Make checks payable to Maranatha
Community Church and mail to:
1209 Hill Road North #136
Pickerington, OH 43147
Click here to make a donation through
our GivingFire account. In the section YOUR DONATION, use the drop down menu to select 'Building Fund'.
This project is not going to be accomplished simply by Maranatha. It will require the cheerful generosity of the broader universal church and her people. Visit: maranathaohio.com/buildingproject
or download our Building Prospectus to share with friends, family or local organizations that might be interested in partnering with us.
CURRENT GATHERINGS AND TIMES
PICKERINGTON
SUNDAYS AT 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM AND 12:00 PM
CANAL WINCHESTER
SUNDAYS AT 11:30 AM