Just Imagine
We’re on a mission to reach more people for Jesus–locally, regionally, and globally. The Imagine initiative is all about dreaming big with God and preparing Mission Hills for new horizons of ministry.
Dear Church Family,
When God called my family to Mission Hills last year, it was clear that this is a church committed to following Jesus on mission. This is a church with an incredible legacy of seeing lives transformed by the all-important message of the Gospel, both here in south Denver and around the world. I often get tears in my eyes thinking about how God has blessed me with the privilege of building on this foundation.
Having just celebrated our first 75 years as a church it is time now to let our celebration stir up anticipation, to begin looking to the future and asking with kids-at-Christmas wonder, “what now, Lord?!”
We don’t know all that God is going to do, but we know it’s going to be big…because that’s the God we serve! Paul understood that expecting big things from God is not arrogance but simply acknowledgment of who He is:
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we seek or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… ” | Ephesians 3:20
I love the way C.S. Lewis captured this thought: “it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.” I couldn’t agree more. We are far too easily satisfied with so much less than God wants to do in and through us.
And so I have come to believe that dreaming big with God is a profound act of worship.
That’s why I’m excited that you’re reading this! The Imagine initiative is all about dreaming big with God and preparing Mission Hills for new horizons of ministry. I invite you to prayerfully imagine what it would look like for you to partner with us in all that God is about to do.
locally
MAXIMIZE OUR CURRENT FACILITY
NEW AUDITORIUM | $6 MILLION
WORSHIP CENTER ADDITION | $3 MILLION
LOBBY EXPANSION | $3 MILLION
We want to make space on our campus for the people moving to our area to join us. Currently, our facility is limiting our ability to effectively engage our mission of evangelism and discipleship. In order to reach more people with the gospel, we will increase our current worship center seating by 700 seats, ensuring we have space for more in our community to join us for a weekend experience. We will also build an additional auditorium on our property that will seat 400-500.
This space will be used as an additional worship venue to host youth services and create more space for our growing adult discipleship Bible studies and classes. Our lobby will be expanded to feature a Connection Center to simplify the process of connecting each person at Mission Hills with his or her next step in a relationship with Jesus.
View Our Virtual Renderings of the Project
REGIONAlly
MULTI-SITE CAMPUSES
MULTI-SITE CAMPUSES | $250 THOUSAND
God has given Mission Hills a long-standing vision to expand our work into our neighboring communities and has begun providing the resources to do so. There are two reasons we are embracing a multi-site strategy as a way of accomplishing this goal for growth. It is financially responsible, and it engages more people in God’s mission to our community. One example, 85% of multisite campuses are successful and growing at an average rate of 14% per year compared to the 80% of traditional church plants that fail within two to three years.
Our goal is to launch multi-site campuses that provide the core aspects of a Mission Hills weekend experience. We have two upcoming opportunities for multi-site campuses. We are adopting a sister church that launched as our Dove Valley Campus on October 22, 2017. We are planning to launch Mission Hills en Español which will meet at The Life Center starting in Spring 2018.
we will be growing our communities
GloBally
MISSION EXPANSION
ADDITIONAL HOUSING IN POLAND | $250 THOUSAND
As we grow our investment in our own community, we are also committed to reaching more people with the gospel globally. From financially supporting local missionaries to sending short-term trips from our church, Mission Hills has invested evangelism and discipleship in Poland for decades. One of our ongoing partnerships in Poland is with Josiah Venture, an organization whose mission is to equip young leaders to fulfill Christ’s commission through the local church.
We will fully fund a project to build additional housing at Josiah Venture’s year-round camp and conference center in Poland called H2O. H2O is one of the only Christian conference centers in Poland and has served as a home for evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training since 2011. The youth who are trained at H20 return to their local communities, help begin a movement of God that finds its home in the local church and transforms society in Poland. These new buildings would enable Josiah Venture to increase their housing capacity by 25% during the most critical months of the year and enable them to serve a projected 3,700 more people on their property annually.
increasing our impact globally
IMAGINE RAISING $10 MILLION TO MAKE ROOM FOR MORE TO BELONG
HOW WILL WE RAISE $10 MILLION?
STEP ONE | IMAGINE INITIATIVE
One-Time Offering on November 11/12 | $1 MILLION
Three-Year Commitments | $9 MILLION
Total Goal | $10 MILLION
STEP TWO | CONGREGATIONAL VOTE
We plan to seek congregational approval for a $5 million construction loan to cover both our upfront expenses and any additional funds needed to complete all of our initiatives. Both the cash flow from the resource initiative and an increase in our general fund will easily be able to cover this commitment.
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
COMMITMENT WEEKEND | NOVEMBER 11 & 12
Start by praying about how God wants you to use your resources to help us in this initiative. We would love for you to pray for:
- Praise God for how He has used Mission Hills already and for continuing to use us for His Kingdom work.
- Pray for God to grow our new multi-site locations and our partners in Poland to reach new people with the gospel.
- Pray about how God wants you to use your resources to help us in this initiative.
On the weekend of November 11/12, bring a one-time gift and let us know what you are willing to give above and beyond your normal gifts to the church over the next three years starting on January 1, 2018.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why are we starting this initiative now?
When will construction start at our current campus?
Will we still meet during construction?
What services will take place in the new auditorium?
When will we start our first multi-site?
When will construction start on the additional housing in Poland?
Will we be required to incur additional debt?
What will the expanded facility look like?
CLICK TO SEE VIEW OF THE EXPANDED LOBBY A
CLICK TO SEE VIEW OF THE EXPANDED LOBBY B
CLICK TO SEE VIEW OF THE NEW AUDITORIUM A
CLICK TO SEE VIEW OF THE NEW AUDITORIUM B
CLICK TO SEE VIEW OF THE EXPANDED WORSHIP CENTER
CLICK TO SEE WHAT THE NEW BUILDING WILL LOOK LIKE // BLUEPRINTS
ARE YOU IN?
CURRENT ELDER & MEMBER
SINCE 2008
MAKING ROOM FOR FAMILIES TO BELONG
I’M IN: “My family began attending Mission Hills in 2008 – not too long after we moved to Denver from Houston. From the first person who greeted us, to the great preaching and wonderful relationships built in our Bible study classes, to the focus on children’s programs – we knew that Mission Hills is where God wanted us to be. Sheila and I are very thankful for all that God has done in our lives through Mission Hills. We’re giving to Imagine so that others can have the opportunity to experience “Transforming Lives Period”. In I Timothy 6:18, Paul encourages us to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. | I Timothy 6:18
Whether it’s helping those less fortunate, Matthew 25:35-40, funding those doing missions work, Matthew 28:18-20, or expanding our worship center seating capacity so more can hear the great message of God’s love, John 3:16, – giving to God not only helps others grow spiritually, it helps the giver grow as well. We are grateful to be able to play a part in giving to God’s work!”
CURRENT MEMBERS
MAKING ROOM FOR GENERATIONS TO BELONG
I’M IN: Wayne Anderson knows how to answer the call to be all-in for the growth of this church. His parents, longtime members Carl and Mary Anderson, moved their three boys into a house next door to Mission Hills Church, on the corner of University and Orchard. When the church outgrew that building, the Anderson’s opened their own home to Bible studies, youth group meetings, and more. Carl and Mary sacrificed their comfort, not to mention the wear and tear on their furniture and carpeting, in order to provide people a place to belong. They showed Wayne that people are more important than possessions or places; God’s mission is primary. God used the church his parents sacrificed for to transform Wayne’s life. Each tick on Wayne’s timeline of faith began with someone at Mission Hills. God even began Wayne’s family here.
“God brought Stacey into my life through this church,” he recounts misty-eyed. Stacey was invited to Mission Hills by a classmate. She confirms what Carl and Mary grasped before them: “What is life about? The bottom line is it’s about relationships.”
In 2008, Wayne was invited to participate in another step for Mission Hills: our move into the current building. As chairman of the Elder Board, he prompted the board to spend a month in prayer on how to move forward. Faced with the prospect of moving from the church building where he grew up, he yielded his plan for God’s declaring,
“If this is really what you want, I’m willing to move.”
Today we’re faced with another step of growth and Wayne maintains the same motivation as each step before. God’s desire is to grow more fruit—to see more people come to Jesus at Mission Hills. That wasn’t possible without sacrifice and Wayne believes the same is true now. “It’s time to see more fruit being produced,” Wayne affirms. “He’s ready to give—just like his parents before him.”
