Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

We are committed to advancing God’s Kingdom in Huntsville and throughout the world. We accomplish this by growing disciples within Covenant, preparing one another for our mission: reaching out through our Covenant Preschool, Second Mile, Habitat for Humanity, supporting and sending missionaries around the globe. Indeed we exist to raise up disciples of Jesus who are dedicated to increasing a love for God, a love for one another and to using our gifts to serve others. Complacency is not an option as we seek to touch the lives of those who do not yet know the riches of God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and to love them into the Kingdom through our church fellowship. God is changing lives and we want to join him in his work.

If we are to help grow the church worldwide, then we must share the same commitment to grow Covenant in ways that glorify God. To this end, our session has identified six areas of needed expansion to further our growth. Our plans include:

I. Fellowship and Worship Space

• New, larger Celebration Hall for dinners, receptions, our contemporary worship service and other events. It will include a stage area, storage, larger kitchen, audio/visual technology. In addition there will be an atrium space outside Celebration Hall for small and medium size fellowship events. Extending from this will be a large patio overlooking a newly designed playground.

II. A Renovated Youth Lodge and Increased Classroom Space

• A large fellowship space (1/2 court basketball) with audio/visual technology (already in place).
• More classroom space for smaller groups – 3 rooms downstairs, two rooms in our current adult wing, a loft at one end of current Fellowship Hall under which would be games and a sitting area.
• A patio outside the Youth Center near storage building.

III. Expansion of Children’s and Adult Space

Children

• Large classrooms for each group, extending into our current “adult” wing. New painting, murals carpeting, etc.
• New, larger restrooms in children’s wing (in place of current restrooms and library).
• Redesigned playground and patio with tables overlooking playground. Fully lighted and secure.
• We considered moving children to new building but have chosen to keep them in current building. Reasons?

1. Desire for all children to be on ground floor
2. Easy access through windows to outside and playground
3. All children on one floor and one expanded wing
4. Centrally located between two worship centers

Adults

• Expanded adult classrooms from current seven to twelve – fifteen (depending upon size and use of dividers)
• Elevator in new building and new restrooms on both floors.
• This will enable us to grow more groups

IV. Expanded Music Ministry Space

• Move choir room and music office from basement to sanctuary level floor (in current office wing). Will need to raise roof (current flat roof to pitch). Larger and more centralized space for choir, music director and organist.
• Bell choir room in either current pastor’s office or in larger room in current “adult” wing.
• Renovated restrooms near Sanctuary.

V. Enhanced Administration Area, Support and Parking

• Since we are moving choir to current office wing we need to relocate office to 2nd floor of new building. (See yellow area on map).
• New restrooms in new building and children’s wing and renovated restrooms in sanctuary wing.
• Additional parking – a net gain of between 70-80 places and restriping of west lot parking.
• Give us an entrance/exit to Downing Drive

VI. A Tithe (10%) to Mission Outreach

• Emphasizes our commitment to reach others for Christ and care for the poor
• Projects will include local, Central America, Caribbean and around the world (Acts 1:8)

Your ideas for this expansion were excellent and we have incorporated many of them. We thank you for your input.

As you can see, these plans represent significant change. We believe these changes will enhance our ministry opportunities. They are sufficient for our future growth, utilize our whole property, are tastefully sensitive to our neighbors, and financially within our reach. As many of you know we already have one million dollars saved for this project.

To accomplish this major change is both exciting and formidable. To move forward with this change while maintaining growth in our current ministry will be outright impossible without God. It will require trust in God’s provision, hearts of gratitude to God for blessings we have received, guidance from God on how best we can participate in this grand adventure.

My family and I have been blessed to be a part of the Covenant community of faith. We have and continue to experience the love of Jesus Christ and to be inspired to share that love with others far and near. I am excited as we move into the future which God holds in store for us. And I am honored to walk together with you.

In Service to Jesus Christ,

Hal Oakley