Town Hall Conversation - Greater Things Project
Marietta Nazarene Church
May 17, 2026, 6pm
“Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…” John 14:12
“Greater Things” = Expanding our capacity to participate in what Jesus is already doing.
Rationale:
Balancing the current age of our facilities, the annual upkeep, and the growth of our congregation and peripheral ministries, we need an update and expansion. This expansion and renovation will allow us to re-engineer our current main build, eliminating recurring mechanical issues, and will allow us to retire our two portable units, which are aging out and quickly deteriorating.
It is most preferable to take on the cost of these types of projects sooner rather than later due to the rising cost of construction and other unknown obstacles that may occur. It will never be cheaper to do these projects than now. We are currently enjoying consistent seasons of growth in membership, attendance, and income year over year plus have expanded ministry to the family in every age demographic, requiring more space and support for our campus and facilities.
What are the specific issues of concern, and how does this project address them?
Fully utilizes and optimizes our current square footage with the most cost-effective “expansion” to meet current needs with room to grow.
Better curb appeal.
It removes both aging mobile units.
Building is more attractive to drive retention of members and new guests to grow.
Administrative offices in the main building
Easily identified main entrance with a welcoming open foyer.
Secure children’s area
Concession stand and restrooms in a secure area, as we host outside activities
Upgraded and improved facilities for children and teens
Commercial kitchen
Saves utilities (what is that projection?) Electric, Internet, natural gas in the winter, and the replacement of gymnasium-style lights, which are very expensive to operate. We would be a much greener facility driven by the latest technology and LED lighting.
Reduce the cost of ongoing and future maintenance for aging buildings. Those dollars can be turned into a newer and more efficient building. Over the last 5 years, we have spent over 300K on maintenance, repairs, and updates. Whatever projects are soon to be needed are done anyway and addressed with a renovation.
All ministry takes place on one floor.
What are we proposing?
Slides with Site Plan and Renovation (interior)
How long would it take? 8 months
Would we need to relocate? Possibly, but yet undetermined.
Who is the architect and the builder?
The architect is BGW from Salt Lake City, Utah, and the builder is Legacy Builders from Cumming, GA. Both have extensive experience in church building and property planning.
The Vision Behind This Moment
As we currently exist, we are at capacity. The current state of this building was never intended to stay as you see it now.
1. God’s Vision Will Always Outpace Our Capacity
God rarely fills what hasn’t been prepared.
Before the growth… before the people… before the impact—there is a call to expand. Not after it’s comfortable. Not once everything makes sense. But in faith.
Too often we say, “God, send more people, and then we’ll make room.”
But God says, “Make room, and then I’ll send people.”
Vision requires us to step ahead of certainty.
2. Expansion Is Not About Space—It’s About People
This isn’t about buildings.
Every space represents a soul.
Every square foot represents an opportunity for someone to encounter hope, healing, and Jesus.
So, the question isn’t only: Do we need more space?
The real question is:
Are we willing to create improved space for the people God wants us to reach?
3. Stretching Is Part of Faith
“Stretch your tent curtains wide… do not hold back.”
Stretching is uncomfortable by nature. It challenges what we’re used to. It asks more of us—our generosity, our flexibility, our expectations.
But stretching is also how growth happens, and health is achieved. It prevents stagnation and the loss of vision. Proverbs says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Churches die for lack of direction and vision.
A church that never stretches… eventually stagnates.
A church that does stretch… stays aligned with the movement of God.
God is inviting our full trust.
4. Today is an invitation for you to join us.
What is God calling us to do?
Who is He calling us to reach?
What kind of church do we believe He wants us to become in this next season?
Will we maximize what God has already given us?
Part of our conversations will include expanding our physical space, but more importantly, it will include expanding our faith, our expectations, and our willingness.
What is the cost?
The proposed cost is a range from the builder that will be clarified as we move forward. They have given us 3.1 million to 3.5 million dollars as the total cost for all that we see.
Preferred timeline:
The cost analysis is good for one year, at which time it would need to be reviewed by the builder.
What’s next?
We need a vote of the membership to move forward and launch fundraising, and give approval to the architect and builders, pending meeting our fundraising goals.
Fundraising goals:
Our priority is to raise 85-90% (2.975–3.15 million) of the cost of the project in cash and in-kind gifts (stocks, cryptocurrency, and estate gifts) and have the congregation approve the rest as a mortgage. We currently have an 800K line of credit that we would use and convert into a mortgage if needed.
We will begin the silent phase of our Greater Things Capital Campaign this summer and launch the public phase in August. The goal would be to raise the funding by the end of the year, if possible, and then launch construction in 2027 and have it completed in time for our 75th anniversary celebration in the fall of 2028.
The Dangers:
There will be a temptation to shy away from this because of the cost. This is the largest project in the history of this church. But let’s not limit God and his ability to do abundantly more than anything we can ask or imagine.