CAN I WATCH INSTEAD OF READ?
We invite you to learn about Trinity’s situation through reading this document, which contains the most up-to-date information. You can also watch our Breakthrough Zoom Presentation on YouTube at: 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝘁𝗿𝗶.𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵/𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁. We would covet your prayers and seek your support. May God abundantly bless you and guide you.
WHAT IS THE CRISIS?
Trinity is five years into a ten year lease of an old Lutheran building in the Edgewater neighborhood. The owners have accelerated their timeframe to sell the property, with interest from third parties, and possible plans to convert it. Unless we can raise the remaining capital, we could lose the building. With the right to first refusal, we would have fourteen days to respond. Since passing the five year mark, either party can break our lease with sixty days to vacate.
WHAT IS TRINITY’S MISSION?
Church planting is the biblical vehicle to accomplish the great commission. In particular this means reaching urban centers (Acts 4:21-23). Trinity is a lighthouse to the city, shining the grace of Jesus brightly in opposition to the darkness. Like God’s heart for Nineveh, we see ourselves as missionaries to Chicago. We are here to make disciples, in a city that touches the world. In-spite of fierce spiritual resistance, and significant personal challenges, we are still burning with the same mission. Our hearts ask…what could be more important?
WHAT IS TRINITY’S STORY?
We started in 2009 as a house church on the northside of Chicago. In 2010 we moved into a Coffee Shop in the North Center neighborhood. Six months later we relocated into ComedySportz Theatre in Central Lakeview. In 2011 we moved again to Inter-American Magnet School by Wrigley Field. God grew us and blessed us at each stage. In 2012 a guest donated $500 to start a building fund. In 2015 we raised a Special Offering to help launch OneTribe Church in Nairobi, Kenya — with a heart to be a city-to-city church. In the following years we sent kids club teams to serve OneTribe each summer.
In 2017 we launched a second service to accommodate more growth. Our highest attendance was roughly 350, averaging around 200. In 2019, after being forced out of the school, we became tenants of Bethany Evangelical Lutheran. That same year we started our partnership with Chicagoland Prison Outreach (CPO), with a letter writing and Christmas gift ministry. Our CPO annual hotdog fundraiser has become one of our most successful ways of connecting to the neighborhood.
Like most churches, the 2020 lockdowns and cultural upheaval set us back. A lot of people left Chicago, but also clearer fault lines emerged during the death of George Floyd. There was a severe season of pruning, which we felt strongly in our progressive context. If suburban churches shrank by a third during this time, many urban churches did so by 50-60%.
In 2011 we reopened in-person services with thirty people on our first Sunday. In many ways it felt like a re-plant. It was an initial struggle to find enough volunteers for our basic teams. Even with that, pivoting to livestreams instead of pre-recorded services became a significant outreach for us, and has continued to reap rewards.
In 2022 we relaunched our kids ministry, and started a youth group. By God’s grace, in 2023 our giving turned a corner. We became more determined to focus on our mission, and God blessed us with over fifty sign ups for our Alpha Course, taking unbelievers and new believers through an evangelistic Small Group. We are currently around a humble eighty+ people on the average Sunday (with 130+ in our orbit), and hope to break the one hundred barrier (again) in the next twelve months.
Reversing negative momentum in a church is extremely challenging, but our core people have been absolute heroes. Not only have we faced all the difficulties of a church plant in a major city, but also a ‘turnaround church’ — coming back from the ashes. Needless to say we have learned a lot through the process. We are now facing building insecurity, and have launched our Breakthrough Campaign in an attempt to get us across the line of ownership. We are definitely the underdogs. In a transient city, where the world is constantly changing, we want to put a stake in the ground and build a lasting ministry.
After the great Chicago fire of 1871, and losing his church building, his missions school, and personal residence, D.L. Moody went on a fundraising trip to some east coast cities. Within a few days of completing this he received the full $1,000,000 he asked for. Through the collective contributions of churches, Christian ministries, and philanthropists, God supplied all their needs. Our crisis is not of the same magnitude, but this is our moment for a breakthrough. We are inspired and faith-filled to see what God has done, and what He may do in our day.
This is all for God’s glory. Even though our ministry context is hard, it has become even more important. Although there is great uncertainty, we have remained steadfast to God’s call. He has provided for us every step of the way. By God’s grace, over the years we’ve baptized hundreds of people, and seen some powerful transformations. We are all in for God’s kingdom. To get a burst of faith and vision, listen to Josh’s testimony here: 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝘁.𝗹𝘆/𝗾𝗿𝗚𝗸𝗘.
WHY THIS BUILDING?
We remain open to God’s direction, as well as recognize He has given us some unique opportunities with this building. Over the past fifteen years, having moved five times, we’ve learned that adequate northside venues are extremely hard to find. It is a rare opportunity to be in a church building. Many have pointed out that a church building is a particularly valuable tool for reaching people in our context.
Hundreds of Chicago high schoolers walk past our doors every day during the school year. God has placed us in their pathway. In terms of justice issues, reaching the most vulnerable — those crushed by broken families, violence, drugs, and a failed school system — is of paramount importance. We are looking to start an after school ministry, but to have a lasting impact we need to transition from renters to owners. Additionally, in a city where many don’t have a vehicle, we are a stone’s throw from the CTA redline.
With seven different tenants in the building, it generates over $300,000 of annual rental income. With the right deal, this could put us in a stronger financial position. Having more resources for ministry is a good thing. Ultimately, like the Isrealites following the cloud by day and fire by night, God has led us here. Unless He closes the door, this is our mission.
WHAT IS THE SALE PRICE?
Using two methods of analysis, we place the value of the building around $2m. The owners had floated upwards of $3m, but more recently indicted nothing less than $2.5m. This higher value is due to three factors: they have a large unresolved tax liability, they have put a lot into the building, and from an investment perspective the building has additional potential revenue. However, they are highly motivated to release the property so may accept less.
Our goal is to raise more capital and make our best offer. We currently have $740k in our building fund. In our view, it may not be hard for the owners to find someone interested in maximizing the profit on the building. Additionally, developing the property is not completely ruled out. The risk of losing the building is real. Having operational control of the property would help us use it for God’s purposes. Unfortunately the disagreement over the sale price leaves us with a lot of uncertainty. We are praying for a breakthrough.
DO WE HAVE A LOAN COMMITMENT?
We have talked to seven different church loan providers. We are leaning towards Wesleyan Investment Foundation (WIF). A loan commitment based on our giving would not suffice for the value of the property, the entire rental income must be taken into consideration. WIF has experience with this type of deal. This means digging into all the financials and leases of all tenants. Since this is a complicated process, WIF’s advice has been to focus on hitting our fundraising goals first.
CAN WE NEGOTIATE FOR SELLER FINANCING?
The owner has indicated openness to this idea. A creatively structured deal may help both parties achieve their goals. In order to make any kind of offer — whether through a traditional lender or seller financing — we first need confidence that we have the capital and ability to sustain the building. Therefore, we need help closing the gap with our down payment.
DO WE HAVE A TIMEFRAME?
Raising a large amount of capital typically takes a lot of time. Depending on our fundraising efforts, we would like to make an offer in 2025, but we do not have a specific target date. If we can agree on a sale price, then it is likely our closing period would be 120 days. There is a possibility that if a third party makes an offer, our time frame becomes fourteen days to respond. We would keep our supporters and donors up-to-date with any sudden/significant changes.
WHAT IF OUR TARGET OFFER IS REJECTED?
We would essentially enter a waiting period, but in a much stronger position. It could be that nobody wants this building at the owner’s value. This would give us powerful leverage the longer it goes on, as well as more time to build up capital in case other offers finally come in, or the owner decides to cut their losses and consider a lower value.
WHAT IF ANOTHER INVESTOR BUYS THE BUILDING?
Most likely we would remain in the space as a paying tenant, but in a worse position. An investor’s goal would be to maximize profit, which would not be on our terms or in our favor. We would experience more restrictions on our ability to do ministry. However, we would continue our long term plans to buy the building, potentially securing it in 5-10+ years from the new owners.
WHAT IF WE LOSE THE BUILDING?
Other than crying ourselves to sleep for a few nights, we would regroup and look for a new venue. The mission is Chicago, so we will stay true to the mission. Knowing the lay of the land, we are not super optimistic about our options. However, if God closes the door, we would hold out hope that something better can emerge. In terms of financial gifts, there are a few possibilities. Donors can guarantee a pledge without giving directly. Essentially keeping the gift on hold, but readily available. We can also offer a ‘Directed Gift’ certification, where donors can indicate to have their gifts returned, or directed to another building in the future. Our current goal is to maximize our fundraising efforts, and close the gap with our down payment.
HOW CAN WE PRAY?
Please join our prayer initiative based on Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Set a daily alarm for 4:19pm and join us in simultaneous prayer for funds and favor.
HOW MUCH DO WE NEED TO RAISE?
We want to borrow $1,080,000. This keeps our mortgage in a comfortable place, and avoids taking away from ministry funds. Our goal is to make the building more than pay for itself. In this scenario our down payment would be roughly 50% at $1,120,000. With (current) available funds of $740,000, if we minus a building reserve (for emergencies) of $80,000, as well as 4% closing costs at roughly $50,000, we need an additional $510,000. This amount is larger than we had anticipated, and would represent a significant financial miracle. Yet, we feel permission to articulate our needs and seek help from others. All gifts help.
HOW WILL WE SUSTAIN THE BUILDING?
If we can structure the deal correctly, the revenue the building generates will more than cover the cost of maintaining it, including a $25k-$35k annual capital savings for bigger projects every 5-10 years. We have plans to get more groups into the space and increase the rental income, which includes launching a daycare. The biggest risk is losing an anchor tenant. Our reserve of $80k is designed to help cover gaps in rent and emergencies. We will employ a manager on a commission basis to promote the space and replace tenants. The current owners used PeerSpace (AirBNB for organizations) to find tenants, so they have already proven demand in the area. We plan to keep a fresh list of potential tenants on hand. Owning the building can put us in a stronger financial position, enabling us to do more ministry.
WHAT ARE OUR BIGGEST CONCERNS?
Besides losing an anchor tenant, the greatest worry is stretching ourselves financially and taking on more risk than we should. We have poured over the numbers and are committed to making a deal that keeps our church safe and able to focus on the ministry God has called us to.
WHERE ELSE ARE WE SEEKING DONATIONS?
We are calling on anyone and everyone to participate. We have asked Trinity members to give above their tithes each month. Many have made huge sacrifices already. We are also looking to those outside Trinity who may feel led to give a lump sum, as well as recurring gifts. Down the road we plan to seek support from our neighborhood, focusing on the need to use the facility to serve local high school students. We also have a professional fundraiser in our church looking through grant applications.
WHAT LEVEL OF GIVING SHOULD WE CONSIDER?
With such a big need, we want to be transparent that, along with all gifts, we are seeking sizable gifts. This means gifts that reach into the many thousands. In D.L. Moody’s fundraising efforts he mentions ‘moneyed men’, such as J.V. Farwell. Farwell was a businessman who helped fund many YMCA’s, as well as many of Moody’s endeavors. It is our desire to explore connections with special donors like this. By God’s grace, we received an anonymous gift of $100,400. A huge thank you to our “angel” donor. This encouragement has boosted our faith tremendously. If you, or someone you know, is a person of means, it is our hope to join our visions together. Please reach out at matts@tri.church. Don’t forget, all gifts matter. These kinds of campaigns require a lot of people giving all kinds of amounts.
WHAT ABOUT CRYPTO, STOCKS, ASSETS, RETIREMENT FUNDS, ETC…?
When considering gifts we may initially think about the available cash we have, or perhaps long-term savings. It’s helpful to consider all the ways God has blessed us. A few have asked about giving crypto. When the stimulus checks were sent, some invested in crypto. Perhaps God would direct certain people to release those funds? We are also able to receive stocks. Some have mentioned drawing from retirement, and others have donor-advised funds they use.
With certain assets already intended for sale, like cars, motorcycles, RVs, and boats, could this be the ‘nudge’ to liquidate them? The final asset is Real Estate, which unless selling property, would mean taking out equity. While this may be an unlikely option for some, it’s worth a mention along with all the rest. Would God call some radical givers? We are praying for hearts to stay open! We all typically have a few pockets we can give from. We humbly ask you to pray about your participation.
WHEN SHOULD WE GIVE/PLEDGE?
Since the need is urgent, a clear pledge would help us know our capital capacity. Available funds may naturally be given quickly, whereas larger gifts tend to take time to coordinate. It is always helpful to receive pledges and/or gifts as soon as possible. Please email giving@tri.church to make a pledge or coordinate your gift.
WHAT IS YOUR KEY SCRIPTURE?
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ~ John 1:16
HOW CAN I GIVE?
If you feel called to participate, here are the options…
GIVE BY MAIL
Trinity Church
1244 W Thorndale Ave
Chicago, IL 60660
Memo: Breakthrough
GIVE ONLINE
Select: ‘Building Fund / Tangible Community’ (also a recurring option)
GIVE OTHER
Examples: Stocks, Crypto, pledge, etc…