From day one in Darryn Scheske’s living room, Heartland has always existed for people who are not here yet. By 2006, we had grown from just one family in 2001 to over 600 regular attenders.At the rate our church was growing, we were able to project that we would be completely out of seats in our current location by the Fall of 2008.
In the summer of 2006 we had a God-given opportunity to purchase 69 acres of land. A retiring farmer, whose father was a Methodist circuit preacher in the early 1900s, felt it would honor his father to sell the land to a church. He sold us the land in 2006 for the incredible price of $1.6 million. This property runs along the north side of I-69, just past Exit 10, inside the Noblesville Corporate Campus.This location is at the epicenter of a residential and retail boom.
Since our purchase, HSE Utilities has extended a main sewer line across our land into Wayne Township. Subsequently, a neighbor donated an adjacent piece of property to Heartland, bringing the total to 75 acres of land, with an estimated combined long-term value of $4 million dollars.
THE CHALLENGE
We assembled a team of gifted professionals, both local and national, to evaluate our options and prepare a strategic plan to get us onto this new land.
It soon became clear that while this secured our future, it would be too big of a financial step for our new congregation.We discovered it would take at least 4 years and $20 million dollars to build adequate facilities, roads and other infrastructure on the new land.
We needed to find a “bridge solution” to 1) remove the immediate growth constraints we faced, and 2) responsibly delay a construction project on our new land for as long a possible. This delay would allow the value of the land to appreciate and avoid the costs of developing roads and infrastructure.
THE STEWARDSHIP QUESTION
Our leaders addressed this critical question. If we were to provide more available seats at optimum times, how could that be accomplished at the least cost, in the shortest amount of time?
THE PROCESS
A detailed analysis of ministry growth, financial capacity, and timeline revealed that it was the best option for our congregation to invest $3 million into our existing facility that would allow us to grow our capacity to well over 2,000 people.
THE “WIN”
This solution enabled us to do much more at a fraction of the cost - specifically by not losing critical momentum in growth, without leveraging our future with overwhelming debt.
Our congregation overwhelming supported this strategy and has already committed just over $2.8 million dollars to this project.
In this downloadable FAQ brochure, you’ll see the facts spelling out detailed answers to some questions you may already have. We want to fully inform you about what we are doing, and ask you to sincerely pray, “God, in light of what you have given me, what might you want me to do?”
If we reach beyond ourselves—beyond, “What’s in it for me?”—we can see something happen that is bigger than ourselves. It won’t be the building of a facility, but help and healing for thousands, … one life at a time!
Since you excel in so many ways…I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is…Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. –2 Corinthians 8:7-12 (NLT)
THE HOME STRETCH
This is the final year of this 3-year Campaign. Already we are seeing the rewards of our sacrifice. In the last few months, weekend attendance has surpassed 1,200 people on several Sundays. There are now over 700 families who regularly attend Heartland.
If you are new to Heartland in the last 2 years, others sacrificed to make room for you. Now we invite you to join us in sacrificial giving for those who are not here yet.
If 180 families could commit 2.8M over 3 years, with all who have joined us, could we not raise another $1M over this next year?
THE FACTS
$1.6 Million for original 69 acres of land
$400,000 of projected accrued interest
$3.8 Million for renovation of current facility
—————–
$5.8 Million Total project cost
$4.0 Million projected long-term value of land
$2.8 Million committed over 3 years by 180 families in 2007.
$1.2 Million received to date (42%)
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$1.6 Million balance to receive by May 2010
WHAT’S YOUR LEVEL?
Consider the following chart. This is just one way to reach this goal. What could God do through you over this next year, above your regular giving to Heartland over this next year?
1-Year Goal
$1,000,000
1 gift of
$100,000
2 gifts of
$50,000
3 gifts of
$30,000
4 gifts of
$20,000
8 gifts of
$12,000
16 gifts of
$8,000
25 gifts of
$6,000
30 gifts of
$4,000
40 gifts of
$2,000
55 gifts of
$1,000
Remainder
$365
Here are two things to remember.
1. We can’t all give the same amounts, be we can all sacrifice equally.
2. The level just above what you think you can afford is the are of God and faith. It’s where miracles happened. This is the level you know you couldn’t do without God.
Would you spend some time in prayer and consider this idea?
Instead of what can we afford,” what if you thought, “how much could we really give over the next year to get this project done?”
Download this helpful guide to answer the practical question, “How much does God want me to give?”
Please fill out the following form when you are ready to make your commitment. We NEED 100% participation from everyone who is a part of Heartland Church.
Please let us know your goal. This will be the gauge to our leadership on how to best steward the resources of our church.
1)If you’ve made a commitment to the One Life Campaign…
2)If you wish to extend or change your commitment …
3)If you would like to make a first time, one-year commitment…
I N D I A N A P O L I S, I N D I A N A 
