Yes - and in ways that matter. Across the country, many churches are seeing slower growth in attendance and less consistent engagement, even among committed members. By God’s grace, we’re not experiencing that. Our worship gatherings have grown steadily, with new visitors joining us every Sunday. 

But that’s only part of the story. What’s most encouraging is what’s happening beneath the numbers. We’re seeing men, women, and children being formed and discipled. People are growing in their gifts and serving the body. 

We’re seeing students taking meaningful steps of faith, leading in Power Up Clubs, professing Christ, and being baptized. We’re seeing more adults stepping into mission, serving the vulnerable and engaging our city in tangible ways.

In other words, the indicators that matter most - discipleship and mobilization - are stronger than they have ever been. That’s what gives us real encouragement.

Because we believe God is already at work among us, and we believe it’s time for us to move toward what He has for us next. 

At the same time, we’re facing real, practical needs. We have been a mobile church for over seven years, and it takes significant time and energy to make space every Sunday for our staff and volunteers - that’s time and energy we can devote to making disciples.  

We’ve also grown to a size and capacity that has stretched our current facility’s ability to accommodate us long-term. 

Simply put, we don’t want to lag behind the work God is doing. We want to steward it wisely and well.

We believe a move like this is important for several reasons. First, a permanent space would allow East to continue growing its gospel influence in Tallahassee. We are deeply grateful for our time at the Tallahassee First Seventh-Day Adventist Church, but we recognize that it is not a long-term home. Having our own building would also provide greater continuity for ministry throughout the week and create additional space to support and expand our children’s ministry.

Yes. This wasn't a quick or easy decision. Our team spent significant time consulting with architects, learning from other churches, and praying through the options before landing here.

Building from the ground up is prohibitively expensive for a congregation at our age and stage. We looked at what was available, what fit our needs, and what would allow us to steward our resources responsibly. 508 Capital Circle SW kept rising to the top.

The location matters too. We believe it's strategic and practical to be planted on Capital Circle between Mahan and Apalachee Parkway, in the heart of the community we want to serve. Spaces suited to our needs in that geography are genuinely scarce. When this one became available, it felt less like a transaction and more like a provision.

The retrofit approach lets us meet our real needs — a worship space for 250-300, classrooms, bathrooms, a lobby -  without overextending ourselves financially. The elders believe this is the responsible path for where we are right now.

That’s ultimately a question for you, the Lord, and—if you’re married—your spouse. This campaign isn’t merely about raising resources. It’s about spiritual formation and the work of grace God wants to do in us.

Over these months, we’re inviting everyone into a process of prayerful reflection:

“Lord, how might my giving reflect my trust in you and deepen my participation in your work?”

For many of us, that will involve rehearsing God’s past faithfulness - personally and as a church - and responding with gratitude. For some, it may mean rethinking priorities, adjusting spending, or considering how to steward accumulated resources.

God doesn’t need our money. But He does use generosity to shape our hearts. And it’s one of the ways we get to participate in what He’s doing. After all, everything we have is already His.

Our current cost is estimated at $1,000,000, although there are a number of unknowns that may cause adjustments to the final number.

We’re trusting the Lord and we’re hopeful. We believe it’s very possible that we meet or even exceed the goal. But if we don’t, we’ll seek to move forward with humble wisdom.

We’ll evaluate what has been given, align it with the priorities we’ve already established, and make decisions that preserve the long-term health and stability of the church. That’s always a non-negotiable for us.

We are currently forecasting a completion date of Fall 2027 for Phase 1. We are prioritizing fiscal responsibility and quality of work over speed and will continue to update the church if the projected timeline changes.

Phase 2, when we take the space currently leased by Lucky Goat, is projected for October of 2028.

In all sincerity, this is one of the more interesting challenges ahead of us.

When Phase 1 is complete in late 2027, Lucky Goat will still have about a year left on their lease. Positively, their rent will help offset some of the costs of living in our new space. At the same time, this also means for about a year, we'll have limited room for children's programming. 

Our current plan is to bring elementary-aged children into the main worship gathering on Sundays (something we often do occasionally out of conviction rather than necessity). We will set up other discipleship pathways for them during the week. We will keep nursery and preschool running on Sundays.

There will be challenges. But our team is already thinking creatively about how to equip families and kids during that season, and we believe the Lord will form us in some good ways through it. Phase 2 begins when Lucky Goat's lease ends in October 2028, at which point we gain 6,000 square feet of well-appointed space for children, students, and administration, all at minimal renovation cost.

We are still in the design phase, so these plans remain tentative. See above for drawings and a video that offer the current design concepts and process.

The Ministry Center is currently on the market. We've had a lot of interest, but no offers yet. Proceeds from the sale would meaningfully contribute to the campaign — but we are not counting on it in our baseline projections. We want to get to $1,000,000 through pledges regardless, so that any sale proceeds become a gift for debt retirement rather than a rescue.