Our church is launching an initiative to pay off our $2M mortgage, and we’d love for you to be part of it. Imagine what we could do together when we’re no longer making monthly debt payments—more resources for ministry, more support for missions, and more freedom to say “yes” when God opens new doors.
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”
Romans 13:8 (NIV)
Here’s the thing: we’re aiming to raise $2 million above our regular operating budget by October 2030. That might sound like a big number, but as we trust and follow Christ together, we can do this! Right now, our debt limits us from funding the vision God’s given us for Kingdom ministry in a sustainable way.
Every year, we’re paying about $192,000 toward our mortgage. If we maintain minimum payments, we’ll still owe around $2 million when our loan comes due in 2030. At that point, we’d need to take out another loan—probably at a higher interest rate than what we have now. But if we can pay this off by 2030? We’ll save a significant amount in interest and free up funds for Kingdom work right away.
THE VISION
What Could We Do?
Growing Our Mission Impact
When we’re debt-free, we can prioritize God’s mission within our budget the way we’ve always desired. Right now, our debt limits how much we can put toward missions in our operating budget, which has created a gap in our annual missions support. We’ve been filling that gap by using our missions reserves—and that’s allowed us to do some amazing things! We’ve planted churches like Refuge Church and Via International, sent missionaries around the world, supported incredible local ministries like Crisis Ministries and THRIVE Women’s Clinic, and reached into our community with ESL, AWANA, Lionheart, Grief Share, Beautiful Feet, Alliance 436, Prison Ministry and Telugu Community Church.
But here’s the reality: funding missions through reserves isn’t sustainable long term. We can’t maintain our current level of impact this way, let alone grow it. And we believe God is calling us to dream bigger! We want to increase our support for missionaries already in the field, raise up and send out new missionaries, provide a missions house for our partners when they’re stateside, and launch new church plants right from our own community.
If we only increased support for our current missionaries and didn’t do anything else, we’d run through our missions reserves in less than 8 years. Retiring our debt removes that ceiling and lets us move forward as a church that truly prioritizes God’s mission.
Caring for Our Facility
God has blessed us with a wonderful building that’s more than just our Sunday gathering place. It’s where we connect with our community and serve our neighbors to share the hope of Jesus Christ. Through ministries like Lionheart, ESL, Grief Share, AWANA and 423, we’ve seen how powerful it is to invite our community in, and we’re praying for even more opportunities!
But here’s something you might not know: our current debt makes it challenging to maintain our building properly. Right now, we put $24,000 a year into facility reserves. Industry standards recommend funding that at about $61,000 annually.
We have deferred maintenance projects we can’t afford right now—replacing exterior windows, repairing piping under the building, updating landscaping, and interior painting. If we keep putting these off, they’ll become more expensive. Plus, how our building and grounds look says something to our community, and we want that message to be a good one!
Being debt-free gives us flexibility to respond to future growth the Lord may provide. It’s wise to retire debt today so we have greater freedom to follow Christ tomorrow. Whether we need to add staff or make changes to our Sanctuary, removing debt gives us more options to respond to whatever God has in store for us.
Retiring our debt means we can take proper care of what God has entrusted to us.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Why Are We Doing This?
Getting debt-free is simply good stewardship. It would free up resources for Kingdom ministry and help us faithfully care for our facility long-term. We’d have the freedom to continue moving forward, trusting and following Christ as He gives us new opportunities to serve Him both globally and locally. Not just for us today, but for future generations—moving forward free from the burden of debt.
How Can We Do This Together?
- Make a 12-month commitment that you may renew each year
- Give above and beyond your regular tithes and offerings
- Know that 100% of what you give goes directly toward retiring our debt
Your Part in This Journey.
We believe God calls every Christian to be a faithful and generous steward of their financial resources. We also know that looks different for every household. Loving God with your money isn’t about hitting a specific giving target—it’s about loving God and loving your neighbor with 100% of your resources as He leads you.
So we’re inviting you to take these three steps:
Ask
Spend time seeking the Lord through prayer and fasting. Ask Him two main questions: (1) How do You want to grow me in stewarding my finances so I’m loving You and others well with my money? (2) How do You want me to participate in Forward in Freedom?
Listen
As you pray, take time to really listen for what the Father is saying. If you’re married or have a family, talk it through together. Share what you’re sensing with your community group or others who help disciple you. Test what you’re hearing against God’s Word.
Obey
When the Lord answers both questions, respond with faith-filled obedience. We’re not asking everyone to give some predetermined amount. We’re asking every member of our church to obey however the Father is leading them personally.
If we all ask, listen, and obey what our Father says, He will provide everything our church needs according to His will. As children of God, we can all move forward in the freedom of loving Him through faithful stewardship and joyful generosity.
This is about so much more than just retiring debt. May God use this effort to lead each of us to give Him greater supremacy over how we steward the financial resources He’s entrusted to us!
Ways to Give.
At MacArthur in the giving boxes at the back of the sanctuary
Through your bank’s online bill pay tools
Call MacArthur’s finance office directly at
972-373-9833
Questions & Answers.
Why are we doing this campaign now?
Our current mortgage is payable in full in 2030, and at our current paydown, we’ll owe about $2 million at that point. If we have to refinance then, we’ll likely face significantly higher interest rates than we have today—which would increase the burden debt places on our ministry capacity.
What happens if we don’t reach the full $2 million by 2030?
Even if we don’t reach the full goal, every dollar we do raise still makes a significant impact! Any amount we collect above our operating budget will reduce the remaining balance, which means:
- Less debt to refinance in 2030
- Lower monthly payments on a new loan
- More interest saved
- More resources freed up for ministry sooner rather than later
That said, not reaching the full goal would mean we’d still need to secure a new mortgage in 2030 for whatever balance remains. Given the likelihood of higher interest rates in the future, that would continue to limit our capacity to fund ministry and missions opportunities.
What happens if we exceed the $2 million goal before or by 2030?
What an exciting possibility! If God blesses us beyond the $2 million goal, 100% of those additional funds would go directly toward the vision outlined in this campaign: increasing direct field support for missionaries, raising up and sending new missionaries, funding new church plants, establishing a missions house, addressing critical facility maintenance, and building up healthy reserves.
Can I give a one-time gift instead of making a 12-month commitment?
Absolutely! While we’re encouraging 12-month commitments that can be renewed annually (because this helps with planning and creates sustainable momentum), we gratefully receive one-time gifts as well. There’s no “right” way—we’re simply asking you to pray and obey however God is leading you personally.
What if I can’t afford to give anything extra right now?
If you’re in a season where giving financially above your regular giving isn’t possible, here are some other meaningful ways to participate:
- Commit to pray regularly for the campaign, our church leadership and for God’s provision.
- Volunteer your time and talents to serve in our ministries. Our priority is to minister
to those around us. - If your financial situation changes during the campaign period, you can always join in giving at that time.
This campaign is about so much more than hitting a dollar amount. It’s about every one of us growing in faithful stewardship and seeking the Lord’s leading. If He’s leading you to focus on other areas of stewardship right now, that’s absolutely okay. Your value in our church family isn’t determined by your financial contribution. We’re in this together!