Welcome! A word from Pastor Mike
The purpose of this site is to explain our plans to find a permanent home for the church and cultivate the church so she is spiritually and financially capable to do so.
The funds we are raising will cover the costs of the acquisition and two of the four phases of developing the Five Corners Mall. They will also be used to support staffing additions intended to make the church more focused on its mission, more intentional in its outreach, and more effective in its inner workings. By working on both of these areas simultaneously, we are prepared to buy the mall or purchase some other facility or site while we are giving ourselves to what’s most important.
Jesus said, “It is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”(John 15:8). A legacy of fruitfulness is our heavenly calling. So, for a short season, we will face a bit of pruning to make us more fruitful. I don’t see it as a sacrifice. Sure, we will be adjusting our lives, but God will bless more than He asks. I see it is an invitation to watch God’s favor at work. I’m looking forward to the miracles of provision, stories of increasing faith, and a legacy of believers serving and multiplying fruit.
Through this process we are going to keep our eyes on Jesus because this is from Him, by Him and for Him alone. I am expecting God-sized fruit because this is a God-sized challenge.
It’s going to be amazing.
Mike
Figure 1. The Lighthouse 6 months after starting, meeting at Mill Plain Elementary School
Figure 2. We begin demolition on the vacant Apple Market 2000.
Figure 3. One of three preschool rooms just before opening day, 2001.
A Brief History of The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse was founded in 1987, initially meeting at Mill Plain Elementary. We moved from place to place; unloading and loading a trailer weekly in various schools and other locations throughout Vancouver.
In 2000, as a result of our ongoing missions work in holistic-ministry approach, we felt it was God’s intent that we should bring the same philosophy to our own facility needs.
We decided to open the Little Lights Learning Center, to educate children, create jobs, generate income and sustainably impact our community. We asked God to demonstrate His direction by a favorable response from the landlords of a vacant grocery store. M&O Properties, owners of the Five Corners Mall, responded almost immediately. Our landlords loaned $250,000 for tenant improvements, and in a year’s time the Lighthouse completely renovated an 20,000 ft. shell into the Learning Center and Church. The landlords graciously forgave portions of the debt and the church faithfully paid off the remainder of the debt in 2016. There were 25 distinct miracles that made this work possible. We know Jesus was involved.
Business and Mission are in our legacy.
Assisting the church of Guinea-Bissau, we used this same biblical approach to help them create jobs, fund holistic missionary cashew production projects, and reach villages with the Good News of Jesus Christ. While providing clean water, education and economic opportunity, the indigenous church led hundreds of men, women and children into the saving knowledge of Jesus.
The final result: A modest church dramatically changed and influenced thousands of lives by helping people become self-sufficient through business in a Christian context. Business-as-mission mobilizes a wide variety of resources – spiritual and natural, economic and relational – to utilize people’s knowledge and creativity in life-changing work.
We understand that this is a distinct and specific calling and that it isn’t a model for all churches. But this is our history, our training, and the way God has used us and continues to bless us.
It’s a beautiful thing to see that Jesus has a plan for us in this moment. If, in the end, the 5 Corners Mall is where we are to set down roots, we’re committed to be effective stewards with what God has provided and we are ready.
Figure 4. Logo of LEAD International.
Figure 5. Students receiving school supplies in an island school started by a local church following our model.
Figure 6. A Guinean physician visiting the island passes by women carrying their marketable goods on their way to the church transport boat.
Growing Our Legacy: Church Development Plan
A main priority in this campaign is to improve the ministry of the church and prepare to purchase a facility. As much as we would like to focus on outside donations, business income, and other sources of revenue, the best way to do this is through developing and growing a healthy congregation.
We intend to work towards what is a reasonable target of about 17% growth per year. Here are our church development targets.
- Grow the Little Lights Learning Center
The Learning Center leadership has determined to work towards a goal of increasing student attendance 17% each year through the three years of the campaign. This will provide the church with a growing “in-house mission field.”
Additionally, LLLC has committed to support the Capital Campaign financially. It will participate in the intial offering while continuing to provide half of the church facility operational expenses. During the three years of the campaign, they intend to partner in this important need.
- Grow Existing Ministry Staff
Over the last year, we have invested in the Children’s Ministry Director, Krista Edman, and Youth Leader, Jon Jobin. Because of these two gifted leaders and the teams that work with them, both children’s programs and youth programs are growing steadily and in depth. We are intending to invest further to help them expand their vision, sill and availability.
- Increase Children’s Ministry Director wage funding
- Increase Youth Ministry Director wage funding and/or invest in ministry education.
- Grow Our Capacity Through Hiring Additional Ministry Staff
In the next 3 years, we see three immediate positions that will be crucial to the development of the church. Our goal is that each role will generate income to fund themselves within 18 months.
- Administrative Coordinator or Director – Full Time
- Web and Social Media staff or contractor – Part Time
- Music and Worship Arts Director – Part Time
Proper staffing will help our congregation serve. Administrative leadership provides the needed time and effort to connect people to places they can make a difference. It can call out points of need, improve communication between ministries and remind us of the importance of reaching our own mission field.
- Grow Our Bible Training program
As an active response to this campaign, we will begin planning and implementing a Bible and Ministry Training program. Our first objective will be one-year practical classes in Bible Knowledge and Christian Growth. As we near the end of the campaign, we will have begun this training and started the process of determing more advanced training opportunities.
- Grow Our Capacity to Save
As the church grows three things happen naturally: 1) People become excited to serve and participate. 2) Financial support grows, and 3) Our capacity to add to our capital savings improves. At 17% annual growth based on current trends, we should be able to save around $8,300.00 monthly, or $100,000 annually for property purchase each year after the campaign.
General Property Purchase Goal
With changes to our tenant landlord relationship, our plan may seem unsettled as to how we should proceed. But, we are committed to being prepared to purchase the Mall as that is still a possible outcome. As we move forward, the information below explains our plan should the Mall become available once again.
The Five Corners Mall
Appraised Value
In 2018, the appraisers using the Income Valuation method, established an appraised value of $3,360,000. The appraisal also noted that the values were somewhat low and that there was room for improvement in tenant leasing contracts.
Income Valuation takes three years average Net Operating Income (NOI) and divides by the Overall Rate of Return (OAR). At the time of the Appraisal the NOI was $277,259 and the OAR was 8.25% resulting in $3,360,712 as the acceptable value of the Five Corners Mall.
Site Plan At Present
The site area is 4.75 Acres zoned for Retail. The South East corner of the property abuts a gas station that is not part of the Five Corners Mall.
The current site of the Five Corners Mall includes 4 structures.
Building A – 2 Units
The Lighthouse and Advanced Liquidators building. It contains about 35,000 square foot of rental space.
Building B – 3 Units
Divided into three business spaces. It has a total of 10,259 square foot of rental space.
Building C – 8 Units
Divided among 7 businesses. Combined, it has a total of 10,828 square foot of rental space. This space is sometimes referred to as “the mall” due to the interior access hall that opens to the exterior on both the north and south ends.
Building D – 3 Units
The smallest of the buildings. It has 4,400 square foot of rent-able area.
Renovation For Our Mission
Building A
- Open the Mission Café as The Mission Roasters and Café, making more room for fellowship and seating area in the lobby.
- Provide more offices spaces.
- Add three new classes approximately the same size as our current class rooms and one large class or meeting space.
- Build a new room adjoining Building A to Building B, serving as a Bible Training and Church Plant Incubator[1] in Auditorium 2.
- Designate a Youth Mentorship and Training suite, to provide an engaging location and designated meeting space for Youth Ministry.
Building B
- Make the hidden unit at the north end into a counselling suite.
- Replace the bar with up to 4 new businesses.
Facility Wide Revisions
- All buildings would receive a face lift to improve rentability and appearance.
- Street sign reader boards would be upgraded to video signs, improving advertising value to the current and future tenants.
A Church Plant Incubator is a site specifically used to start or plant new churches allowing them to develop public worship and form a new congregation.
Initial review of video signs allows for static images min. 10 seconds, not facing residences within 60’ of the sign, adjusted to ambient light. Property Management company is familiar with video signs in Clark County and believes the site is permittable.
Conceptual Drawing of Exterior Remodel of “Building A”
Renovation For Our Mission
Phase 1 – Acquisition (Purchase and Year 1)
$87,000.00 Total cost of acquisition plus property taxes
$150,000.00 Facility improvements
-$50,000.00 From rental income and reserves
$187,000.00 Total Donations Required
Phase 1 begins once an offer is in hand to purchase the mall. After we acquire the Five Corners Mall, we plan to stabilize the rent, explore the necessary legal structures required, migrate tenants to lease agreements, and establish a site management schedule and maintenance reserves.
Phase 2 – Site Renovation and Value Improvements (Year 2-4)
$325,000.00 Estimated cost of renovation to Buildings B, C and D
$100,000.00 Ministry Staffing
-$225,000.00 From rental income and reserves
$200,000.00 Total Donations Required
Phase 2 focuses on façade renovations on the three buildings not housing the church. Modest rental increase will trend with the inflation rate. Tenant businesses benefit by the video sign and the new updated appearance of their storefronts.
We formalize the renovations to the Church facility in building A. We add a family and crisis counselling suite into building B and transform the bar into 2-4 businesses. The church staffing is increased one full-time person to handle ministry development.
Phase 3 – Church Missional Expansion 1 (Year 5-7)
$85,000.00 Sign on 76th Ave Installed (estimate)
$425,000.00 Build out interior and façade on Building A
$100,000.00 Ministry Staffing
-$410,000.00 From rental income and reserves
$200,000.00 Total Donations/General Savings Required
Phase 3 is the most dramatic missional expansion of the plan. We revise the exterior of building A, add classrooms, offices, and youth outreach/mentoring facility, and expand the lobby by eliminating the coffee area and offices. The Mission Café would move into what is now the area next door and become Mission Roasters and Coffee Shop, a business open 7 days a week. On Sundays, the Coffee Shop may be opened to the church as needed.
With the expansion of classroom space, we begin the Bible Training Program. We also add one more staff person to oversee the new Youth program. Improving staffing will increase the functional capacity of the church.
Phase 4 – Church Missional Expansion 2 (Year 10)
$456,000.00 Build out Auditorium 2
-$456,000.00 From rental income and reserves
$0.00 Total Donations Required
Phase 4 is the culmination of the campaign. In it we build the second auditorium for bible training, a location to start new churches, or a location to host other events as needed. Our priority is on raising up young people to impact the world for Jesus Christ and to be good stewards of the things God has provided.
This figure is based on a 3,800 square foot building space addition at the average commercial construction cost of $120 per foot.
