Our Plans

To address these needs we have an exciting plan to renovate and improve our campus and facilities and move ahead with the mission and vision of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church to take our next great steps of faith.

Education Wing Renovation Plans Cost: $1.5 million

Our focus is to attract new families and members to ensure that those who use the Education Wing have areas that are welcoming and safe. In order to meet the needs of families of all ages, our first floor and lower level Education Wing must be renovated.

We plan to have an updated mechanical system to allow for a climate-controlled environment conducive to learning and meeting.
The electrical system will be updated to meet current safety codes and make the entire space more energy efficient as well as technologically updated. LED lighting will be installed in all rooms and hallways, making the space energy efficient while realizing savings on utilities.
The renovations will ensure that the wing is fire code compliant with main-stay doors that will shut in case of a fire.
The paint, cabinets and décor will be refreshed, fixed or replaced.
New carpet will be installed.
Bathrooms will be remodeled to include a child-sized toilet near the Pre-K through 2nd Grade rooms along with newly-renovated bathrooms.
Room sizes will be adjusted so there are more evenly-sized classrooms to better suit the class and group sizes that use the space.

We currently lease the second floor of the Education Wing to the Minnesota Internship Center (MNIC). Because MNIC’s enrollment is growing, they would like to increase their space by adding the lower level of our Education Wing to their existing lease. That’s another reason for doing the repairs and upgrades now.

Parking Lot Resurfacing Cost: $200,000

An adequate and ample parking area is another main focus for our campaign. The holes and cracks that plague the parking lot will be fixed and this resurfacing will give us approximately a 20 year life for the new lot. The alley way and Ministry House driveway will also be resurfaced. This project will pave the way for a future phase where we will explore the idea of adding more parking spaces to our limited lot.

Technology Improvements Cost: $90,000

We have put together a Technology Task Force that will help to identify the spaces in need of technology.

To start, the Longfellow Room and Harrison Room will be equipped with the audio/visual projection capabilities and video-conferencing technology to assist in multi-media presentations and collaborative meetings.
Then we will upgrade the church office’s current technology capabilities, increasing our day-to-day church administration efficiency and enhancing church meetings.
Included in these improvements is the installation of hearing assistance technology in the main level Sanctuary and Art Gallery that connects hearing aids to the sound system frequency, allowing all those with hearing impairments to be active participants.

Commercial Kitchen Cost: $250,000

We plan to upgrade our kitchen to be certified as a commercial kitchen in compliance with relevant food codes by installing stainless steel countertops and cabinets and update key appliances like a new, efficient and spacious refrigeration and freezer system. This new kitchen will better ensure food safety for the thousands who receive meals from our kitchen every year.

Mission Outreach Cost: $165,000

In order to fulfill our existing commitments and realize our promise of risk-taking mission and service, we have exciting plans for the future of our local and global mission outreach:

Reach, Renew, Rejoice – We have pledged to be active participants in the Reach, Renew, Rejoice effort, and, again, we have pledged a 10% tithe of our annual pledged income, which equates to $165,000 over the next five years to ensure the future and vitality of new and existing churches. In order to not encumber our operational budget over the next five years, our plan is to raise this money all at once through this campaign effort.
New Global Mission Project – Our Outreach Committee will be identifying a project soon but one possibility is to have a new Global Ministries Project in Sierra Leone, West Africa. After the results of the feasibility study, this project has been put on hold until more information about the mission, vision and impact of this project is better understood.

Building Maintenance Cost Estimate: $2.5 Million

Because our building maintenance items of roof maintenance and wall tuck-pointing have such large price tags, raising the necessary funds to accomplish the following is a necessity:

Atop all of our church buildings and facilities, we plan on replacing the existing rubber roofs, fortifying the asphalt roofs, and repairing the slate and lead coated copper roofs to prevent further and future leaks and provide a safe, dry shelter for our faith community for the next 25-30 years.
It has been over 25 years since our walls have been tuck-pointed and we’re planning to re-fortify our walls and mortar joints for the next three decades. This will ensure that our church remains protected from more costly damages that could occur in the future, if the tuck-pointing is neglected.