Faithful Together Q&A
Design and Layout
Will the new Sanctuary retain the basic feel of the current Sanctuary?
Yes. The exterior appearance will not change but the interior will be completely renovated but will have the same sense of a sacred space for worship, with a much larger platform, curved pews, a center aisle, choir loft, and organ.
Will the number of seats in the Sanctuary and in the choir loft be increased?
Minimally. The number of seats in the Sanctuary and in the choir loft will be essentially the same as today.
Will the stained glass be used in the baptistry and if not, what will we do with it?
The new baptistry is much larger and the stained glass will not fit. It will be moved and mounted in the Arendall Welcome Center.
Do we expect this design to be usable for 20 to 30 years given how worship styles and other usage may change?
Yes. With the larger platform and improved technology, this design maximizes flexibility for now and for the long term.
Will egress, ingress, and accessibility be improved?
Yes. An elevator will be added on the Northeast corner of the Sanctuary and the single doors under both transepts will be replaced with double doors and larger areas outside of the doors.
Will it be more difficult to hear the choir with the orchestra on the platform?
No. The choir will be elevated above the orchestra. Being closer together will improve the balance of the sound between them.
How will audio, video, and lighting be improved?
All audio and video systems and lighting will be completely new and include state of the art technology.
What other areas besides the Sanctuary itself will be changed?
The Foyer/Next Steps area will be larger, and the women’s restroom will be reconfigured. The Fellowship Hall and kitchen will not be changed. Windows will be replaced and will look the same. Other exterior repairs will be made. (columns, gutters, etc.)
Will we still have a pipe organ?
No, but there is good news. In order to be good stewards, we will install a new, industry-leading digital organ of exceptional sound quality and clarity—exceeding that of our current pipe organ and custom designed for our Sanctuary. The existing organ will be uninstalled, with salvageable parts being reclaimed. A brand new pipe organ would cost $4 million. To uninstall, store, and reinstall the current pipe organ would cost almost three times the cost of the new digital organ.
Financial
Is a $10,000,000 goal realistic since it greatly exceeds anything we have done before?
$10,000,000 is indeed more than Dawson members have given in prior campaigns, even if making adjustments for inflation and compared to the budget at that time. Churches of our size typically receive more in campaigns than the amount of their annual budget. Given our annual budget of $12,000,000, we know that $10,000,000 is realistic and achievable.
If we do not reach the $10,000,000 goal, can we afford to borrow more to make up the difference?
We are very confident that members will respond generously to meet and even exceed the goal. We have evaluated various scenarios of the loan terms with what is committed. The final loan amount will be determined after commitments are made.
Will the campaign impact member giving to the annual budget of the church?
We want every member to continue their faithful giving to the budget and do not anticipate any impact.
Is any of the cost for interim worship reusable or recoverable?
Yes, some of the equipment will be reused to improve the audio and video capabilities in the Chapel, and the chairs will be reused throughout the campus.
Will there be a cost savings once we have achieved this project?
Yes. New equipment and facilities require less routine maintenance. There should be some savings, but the exact amount cannot be determined at this time.
General
Where will we worship during construction?
The FRC, with the same schedule of our three worship services at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:00 a.m.
Will this project impact any other programs, activities, or mission projects at Dawson?
There is no foreseeable reason that any other programs, activities, or missions should be disrupted.
When do we expect future construction projects on the West Building and the East Wing?
It is realistic to expect that we will have future facilities needs as we continue to grow and as buildings age, but we are currently unable to predict what that looks like or when that might occur.
Any issues with the City of Homewood that might impact the construction schedule?
We have had multiple discussions with the City and do not expect any problems.
A building of this age will undoubtedly have unforeseen issues once construction begins. Has any of that been accounted for?
Yes. The contractor has built in a contingency plan and we have added one of our own.
Will the Sunday morning schedule change when we move into the new Sanctuary?
No. It will remain as it is today. We will still have three worship services and three Life Group hours.
Will anything being done in this project make future projects more difficult?
Because this project is almost completely contained within the Sanctuary Building, there should be no impact on any future projects. The only exception may be the stairs on the East and West side of the Sanctuary that are being modified to accommodate the double doors.