frequently asked questions
As Westminster moves forward with a capital campaign, many insightful questions have emerged from members. This FAQ gathers those questions and provides clear, concise answers to help the stakeholders understand the purpose, priorities, and impact of the Deepening Wells Capital Campaign.
QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR
Capital Campaign
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A capital campaign is a special, time-limited fundraising effort for major projects such as building improvements, renovations, or other long-term investments in the church’s future. It is separate from the annual stewardship campaign, which supports the church’s regular operating budget and ongoing ministries. While annual stewardship provides the resources needed for day-to-day ministry, a capital campaign funds extraordinary needs that fall outside the annual budget.
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We will run the campaign through June 2027, at which time we will go into a phase of more intentional planning with architects and contractors. The earliest timeline for groundbreaking would be 2028, and construction would proceed in phases.
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The campaign will fund the following major priorities:
• the construction of a new chapel,
• the expansion of the WPC Kids Wing, creating a two-story Mezzanine level, and the renovation of the current 400 hall,
• relocation of the Senior Pastor’s office, the shared-work space, and the family lounge,
• facility refreshes in key gathering and hospitality areas, including the Youth Suite, most restrooms, the Children’s Church Room, and the Friendship Court (outside of the choir room),
• as we have done in past capital campaigns, giving a tithe (10%) of received funds to designated Witness & Service partners.
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“A Place for Everyone” was conducted in 2007 and raised $5.6M to support the expansion of the Sanctuary.
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Yes! The Session approved an $8.5M fundraising goal on a campaign not to exceed $10.9M.
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The campaign budget is larger than our fundraising goal. The Session will explore other avenues, including short term debt, to fill the gap.
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The tithe will support outreach efforts beyond WPC’s existing annual commitments. The Witness & Service Committee will make a recommendation to the Session regarding disbursement of the tithe. WPC has a tradition of supporting transformational projects through capital campaign tithes.
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Westminster is presently debt-free. Whether we take on debt in our campaign depends on the final total cost, the amount raised, and short-term needs during planning and construction.
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Yes. WPC maintains a strong financial position, healthy reserves, and a history of successful past campaigns. The current endowment is $1.55M. At present, no endowment monies are used for facilities use or maintenance.
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The church has experienced significant growth across all age demographics, particularly among young families. The proposed facilities address this shift by expanding program capacity and improving ministry spaces for participants of all ages.
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Yes. Annual giving supports our ongoing ministry and operations and remains essential. We will run an annual campaign in fall of 2026. Gifts to the capital campaign are above and beyond annual stewardshi
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We are assuming a three-year fulfillment cycle but will accommodate requests as needed. Members can work with our Business Administrator to clarify their preferred mode of giving and timing of gifts.
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No. The capital campaign pledge is above and beyond what each member currently pledges to the annual stewardship campaign.
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Yes, you are encouraged to discuss such transfers with our Finance Office and with personal tax or wealth advisors. All gifts to the campaign are fully tax-deductible. We welcome gifts of cash and appreciated stock or other non-cash assets.
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Drawings and renderings will be shared once the architects complete the next phase of design, following the completion of the fundraising campaign.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
Chapel : Purpose, Use & Design
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The chapel will be used for intimate services, smaller weddings and funerals. It will also be used by many ministries in the church such our youth group and confirmands, WPC Kids, and the Weekday School.
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The interior look and feel has not been determined. The Session will appoint a committee to work alongside designers and planners to ensure the space matches our values and pillars.
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The chapel will be located adjacent to the Fellowship Hall. It will cut into a small portion of the Fellowship Hall interior and exterior. Some parking spaces will be affected, but ministries that rely on the Fellowship Hall will not be impacted in the long-term. We anticipate a capacity of 150-200 seats.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
WPC Kids Wing
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The campaign would rebuild and renovate Westminster’s oldest space, which includes the Mezzanine level (which runs parallel to Westminster Drive) and the 400 Hall (where our original sanctuary was located). The Mezzanine level provides rooms for our nursery on Sunday mornings, and is used by WWS on weekdays. The 400 Hall is currently used for storage. The Mezzanine will be torn down and rebuilt as a two-story structure that connects to the renovated 400 Hall, providing new space for our nursery and seven additional rooms for WWS. An accessible elevator would be added to accommodate the addition.
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The Westminster nursery is a cornerstone of our worship and faith formation life, extending hospitality to visitors, new members, and families. The nursery has been growing rapidly since 2021, often welcoming over 50 children birth-K4. On Easter 2026, we welcomed over 80 children! The WPC Kids Wing will allow the nursery to grow organically by providing more accommodating and hospitable space, and will ensure the WPC Kids program can provide innovative faith formation for our youngest members.
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The proposed expansion would allow for the enrollment of 64 new students across seven new classrooms, helping reduce the current waitlist and accommodating more members, siblings, and children from the community.
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Roughly 40% of our Weekday School families are Westminster members. The Weekday School provides an excellent “first step” towards membership and involvement in the life of the church.
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Once we begin the renovation, the Weekday School committee and Session will continue to explore the best model for the Weekday School’s operations and our community’s needs.
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Mezzanine level WWS classrooms and the nursery will relocate during construction. Operations may change, but they will not cease!
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Yes. The WWS budget is reviewed and approved annually by the WWS Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Session. Because it is a critical ministry of the church, and not a separate 501(c)(3), the school does not pay rent to the church.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
Facilities, Parking, & Space Utilization
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We will not add parking during the “Deepening Wells” campaign. The chapel addition will impact parking, though it will not be a critical loss.
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During due diligence, a facility use assessment revealed that most areas within the church are regularly occupied by various ministries and community groups. Present evaluations indicate that our ministries — including WWS, WPCYG, and It’s Elementary — and our staff either lack adequate space or operate in outdated facilities.