In 2015, when Resonate Church moved its Sunday services to the American High School gymnasium in Fremont, California, church leaders already knew they couldn’t stay there long. The gym was big enough for the church’s growing membership, but it came with many downsides. Every Sunday morning, 50 volunteers spent 90 minutes setting up for service: the stage, the seats, the Sunday school area — everything. At the end of the day, another 50 volunteers packed everything back up. For a congregation focused on making an impact in their community, spending 150 work hours each week — 7,800 each year — on setup and tear down was a frustrating commitment of resources.
The same year they moved to American High School, the church reached out to DCG Strategies to help them find a permanent home. The process wasn’t short or easy. There are major challenges to large congregations looking for a new home . But by next summer, Resonate will be moving into its own building.
After over three years of searching, Resonate closed escrow on a former Men’s Warehouse headquarters in Fremont. “By the time we found our building, the City treated us with great favor,” says Pastor Marty Smith.
Indeed, the City Planning Commission approved their conditional use permit with only one abstention. At more than 35,000 square feet, the church’s new building will have a sanctuary that can hold up to 800 seats — none of which will have to be put away on Sunday night. The church leadership already has plans to start a weeknight youth ministry. They have a kitchen and can feed the hungry. They can customize their childcare space to better serve their families. They can better fulfill their vision of who they serve and how.
“There’s excitement in the congregation for where this is leading,” Smith says. “We’re incredibly thankful.”
As a pastor, Smith says nothing is impossible with God, though he admits finding the right building and securing a conditional use permit would have been a lot harder without DCG.
“We didn’t know what we didn’t know,” he says. “Jamil was worth his weight in gold in guiding us through the permitting process. He was essential.”
Resonate plans to start remodeling work this fall and open the new sanctuary in June 2019.
If you are considering purchasing a new building for your ministry, reach out to learn more about how DCG can help.