Frequently Asked Questions (Since June 9, 2007)

What caused the fire?
We have not received any new information since the first week after the fire.  The investigators ruled out foul play.  They believe the fire started in the kitchen, spread up the elevator shaft, and went across the roof.  They have never determined an exact cause.  They followed up on the possibility of a break-in gone wrong, but do not have enough evidence to conclude that the fire started that way. 

Could the south towers have been saved?
When it comes to buildings, nearly anything can be done…for a price.  When the fire went through the roof it actually bent (melted?) the iron beams that ran from north to south.  Those beams were connected to the north and south brick peaks.  Consequently the north wall was completely unstable.  The structural engineers recommended that the entire building be taken down.  One engineer told me that he ‘loves old things’ and ‘lives in a hundred year old house’ but that the remaining building needed to come down.

Why did we meet at Capitol City Christian Church?
Pastor Bill Thornton is a friend of Stu’s and he immediately offered their help.  They do not use their worship center at the 10:30 hour and were able to free up a couple of rooms for nursery.  Though their facility is quite a distance from 9th and D, their hospitality, availability, parking, time-slot, and friendship made it quite a blessing.

Why are we now meeting at Grace Lutheran Church?
Capitol City did not have extra space for our educational programs.  Our friends at Grace Lutheran were willing to create a schedule that will allow us to operate all of our weekly programs, including worship, Sunday School, AFC, AWANA, and other occasional ministries.

How long will we be meeting at Grace?
The month of August will be a trial period for both congregations.  We will need to work out some of the traffic flow issues as 500-600 people could be roaming the hallways on some Sundays.  Assuming we can mutually iron out all the bugs, we could be renting from Grace Lutheran for the duration of our ‘wilderness wanderings’ (until we build or buy a facility).

Will Zion rebuild at 9th and D?
The elders and deacons have been gathering as much information as possible and assessing all options.  These options seem to boil down to this: (1) Rebuild Zion at 9th and D, (2) Rebuild Zion at another location and plant a daughter church at 9th & D, or (3) Relocate Zion to an existing facility and plant a daughter church at 9th & D.  All of these scenarios envision a church rebuild at 9th & D (perhaps mother, perhaps daughter).  We have been actively investigating all facilities that might work with option 3.  There are only two churches on the market at this time.  One church was deemed unsuitable due to maintenance and upkeep needs (Trinity Methodist, 16th & A) and the other is considered suitable for our current ministry needs (Southwood Lutheran, 5511 S. 27th).  We have begun negotiating to purchase the former Southwood Lutheran property and if we come to terms with them we will call a congregational meeting for final approval of the purchase.

What are the advantages of ‘option 3’?
It is much cheaper to buy an existing property than to build.  If we would have completed our education wing at 9th and D, Zion would have been about 20,000 square feet large.  At a rate of $140 per square foot (which will create a brick, pleasant, good quality facility) and add in costs of furnishings, design, etc. it would range in cost from about $3 to 3.5 million to rebuild.

What are the disadvantages of ‘option 3’?
There are very a very limited number of churches for sale.  It is also very concerning to leave 9th and D.  The officers are not interested in abandoning ministry at our current location.  We believe God has called us to have a strong gospel presence in the core of the city.  God’s providence in providing Pastor Tobey’s desire to church plant in Lincoln, passion for the urban center, and potential resources to accomplish this task can overcome the disadvantages of option 3.

Why would we church plant at this time?
Zion planted Grace Chapel (40th & Sheridan) six years ago.  Our vision has been to saturate Lincoln with PCA churches through church planting.  Originally we had hoped to expand Zion’s facility and grow enough to fund another church plant several years from now.  God seems to have other plans.  With an approved church planter on staff, Tobey’s desire to plant a church in Lincoln, the potential to effectively—though not completely—fund the church planting effort, all while eliminating all of Zion’s debt seems amazing.  Wisdom, timing, and providence all work hand in hand.

Since Zion has insurance money, will any additional capital campaign funds be necessary?
Yes.  There will be ongoing capital needs and if a daughter church is planted at 9th and D she will need help to eventually build.  When our financial situation begins to unfold more clearly we will communicate those needs to you.  Since ‘fire recovery’ money has been sent with the primary idea of rebuilding at 9th and D that money is being designated for that purpose.

How will all these possibilities affect Zion’s vision for ministry?
In short, it won’t.  As a reminder, here is Zion’s mission statement:

By God’s grace Zion Church will be a Christ-centered ministry committed to worship God by proclaiming the truth of Scripture and relating to one another on the basis of the transforming power of the Gospel.  As God’s people living in community, we will equip one another to pour out our lives for Christ at home, in the city, on the campus, across the Midwest, and to the ends of the earth.  This vision rests upon the supernatural work of Christ who alone can build His Church through the Spirit’s work in our lives together. 

Our calling remains the same.  We want to continue to practice a grace-oriented relational style of ministry.  We want to saturate Lincoln with PCA churches (we were the only one in 2000; by God’s grace we might have 4 by 2012 as Grace Chapel is working toward a plant).  We want to participate in the planting of churches throughout the region.  We know that Christ alone can accomplish this, but we pray he would give us the joy of participating in His plan.

Posted on August 06, 2007.