More about the Property
What will the property and renovations cost?
We bought the property for $5.4 million and due to the extraordinary generosity of our leaders and a few other individuals, we were able to purchase it with cash. We expect our renovations to cost around $7.5 million dollars. Between our reNEW campaign and prior property savings, we have about $10.2 million dollars committed, leaving us with around a $2.5 million difference. If you are interested in more specific information about the finances, please feel free to reach out to Valerie Tompson, Executive Director.
Will this property be able to grow with us?
The property has two buildings with approximately 26,000 square feet of space. Our architect is confident this is adequate space to meet our ministry programming needs and give us ample room for growth. The worship area seats roughly 400. When we outgrow that space, we would have the flexibility to add additional services.
Can we afford to operate this?
We have done extensive financial modeling and have had several people with financial expertise review our numbers, both from within City Church leadership and individuals outside the church. Our reNEW Campaign will help us understand what the scope of our renovations can be. In our financial modeling, we have included numbers for operating costs. Also, we have had a placeholder in our annual budget the past couple of years to help us adjust to the rise in operating costs that will come with a permanent facility.
Why are we moving?
While the House of Blues has been a generous and wonderful host for City Church, having control over a permanent property will allow us to expand our reach, improve our ministries, and better support our mission partners all over the city of Houston. While it may feel as if we are moving into one neighborhood, we feel that centralizing at one intersection will actually allow us to live more fully into the mission of being a church for the whole city. This building will provide us with spaces to meet, host events, offer childcare, and partner with others in a way that our current ministry cannot. To take but two examples, we are excited to see how this building allows our City Kids and City Youth ministries to grow yet further.
What was the process to find this property?
A property team composed of elders and others with real estate expertise have been working toward this goal, together with commercial real estate agents, since City Church began. We have evaluated countless possibilities and pursued several options extensively that did not materialize for various reasons. After a thorough season of discernment and prayer, believing the Lord has led us to this outstanding opportunity, our leadership voted unanimously to recommend that the congregation of City Church vote to purchase and renovate this property. City Church members voted in March to approve the purchase and financing.
Will City Church still be a church for the city or just for our new neighborhood?
Neither our name nor our mission will change. We still intend to be a church in the city and for the city of Houston. And if anything, we hope that our original vision will only be amplified in this chance to reintroduce ourselves through our new space. Although we do hope that our presence in the Heights will be welcome news for those who live in this area, we remain committed to hosting events in public spaces throughout the city, to supporting the arts and artists wherever they can be found, and to cultivating deep pockets of community through our small groups that meet in many different areas around Houston.
Weddings
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, and thank you for considering City Church! Our facility is currently available only to City Church members and their immediate families through at least the end of 2026, as we continue settling into our new property.
Please contact our Operations Director, Margaret Melton, if:
you’re a member interested in booking a wedding, or
you’re not a member and would like to learn about membership or inquire about 2027 dates.
We’re honored you’re considering City Church for your celebration!
Questions about the reNEW Campaign?
Would you like to dive deeper?
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