TAKING NEW GROUND PHASE TWO
WE BELIEVE
THE BEST IS
YET TO COME
A NOTE FROM
PASTOR MERLE
Pleasant Valley Baptist Church has been sharing the Gospel, building community and serving the Northland for over 70 years. Every generation has unique challenges that we must adapt to so we can build lifelong relationships rooted in love and faith.
Several years ago, we launched the Taking New Ground campaign in an effort to better serve the next generation of followers of Jesus. In the first phase, we renovated our preschool space to include a secure learning suite and an indoor playground. We created a Next Gen Welcome Center with a new stairwell and slide. These renovations communicate to families that every child from birth to fifth grade is welcome and valued in our church.
But our work isn’t finished. It is time to create a welcoming and relevant space for our students. We want every middle school and high school student to have a deep sense of belonging and a church home to stretch their wings of faith. In a society where information and connection is available with a click or a swipe, we know students are in a cultural crisis for authentic relationships, meaningful purpose, true identity and mental health. Students have an overwhelming need for hope. They need us.
Will you join me in serving students by creating safe spaces for real relationships? Will you join me in taking new ground?
Pastor Merle
PHASE TWO VISION
Minimal changes have been made to the student ministry area over the last 20 years, even though cultural changes have been dramatic.
We want to communicate the invaluable message of “We were expecting you, and we’re glad you’re here. You matter.”
Repositioning the Student Rec Area to the current worship space allows the secured front door of the student suite to flow directly from the Next Gen Commons.
A renovated Student Worship Center will create a more engaging environment for worship and teaching as well as a more relevant space where deeper community among peers can be fostered
Imagine if families could drop off at the entrance to the hub of our children’s and student ministries. This quick and easy access would allow families more time to spend connecting instead of navigating through long hallways and stairwells.
Students have utilized the “backyard” south lawn for years. We dream of creating an outdoor space with greater flexibility to support more opportunities for gathering outside. Whether it’s enjoying coffee together, playing games or enjoying an outdoor worship experience, we want the Courtyard to be a social hub.
Mental Health is so important for everyone, including our students. That’s why we want to raise $150,000 to allow our fully-functioning counseling center become an independent entity with it’s own staff member.
We will create space for students to foster community
leadership develops in everyday moments
“Students need a space where they can connect … they won’t get that through a screen.”
– Jared Mellema
Jared Mellema grew up in PV Student Ministry, and he flourished because of intentional discipleship and leadership opportunities.
“I had opportunities to lead worship and small groups. They culminated in me being prepared when I got to college, so I just jumped right into discipling others and taking on a group of sixth-grade guys. I saw the difference normal but faithful people made in my own life and how they invested in me. They were there every week, week after week in the little things, and those weeks added up.
Jared serves in middle school ministry and knows how important it is to create an environment where middle schoolers feel welcomed and comfortable. “With everything that bombards them in today’s culture, students need a space where they can connect with adults who care about them and will invest the time to build a solid relationship, so they can help them wrestle through big questions about their faith and who they are in God. They won’t get that through a screen.”
WHY DOES THIS PHASE MATTER
%
of people who choose to follow Jesus do so before they graduate high school...
%