Frequently Asked Questions
In our continued pursuit of excellence, The Time is Now to build our own self-standing facility for our early education and elementary programs. In reference to the fact that Tree’s elementary branches are still housed in the Sunday School wings of several sponsoring churches, Lezlee Knowles commented, “Tree of Life is 31 years old, and we are still living with our parents!”
Because Tree of Life is not a ministry of only one church (indeed, over 130 different churches are represented in Tree’s student body), it has become increasingly clear that for the future viability and health of our elementary program, we cannot and should not presume or assume that any one church will be able and/or willing to house a complete double-track elementary program in one building facility.
We believe that God is calling us now to “Be strong and courageous and get to work. Don’t be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord our God is with you. He will see to it that everything is finished correctly.” (1 Corinthians 28:20)
And finally, the “living stones,” our students and families and staff of Tree of Life that make up our wonderfully diverse community, will always take precedence over bricks and mortar!
- Why NOW? (Or in other words, “With the economy in such bad shape, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING launching a Comprehensive Capital Campaign?”)
- My own children will not benefit from the new building. Why should I be involved?
- What is the timeframe for the “Growing for His Glory” Comprehensive Capital Campaign?
- Why not tear down the current building at Northridge, and build a new multi-story building on land that Tree already owns?
- Will tuition increase to afford the construction cost of new buildings and facilities?
- Will the money raised through the Comprehensive Capital Campaign only be used for “bricks and mortar,” i.e., new building and facility construction?
- Why are you considering building outside of Columbus city limits? Won’t we lose the diversity that makes Tree so special if we move out to the suburbs?
1. Why NOW? (Or in other words, “With the economy in such bad shape, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING launching a Comprehensive Capital Campaign?”)
We trust in the Bible’s promise that “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26) As God gave Gideon the victory over the Midianites with just 300 men, “In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her” (Judges 7:2), and as Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand (Mark 6) we look forward to God being glorified throughout our Comprehensive Capital Campaign.
We know that God can do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). We are committed to remaining in God’s will, keeping in step with Him, not shrinking back in fear nor running ahead with pride.
The need for a new elementary facility is becoming more and more urgent:
- Both churches in which our elementary programs are housed have shown abundant grace in allowing us to overstay our original agreements to be housed in their buildings. (Indianola agreed to house Tree for one year in 1990!)
- The aging Indianola facility is presenting an increasing number of challenges:
- The electrical system cannot be updated and imposes many limitations (e.g., classrooms cannot run a computer and an overhead projector at the same time).
- Our program has outgrown the building, with every available space being used, and many spaces serving multiple purposes (e.g., art classes, lunch, and indoor P.E. all use the same space).
- Indianola has absorbed the added cost of building maintenance that Tree creates, imposing a financial burden on the congregation.
- Discover Christian Church would like to use their building space currently used by Tree to expand other ministries. While showing great flexibility and allowing Tree to remain in their facilities for the time being, DCC had originally asked if Tree could move out of the DCC facility in the fall of 2009.
In October 2008, 95% of those responding to the pre-campaign study conducted by the Timothy Group said, YES, a new elementary building would be beneficial.
In October 2008, 78% said, YES, the timing and circumstances are right to justify a broad-based effort to raise money for a new elementary building and space for athletic facilities. (We well exceed the Timothy Group’s desired benchmark of a 70% positive response to this question. This means we have some “wiggle room” in interpreting these results, acknowledging that with the economic downturn, the positive response might not have been quite so high if the survey were given more recently. Regardless, we rely completely on God’s leading and timing as we move forward.)
2. My own children will not benefit from the new building. Why should I be involved?
If you are reading this, you have been touched by the ministry of Tree of Life Christian Schools, and you are a part of her wonderful heritage. Tree of Life exists today because some visionary Christians joined together in 1978 to establish a Christian school in North Columbus. Tree’s founders sacrificially gave of their resources so that students could be educated in Truth, and discipled in Christ. Like the grandmother of a Tree of Life senior who recently gave a gift to Tree of Life’s capital campaign so other students could have the opportunities that her granddaughter had at Tree, we all now can help provide for the future of Tree of Life. Tree of Life is not just a school to which we pay tuition. It is a mission and a ministry, worthy of your consideration as you prioritize and exercise wise stewardship of the resources God has given you. Throughout Tree’s history, God has led His people to make for Himself a glorious name. (paraphrase, Isaiah 63:14) We are confident that He will continue His work at Tree of Life.
3. What is the timeframe for the “Growing for His Glory” Comprehensive Capital Campaign?
This first phase of the “Growing for His Glory” campaign will take place for a three-year period, between November 2008 and November 2011. We are currently in the Leadership Phase of the campaign, which will run from November 2008 until October 2009. During the Leadership Phase, one-on-one meetings are taking place with campaign leaders and some potential major donors. At Evergreen Evening we will launch the public phase of the campaign, and share the amount that campaign and school leaders, and major donors, have committed to the campaign so far at that time.
4. Why not tear down the current building at Northridge, and build a new multi-story building on land that Tree already owns?
With the Northridge site being just 7 acres, there is not enough space for a building large enough to accomodate two gyms, an auditorium, and other desired features of a new school, in addition to new athletic fields. There is also not enough space for the additional parking that a school facility combining all grades would require. Another dilemma would be how and where school would be conducted during a period of tearing down the existing building and building a new one. Building a story above the existing structure is simply not feasible given the age of the building, and would not provide good value for dollars spent. Also, while the possibility of expanding the available land by purchasing adjoining houses has been considered, that would require waiting until those properties become available, a luxury of time that we do not have.
5. Will tuition increase to afford the construction cost of new buildings and facilities?
We have made the commitment that NO tuition dollars will be used for land purchases or building construction. That is why we have undertaken this special fundraising effort as a separate endeavor. While new buildings and facilities will bring an increase in operating expenses, we are committed to using every means possible to keep to a minimum the effect that these added costs will have on tuition. We are committed to keeping a Tree of Life education affordable for a future student body that is as socioeconomically diverse as it is today.
We aim to build a God-honoring and beautiful facility that is well-equipped and safe, yet not elaborate or luxurious. While excited about the opportunities to pursue excellence that a new building will provide, we are committed to being good stewards of the gifts entrusted to the campaign.
An advantage of conducting a Comprehensive Capital Campaign like the one we are undertaking is that Tree can further develop fundraising efforts, expand our donor base, and cultivate more relationships with major donors that will enable Tree to develop a strong long-term financial position, and be a good example of responsible stewardship. The future of Christian education will depend on developing viable financial models that will allow us to sustain excellence without relying on parents’ tuition dollars.
6. Will the money raised through the Comprehensive Capital Campaign only be used for “bricks and mortar,” i.e., new building and facility construction?
No. We are calling our “Growing for His Glory” campaign a Comprehensive Capital Campaign to reflect the fact that money raised will be used not only for new buildings and facilities, but also for our annual fund income (historically raised through the Evergreen Evening event), tuition assistance fund and tuition benevolence fund, and campaign expenses for the duration of the campaign time period.
7. Why are you considering building outside of Columbus city limits? Won’t we lose the diversity that makes Tree so special if we move out to the suburbs?
We are open to building our new facility wherever God leads us to an appropriate and affordable piece of land. Land tends to be less available the closer you get to the urban center. That being said, we remain very aware of where the greatest concentration of our current student body lives, and will factor in the accessibility to our current Tree families of any new location chosen. We are committed to doing all we can to enable our current school families to stay at Tree, and to continue to reflect a wonderful cross-section of the kingdom of God. We firmly believe that God will guide us to the perfect location that will preserve the beautiful diversity – cultural, ethnic, Christian denomination/congregation, and socioeconomic -- that we so highly value at Tree and that makes us unique.