What are we planning to build?
We are planning on building a tremendous youth facility that will serve both Joy Christian school students, as well as Community Church of Joy youth. There will be two initial buildings – a multi-purpose recreation center, and a youth building called the “Bridge.” The recreation center will provide classroom and recreational space for the high school, church, and all school youth. The “Bridge” will be used by high school students during the week, but will also be the central connection point for the church’s outreach to students in the evenings and on weekends.
Top of page
Why is building the Recreation Center/Bridge our highest priority?
First, these facilities will fulfill the vision God has given us. Joy's vision has always been to reach new generations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are hampered in doing so right now due to our limited facilities. We can do so much more to reach the 50,000 or more youth in our neighborhood, and we need to create the environment to reach this critical group. In addition, our growing pre-school through 8th grade has an essential need for a gymnasium for physical education and athletics programs.
Second, we have been promising our teens and families that reaching our youth would be our next priority and have been receiving gifts toward that goal for the past four years. So this is not a new project but the completion of a vision that has been in the works for quite some time.
Third, starting the high school is crucial to our building a healthy, sustainable school ministry. As families see that their children can invest themselves in Joy's school through 12th grade, their involvement and commitment to the school and Joy will grow. And the school ministry is vital to our overall vision, because these students and their families are open to connecting with Christ and the ministry of Joy. There are very few high school options in the West Valley. Some parents are driving their children an hour each way to other Christian Schools and would greatly prefer to have their children go to school nearby and stay at Joy.
Top of page
Where will the Recreation Center and Bridge be located on Joy’s property?
The Youth Complex will be located on the North part of the property, away from the elementary and junior high. This separation between the older and younger students is critical. Specifically, the Bridge will be directly across the fountain from our current worship center, on the north side of our circle drive, facing south. The recreation center will be on the west side of the fountain area, facing east.
Top of page
How was the decision to build the youth complex made?
With feedback from community leaders, and church families, the leaders of Community Church of Joy believed that the greatest outreach opportunity was to provide a safe and engaging place for youth to meet Christ and grow into Christian leaders. As a first step, Building 7 was renovated to create a more inviting atmosphere for teens; but due to the location and limited space of this building, a larger, more centrally located facility is needed. Through field trips and dream sessions, the youth helped guide the design for the Bridge, showing the need for a “club” environment for concerts and after school activities, as well as recreation. Although significant gifts have been made over the past few years, the lead gift of $1 million in January made it possible to move forward with securing the funds and finishing the design for the Bridge.
Based on needs of our parents and students, in 2001 the Joy Christian School Board of Trustees began a feasibility study to build and operate a high school. Area demographics proved to be favorable for a new high school. Enrollment in area public high schools is approximately 20,000 students and the next 10 years enrollment is projected to increase by nearly 40%. Only one other private Christian high school resides in the immediate area. Adding to the positive growth in the area is Joy Christian School’s enviable location adjacent to a major north-south and east-west artery.
A dedicated group of parents, teachers, administrators and community supporters have been engaged in creating the vision which called for the high school to take a leadership role in the Valley in academics within a rich Christian environment.
Working with an architectural firm, the Joy’s Master Plan has been re-designed to include the high school and Bridge.
After much prayer and planning, the Pastoral staff, Board of Trustees, and the task force believe now is the time to begin raising the necessary funds to make the Youth Complex a reality.
Top of page
What is included in the first Phase of the Youth Complex?
The first phase includes the development of The Bridge, which consists of the youth club, game area, snack bar, a youth-oriented outdoor recreation are for basketball, volleyball, and concerts.
Also included is the first phase of the high school, with a multi-purpose recreation center, entrance lobby, and restrooms. The Bridge and the High School will share space throughout the day, saving costs through joint use.
Top of page
How much will this phase’s construction cost?
The preliminary estimate for Phase I construction of the buildings, furnishings, and landscaping is $5.5 million. $5.5 million builds the first phase of the Recreation Center and Youth Center which will both be used by the high school and the church.
Top of page
To keep costs down, have you considered using modular space for the high school?
Although the high school classes and administration will begin in an existing modular building next fall, the City of Glendale will no longer allow us to add modular/temporary buildings. The high school must be built with permanent buildings. Furthermore, the vision of Joy’s property is to be a place where families, friends, and the community can connect and hang out. The investment in on-site improvements and the quality and style of buildings will create an environment where students will want to enroll in the high school and people will want to spend time on the campus. Therefore, we believe it is critical to build facilities that appeal visually and perform functionally.
Top of page
What is the progress on the sale of our land to the North?
We are hoping for the land sale to close with Loma Vista Homes by the end of December, assuming all goes well with final zoning approval by the City of Glendale. The sale of this property will significantly reduce Community Church of Joy’s long term debt, allowing for more funds to be invested in ministry and mission.
Top of page
Is the K-8th grade school paying for itself?
Yes. Due to a great administration team, dedicated teachers and staff, a partnership with parents and students who love the school, the school will pay for its operating costs this year. The K-8th program will see enrollment gains (currently at about 400) once the high school project is publicized because parents will not take their junior high students out of joy and put them into another school that offers 9th-12th grade.
Top of page
What are we doing to improve our existing facilities? (paving, lighting, expansion of Kid Kountry play area, gathering spaces)
Through some generous gifts, we have been able to add some much-needed lighting in front of the worship center, making evening activities much safer. We have also been able to resurface the parking lot before it deteriorated beyond repair. In addition, we have renovated the Kid Kountry lobby, creating a more interactive learning environment for our children.
A component of this next phase will be to improve existing facilities for our children. The playground will be expanded in the Kid Kountry area.
Top of page
Why do we need to invest in the High School/Bridge project?
Our teens are everywhere among us . . .
Our teens are not safe . . .
-
31% of teens reported being hit or beaten by someone their own age and another 19% by an older teen.
-
29% reported being victims of a racial or ethnic insult, and 12% reported being attacked by a gang.
Our teens are not supervised . . .
-
Teens are faced with ever increasing amounts of unsupervised time, as a result of single working parents and families where both father and mother are working to support the household.
-
Our teens are getting into trouble at alarming rates . . .
-
New-found freedom, resulting from decreased parental supervision at home, opens a window of opportunity for teens to become involved in substance abuse in the form of alcohol or drugs, and increased sexual activity. In the Phoenix area as many as 2,500 teens are known to be involved in drug use and over 700 teens are abusing alcohol every day.
Our teens have no place to go . . .
Our current teen facility, The Bridge, is overcrowded . . .
The crisis among our teens will only grow . . .
-
If something is not done now, the problems among teens will accelerate. In the past decade, Arizona’s growth rate percentage was exceeded nationally only by the adjacent state of Nevada, although Arizona’s growth by total population was higher. In the past ten years, Arizona has grown by an amount exceeding the total population of Nebraska. The number of teens in our community and the resulting challenges they face will only increase in the years ahead.
Top of page
Who will The Bridge serve?
-
12-19 year olds within Metropolitan Phoenix who live within a 25-mile radius of The Bridge at 75th Avenue and Loop 101.
-
Young adults who live within a 25 mile radius of the Bridge.
-
Parents of teens who participate in the Bridge programs.
-
Young adults who want to develop leadership skills as interns at the Bridge, serving teens and their families.
-
Church and community leaders across the country who are searching for a new model to reach teens in their community.
Top of page
How will The Bridge and Recreation Center help our teens and families?
They will help youth and families in our community connect with God, each other, and a network of supportive mentors, resulting in healthier, faith-filled teens and more productive citizens in our community.
There are several distinct features of these facilities:
-
They will offer teens a safe, positive place to go for fun and friendship.
-
They will build people through people. For example, the strength of the Bridge will be its team of caring young adults and parents who invest themselves in serving and mentoring the youth.
-
They will help fulfill Joy's mission "that all may know Jesus Christ and become his empowered followers." Our community is exploding with youth who are searching for spiritual meaning and relational connection, and this project meets this need.
Top of page
What ministry will take place at the Youth Complex?
Serving Teens in the Community — The Bridge and Recreation Center will give hope to the 50,000 plus teens in our community through concerts, extreme sports, worship, Bible study, after-school activities, small groups and leadership training.
Serving Families — This complex will also serve the multitude families in our community. They will participate in concerts, parent support, sports events, and many other family-building activities.
Serving Joy Christian School — The Recreation Center will provide all students with a great place for indoor sports and learning activities—basketball, volleyball, dancing, pep rallies, wrestling, and more. The first priority will be to serve the Joy Christian High School’s recreational needs, but children of all ages will benefit from these facilities.
The Bridge will provide the students of Joy Christian High School with a common area, where students can eat lunch and students can interact between classes.
Top of page
What will the Bridge program and facility include?
The Bridge will welcome teens and their families into a large, high-energy, warehouse-type space that can be customized to the needs and trends of the current teen culture.
-
Teens will have a place of their own that is a second home away from home to meet friends, talk about their faith and have fun together.
-
The Bridge will include teen-friendly amenities with video games, pool and foosball tables, snack bar, and soft, comfortable furniture to hang with friends.
-
Wednesday nights and weekends will be ignited with great concerts, worship, learning and meeting new friends.
-
The Bridge will include a stage, open, flexible seating space for about 500 (theater style), high-tech lighting and sound, food service area, and offices.
-
Approximate Interior Size: 8,000 square feet.
Top of page
How will the Youth Complex be sustained financially?
The Youth Complex facilities will be developed through the generous support of friends of Joy who believe in the vision to reach the youth and families of our community. Funds for ongoing operations will be provided in several ways. They include: Allocations from Community Church of Joy's general fund for use by Teen, Youth and Family Ministry, and other regular ministry uses, as is currently being done.
-
Tuition income for the Joy Christian High School
-
Space Rental Fees for special events, such as birthday parties and other group events
-
Food Service Fees from Snack Bar and Gift Shop
-
Special Gifts and an Endowment Fund for ongoing Support
Top of page
When will construction begin?
This depends upon how quickly the financial commitments are made by the friends of Joy. If we reach our goal of $5.5 million by the end of 2005, we hope to break ground in the spring of 2006.
Top of page
Do we have to raise the entire amount before we start construction?
Our goal is to not build these facilities with long term debt, but a construction loan will be secured while the three-year commitments are being fulfilled. Obviously we need as much financial commitment as possible to go forward. The more money we have up front, the more bridge loan interest we are able to save, and the more we can use our funds for equipping our people for ministry purposes. Therefore, the leadership team is dedicated to raising $5 million in commitments before moving forward. To date, almost $3 million has been committed.
Top of page
How can I help?
Your commitment of prayer and financial support for the Recreation Center and Bridge will impact generations to come. You can support the development of this Youth Complex with a one-time gift or a pledge that is fulfilled on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. Currently, commitments are being sought for gifts of cash, stock, bequests, or other assets. Gifts or commitments of any size will be most gratefully welcomed.
You can commit a gift to the Youth Complex by completing a Commitment Card or by contacting either Community Church of Joy or Joy Christian School at 21,000 North 75th Avenue, Glendale, Arizona 85308. All gifts are tax-deductible.
