Hello Element, this is your first major Planting Roots update.
 
I cannot tell you how humbled, excited, and thrilled (I almost used the word giddy) I am to be on this Planting Roots journey with you. It’s been a little over 9 months now since Planting Roots started with a three-year commitment of $1,100,000.00. So far Element has received $322,935 towards the pledged amount! At this point 201 families or individuals have given towards our future home; a good portion of those didn’t even make a pledge toward the 1.1 million goal. It honestly looks like, at the end of this three year journey, that we will be over the goal (and that is a huge blessing).
 
We are currently having discussions about securing the rest of the funding needed to build. We are in talks with a lender in town and have entered the preparation phase for what they would need to secure a construction loan. This includes going through a financial audit of our books and getting a new appraisal of our land; these two things will determine the amount of “cash injection” we will need to start construction next year.
 
You may keep looking out at our field and thinking it still just looks like dirt, but that is far from the truth, we are we are hoping to start construction the first quarter next year. Our civil engineer and architect are drawing plans that will soon be sent to the electrical, plumbing, and landscape engineers. Our soil samples are done (we passed with flying colors), and we are about to submit many plans/documents to the city for our land use permit and rezoning.
 
I would like to encourage you to continue in your Planting Roots commitments; we still need everything promised (and more). This leads me to my 4 “ifs:”
 

• If you made a commitment and haven’t started giving yet, please notify us if something has changed; remember, you can always change your commitment up or down by filling out a new commitment card. We do not want to be legalistic or have you feel like you are locked into something that God is calling you out of; we are simply trying to budget correctly for the coming future.
   
• If a life circumstance has affected your commitment, or your ability to give at the moment, please also let us know. We want to do everything we can to remain faithful to Jesus throughout the building process. Remaining faithful means always allowing you to revise the commitment that was originally made.
   
• If there is anything that the staff, elders, board members, or I can do throughout the process of your Planting Roots journey, please don’t hesitate to call or email us. If you need prayer or encouragement, please know that we are always here for one you.
   
• If you haven’t made a commitment or are not even sure what Planting Roots is, check out the Planting Roots wall in the lounge or elementroots.org to learn more. Who knows, you might even decide to make a commitment to help us get into the future!

As we continue to point out, none of this would ever be possible without Jesus, our Redeemer and Savior, who reached out and saved a lost people and called us His own. We ask that no matter what circumstances come your way, you would continue to pray for all those who will hear the Gospel of Jesus through the life and ministry of Element.
 
Thank you for being a part of Element with your life and investing in our future home. I am humbled to be on this journey with you.
Aaron