How Did We Get Here?

It was disappointing to immediately learn that our property insurance was woefully inadequate to cover this catastrophic damage. However, very soon after this, we were thrilled to learn that Grace would qualify for funding from FEMA (based upon the Stafford Act which was revised in 2018 to allow faith-based schools to qualify for disaster relief).

As application for these funds was initiated, we began working with an ex-FEMA employee to help guide us through the gauntlet of document submittals and conferences. This work has been highly intensive and time-consuming as we have waded through the bureaucracy of the federal government. Initiatives have included communication with local, state, and federal elected officials to gain their support. 

All counsel from both FEMA staff and consultants indicated that we could expect FEMA to provide the funding necessary to rebuild the same capacity (148,000 square feet of buildings as well as recreational fields) with building code upgrades, and energy efficient updates.

Within that first month of recovery efforts, we also engaged with our long-time architect partners, Rardin and Carroll to revisit previous development plans and create a master site plan for a completely new ministry campus. Due to required upgrades, we found that energy-efficient and high-quality materials must now be used, improvement of safety and security and more effective ministry spaces would be realized. Great excitement across the Grace constituency began to arise as we recognized this as an opportunity to build for the future rather than rebuilding the past nor even the present. Members of the church along with staff provided significant input resulting in adjustments and improvements in this new design. God has given us the opportunity to complete an interconnected, interdependent, holistic plan for Grace ministries.

With support from the congregation, we contracted with Tyson and Associates, a local construction company to begin the building process in the late summer of 2020. With an overlapping, four-phase plan set up, it was determined that we would use all insurance funds totaling about $20 million to go as far as we could. Immediately, Tyson’s team got started with Phase 1 which required extensive earthwork including re-grading 20+ acres and installing below-ground infrastructure. Their plan implemented a counterclockwise cycle beginning in the northwest corner with the required large retention pond and then continuing with athletic field redevelopment down to the corner of Shallowford and Jenkins where the main church building is located. Construction would continue north along Jenkins Road.