The Vine’s next location
After months of praying and searching, we are thrilled to introduce you to our next location–a space historically known as Faith Presbyterian Church.
Faith Presbyterian has been in existence since the 1950s, occupying a full city block on the south end of the Travis Heights neighborhood, on Oltorf near I-35. The space recently became available after Faith’s congregants decided to merge with another church, leaving their facility available on Sunday mornings.
The Vine has signed a three-year lease agreement to rent the church on Sunday mornings, with worship services beginning in August. Our vision is to utilize this space as we continue to grow and prayerfully plan and discern our more permanent home.
ESTIMATED TIMELINE
Sunday worship services will continue as normal at the TexFed throughout the remodel and move process, until August 2.
June 1 - Lease begins
June - Remodel month
July - Move month
August 2 - First worship service at Faith
Why we are excited about this location…
Ample amount of space: The campus has several areas for kids, youth, storage, and a sanctuary with enough space to grow.
Proximity to downtown: The church is only a mile from the South Congress District, three miles from the heart of downtown.
Ease and navigation: There is more than enough parking on campus with additional parking along the street and at the neighboring school for overflow. We will be able to easily welcome guests without the challenges of parking we previously experienced.
Affordability: The cost to lease the space is less than we currently spend at the TexFed, with savings of approximately $27,000 a year. Compared to other properties we were evaluating, the savings are even greater. After three years, we will have significant savings to potentially use for the purchase of our permanent home.
Proximity to potential partnerships: With the shared space, we could support causes that fit our mission (current organizations that utilize the campus include a resource center for teenage mothers, food pantry, literacy coalition, and an organization dedicated to promote non-violence.)
Sanctuary design: Older sanctuaries are usually set up with a stage and long and narrow seating. This sanctuary is designed in the same layout we currently enjoy (wide not narrow).
Storage and multipurpose space outside of Sundays: We will have dedicated space for storage and a multipurpose room for staff meetings, small groups, and our youth group.
Sustainability of volunteers: The intensity of weekly set up and tear down will be massively reduced, ensuring that we protect the sustainability of our serve teams as we continue to make our gatherings warm and welcoming for all.
Community impact: The campus is located in a part of town that is growing with opportunities to reach more people.
FAQs
Will we have office space or other dedicated 24/7 space? Like we have currently, we will have dedicated office space that can be used for small groups, youth group gatherings, and staff meetings.
How are we paying for the remodel? The remodeling project (removing pews, replacing with chairs, new carpet, and redoing the stage) will be paid for through our reserves and will be back-filled through the savings in rent.
What other groups are on campus? AISD teenage-mother resource center, Wildflower Universalist Community (who will gather in the sanctuary at noon on Sundays), Literacy Coalition, ATX Peace (teen non-violence organization), a therapist, and a Monday morning food pantry.
How long is the lease agreement? We signed a three year lease, with the option to extend. If we find our permanent home sooner than the expiration of the lease, we may provide six months notice. In the event the landlord decides to repurpose the campus and needs to deconstruct the building, they may do so with six-month notice, but not before August 2028.
Where is Faith moving? Faith Presbyterian voted to merge with another Presbyterian church, Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, and will meet at their campus.
What are the long-term plans for the space? Faith and Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Churches plan on retaining the property as a missional hub for the city. They do not have firm plans to change the space or for how they intend to use it for long-term purposes.