New Building
The Story of the Land
Everyone in Manhattan agreed — the abandoned hotel on Bluemont Hill was an eyesore.
But when a member of our church toured the foreclosed property in May 2018, he looked past the cobwebs and the scum-filled swimming pool and envisioned what the place could become.
Located between K-State’s campus and the Northview neighborhood, the property is visible from one of the busiest roads in the city. Each day, nearly 37,000 cars pass by.
Imagine a worship center on this hill — a constant reminder of the Gospel as people commute to work and school. Imagine a body of believers gathering here, in the heart of the city — inviting their neighbors to experience the life-changing hope of our Savior.
When the hotel property came on our radar, New Hope wasn’t looking for land for a worship center. Yet, we sensed God’s leading and decided to step out in faith.
Over the next few weeks, several groups walked through the property and started dreaming together — first the elders, then the Life Group leaders, and finally the entire congregation. The vast majority of the church was excited and wanted to move forward.
There was one major obstacle: the $1 million price tag.
The finance team prayerfully assessed the church's ability to make an offer. Someone suggested $500,000 — the approximate value of our office and study center. It seemed like a ridiculously low offer, but it would help us avoid a lot of debt.
So, with humble hearts and open hands, we submitted the offer . . . and waited.
It was a full week before we heard anything back. The bank said they said were discussing our offer and wanted to send it to leaders higher up in their organization. Could they have another week to decide? (“Of course!”)
A second week passed. And then a third. A real estate agent was still showing the property to potential buyers who could pay full price.
Finally, at the end of the third week . . . the bank accepted our offer! We were totally surprised!
There is no human, earthly way to explain how we ended up owning some of the best ground on Tuttle Creek Boulevard for a fraction of the listing price. God has done some powerful work to direct us to the hotel property, and we are confident that He is leading us into this new season at New Hope Church.
Ultimately, this is about so much more than a building. From the start, New Hope has been a body of Christ-followers who prioritizes relationships. That will not change. We believe that a building is a tool that will help us serve more people while practicing good financial stewardship.
A few months after we purchased the property, we learned that one of the bank executives is a Christian. Even before we showed interest, he was praying that the land would be used for good purposes, in a God-honoring way! Wow!
Will you join us in praying that the ugly, abandoned hotel property would become a beautiful place of worship where Jesus transforms lives for eternity?
