The Barn
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UPDATE:
Thanks to all who've made pledges for the Barn! So far over $1,000,000 has
been raised and $200,000 has been pledged and there are others who've
indicated they're still interested... so we're extending the pledging period
through December 31, 2023. Stay posted and feel free to keep sharing!
Genesis Church envisions raising a barn that would house a gym and multipurpose spaces to serve our area children, youth, and families.
The Prologue
For over a decade we have dreamed of raising a Barn to complement the Big White House…a Barn that holds a basketball court and a multi-purpose gathering space that can be used to serve our neighborhood children, youth, and families. Since those early discussions, much has occurred. Here are some highlights: We paid off our Big White House mortgage and are debt-free. We raised over $1M dollars to go towards raising the Barn. We purchased the original Carver-Hawkeye Arena parquet floor (1988-2000) for the Barn and put it in climate-controlled storage. We hired architect Kevin Nordmeyer, former director of the Iowa Energy Center and architect of Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, to design the Barn. We selected Hodge Construction of Iowa City to build the Barn. The City of Coralville approved the plan for the Barn on our property. The pandemic stalled the momentum, but did not kill the vision. A partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor was formed to allow them to use the Barn for after school mentoring and coaching. In discussions with our builder the total cost of constructing the Barn and the corresponding site development is currently $3M. We will be praying for and working towards raising $2M in pledges to allow us to complete the Barn without a mortgage. Finally, on January 18th the Big Ten Network aired a documentary on the life of Chris Street, a University of Iowa basketball player who tragically died 30 years ago (1/19/1993). After the documentary they replayed the Hawkeyes' first home game following Chris’s death. That very court the Hawkeyes were playing on is the court we have in storage to go into the Barn. One of the things that stood out in the documentary was how much Chris loved life and connected with people in so many different ways beyond basketball. And how much he loved God. And how much his family hopes his death was not in vain. We hope that this court on which Chris competed (as well as so many other Hawkeye athletes) and this Barn will be a place where many lives are lifted up and where hope, TRUE hope, is found.
The Partners
We are committed to providing space for partners who are committed to helping develop the whole person. That is, we hope to see relational, social, educational, occupational, financial, physical, mental, recreational, and spiritual health nurtured through the mentorship offered by our partners. We've been planning with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor to provide weekday mentoring for Kirkwood/Coralville Central Elementary neighborhood children. Kirkwood Elementary Lady Eagles Basketball Club would have a home to coach and mentor their student-athletes. Young Life Iowa City would have a space to restart the junior high WyldLife program, as well as Young Life Club for high school students in the Iowa City area. Currently, Young Life College is growing on campus and leaders from that organization would help play a role in mentoring students.
The Pledge
Join us in the vision. Submit your pledge below. We will keep you informed as this project advances. 1 Million: The Amount that Genesis Church has Raised for the Barn Project 2 Million: The Amount now Needed and/or Pledged to Raise the Barn 3 Million: The Estimated Total Cost of the Project for the Barn/Site Prep
The Purpose
“Do something for the kids.” - Emmanuel In a lunch meeting a number of years ago, an area father shared with us about his difficult experiences growing up in Chicago and how he moved to the Iowa City area looking for a new start with his family…and for hope. At the end of the conversation, when asked what we could do to best serve him and his community, he said without hesitation, “Do something for the kids.” A seed was planted in that conversation and we believe the Barn will provide space to help answer that request. The father’s name was Emmanuel, “God with us”. And in that moment, we sensed that.
The Parquet
In 2014, we were given the opportunity to purchase the original Carver-Hawkeye Arena parquet floor that had been reused in the North Gym of the University of Iowa Field House. A crew of Genesis men moved the floor from the Field House to a climate controlled storage facility where it awaits being installed in the Barn and given new life. This historic floor was used in CHA from 1988-2000, until it was replaced. Many great Hawkeye athletes played on this court or wrestled on a mat that lay over it. We look forward to sharing it with the community!
