BUILDING FORWARD
3-Year Capital Campaign
January 2024-December 2026
A Message from
Lead Pastor Red Arogante
God has blessed Cornerstone Filipino Community Church in remarkable ways in our nearly 10 years as a church. We have seen God equip us as a body of believers to “Honour God and Love People.” This has happened as we prayed earnestly for the furthering of God’s work as we are guided by our core values such as Excellence, Strong Leadership, Intercessory Prayer and Connect Group Communities. We have not only seen God work through our membership expanding from about 7 to over 450, or our Kids Church from 1 to over a hundred, or the increasing number of churches and pastors!
For years, it has been our prayer to have our building that we can call our home. After the recently concluded Global Network Summit in Singapore last July 2023, I heard one of the preachers say, “Just do it”. I asked the Lord, “is it the building?”. And immediately on that very same session, Ps Yang, our Senior Pastor prophesied that there were people in the room of pastors who are seeking and asking for God’s provision for these buildings. And I said, it is me, I am one of them. I went back to Canada fired up and believed that this is God’s will for us.
God has been faithful, all of this has been happening, “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” Likewise for the provision of property that we trust will serve as a place of worship, equipping and outreach for decades to come. This journey “Building Forward” will involve each member of our church family and others who know the impact we are having. It will be challenging, exciting, rewarding, and we trust God will meet us every step of the way.
For all your donations, please send interac to
Madaydayaw ti Apo! (Praise the Lord!)
What will your part be?
All His,
Rev. Dr. Frederick Arogante
Lead Pastor
Cornerstone Church: Journey of Faith
Remembering God’s graciousness to us
Today, Cornerstone Filipino Community Church numbers 500 members, including 100 children in the kids church, running 3 Sunday services, with 16 connect groups regularly meeting each week
Frequently Asked Questions
Building Project
What is the motivation for securing a new church building?
Our main motivation is our church mission to HONOR GOD and LOVE PEOPLE, and as we expand in faith, membership and ministries, we are uniquely positioned both spiritually and financially to determine our 5-year roadmap, which includes the purchase of our very own church building to continue our 2023 message of EXPANSION.
Do we have a property in mind and what does it cost?
We are currently engaging our real estate professionals in our membership to research existing properties for sale, but only for the purposes of cost estimation. As we get closer to 2026 we will start to identify specific properties that we will engage in purchasing conversations.
How did we determine the building requirements?
By the grace of God, Ptr has received revelations from the Holy Spirit of the church being able to house 500 members, and additionally service our community’s youth and childcare needs; these three main aspects will form the basic requirements for our future church building.
Who approves what will be built as part of renovations including costs and features?
The Building & Construction team has been formed including pastors, deacons and members with architectural, engineering and costing expertise. These people have the professional background to manage a project of this scope and cost. They will make these decisions within the parameters of the budgeted plan and will provide reports to the pastoral committee and executive board during renovations.
How long will it take to purchase the building?
Once we enter Year 3 of the capital campaign, we are aiming for a short timeline for the building purchase (1-2 months) and 8-10 months for all renovations and retrofitting. We hope to move into our new facility in January 2027.
With the expanded space/facilities, has the church estimated what our additional operating expenses will be on a monthly or annual basis?
Yes. We feel comfortable with our ability to cover these new costs. The final additional operating costs estimates will be given to the pastoral committee and executive board for their review and direction. A “Barnhouse” team has been formed to explore new income streams in the form of government grants to specifically cover these new costs.
How certain can we be about the costs of the building, renovation and future operating costs?
We continue to enhance our cost estimation, starting with our ongoing search for facilities for sale and publicly available information on the maintenance & upkeep costs. We have leased facilities in the past and know what to expect when it comes to operational maintenance costs. As such, cost fluctuation is common and our team will take that into account when determining our annual budgeting going forward.
We are making all attempts and efforts to determine and include all costs. We are being assisted in this process by architectural and engineering experts within our church membership, and plan to engage with an external consulting service as well before finalizing our renovation plan.
What is the plan to pay for the church building?
The capital campaign aims to raise funds to cover the commercial mortgage down payment, renovation costs, and contigency funds for the first 2 years of new building operation. Current congregational giving will cover the new building mortgage payments and operating costs; as we expand in membership, expanded giving will go into growing and replenishing our church reserve funds for expanded and future ministries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Capital Campaign and Pledging
What is the capital campaign’s financial goal?
We are planning a $2.0 million campaign; The Cornerstone pastor committee and executive board are the governing bodies of the church. They are responsible for authorizing the limits of the capital campaign
What will the money be used for?
The money will be used to purchase an existing facility and renovate it for use by the church for religious gatherings and expansion of ministries. The current cost of an existing facility such as a office building or school typically ranges from $8-10M.
We are in the process of determining the building requirements; these will be shared during Congregational VISION day and launch of the campaign.
If the campaign goal is not met, will the church borrow the difference? Who approves borrowing?
Any decision to borrow money will be given close scrutiny by the pastoral committee and executive board. They will be the final authority for borrowing decisions. CFCC currently has no debt. Once the building has been purchased through a commercial loan, the existing facility lease at 99 St. will be reallocated to the payment of the mortgage.
How can I participate?
Everyone is invited to participate in this capital campaign. Please complete your pledge card when you have decided about your contribution.
The congregational launch will be on October 29, 2023, with the annual pledging to start on January 1, 2024. Lump sum gifts and pledges are welcomed. The leaders and pastoral team have already begun their giving.
Are campaign cash gifts tax deductible?
Yes, Cornerstone Filipino Community Church is a registered charity under the Canadian Income Tax Act through the Charities Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency. Campaign gifts are tax deductible. Donors with specific questions regarding tax deductibility should contact their professional tax advisors as well.
Can I pledge over time?
Yes, we are entering Year 1 of a three year campaign, and pledges are renewed annually. We plan to start the building purchase process at the end of Year 2 (December 31, 2025).
Will my commitment be kept confidential?
Absolutely. Only the capital campaign head and church treasurer will know individual giving details.
Is my pledge legally binding?
No. Your pledge is a commitment but not legally binding. As such, please allow for the treasurer to perform one follow-up during the year to ensure that your pledge was received and allocated to the building fund.
Will worship services have to be relocated during the purchase and renovation of the new church?
We will continue to hold services at 5405 99 St. for the remainder of the capital campaign. We are exploring additional Sunday worship services to accommodate our growing membership, as well as expanded lease space to accommodate our Sunday school.
How long is Ptr Red planning to be at Cornerstone?
Ptr Red has made a lifelong commitment to be the lead pastor at Cornerstone and does not foresee any personal or professional decisions changing this stance.
Important Dates to Remember
October 2023
Congregation VISION day and launch of project
Capital Campaign pledge cards distributed
January 2024
Commitment Sunday Celebration – pledge cards turned in
July 2024
Year 1 Leadership giving completed
January 2026
Start of new building purchase process
March 2026
Groundbreaking of new building purchase – start of renovation
January 2027
Move into new church building
Building Project Team
Lead Pastor
Rev. Dr. Frederick Arogante
Prayer Team
Powerhouse Team
Marketing & Communications
Rannie Gozo
Chair, Building & Construction
Ptr. Tony Mark Yanez
Chair, Capital Campaign & Barnhouse
Edson Gano
Chair, Smart Budgeting
Julie Ann Castro
Chair, Tactical Buying
Rev. Jun Serrano