The Countdown Begins

At Rebuilt, we often remind parish leaders that vision has to become visible. People give, serve, invite, and sacrifice when they can see where the parish is going and why it matters.

At our home parish, Church of the Nativity, the Wonder Campaign offers a helpful example. Fr. Michael wrote this update for Nativity parishioners - and we believe that pastors and parish staff can learn from how this campaign connects facilities, faith formation, small groups, prayer, and mission into one clear invitation.

The lesson is not simply about fundraising. It is about helping people see how their generosity can serve the next generation and help the parish make disciples for years to come.

Letter to Nativity Parishioners regarding the ongoing "Wonder" Capital Campaign
June 2026

In the winter of 2025 we launched an important initiative we called the “Wonder Campaign.” Taking its inspiration from Psalm 78, “Tell the next generation the wonders of the Lord!” the campaign aimed at renewing our commitment as a parish to the faith formation and religious education of our kids and students. Each weekend, over 1,000 young people attend our “Next Gen” programs and ministries, in which we share the good news of the Gospel and the truth and beauty of our Catholic faith.

Though brimming to capacity and beyond, the aging infrastructure of our 50-year-old facility is stretched to its limits. Additionally, our dynamic and interactive programs for kids and students are forced to function in dated and poorly designed, dimly lit classrooms intended for old-fashioned “Sunday School.” The Wonder Campaign cast a vision of providing wide open, colorful, safe spaces for our youngest parishioners evoking a sense of God’s wonder through interactive technology, adaptable furniture and design, and irresistible environments.

Additionally, all this new space will also provide additional opportunities for our adult small groups, often challenged when it comes to meeting space, to meet here on campus. And at the center of the expansion a new chapel is proposed, dedicated to Our Lady of Bethlehem. This sacred space will double our current capacity and provide a beautiful and prayerful space for daily Mass, funerals, weddings, baptisms, and personal prayer.

As is typical of this parish, the proposal was met with enthusiasm and over $12.5m was received in gifts and pledges in our first year. This past winter we reintroduced the Campaign, inviting still others who had not yet joined us to step forward and lend their support. An additional $3.5m was raised at that time.

The total budget for the project stands at $18m and we will only begin construction with 50% of that amount in hand. Accordingly, we anticipate that we will reach that goal by next spring and now plan to begin construction exactly a year from now.

Thanks to all who have supported this project with your gifts and pledges. We also gratefully acknowledge your prayerful support. And if you have not yet gotten involved, now is the perfect time.  Afterall, the countdown to groundbreaking has begun!

(For more on how the Wonder Campaign vision first began taking shape, you can also read Fr. Michael’s earlier update, Wonder: Capital Campaign Messaging,  and to see the Campaign webpage, visit churchnativity.com/wonder)