My calling as a pastor has always been shaped by the servant-leadership life Jesus modeled during His earthly ministry. When you are truly “others-oriented,” you prioritize people and the community you are called to serve.
After assuming the pastorate of Apostolic Truth Church in 2007, I established two objectives: cultivating a healthy church family and intentionally engaging our community. These priorities quickly gained traction, and our church began to experience consistent growth. We renovated our existing 24,000-square-foot facility, reimagining every room for maximum, multipurpose use, and eventually added a second service to accommodate continued growth.
A Vision for a New Church Home
In 2018, we began the journey of designing a new church home – one that would better facilitate and accommodate our mission. A small team of leaders and I met with church leaders and volunteers, carefully planned space relationships, and even discussed the “look and feel” of the building. Our construction objective was clear: to build a state-of-the-art, “everyday-use” church facility that included space for small groups, areas accessible to the community, and environments that supported multi-generational worship experiences.
With this groundwork completed, we partnered with an architectural firm to bring our vision to life visually. Using the resulting renderings and videos, we launched a season of courageous generosity. Our church family responded with remarkable faith and commitment, giving to the campaign at a true legacy level.
Selecting the Right Building Partner
Our next step was to select a construction partner. We interviewed several companies, but Catalyst Construction quickly distinguished themselves. Their vision and values resonated deeply with our leadership team. They also made an unusual promise – to guide and advise us through the earliest stages of the construction journey without a contract. Frankly, it sounded too good to be true. Catalyst exceeded every expectation. Without a contract, they walked with us step by step and decision by decision. Catalyst helped us value-engineer our plans, their representatives attended every meeting with our architects, they also helped get a good sense of construction costs.
When the time came to formally select our construction partner, Catalyst stood in line and competed for our business just as they promised. Full disclosure: I was personally rooting for Catalyst. By that point, they had earned my complete trust and confidence. Thankfully, their bid did not disappoint. It was a joyful day when we signed with Catalyst – not just as contractors, but as partners and friends.
What I Appreciate Most About Catalyst Construction
Catalyst Oversees, Organizes, and Advocates for Their Clients
Catalyst expertly managed the complexities of construction. They kept the project moving; coordinating seamlessly with the City of Appleton, subcontractors, and suppliers.
Because Catalyst does not self-perform trade work, they maintained strong accountability with subcontractors. I especially appreciated how present our site superintendent and assistant superintendent were – constantly walking the site, inspecting work, documenting progress, and addressing concerns with excellence and care.
Catalyst Has an Exceptional Gift for Communication
Clear, consistent communication was a hallmark of our experience with Catalyst. From our first meeting through project completion, their team maintained a healthy communication rhythm. They were responsive, attentive, and proactive whenever questions or concerns arose.
We held productive meetings throughout the construction season to review progress, discuss next steps, and address challenges. Did we have difficult conversations? Yes. Were they contentious? Never. Every challenge was approached collaboratively, as one team working toward a shared goal.
Catalyst Demonstrated True Partnership
Catalyst proved that our relationship was more than contractual or transactional. They consistently did more than they promised, gave more than we agreed upon, and even absorbed costs they were not obligated to cover.
Our project manager, site superintendent, and assistant site superintendent each excelled in their roles and became trusted friends of our leadership team. The Catalyst church representative was equally remarkable—I consider him a genuine and trusted friend.
Catalyst Welcomed Volunteer Involvement
One of the most meaningful aspects of our project was the involvement of church volunteers. While several companies expressed hesitation about volunteer participation, Catalyst embraced it and affirmed its importance.
They offered guidance on how to structure volunteer involvement, and we built a Volunteer Leadership Team that included a coordinator, site leader, project leaders, food leader, and administrative lead. In total, Apostolic Truth Church mobilized over 300 volunteers, contributing approximately 6,700 hours of service. This effort not only generated significant cost savings but also fostered ownership, unity, and deep engagement among our church family.
The Result
We are absolutely thrilled with our new church home—it has exceeded our expectations in every way. Since moving into the facility, we have experienced continued growth in attendance and increased engagement with our community. During a recent open house, 180 neighbors toured the building in just three hours.
Our new church home is helping us accommodate – and accelerate – our mission. None of this would have been possible without the blessings of the Lord, the generosity of our church family, and the faithful partnership of Catalyst Construction.
Did I mention we finished on our project on schedule and under budget?
If you are considering a building project, I wholeheartedly recommend Catalyst Construction. They will help you. They will serve you. And they will exceed your expectations—because they lead as true servant leaders.
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