Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the property details?

• We are moving to 6358 Main Street in Trumbull, the former location of Long Hill United Methodist Church (UMC). 

• Long Hill UMC has merged with Nichols UMC and is no longer meeting in the building.

• We will be the only church meeting in the space.

• We have a three-year lease. 

• We will continue to meet on Sundays at 10 a.m. for our Eucharistic celebration and worship service. 

• We will have permanent signage on Main Street directing visitors to parking and entrances.

• Our designated space consists of a sanctuary that seats about 130, a space for a nursery and toddler room, a small chapel, a large multi-purpose fellowship hall, a large finished basement meeting room, a church office, and a full kitchen.  

• We will share several other spaces throughout the building. 

• There is designated parking that will suit our needs.

• The space is handicap accessible. 

2. What parameters were used to assess if this was a good space for Apostles?

Location

• The target area was about an 8-mile radius from our current space, including the north end and Black Rock neighborhoods of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Fairfield, and parts of Shelton and Stratford.

• In or near a residential neighborhood

• Close to a highway, parkway, or connector for accessibility to those traveling from throughout Fairfield County

• Taking into consideration where members at Apostles currently live

Requirements

• The ability to have a morning worship service starting between 9 - 11 a.m.

• The ability to combine our office, ministry, fellowship, and worship spaces under one roof

• No weekly set-up requirements 

• Three to five-year lease 

Desirables 

• Look for a space that is a church, has been used as a church, or can be configured into a sacred space.

• Four designated kid spaces or multi-purpose rooms that can be easily converted

• Space for a sacristy 

• Appropriate storage

• Natural light in the worship space

• Located in a neighborhood where we can practice presence

• Convenient to the region

• Welcoming presentation to the neighborhood: inviting entrances, easy-to-find, clear signage

• Off-street parking is included or can be leased from neighboring businesses.

• Room to grow

• Well-lit, secure entrances in a safe neighborhood 

• Access to public transit: bus lines, train stations, etc. 

• Fellowship areas and hospitable spaces for welcoming guests 

Pricing Considerations 

• Annual lease, utilities, and services of approximately $60,000 annually.

• Some move-in expenses are acceptable.

3. What was the geographical search area?

• The target area was about an 8-mile radius from our current space, including the north end and Black Rock neighborhoods of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Fairfield, and parts of Shelton and Stratford.

• In or near a residential neighborhood

• Close to a highway, parkway, or connector for accessibility to those traveling from throughout Fairfield County

• Taking into consideration where members at Apostles currently live

4. How did we find this space?

About a month ago, while walking through her neighborhood, Amy, our Children's Ministry Director saw a sign that Nichols UMC and Long Hill UMC had merged and were meeting at the Nichols UMC campus. She alerted her husband and our treasurer. Ryan and I toured the building a day or so later, and through many conversations amongst our leadership, meetings with the Nichols UMC pastor and trustees, and much prayer, we have reached a lease agreement.

5. How will this move enhance our mission, ministry, and fellowship?

This location provides opportunities for serving the local neighborhood and surrounding community. We can bless those around us by inviting them to our weekly worship and discipleship ministries, offering a place to gather for community events, engaging in missions of both proclamation and mercy, and joining the ordinary rhythm of life.

Several ministry and mission opportunities are already happening in the space. Three Alcoholics Anonymous groups meet in the building. On weekdays, the property is alive with a preschool of about 80 students housed in the large education wing. We are dreaming of ways to meet parents and serve families. The property hosts an annual blueberry festival for the community. 

With a large green space, the property is ideal for us to continue to reach out through Come and See Events like our annual egg hunt at Easter time and a fall trunk-or-treat, foster fellowship through hosting gatherings, events, potlucks, small groups, etc., with space for childcare. We will have a space for our youth to gather, allowing us to enhance our youth group and invite friends to join.

6. How much will the new space cost?

The lease for the new space will cost $63,000 annually, a savings of approximately $20,000 for what we paid this year at CRS. This price includes utilities, lawn care, snow removal, general maintenance, and cleaning. 

7. Do we need to renovate or design any part of the space to meet our needs?

This facility is mostly move-in ready. We will need to spend some money on signage, upgrading audiovisual equipment for the sanctuary, and general beautification. However, the space is suited for a church and has been well cared for by Long Hill UMC. 

8. What are the criteria and values for the design decisions? 

As Anglicans, we value three things in the spaces where we worship and minister: Utility, Blessing, and Beauty. 

Utility

The property should provide an affordable, functional, and safe space for God's worship, the celebration of the sacraments, fellowship with one another, and the care of our congregation's physical and spiritual needs. 

Blessing 

The property should offer to all who enter the openness, vulnerability, and hospitality that we know in the loving and welcoming embrace of Jesus, with a particular emphasis on welcoming guests and visitors.

Beauty

The property should exhibit a sacred aesthetic, pointing us to God and reflecting our Anglican heritage through elements such as light and material.

9. Who is making the design decisions? 

We have assembled a small team from the parish to assess the space and present decisions about signage, locations of things like a Greeters Table, where to offer coffee after the service, etc. The Parish Council will give final approval for funding of the design renovations.

10. When will we get a chance to see the new space?

We hope to have an open house tour of the space sometime in November following a church service. In the meantime, take a minute to drive around the property located at 6358 Main Street, Trumbull.

11. When will we occupy the building? 

We will hold our first worship service on Sunday, December 1, the first Sunday in Advent, and the first day we will occupy the building. We will be able to set the building up before this. 

12. Is there a possibility that this location will become our permanent place?

Yes. Nichols UMC has yet to decide whether to sell the building. However, if and more likely when they choose to sell, Apostles has the right to make the first offer if we decide this is a good permanent place for us. While we lease the building, we have up to three years to try it out, doing mission and ministry and living life together in the space to see if it is a good fit for us. 

We continue working with Horizons, a consulting firm specializing in raising money for churches to buy properties. We are currently in a capital campaign's feasibility and lead giver phase to raise the funds we need to buy a permanent place. In the coming months, we will announce more details to the congregation at Apostles.

13. How will we stay informed of the progress? To whom should we direct our questions? 

We have established an email address, place@apostlesct.org, where you can email questions that we will direct to the appropriate person to answer and add to this FAQ sheet as appropriate. We will update the FAQs as new questions arise.

We will make periodic announcements on Sunday mornings and update the parish through email when appropriate.