Shine Forth Construction Update: September 2026

Dear St. John the Divine Family,

As we look ahead with excitement, I am pleased to provide a Shine Forth construction update.

As shared previously, we submitted our permitting documents to the City of Houston, and the process is moving forward as planned. While the City has not yet issued a building permit, we currently anticipate beginning construction in mid-November.

The first five to six months of construction will focus primarily on installing the required underground water detention system beneath the parking lot on the Westheimer side of our campus. During this phase, parking on the Westheimer side will be unavailable

Once the water detention work is complete, Tellepsen will begin construction of the new modern worship space and demolish the Welcome Center and Sumners Hall. At that point, parking and access along the circle drive on the River Oaks side of the campus will also be affected. As we move through each phase of construction, we will provide specific updates regarding the anticipated timeline and any impacts to campus access, parking, and parish activities.

We are developing a comprehensive parking plan to ensure that convenient parking remains available throughout construction. This will include using nearby parking lots and expanded valet parking options. Once the plan is finalized, we will provide detailed information to the parish.

One of our highest priorities throughout the project is maintaining access to all of our worship spaces: the Church, Chapel, and Hall Life Center. We are working closely with Tellepsen to maintain and optimize access to these spaces throughout construction.

On the construction cost side, we have now completed the subcontractor bidding process and executed our agreement with Tellepsen. The total project cost is approximately $63.7 million. Importantly, this budget includes appropriate contingencies to help protect the project from unforeseen costs as construction moves forward. The increase from our previous budget is primarily the result of continued inflation in construction materials and volatile market conditions.

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our parish, commitments to the Shine Forth campaign now total approximately $62.2 million. This is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the commitment of our parish family to the future of St. John the Divine.

While there remains a modest gap between current commitments and the total project cost, the leadership team is highly confident that we will be able to complete the project without incurring any permanent debt. We will continue to carefully manage project costs, campaign collections, and available financing throughout construction to protect the long-term financial strength of St. John the Divine.

To those who have already made a commitment to Shine Forth, thank you. Your generosity has made this project possible. If you have not yet participated, we invite you to prayerfully consider joining us as we work to fully fund this important investment in the future of our church.

As construction approaches, we will continue to communicate regularly and transparently about the schedule, parking, campus access, finances, and other matters that affect our parish.

Thank you for your continued patience, generosity, and prayers as we move into this exciting next chapter for St. John the Divine.

Faithfully,

David Humphreys
Director Master Campus Project

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