Shine Forth Project

Construction fencing will go up on Thursday, December 10, closing the Westheimer parking lot and the area near the church porte-cochere. Sunday, December 13, will be the first Sunday with the new parking arrangements. Please allow extra time when coming to church.

Parking will be available in the open portions of the circle drive and along River Oaks Boulevard. Parking will also be available in the front part of the shopping center across River Oaks Boulevard, at Lamar High School, the St. John’s School lots along Westheimer, and the St. John’s School Taub lot at the corner of Westheimer Road and Buffalo Speedway.

Yes. The valet station will be located on the circle drive in front of the glass doors of the Administration Building. Enter the circle drive from River Oaks Boulevard beside the 24-hour prayer chapel and proceed to the valet station shown on the Sunday parking map.

Sunday evening parking will be in the open portions of the circle drive and along River Oaks Boulevard.

Please follow the walking routes and use the crosswalks marked on the Sunday parking map. From the Taub lot, cross Buffalo Speedway at the marked crosswalk, walk east along the south side of Westheimer, and cross Westheimer at River Oaks Boulevard. Continue north along the campus edge to enter campus.

On weekdays, you may park in the open portions of the circle drive. Street parking along River Oaks Boulevard is available after 9 am. Your ministry or group leader can provide any additional instructions for your activity.

Parking arrangements may vary by event. Please check the instructions provided by the event organizer before arriving. Sunday morning parking arrangements may not apply at other times.

Please ask about parking when you schedule your event with the church. All updates to the parish will be published on sjd.org/sjd2030.

Please email Terri Dotson, event coordinator, or David Landmesser, director of facilities management, if you have any questions.

Permitting documents have been submitted to the City of Houston, and we currently anticipate construction beginning in mid-November 2026. Construction is expected to take approximately 20 to 22 months, with full project completion targeted for the third quarter of 2028.

The first five to six months of construction will focus primarily on installing a required underground stormwater detention system beneath the parking lot on the Westheimer side of campus. During this phase, parking on the Westheimer side will be unavailable. Once that work is complete, construction will begin on the new modern worship space, along with demolition of the Welcome Center and Sumners Hall.

Yes. The completed project will add 44 surface parking spaces, increasing the total from 113 to 157.

Yes. Maintaining access to the Church, Chapel, and Hall Life Center is one of our highest priorities. We are working closely with Tellepsen to maintain and optimize access to all three worship spaces throughout construction. Routes into and around campus may change during different phases of the project, and we will communicate those changes in advance.

Some parish activities, meeting locations, parking areas, and routes through campus will change as construction progresses. We will provide advance notice of significant changes through regular construction updates and on this webpage.

The project includes both new construction and renovations throughout the existing campus. Plans include a dedicated modern worship space, a new fellowship hall, a coffee shop, a new location for our gift shop and bookstore, a grand gallery, a mezzanine gathering area, a relocated prayer chapel and parlor, renovated classrooms and offices, and a new third-floor youth area with classrooms and gathering spaces.

To meet city requirements, we need 152 parking spaces on our expanded campus. Since constructing an underground parking garage is not feasible, the only viable option is to build surface parking where the Julia Garden currently stands. However, since the North Lawn falls under the jurisdiction of River Oaks Property Owners, we cannot utilize it for commercial purposes, as a parking lot is defined as.

The Julia Garden offers a beautiful natural setting for our Church—a serene space for reflection and gathering. Our vision is to preserve the spirit of the garden while relocating it to the North Lawn, where we will expand it to include inviting gathering areas, winding pathways, lush landscaping, and elegant hardscape elements. We have currently engaged a leading landscape design firm to bring this new vision of the Julia Garden to life.

The project will add approximately 7,500 square feet of basement space beneath the new modern worship building. This area will include music and creative team spaces, offices, classrooms, additional storage, and an expanded mechanical room.

The total project cost is about $63.7 million, including appropriate contingencies for unforeseen construction costs. Commitments to the Shine Forth campaign currently total approximately $62.2 million. Parish leadership remains highly confident that the project can be completed without incurring permanent debt.

Yes. While commitments to the campaign now total approximately $62.2 million, there remains a modest gap between current commitments and the total project cost. Those who have not yet participated are invited to make a commitment as we work to fully fund the project.

Visit the Shine Forth website to make your commitment.

We will share regular updates about construction timing, parking, campus access, and other impacts through parish communications and on this webpage. As each phase approaches, we will provide more detailed information about changes that affect Sunday worship and weekday activities.

Questions about the project may be emailed to project director, David Humphreys, or submit a form with your question.