FAQs

If you’re planning to give multiple times over the next two years, we would love it if you started by filling out this Commitment Card. After you have done that, then you can give online via ACH or card.

You can also mail a check to 1302 SE Ankeny St, Portland, OR 97214 or drop it in one of the black boxes during a Sunday service. Make checks out to Imago Dei with “Sanctuary for the City” in the memo.

Cash can also be given during a Sunday service, but we ask that you put it in an envelope with your name and the words “Sanctuary for the City.”

Donations are tax deductible and will be included with your giving to the general fund in your year-end tax receipts.

In order to move forward with our plans in wisdom and confidence, it’s important we know how much money is being prayerfully committed to this campaign not just today, but over the next two years.

When you fill out a Commitment Card, it communicates your intent to give. This is not a legally binding pledge–the intent may be revised or canceled at any time should circumstances necessitate.

We will use these intentions to make decisions on moving forward with the phases of the project.

The decision for how much to give is a decision all of us will make in private prayer and communal wisdom. First, we encourage all of us to spend a significant time asking the Lord for what to give. Second, ask trusted wise voices: if you’re married, discuss with your spouse, if you’re single, discuss with people you admire and trust for their faith.

For reflection, Pastor Chris has given us two questions written by Pastor Ryan Ingram: 1) What will it look like for me to give sacrificially and also while full of joy? 2) What does it look like to give with great faith and great wisdom?

In order to help people prayerfully consider the kinds of gifts that could make up three million dollars, we created this page showing what it takes for 400 people or households to reach our goal and how each gift makes a difference.

Everyone’s financial situation is different! For many people, breaking up their gift makes giving more accessible. However, if you have the ability to give a large gift earlier in the campaign, that may allow us to begin the work sooner, so that would be welcome. 

The Sanctuary for the City campaign is open from October 2025-October 2027, and you may give any time during this window. However, “Commitment Sunday” is October 19th, 2025, and we invite everyone who calls Imago Dei their home church to submit their Commitment Cards and set up any recurring gifts by that day.

Confidentiality is very important to us. There is a small team of Imago Dei operations staff who need to process the Commitment Cards for the purpose of accounting and receipting, but specific information on who gives what will not be shared with our lead pastor, elders, or other staff or volunteers.

Commitment Cards communicate your intent to give, but the intent may be revised or canceled at any time should circumstances necessitate.

Yes! Did you know that non-cash related investments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs can be donated for charitable deductions and without capital gains taxes? Likewise, Donor-Advised Funds and Required Minimum Distributions can even be directed to Imago Dei.

Imago Dei has a fund at NCF which allows us to receive gifts like these. For the specific fund name and instructions, or to learn about giving real estate or other non-liquid assets, email elise@idcpdx.com.

One of our key values during this season is to go at the speed of generosity. This means the exact timing of the three phases will depend on the number of commitment dollars reported throughout this season.

We have spread out our three phases in such a way that allows us to move project by project without getting ahead of ourselves and into massive long term debt. And we will only move forward on each phase of the project after our building committee, finance team, and elders have discerned we are financially ready to do so.

Imago Dei staff and the volunteer Building Team have been assessing the needs of this building to ultimately make suggestions to the elder board. The elder board unanimously voted on the phases shown in the Sanctuary for the City Campaign.

The three phases presented have been selected as the most urgent needs, but they are far from the only work that could be done to invest in our building.

In 2023 and 2024, our team applied for a grant from the city for over 7 million dollars. We didn’t get awarded the grant, but the research and preparation that went into that application has set us up well for future investments in our building.

Advent Conspiracy is a yearly initiative that includes a large financial offering in the weeks leading up to Christmas that encourage believers to spend less, give more, worship fully, and love all.

While this is something that many Christians worldwide now participate in, it was started in 2006 by Imago Dei's founding pastor Rick McKinley, in partnership with a few other churches. This has been a key part of our church’s life, and for the next two years, we desire to multiply its effects.

The special offering we collect in December goes straight out the doors to our partners such as The Water Project and City Team.

In 2025 and 2026, instead of collecting our Advent Conspiracy offering in December, we will be encouraging everyone to contribute to "A Sanctuary for the City," because 15% of every dollar we raise throughout the entire 25 months will go to our Advent Conspiracy Partners.

Instead of just sending a check in January, we will be able to make donations to our partners four times over the course of the campaign to support their ministries. If we get even anywhere close to our financial goal, we will far surpass the amount we have raised during Advent Conspiracy the last few years.

From 2006-2010, Imago met and worshiped at Franklin High School. Rent was expensive and it took an incredible amount of volunteers to set up and tear down each Sunday. At that time, we were given a church building on the corner of NE 29th and Flanders. While it wasn’t big enough to accommodate our Sunday gatherings, the space was used for church offices and midweek events. Thanks to God’s provision and timing, we were able to use that property in order to help purchase our current church building, in June of 2010.

We have approximately 2.5 million dollars remaining on our mortgage. Our present mortgage payment is built into our general fund budget, and we have been consistent in our payments and reduction of the outstanding balance.

To be the best stewards we can be of the unique property the Lord has seen fit to entrust to us with, the elders believe it is in our best interest to maintain both: 

• (a) a stable long-term mortgage on our long-termed property asset, and

• (b) make simultaneous short-term/lower dollar investments in modest but necessary improvements.  

It is typical to finance the purchase of long term assets with long term debt, which is how the original purchase was financed.

Our intent is to be as minimally disruptive as possible, but we appreciate everyone’s flexibility as some events may need to switch rooms during construction.

The kitchen will need to be closed for about 6-8 weeks, in which time we’ll get creative by preparing food in other spaces and at times having prepared food delivered.

Let’s talk! Many of these projects are able to be completed most quickly and efficiently by working with large contracting companies, but there may be other ways to use your gifts and skills for the vision of this space. Email elise@idcpdx.com to talk more.

You’re not alone! Imago Dei is blessed to have a large community of parents, grandparents, and other family and friends who love the work that Imago Dei is doing in the city. Your gift allows the ministry of Imago Dei to continue in the center of Portland.

We made a special way just for you, to allow you to dedicate your gift to someone if you so choose.

Our team would love to talk to you.

We’re hosting an in-person Q&A on October 5th after church, so we would love to see you there. Or you can stop by the Connection Table on a Sunday morning before or after service, call 503-231-5096, or email info@idcpdx.com.

Please refrain from including financial information or other sensitive data in an email.