A Home for Hope St. Paul

Hope Lowertown is moving, and we’re becoming Hope St. Paul. Here’s what we need and how you can help.

We bought a church!

But we need your help to make it our home.

When we purchased 663 Como Ave. in St. Paul this spring, we knew it would need some TLC. The bathrooms needed updates, we needed to reconfigure what would become the kids spaces, and there was plenty of deferred maintenance and beautification to be done.

But all of this costs money. Money we didn't have saved up in the bank.

Before closing on the building, we raised $200,000 for a 33% down payment. That in itself was an incredible testament to God's hand in this endeavor. But the fundraising needs didn't stop there.

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Fundraising Needs for Hope St. Paul

Our goal is to raise another $178,000 for:

$178,000Our goal

The $200,000 down payment is already raised and is not counted here.

Contractor renovations

$103,000

Some of the updates need to be tackled professionally. This includes:

Gutting the women's bathroom to restore functionality and bring it up to code Fully paid for and currently underway
Updating the men's bathroom for better functionality and repairing some plumbing Won’t start until we’ve hit our full fundraising goal
Installing kid-safe lighting and repairing some electrical and plumbing in the basement "great room" Fully paid for and currently underway
Combining a series of small rooms in the basement into two larger safe, clean, and fun kids spaces for babies/toddlers and PreK–2nd Grade Partially paid for and currently underway · finishes once we’ve hit our full fundraising goal

Volunteer/DIY projects and out-of-pocket expenses

$25,000

We're putting in some sweat equity and giving the building some TLC. This includes patching walls, painting, landscaping, refinishing wood flooring, lighting, beautification updates, technology updates, furniture, etc.

A reserve fund

$50,000

We're intentionally setting aside money up front to help us stay in the black, financially, as our congregation adjusts to the increased overhead costs of owning a building.

Fundraising Update

The GREAT news is we're 69% of the way there. As of Sept. 1, 2026, we've raised $124,000!

Raised so far

$124,000

Still needed

$54,000

Our goal

$178,000

69%

$0$178,000

We only have $54,000 left to go. Praise God! And thank you for your generosity!

We're asking YOU to help us meet our goal by the end of 2026. (Or sooner!)

We truly believe that giving is a worshipful response to God and all that He has given us. And while giving can include many things—our time, our talents, our treasures—in this case we're specifically, humbly, and boldly asking for you to give financially. Because we can't complete this building and make it into a welcoming space for visitors and new attenders without reaching our fundraising goal.

Will you prayerfully join us in carrying out Hope's mission in the Como neighborhood of St. Paul?

Option one

One-time gift

Have you been saving up to give to the building fund? Or perhaps you got a bonus or a windfall, and you want to dedicate some of that money to our church. For those who have the liquid cash up-front, a one-time gift is a great option.

You can also give in other ways—a stock gift, a donor-advised fund, a qualified charitable distribution, and more. If you have alternative donation methods you’d like to use that require some guidance, or if you have any other questions about giving, simply email [email protected].

Give Now

How to give a one-time gift

Click the button above.
Select "Lowertown" from the location dropdown.
Select "LT Building Fund" from the fund dropdown.

Option two

Pledge

A pledge allows individuals or households to commit to giving a total amount—say, $2,000, $5,000 or $10,000—over the course of two years, split up into monthly payments to make it more affordable than giving a big lump sum. But the total amount pledged goes to our fundraising total right away.

Thanks to the cash reserves that Hope Community Church as a whole has in the bank, we are allowed to borrow from those reserves and spend the money up-front, as long as we pay it back over the next two years.

Make a Pledge

How to set up a pledge

Type in the total amount you'd like to give.
Check the box that says "Create a recurring gift."
Select the frequency you'd like to make your pledge payments. The software will automatically break down your payment amounts.

Please note: Our pledge cycle runs from May 2026 to April 2028. As of September 2026, there are 20 months left in the pledge cycle, so if you select "Monthly," your total pledge will be divided into 20 monthly payments.

If you’ve already made a pledge but would like to increase your total—or if you have any other questions about pledges or giving—email us at [email protected].

Stay in the Loop

Want the latest updates on the building and fundraising? Check back each week for updates, from our weekly building email! Or, join our mailing list to get these updates delivered right to your inbox!

Latest St. Paul update

See past updates ›

FAQs

Where is the building located?

Our new building is located at 663 Como Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55103

When did you purchase the building, and how much did it cost?

We closed on our new building on May 1, 2026, and paid $600,000 for it. (A steal compared to other churches that have been for sale around St. Paul over the past 9 years!)

Why did you purchase a building?

Since Hope St. Paul (originally "Hope Lowertown") launched in September 2017, we've rented space from First Baptist Church of St. Paul. But we shared that space with three other congregations, and in the past couple of years began dreaming of a space of our own. Due to real estate availability and prices for church and even other commercial buildings in the city of St. Paul, that never seemed realistic. But this spring, God placed an opportunity before us with 663 Como. The price was right, and He very quickly provided the money for a down payment, as well as buy-in from Hope leadership and membership.

With this new space, we'll have access to a meeting space that's all our own, 24/7. Since it's embedded in a residential neighborhood, it provides more opportunity to host events that can engage neighbors and our regular attenders. Our ultimate goal is that more people walk through our front doors, encounter the Gospel, and get connected in community.

What is the total fundraising goal? How's it going?

After raising $200,000 for a 33% down payment, our goal is to raise another $178,000. For the latest totals, see the Fundraising Update above.

What updates are being done professionally? Is it all being done at one time?

Our contractor, Feller Contracting, agreed to split the contract into two phases, for affordability.

Phase 1 ($60K):

Women's restroom: A full gutting and renovation of the women's restroom.
Kids space: Taking out/moving walls, moving electrical as needed, framing out new walls
Basement Great Room: Updated "kid-safe" lighting

Phase 2 ($39K):

Men's restroom: A full renovation to match the women's restroom.
Kids space: Finishes the buildout of the new infant and kids classrooms, including drywall, flooring, doors, etc. (Thanks to some donations that came through in late August, we have enough funds to get started on this portion of Phase 2. However, to fully complete this space, we’ll need to hit the remainder of our fundraising goal.)

When will you move into the building?

Our goal is to move into the building sometime this fall. We'll most likely move in once the women's bathroom renovation and the Fellowship Hall DIY updates are complete. At that time, the kids spaces will not yet be complete and functional, but we will have a finished "great room" in the basement that we can use as a makeshift kids space.

How will a new building affect the annual budget?

The FY27 budget for Hope St. Paul is $226,000, up 6.1% over last year's budget. Our facilities cost is increasing from $24,000/year from when we were renting to $57,118/year to cover our mortgage, utilities, etc.