A Message from The Reverend Lisa Hunt
Andrés Herrera sat down with the Reverend Lisa Hunt to discuss envisioning the future and direction of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and School on our neighborhood block. The following is Reverend Hunt’s message and invitation to the Church and School communities. This is Part 3 of 3.
The Time is Now
Campus buildings are aging out, and we are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in maintenance and repair on spaces that are not going to serve us through the end of this century. Thus, we need to act now. The health and future of our church and school community depend on facilities that reflect our innovative vision.
In terms of funding the development of our campus, we recognize that our fundraising capacity internally, while strong, isn’t unlimited. Thus, we are thinking creatively and strategically, exploring options, and being open to different development structures.
Next Steps
Our real estate consultant – HR&A – is assisting by creating and leading a process to refine our vision, taking input from the community. We’re also beginning to do preliminary assessments of the current market here in Houston and to assess development options for the consideration of the Vestry and School Board. While we have been engaging in Phase 1 of our master plan, we are also now considering Phase 2 and what models of development may be most relevant or effective.
Through focus groups and workshops, the Church and School community will further define a vision for development. In the Spring of 2023, the consultant team will work with St. Stephen’s to design and launch a developer solicitation / RFP process.
I invite you to get involved and get excited about the next phase in St. Stephen’s future.
Visit our Mission Real Estate Landing Page to learn more. Enter the password: buildforlight
Reverend Lisa Hunt, Rector