Hope springs eternal: The Hope Center brings like ministries together

Resembling a mountain lodge, the building at Plano Parkway and Custer has caught the eye of passersby since it broke ground in June of 2008.

But many are unaware of what was under construction. After a year of construction, The Hope Center is ready to accept more tenants; some began moving in in October 2009.

The Hope Center Foundation is organized and operates exclusively for charitable, religious and educational purposes as a registered 501(c)(3) entity. The foundation exists for the purpose of, among other things, owning and operating the Hope Center – a campus for the co-location of multiple Christian ministries. Home to almost 40 groups, the Hope Center fosters and promotes collaboration among evangelical Christian ministries.

“None of this would have happened without June Hunt,” Kelly Shackelford said. “To have the incredible vision to do this, to create a legacy that will live on and spread to other communities.”

Shackelford is the president and CEO of Liberty Institute, which along with

Need Him Ministries and Livada Orphan Care, were among the first tenanats to occupy the new Hope Center campus.

According to the foundation’s Web site, the 9 acre campus serves to facilitate like-minded nonprofit ministries coming together to share resources and to participate in joint ministry ventures with the aim of more effectively furthering the cause of Christ all around the world. The Hope Center Foundation’s ultimate goal is to create a setting that promotes synergy, financial stewardship and global expansion among Christian nonprofit organizations.

Bruce Thomas, founder and executive director of Livada Orphan Care, said being able to work so closely with like-minded organizations has been extremely helpful. He said there is always something to learn with others who have already been working for a while, and there is always overlap from what everyone does.

“The fact that we are all in close proximity to each other is a blessing,” Thomas said. “In the past, groups like these were spread out, not only across the Metroplex but across the nation.”

Paul Nelson, former president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, said, “Many people have talked about creating a community of partnering organizations before, but it has truly become a reality at the Hope Center.”

When describing the structural design and size, Nelson said, “You have to see it to appreciate it.” The 185,000-square-foot campus includes a chapel, conference center, atrium, café, bookstore, multiple broadcast studios, call center, fitness center and postal facility for the ministry tenants. The conference rooms, integrated telephone system, fulfillment center and shared server room are designed to minimize costs and increase opportunities for collaboration.

Shackelford said a campus like the Hope Center nearly doubles individual capacity for each organization. The facilities offered there include a conference room, board room and meeting rooms. He said because it is limited to Christian ministries they are able to offer a lower rent.

“For us, it has doubled our capacity and given us access to resources we didn’t have before,” Shackelford said. “Overall, [tenants] have just been blown away. When you come into this building it is just very professional.”

The Hope Center is located one block north of President George Bush Turnpike. The grounds features walking paths and a prayer garden. According to its Web site, from building materials to structural considerations, the Hope Center campus is designed for minimal environmental impact and meets LEED-certified standards, all the while blending with the area’s natural beauty.

As another tool for the growing center, the foundation recently announced its new Web site design created to give more information about the ministries located within the Hope Center. The Web site features a comprehensive list of those ministries, descriptions of each ministry’s mission and a link to their respective homepages.

The Hope Center, a nonprofit, multi-tenant center, was completed in December of 2009. Dan Busby, president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, said, “When I first learned of the plans for the Hope Center and the new facility in Plano, I was so excited for the expanded opportunities this will bring to many evangelical ministries. ECFA strongly supports the creation of the Hope Center, and my prayer is that God will abundantly bless [them] as [they] model how believers can work together to increase our impact around the world.”

The Hope Center Web site can be viewed at www.TheHopeCenterFoundation.org.

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