At the start of this New Year, I’d like to share a few words that hopefully will keep Christ Lutheran’s mission and purpose in mind. Christmas no doubt may have left some of us wondering why we spent so much money, or sad that we didn’t have much. January’s tax season looms ahead. But when churches have a good reason, I’m glad we will always need money and the support of members like you. Here at Christ, we will never ask for more than what you offer to make our church function, but we do ask that you continue to make your presence with us felt.
Glad Tidings this New Year, Pastor Aaron Boerst I’m Glad My Church Needs Money! By: Don Linscott “I wish we didn’t talk so much about money,” is a comment I have often heard while working with churches to raise funds for their important purposes. I understand the sentiment but hold an opposing viewpoint. In fact, I hope my church always needs money. Here is why: My son, Lance, was born before it became acceptable for the father to be present in the delivery room. (A fact for which I have always been grateful!) I waited in the hallway just outside the delivery room. At precisely 4:13 p.m., I heard the unmistakable cry of a newborn baby, Lance’s first sound. The nurse emerged with a smile and said, “You have a baby boy.” Only a new father can know the wonder of those words! The wonderful glow of fatherhood was soon dimmed, however, when I was asked to visit the business office of the hospital. They wanted me to pay for Lance! In fact, it seemed to me that my child might be held hostage until the hospital bill was settled. I wrote the check paying all the expenses in full, freed my family, and we made our escape. That check turned out to be only the first of hundreds, maybe thousands, I would write on Lance’s behalf. Children are expensive. There was formula and food to buy. Doctor visits and vaccinations assaulted my banking account. Diapers and toys took their toll. And clothes were a constant drain. Just when he would get a good wardrobe, he would grow a smidgen and we would have to start all over. As Lance’s age and size increased so did the expenses. Soon it was baseball gloves, Nike shoes and uniforms. Then he needed glasses for his eyes and braces for his teeth. And then, disaster struck. Lance became a teenager! Now it was cars, electronic gadgets, and cool clothes. Then came college. Lance had always, and only, wanted to be an architect. To me it seemed he would be in school until he was forty‑two years old. Expenses soared! Tuition, books, and drawing tools led the long list of essential expenditures. But, of course, just like loving fathers everywhere, I was happy to be able to help him and I did all I could to support his growth and his dreams. I never thought of these expenses as “sacrifice.” I was his Daddy and was prepared to give everything possible toward his life and dreams. And then, one day, Lance died. On a bright, beautiful, and horrible Halloween Day, twenty-one-year-old Lance was buried in his church’s little country cemetery. That afternoon I walked away from his grave and since that day, I have never spent another nickel on Lance. That is how I learned it. Death is cheap. Death can be sustained without expense. It is living that is costly. It is growth that is expensive. Our dreams, visions, and hopes require resources. Death doesn’t! And that is why I am glad my church needs money. A living, growing, thriving church will always require the continual, consistent, and conscientious financial support of its members. And that’s the church I want to belong to. Don Linscott, for over twenty-five years I have been helping churches raise funds for causes they care about. It has been his privilege to work with some of the finest churches in America, small and large. He has met exceptional people and witnessed remarkable stories of transformation and generosity. As has been announced previously, the Church Council did create a Building Committee to explore building options. This has been a long time coming, beginning even before Pastor Reaman left.
You will recall that while Pastor Reaman was serving us, we looked at the former church on Church Street. At that time the cost of repairs was prohibitive. Then while Pastor Wenk was serving us as an interim, we had drawings done of remodeling our current building. The remodeling price tag was hefty and we still wouldn’t have solved our parking problem. Then just recently, once again the building on Church Street became available and we again considered it. Even though the last owners had invested considerable funds in the building, it still was a money pit. The Church Council even evaluated demolishing the building and rebuilding on that site, but taking a two-story and flattening it out to a one story left the footprint again too small for parking requirements. So, we were back at the drawing board. Our current building still has major issues facing it even with the new siding. The flat roof and the peaked roof are both going to need replacing, the stairs continue to create an obstacle, the sanctuary isn’t large enough to accommodate weddings or funerals, there isn’t a narthex for fellowship before and after services and the price tag to address these issues keeps growing and growing. Therefore, the Council decided it was time to explore other options thus the creation of a Building Committee. Their assigned task is to explore options and the feasibility of those options. Currently members of the Building Committee are meeting with various landowners and inquiring about the possibility of donating land (for the tax benefits) to our church. The Committee realizes that we must have land donated in order to proceed further on the building option. Secondly, members of the Committee are exploring the financial aspects. Our current property is valued at $250,000, this has been reported at Voters Meetings and is still accurate. In speaking with Pastor Thiele of Lutheran Church Extension Fund, our current monthly loan payment would cover principle of $100,000. We currently owe about $15,000 on our LCEF loan. So there appears to be financial resources that we have available to us. So, if it is in God’s Plan to bring this all together, the Building Committee wanted to ask your input on some basic questions. We would all welcome and appreciate your prayers. In Christ’s care, Anna Maenner, Christ Lutheran Building Committee |
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