With God's Hope~Our Journey Continues...

May 2005
- Survey of Atonement Property completed.
- All Title work has been verified and complete.
- Selected External Color Scheme for Brick and Stucco
- Activity continues to secure funding through ELCA Mission Investment Fund.

May 16, 2005 - Held meeting to discuss Heating and Air Conditioning requirements.
May 23, 2005 - Held Meeting to discuss Audio/Visual Requirements
May 26, 2005 - Submitted drawings and formal Site Development Planning Documents to City of Lakewood. No major results or concerns to report at this time.

June continues the “God’s Hope and Our Journey” plan that the congregation approved at the January 2005 Congregational meeting. Two staff positions, Parish Nurse and Youth Ministry coordinator, were to be added. Thus, June 1 was a good day with meetings with Ruth Zartman, Beverly Karika and Julie McNitt coming for their orientation. Ruth and Beverly will share the Parish Nurse position as their different strengths and talents compliment each other. If either Ruth or Beverly are away, one will be available to help us. The Church Council (Leadership Ministry Team) will give final approval at the June 14 meeting. Julie McNitt will be attending the Clinical Pastoral Education program at St. Anthony Hospital for twelve weeks to continue her seminary education requirements. We will work out her hours as we go along as all of this is a work in progress. Welcome Julie, Ruth and Beverly! We will have a special welcome for them at the June 26th Sunday worship services. All are already busy at work!

On May 26, 2005 Lakewood accepted Atonement’s application for remodeling and building a new sanctuary. Several items were apart of that application which included a Warranty Deed, and a Title Commitment Letter. Please note the display in the narthex showing the brick samples and exterior colors for the building project. On June 1 the Building Ministry Team (BMT) met to approve Eidos’s plans to be given to A.D. Miller, our General Contractor. A.D. Miller can now submit them to sub-contractors for bids. In six or more weeks we will have a better picture of what plans have to modified in order to build the basement under the sanctuary. The city will also be responding to Eidos’s plans for us and if that is positive, we’ll be moving quickly. The Worship Ministry Team met May 26 with Acoustech (Roland) and Eidos to plan the audio and video parts of the sanctuary too.

I hope you will be as impressed as I am with the Sanctuary design. It will be a powerful Holy Space with lots of drama! Pray for the BMT, our new staff and the fulfilling of the dreams we have planned for the future so that as we “Live In God’s Love and Reach Out With Hope” we will be inspired and renewed disciples for the future!