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

18 Most Effective Practices Used By Congregations Strong in Stewardship.

-From an ELCA survey of stewardship staff and mission interpreter coordinators.

1. They hold a commitment that stewardship is important. Their vision planning includes stewardship. They are clear about their purpose and mission.
2. They give away a growing percentage of congregational income for ministries of the whole church.
3. They practice first fruits and proportionate giving for mission support (benevolence) for the whole church.
4. They build relationships with their members through personal contacts.
5. They provide multiple opportunities for giving and serving.
6. They foster spirit-filled giving and prayer development, emphasizing the connection between faith and money.
7. They identify, explore, and nurture spiritual gifts of members, helping them to fulfill their passions.
8. They develop an “asset-based” climate, using members’ assets rather than meeting needs.
9. They develop year round stewardship programs.
10. They ask boldly.
11. They thank profusely and often.
12. They engage in annual every member response programs for financial commitments, estimates of giving or pledges.
13. They provide programs for regular (undesignated) and over-and-above (designated) giving.
14. They use a program budget in addition to a line item budget.
15. They separate stewardship programs from budget preparation.
16. They provide quarterly reports on member giving to the membership.
17. They establish mission endowment policies.
18. They model first-fruits giving by sharing a percentage of their corporate income for ministry beyond the congregation.

Submitted by Randy McNitt, Mission Resources Team Coordinator.

A Message from Pastor Del:

What a week of total darkness! Thankfully on Monday, June 26, Xcel turned the power off so that a totally new temporary line could be hooked up on the north wall. Those electrical boxes on the north wall will be removed when Xcel puts in the new three-phase transformer that should be there by now. We are continuing negotiations with them. We did get a response from Xcel but the amount was much larger than expected and included more than we need. Architect Bob Saas and his electrical engineer are attempting to talk with Xcel, hoping they will be reasonable. However, Bob continues to experience no responses to his phone calls. For now, we hope that we will have power sometime on Friday June 30. It hasn’t been easy to do bulletins and newsletter this week with no power at the office. Eileen, Mary and Cathy have been working from their homes and praying for power for the week-end. We will appreciate power when we get it. Neat potty flashlights and a lantern were used for the necessary tasks. We now hear that we will be without electricity July 5 & 6, Wednesday and Thursday. Who knows when this newsletter will be run–off, compiled and mailed. Maybe carrier pigeon!

Please note the four large holes on the west side for steel beams to be attached to connect the old building and new sanctuary. As soon as the many steel bar joists are welded onto the steel frame, the concrete floor will be poured. The concrete must dry for several days before dirt can be back-filled around the new sanctuary foundation. Also, four feet of dirt will be put back into the future basement so that when the time comes for us to pour the basement floor, it will be ready. This change allows us to not have to dig dirt out in the future as it will be ready for concrete. This is very good news.

We met with our Thraemoore neighbors and the city planners to change the requirements of landscaping on the north side - the neighbors directly to the north do not want the tall trees that the city was requiring us to place there. It still needs to be approved by the city and that meeting is scheduled for July 5. This change will save us somewhere between six to eight thousand dollars. Notice that the parking on the Vassar side of the parking lot (to the east) is available and the sidewalk is in. There is some touch up left to be done, but the slope is close to being ready for sprinklers and grass but that will not be done for awhile. Remember that you may park on the street on Vassar de and the door to the church on the south side is always unlocked during the day. You may park on the new parking area on the north side anytime during the week. Watch for construction equipment!

Please keep praying for our workers, Xcel, and for each other. We have come a long way, but we have a long way yet to go. Thanks for your love and support for your staff during this difficult time. Patience and care for each other is what God is ordering.

Please continue to remember to worship this summer and to keep your offerings as regular as possible. We have much to be thankful for and sharing our gifts will help your church council be good stewards of the budget.

Pastor Del

It is exciting to watch the quilting of fifteen tons of rebar in the foundation of the new sanctuary. Twenty plus men have been working from 6:00 AM to 2:30 PM each day to hand tie with pliers and bailing wire those steel bars that will hold us up as we worship and study in the future. It is a maze of steel in-between the forms. Concrete will be poured into those forms during the week of May 31. Soon the steel that will form the sanctuary floor will be put on those forms to stabilize the newly poured foundation. If you want to watch any of this construction, please come inside the church from Vassar Way and look out the nursery windows. You will have a ring-side seat.

During the week of May 31, they will also be pouring the sidewalk along Vassar Way and the parking area along the driveway that enters on the east side. The phone lines have been severed couple of times but we have survived. Please pray that Xcel will get us costs and information for the new electrical transformer! We are still waiting for them to give us that information. It was a shocking experience inside the building when the concrete casings surrounding the basement restroom windows on the north side were jack hammered from the basement foundation!! The meeting date, June 8, has been set for the city planner, Thraemoor, and Atonement to meet and discuss the landscaping problem bordering the north side of the parking lot. A construction meeting happens every two weeks for the contractor and architect to talk about progress. The Building Ministry Team will meet again soon to further discuss the color scheme. Thank you for your understanding not to park in the lot until after 4:00 PM during the week. The contractor greatly appreciates our cooperation.

...and the steeple will be right about here!!!