Immanuel Lutheran’s Home Messenger

Volume 26, Issue 2April 2004

Facility Survey Report

A congregational survey was conducted in March to gain input from Immanuel’s members concerning our facility needs. This was an important first step as we work to develop a master facility plan for the future. The need to have a plan for the future and the need to address issues in the current facility is clear. We pray for the Lord’s guidance and His wisdom as we work together to plan for the future.

The following is a brief summary of some of the survey questions and responses. Survey results were presented to the voters in the Quarterly Voters’ Meeting on April 19. The Voters requested that the survey data be analyzed further and presented to the congregation. The Committee for Facility Exploration will make this presentation of the data in an open congregational discussion following the worship service on May 16th. The Committee will continue to receive input and bring a proposed plan for a feasibility study to the next Quarterly Voters’ Meeting on July 19.

We received 94 responses to the survey. The ages of the respondents were as follows:

14-18 years	10%
19-25	07%
26-45	39%
46-65	23%
66 and above	22%

What level of impact do you feel the present location and facility have on our mission and ministry?

Very positive	10%
Somewhat positive	43%
No impact	19%
Somewhat negative impact	24%
Very negative impact	04%

Comments:

Somewhat positive impact for reaching the needy in the community; very negative impact for the physical environment/neighborhood isn’t conducive to school children
Location is not relevant

Parking has been identified as one of the needs at our current location. What do you feel is the level of importance and urgency in addressing this need?

Urgent Need	19%
Major Need	28%
Moderate Need	37%
Minor Need	16%

Comments:

I don’t believe this would stop someone who would sincerely want to be involved from attending
Plenty of things more important than where to park
I’ve always found parking within a few blocks
Even when I arrive when the bells are ringing, I never have to walk more than a block from where I park.
Never a place to park on Sunday and it’s not fun hauling two kids three blocks to get into church from where we are parked in windy and cold weather.
Urgent need especially for elderly in the winter!
Parking an urgent need especially for seniors and parents with small children.

Neighborhood safety has been identified as a concern with our present location and facility. How would you rate the need to address this concern?

Urgent Need	20%
Major Need	35%
Moderate Need	34%
Minor Need	11%

Comments:

Convenience store robberies, drug deals, and guns across the street from our playground, school, and church are most definitely a huge concern.
There will always be problems with safety concerns and vandalism
The neighborhood is ripe for an inner city center, but is dangerous for children, especially at night.
A facility in a more remote location might be even more subject to vandalism, etc.
Has been same since it started

A lack of space has been identified as a need in our current facility. How would you rate this need?

Urgent Need	24%
Major Need	39%
Moderate Need	27%
Minor Need	10%

Comments:

Approaching urgent, depending on time of day (i.e. when school is in session)
No room to expand and grow

Have you had firsthand experience with a lack of space for functions and activities in our present facility?

Yes	54%
No	46%

Comments:

Dual use of the basement for school and church functions creates cleaning, orderliness, and traffic, and schedule issues.
There doesn’t seem to be any free space for a meeting anytime during the school day.
No place for senior Bible Study, more meeting space, library space.
I see school items crammed into every nook and cranny of the building.
There simply isn’t enough storage space. This leads to a “dingy” and “cluttered” facility.
Sometimes there’s not enough room for all of the students to sit in the classroom, or to be able to see the board.
The gym doesn’t have an adequate storage room, hard to access things you need.
With the growth of our athletic programs alone, there is no time for the younger teams to practice. We have no storage space for a proper janitors closet, mechanical equipment.
I often do not attend potlucks because the space is inadequate and I feel very cramped.
Work space for repair operations (Harold’s room) is currently used for storage.
School students interrupt ladies auxiliary meetings

There have been suggestions that a pre-school would be a wonderful addition to Immanuel’s program and would enhance our ministry. Do you agree?

Yes	90%
No	10%

Comments:

It would be a natural progression to kindergarten and further grades.
It is a great way to get more people interested in Immanuel, and thus an opportunity to share the true Word.
It may provide a way to encourage more families to use our school and congregation for their family needs.
An after school care program would also be a nice addition.
Any of these new programs must be self-supporting and not be a burden on the congregation’s finances…they should be self-supporting and break even—never lose money or run a deficit.

Should future plans aim to keep the church and school facilities at one location?

Yes	92%
No	08%

Comments:

The neighborhood is a good place for the church. It is not necessarily a good place for our children.
Yes. We think it’s important for people to realize that we are Christ centered and not just another charter school so we need to keep church close by so people know that by seeing that we are going to have Christian education at our school, not just three R’s.
I think its nice that the children are available to sing for funerals when asked.
Sharing workers and volunteer abilities is strengthened in one location.
The need for Sunday school facilities would require redundancy at separate locations and some time and energy would be wasted in transit between locations.
Having the two together is a great benefit to both church goers and students. It helps tie the congregation and student body together as a Christian community.

What do you believe are Immanuel’s greatest and most urgent needs? (the number behind the responses indicates how many respondents cited this need)

Physical Needs

Space (25)
Parking (10)
General maintenance and upkeep (5)
Safety/Security (5)
Paying off our debts/balanced budget (3)
Air conditioning/newer heating(3)
Neighborhood (2)
Improve efficiency of facilities (2)
Maintenance

Personal Needs

More students for our school (10)
Visit inactive members. Address the apparent lethargy and preach the Gospel (8)
Congregation participation (3)
Teaching and solidly preaching God’s Word—solidly—positively (2)
Concerned that we don’t overwork our called servants and members so that they have no family time.
Go out of our way to make new and old people feel welcome and included.
Working together on the problems such as giving, discussing relocation vs. improvements only, etc. without imploding. I think the Devil is very good at causing in-house turmoil.
Hearts of love…we are so slovenly in the time and money we give to our Lord.
To be content with what we have, to realize that we don’t always need the biggest and the best, to stop spending largely into debt each year
To bring the members of Immanuel back to their “first love” of the Gospel message.
Communication

In terms of facility and location, how do you believe the future ministry of our congregation would best be served?

Nothing beyond maintenance	07%
Expanding current facility	22%
Relocating and building new	58%
Other	13%

Open Congregational Discussion

May 16th

Following the Worship Service

Purpose: To present the results of the facility survey.

Everyone is invited to stay and participate!

“Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting…They came, both men and women, as many as had willing heart…the children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the LORD by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done…Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came…saying, ‘The people bring much more than enough for the service of the LORD commanded us to do…’ and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp saying, ‘Let neither man nor woman do any more for the offering of the sanctuary.’ And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done-indeed too much.”(Exodus 35:21ff)

Immanuel Lutheran Church’s

Spring Seminars

For three Sunday evenings in May, Immanuel Lutheran Church of Mankato will be sponsoring seminars on the topics of finance, theology, and parenting. Participants are able to follow one track through all three sessions or mix and match between the three tracks. Attend one, two, or three weeks. The flexibility is yours! The cost is $6.00/seminar or build a three seminar package of your choosing for $15.00. Seminars begin each evening at 7:00 p.m. and conclude at 9:30 p.m. with a half hour break and refreshments at 8:00 p.m.

May 16

Track 1: Finance

Faithful Christian Stewardship-Estate Planning for Charitable Giving Options

Presenter: Karl Friedrichs (Attorney)

Track 2: Theology

The Battle for the Means of Grace concerning the Word-the Bible

Presenter: TBA

Track 3: Parenting

Intentional Parenting: Conflicts and Goals

Presenters: Jim and Beth Sydow

May 23

Track 1: Finance

Faithful Christian Stewardship-Budgeting

Presenter: Sandra Buckley (CPA)

Track 2: Theology

The Battle for the Means of Grace concerning Baptism

Presenter: TBA

Track 3: Parenting

Positive Parenting for Teens

Presenter: Pastor Wayne C. Eichstadt

May 30

Track 1: Finance

Faithful Christian Stewardship-Investing

Presenter: Joe Steck (Financial Advisor)

Track 2: Theology

The Battle for the Means of Grace concerning the Sacrament of the Altar

Presenter: TBA

Track 3: Parenting

Setting Boundaries

Presenter: Pastor Wayne C. Eichstadt

Seminars open to all—invite your friends! Brochures and registration forms are available!

Seminar Registration

(Pre-registration is appreciated…walk-ins welcome)

Please mark your seminar choices (Please bring or mail to the church office):

May 16 — [ ] Finance [ ] Theology [ ] Parenting

May 23 — [ ] Finance [ ] Theology [ ] Parenting

May 30 — [ ] Finance [ ] Theology [ ] Parenting

$6.00/seminar or $15.00/3 seminars

Name:

Voters Meeting

May 17 ~ 7:00 p.m.

The April Quarterly Voters’ Meeting was recessed until May 17th. The Voters will reconvene on April 17 to consider Council recommendations concerning our current budget deficit.

From the Finance Board…

Dear Members of Immanuel,

As is our practice, the Finance Board will provide you with General Fund balance information each quarter. By now, most of you are probably aware of our existing deficit. Pastor Nolting prepared a detailed explanation of the deficit, which was presented in the April 25 bulletin. The Finance Board thanks Pastor Nolting for his efforts.

Our first quarter deficit was almost $40,000, which is the largest historical shortfall relative to this period. The current deficit is the result of beginning the year in the red, a shortfall in receipts, and expenses which have exceeded budget.

The Immanuel Voters have discussed this topic at length and are very concerned about the prospects for further deficits through the summer months and into the Fall. Each of our church boards have been asked to review their proposed expenses, with the direction to come back to the Voters with recommendations for cuts. The severity of the situation is such that the idea of cutting a high school teaching position was mentioned as a possible solution.

Our voters agreed, in early February, that this budget was achievable, so it seems fair to say that no one wants to make these types of cuts; but we must exercise fiscal responsibility. At the risk of stating the obvious, we as a congregation also need to increase our giving. The Lord has and continues to bless us at Immanuel and we all need to prayerfully consider this great opportunity to better support the Kingdom work.

We also need to avoid becoming discouraged by our present situation. We should be very thankful that overall giving has increased compared to giving in 2003. In fact, if we had not started the year with a deficit, our current deficit would be less than that of last year. We pray that the Lord bless our efforts to address this situation!

In His Service,
Tom Lentz
Finance Secretary

Quarterly Financial Report

	March 04 Budget	YTD Actual	Long/Short
Envelope Giving	$128,327	$104,105	-$24,222
Lent & NYD	$11,039	$13,901	$2,862
Tuition	$25,000	$30,824	$5,824
Other	$1,288	$2,587	$1,299

Total Receipts	$165,654	$151,417	-$14,237

Starting deficit			-$12,048
Expenses over budget			-$13,364

Property News

This year, the Property Board was expanded to include six members instead of three. The new 6-member property Board has divided itself into committees to better serve the facility needs of our congregation and to better coordinate the property work among volunteers. If you have a property question, notice a property need, have property ideas, or would like to volunteer for a project, please contact the appropriate Property Board members as outlined below:

Organizational Committee - you have suggestions of needed work, general input, etc.

Loren Hansen
Karl Wendland

Overseers Committee - you’d like to volunteer your services

Jake Busse
Loren Wager

Emergency/Urgency Committee - you have an immediate need to report

Dale Becker
Mark Lentz

NEW CHURCH JANITOR - After several years of faithful service, Chuck and Linda Bode are retiring from the role of Church Janitor. Beginning May 1, Richard Lueck is assuming the church janitorial responsibilities. We thank Chuck and Linda for their years of dedicated service and hard work on our behalf and for the Lord and His House!

Project List

The Property Board has identified the following projects for May. The projects marked with an asterix (*) are priorities. If you can assist in accomplishing these tasks this month, please contact Jake Busse or Loren Wager (see above).

BASEMENT

Properly run wires throughout church basement
*Replace or fix basement entry door knob
*Replace church basement bathroom exhaust fan
Install new 4" wall tile and grab bar in church basement
Install new ventilation grate on inside and outside of food storage door in church basement
Re-glue baseboard in southeast corner of food storage room
Re-support sagging ceiling grid in school kitchen
Fix or replace damaged or loose baseboard
Fill or caulk where pipes penetrate masonry
Install a handle on doorknob left of stage
Remove unneeded carpet squares
Retread east church basement stairs

MPF

Determine efficiency of existing HVAC ducts
Determine efficiency of hot water system
Determine effectiveness of MPF roof flashing where it meets church wall
Replace MPF exit signs

CHURCH

Run wires properly throughout church
Glue loose carpet on wall next to Deacon’s room door
*Solve problem of flower garden dirt spreading/blowing
Fix sagging suspended ceiling in Conference Room entry
*Cut down two front pews for wheel chair access
Fix ceiling grid above tract rack
Replace or fix section of carpet in doorway between church and school hallway
Hang tract rack in conference room entry

CHURCH EXTERIOR

Remove unused conduit, wires, etc. from east church wall
Paint woodwork bottom of north wall windows/louvers
*Remove and re-pour concrete sidewalk west of church
Paint railings outside main church doors
Relay loose limestone block on upper southeast corner of school

SCHOOL

Change light fixtures in classrooms and hallways
*Install hard-wired doorbell in south entry and outside of south entry to ring by 3rd and 4th grade room.
Refinish wood railings, trophy case, bench, phone table
Replace or refinish Kindergarten cupboards under counter
*Install new faucet in 3rd and 4th grade room
Install new soap dispenser in Kindergarten room
Clean masonry inside west school entry
Fix south entry door so it closes properly
Replace lower windows in 3rd and 4th grade room
Install mirror in accessible bathroom
*Install a new speaker in upper hallway
*Install new light fixtures in kindergarten room and upper hallway

TEACHERAGE

Re-shingle teacherage
Install new bathroom floor

News & Notes

BIBLE STUDY: Last Sunday (April 25) we began a new Sunday morning Bible Study topic—Creation and Evolution Examined in the Light of God’s Word. During the Bible studies of the next several Sundays we’ll be revisiting what God says about the origin of all things and contrasting that to the mainstream thought in the world. We’ll also study and discuss how unscriptural views concerning the origins of all things affect far more than just how we came into existence. Come join us in Bible Study!! (Note: In June we’ll be considering the Prospectus for this summer’s Church of the Lutheran Confession’s synodical convention).

HELPING HANDS: Several years ago, Immanuel begin its Helping HANDS program. A list of volunteers has been compiled to help with such tasks as yard work, home maintenance, transportation assistance, and more. Members of Immanuel have the desire to help fellow members who are unable to perform some of these tasks. VINE is a community alternative for these tasks, but we have members right here in our own “community” who would like to get to know Immanuel members with needs and offer their services. If you have a need, please call Ruth Mueller (387-6788) to arrange for a Helping HAND volunteer to assist you. If you’d like to volunteer services to the Helping HAND program, you may also call Ruth.

MINNESOTA TWINS SALUTE TO EDUCATION: We are planning a congregational trip to the Minnesota Twins game on May 22 when they play the Chicago White Sox at 6:10 p.m. The game is part of the Twins’ “Salute to Education” promotional discount. Students and their families and educators and their families may participate. Upper deck seats along the third baseline are reduced to $8.00 and general admission upper deck tickets are $5.00. Concession coupons for a hot dog and regular size drink may be purchased for $3.50. Group transportation will be arranged for those who wish it. SIGN UP AND PAYMENT DEADLINE: MAY 7. Please make checks payable to: Immanuel Ambassadors. You may sign-up to go to the game in the church narthex or by phoning the office (345-3027).

VALLEYFAIR WORKDAY: The Immanuel Ambassadors are heading to Valleyfair to work…and to play! The wages received for working from 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. will be used to offset the costs of transportation for the CLC Youth Conference in 2005. After work is completed, free admission to the park is enjoyed for the rest of the evening. There are two work days scheduled-June 11 and August 20. The signup sheet for the June 11 workday is on the school bulletin board. We welcome anyone 16 years old or older to join the fun!

NEW! Jessi Beekman (a member of our sister congregation, Messiah, in Eau Claire, WI) recently painted a hallway mural for our kindergarten classroom. Walk through the school hallway and check it out!

VBS This summer’s Vacation Bible School is scheduled for July 12-16. Mark your calendars!