Sofarwehavereceived22promise/pledgecards.Thefinancialcommitmentonthosepledgecardstotals$360,320.Includingthedailycostofaverylargeburrito.

Ifyouhaven'tyetseenPastorMark'svideodescribinghisfamily'ssacrifice,weencourageyoutowitnesshisleadershipexampleathttps://vimeo.com/330515838

Thisisjustonemorecreativewaytocreateagenerousgive.Seepage4ofthisnewsletterformoreideas.

Forallthesegifts,whicharetrulyamazing,wegivethankstoGod.WehopethattheseofferingswillserveasanencouragementasallofusconsiderourresponsetotheopportunityourSaviorhasplacedbeforeus.

ThreeSourcesofCreatingaGenerousGiftCreativethoughtstogetyoustartedconsideringyourownsacrificialgifttothecampaign

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Stewardship

Newsletter

April162019

StewardshipEmphasisCampaignUpdate

ExcitingProgressTowardOurGoal

DrivenbySacrificialGiving

CelebrationSundayandCampaignQ&AMarkyourcalendarsforApril28.Haveaquestion?SeetheQ&A.

ForSuchaTimeasThis ConcordiaLutheran

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You'reInvited—CelebrationSunday

CelebrationSundayisApril28th.ThiswillbeaspecialdaytothanktheLordforhismanyblessingsbestoweduponConcordiaLutheranChurchandtothankthemanymembersofthecongregationfortheirgiftstotheLordoftheirtime,talent,andfinancialsupportforourForSuchaTimeasThisemphasis.

Itwillbeacombinedworshipserviceat11AM,followedbyapotluckluncheon,pleasesignuptobringsomething.Allofourmembersareencouragedtoattendthisspecialevent!Welookforwardtothiscelebrationandfellowshipopportunity!

Promise/PledgeCards

YourparticipationstartswithprayerandcountingtheblessingsGod’sgraceinJesusbringsintoyourlife.Withthatasastartingpoint,everyfamilyhasbeengiveninformationonhowtheycanparticipate.Apromise/pledgecardwaspartoftheinformationprovidedinthepacketyouwouldhavereceivedatoneofourpresentations.Ifyoudidn'tattend,we'llbedroppingthepacketoffatyourhome,ormailingit.

OnCelebrationSundayyouwillbeabletopresentyourcardindicatingyourinitialgiftandthenathree-yearpromisetoForSuchaTimeasThis.Yourinitialgiftmaybegivenanytime.Themostcommonplanforfulfillingthethree-yearpromiseistomakegiftinstallmentseveryweek.However,giftsmayalsobegivenmonthlyorannually.Youmayalsocontributegiftsofproperty,stocks,lifeinsuranceandothersecuritiesiftheseoptionsapplytoyou.

Ofcourse,thereisnoneedtowait.Assoonasyou'veprayerfullyconsideredyourgift,youcandropyoupromise/pledgecardoffintheNarthexintheletterboxonthewallnearPastor'soffice.

Q&AfromGroupPresentations

DuringourGroupPresentations,wecollectedquiteafewquestionsandanswers.Herearethehighlights.

Arewecollectingthe$450,000beforewestartbuilding?Collectingthepledgesisthenextstepfollowedbyworkingwithlendersonaloanforthefirstphase.Thepledgesshowour

Whatisthespecialstewardshipemphasis?ConcordiaLutheranChurchhaslaunchedaspecialstewardshipemphasisoverthenext3years.Giftstothisspecialemphasiswillbeover-and-abovefirstfruitofferingsinsupportofremodelingandexpandingourfacility.Whyshouldwedothisnow?Nowisthetimetolaythefoundationforstrengtheningourministry.Thesefoundationalstepsinclude:§ Remodelingand

expandingourfacilitiesforministry.

§ UnifyingourcongregationasonebodyofChrist

§ Strengtheningourcongregationalstewardship

Howmucharewehopingtoraise?Itisourprayerthatoverthenext3yearswewillraise$450,000incashgiftsandthree-yearfaithpromisepledges.

StewardshipNewsletter April162019

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CalendarCelebrationSundayApril28WorshipService11AMProvideourpromisecardsfollowedbyPotluckLunch.ThankYouSundayMay5worshipservicewithannouncementofresultsMarkYourCalendarsInformationPacketsWe'veattemptedtodeliverinformationpacketstoeveryfamilyinthecongregation.Ifwe'vesomehowmissedyou,youcanfindtheoverviewbrochureonlineatConcordiaBrochureaswellasthePromise/PledgeCard.

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congregation'scommitmenttoourbuildingproject.Oncetheloanisarranged,finalizingplansandbuildingcanstart.So,thepledgeswillcomefirst,followedbyworkingwithlenders,andthenbuilding.Actualdonationswillfollowyourpledgecardcommitmentoverthenextthreeyears.

WheredoIputmypromise/pledgecardwhenI've

completedit?Thereisapromise/pledgecardletterboxintheNarthexnearPastor'sofficedoor.YoucanalsoprovideitaspartofCelebrationSundayonApril28.

Howlongwillthisbuildingprojecttake?WeestimatethattheMasterPlanmaytaketenyearsormore.ButPhase1wouldstartassoonasfinancingisinplace.Wewill,ofcoursekeepyouuptodateonallbuildingeventsandmilestones.

Willthebuildingprojectimprovethesanctuaryacoustics?Probablynot.TheMasterPlancallsforanewsanctuarywiththecurrentworshipspacebeingconvertedintothefellowshiphall.Soanyinvestmentinthecurrentworshipspacewouldnotbeproductiveforthelongterm.ThisforesightisthankstothegreatworkfromtheFutureNeedsCommitteeinmappingoutouroverallplansothatwecanbeascosteffectiveaspossiblethroughthefullbuildingprogram.

Isadirectdepositofmydonationavailable?Wearelookingintoofferingsuchaservice.Ofcourse,thereisalsoabillpayprogramavailablethroughmostbanks.Asweputinplaceaseparatebankaccountforthecapitalcampaign,we'llupdateyouonthepaymentoptions.

DoIneedtoprovidetwoseparatecheckseverySunday,one

foroperatingandoneforbuilding?Onecheckwillworkfine.Youcannoteinthememospacehowmuchgoestoeachaccount.

Thepromise/pledgecardoffersweeklyandmonthly

paymentoptions,canIpaybi-weeklyorquarterly?Certainly.Pleasenoteyourplansonthepromise/pledgecard.

WhenshouldIstartmybuildingfunddonation?Ifyouselectedweeklyormonthly,pleasestartyourdonationsinMay.Ifyouselectedannually,pleasestartin2019.

ForSuchaTimeasThis ConcordiaLutheran

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ThreeSourcesforCreatingaGenerousGift

WeareencouragingallofourmemberstoprayaboutwhatGodisaskingthemtogivetosupportthisemphasis–andthentoactinfaithastheycommittothosegifts.Herearesomepossibilitiesforyourconsideration.MatchingGift:Forthosewhoarefinanciallyable,wouldyouprayandconsiderdoublingyourexistingannualgivingforeachofthenextthreeyears?PercentageInGivingGift:Forthosewhohavebeenfinanciallyblessed,wouldyouprayandconsiderincreasingthepercentyouarecurrentlygivingtoourchurch?Ifyouaregiving5%currently,pleaseconsiderincreasingyourgivingbyone,twoorthreepercentforeachofthenextthreeyearsstrivingtoreachthe10%benchmark.ExtraordinaryOpportunityGift:Forthosewhohavebeenfinanciallyblessed,wouldyouprayandconsidermakingagiftof$20,000,$30,000,$40,000ormoreoverthenextthreeyears?Considerwhetherthisisagoodtimetogiveanappreciatedasset.

HowMuchShouldI

ConsiderGiving?

Inthecomingdays,allofuswillbeaskedtoconsideraspecialoverandabovegift.Perhapstheseideaswillstimulatesomethinking.

RearrangePrioritiesinMyLife–AmIplanningsomeeventorexpensewhichIcoulddolaterafterIgivemyover-and-abovegift(threeyears)?

ChangingMyLifestyle–CouldIsavemoneybydoingsomethingdifferentlyorgiveupsomehabitthathasacost?

GiveSomethingofValue–WhatdoIhavebesidescash,wages,savings,andinvestmentsthatIcouldgiveandmyministrycouldconvertintodollars?

Manymembersofourcongregationmayfindthemselvesalreadyfinanciallystretched.Agenerousgiftmayseemimpossible.Weencourageeveryonetobethoughtful,prayerfulandpatientasagiftamountcomesintofocus.Someofthemorecreativemethodsthatindividualshavediscoveredthatallowthemtogiveinclude:

§ Takeyourlunchtoworktwoorthreetimesaweek.§ Makecoffeeathome,skipStarbucksorEinsteinBrosor??§ Sellordonatecollections(art,cars,guns,stamps,coins,

antiques).§ Cashinsavingsbonds,investments,assets(stock,

inheritance,realestate).§ Giveupsomething.§ Postponeahomeadditionorelaboratevacation.§ In-kindgifts,especiallyifyouownabusiness.§ Haveagaragesale.

Someoftheseideasmaynotworkforyou,butyougettheidea.Creativethinkingandlifestylechangescanresultinagiftthatismeaningfulandwillprovideaninvestmentthatislastingforourministry.

Whateverplanyoudecideforyourgiving,rememberthattruejoycomesnotfromourloveforGod,butintheloveGodhasforus.Goconfidently,“forthejoyoftheLORDisyourstrength”Nehemiah8:11(NIV)!

Itismoreblessedtogivethantoreceive.

Jesus,Acts20:35

StewardshipNewsletter April162019

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StewardshipPrayerWeloveyourchurch,Lord.WeloveConcordia.Ourdesireistobeverysupportiveofanyefforttoexpandandimproveit.Ourdesireistoalwaysrespondinfaithtoeverychallenge.Butthereissomuchuncertaintyintheworldtoday.Theeconomyseemsokfornow,butweknowhowfragileitcanbe.Ourjobsseemstable,butwhatifsomethinghappened?Whatifwehadhealthproblems,orifhealthcarecostswentupsuddenly?Itisdifficulttoseehowwecanbeverysupportiveofrequestsforfunding,evenforthechurchwelove.AsIstrugglewiththeseconcepts,Lord,IamhopingforsomeclearguidancefromYou.Ikeephearing“whenallisdark,Youhelpussee.”Sohelpmesee,Lord.HelpmeseeYourplan.HelpmesenseYourpurpose.HelpmeunderstandYourwillformeandmyfamily.Amen.

What'sThisAllAbout?ServingAllGod'sPeopleWellperhapswewon'tbeserving"allGod'speople."Butwedoneedtoserveallthosewhoarriveatourdoor.Thatincludesourcurrentcongregationandtheirgrowingfamiliesaswellasourguestsandmembersyettoarrive.Thatmeansexpandingourfacilitiestoaccommodateourburgeoningprogramsthatputanevergreatersqueezeonthespacewecurrentlyhave.

Ratherthanaddingsomespacehereandthereinarandomefforttomeetourdevelopingneeds,weformedtheFutureNeedsCommitteein2016toholisticallyexamineourcurrentandfutureneedsforspacetomeetallourprograms.They'vedevelopedaMasterPlanthataddressestheneedsanticipatedoverthenextdecadeormore.Thenthey'vedevelopedaPhase1approachtomeetingcurrentneeds.YoucanseetheMasterPlanoutlinebelow.Formore,followthislinkFutureNeedsCommitteeDrawings.

TheGift

IfIseethegiftasminealonetogive,Imightgivehesitantly,evengrudgingly,consideringmyoptions,thengivingfromasenseofought.

IfIseethegiftasGod'swhoallowsmetouseitforatime,thenthegiftcanflowmorefreely,asIjoinwithotherstobeachannelforGod'sloveandmercy.

ForSuchaTimeasThis

StewardshipNewsletter April162019

ConcordiaLutheranChurchWhereGod'sLoveTouchesPeople'sLives