Called To Be

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❤️🖤 DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT! ❤️🖤

We’re thrilled to announce two incredible Matching Gift Opportunities for the Called To Be Ministry Expansion Campaign!

❤️ School & Child Care Families:

Every charitable gift made by a school or child care family will be matched dollar for dollar—up to $60,000!

That means your gift goes twice as far to support the future of our ministry.

🖤 Three-Year Pledges:

Every three-year pledge made to the campaign will also be matched dollar for dollar—up to $300,000!

Your ongoing commitment will have double the impact as we continue building spaces where faith and learning thrive.

We’re already 57% of the way to our $3.25 million goal—and we’re not stopping now!

With your prayers and participation this weekend, we can take a big step closer to making this vision a reality.

Praise God for His abundant provision!

CALLED TO GROW: STORIES OF IMMANUEL

Mrs. Fratzke - 4th Grade

As a fourth-grade teacher, my classroom has unique challenges since it was once a fellowship hall and is now divided into two classrooms with only a temporary wall. This setup means that the other fourth-grade class must walk through my room whenever they need to use the bathroom or head to specials, creating unavoidable interruptions throughout the day.

In addition, the only access to one of the school’s main storage closets is through my classroom. While many staff members are considerate and try to come in outside of teaching hours, it is not always avoidable. Having spent all seven years of my teaching career in this space, it is the only classroom environment I have known. The thought of teaching in a room designed specifically for learning with proper walls, privacy, and storage is incredibly exciting and would make such a difference for both my students and myself!

Pastor Colby

On your typical Monday morning at Immanuel, I start my day in the sanctuary to tidy up the altar after Sunday worship. The sanctuary is at rest, silent and peaceful after the flurry of worship activities the weekend before. Even though the lights are often turned off, the house is never dark... Continue Reading

Ms. Hempe - 5th Grade

Teaching in a classroom right next to the church and fellowship hall brings both blessings and challenges for my students and me.

One of the biggest blessings is that we are in such close proximity to the church, which reminds us daily of the heart of our ministry.

At the same time, there are challenges. Noise often drifts into our classroom, making it difficult for students to keep their focus. Our coat hooks are located farther away, which makes transitions less smooth. Because we are on the other side of most of the classrooms, there are times when we don’t feel as connected to the rest of the school community.

While we are thankful for the space we have and the closeness to our church, these challenges highlight the need for a learning environment that allows students to stay focused, organized, and fully connected to their school family.

Greenlights of Faith: A Stewardship Story from Jim Meulendyke

When I look back at my faith journey, I don’t see a single “big bang” moment - I see a trail of greenlights. Quiet nudges from God that shaped my life, one decision and one blessing at a time. Many of those greenlights came through Immanuel - through its people, its pastors, and the sense of community that has surrounded my family for more than a decade. From being married here, to watching our daughters grow in faith at the school, to now serving on the Called To Be campaign leadership team, Immanuel has become the heartbeat of our family’s faith story.
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LETTER FROM THE MISSION AND MINISTRY COUNCIL

Greetings, Immanuel Family and Friends,

I would like to share a brief update from the Mission and Ministry Council (Board of Directors) in regards to the Called To Be Ministry Expansion Campaign. The Council’s focus is on several main things.

Building a skilled, doctrinally sound leadership team of staff and council members.
Setting policy and monitoring goals in the areas of ministry, facilities, and budgeting.
Long-term strategic planning

We have long recognized the need for more physical space and capital improvements, such as parking lot upgrades. While we also have had basic facility plans to address these needs for many years, we have had to balance those needs with financial reality. Thus, our priority has been on reducing and eliminating debt. Praise God that this was accomplished last year due to the generosity of the members, grants, bequests, and robust expense control. We are now in a financial position where we can address these needs and more.

An exciting opportunity has finally arrived! The Called To Ministry Expansion Campaign has launched! (With apologies to the accountants among us, Building is more exciting than Budgeting)

We are excited to see how our Immanuel family will be led by the Spirit to rally around the campaign. Challenges will make us stronger individually as well as organizationally.

We are excited that by moving classrooms out of the fellowship hall, we will once again have space for general congregational use. Programs such as Bible studies and community activities will be more easily accommodated.

We are excited to see what develops in our ministry program beyond what we have yet imagined.

While we should be excited, I want to assure you that the Council will continue to be transparent and diligent about all facets of the building process. We have selected a fully bonded contractor (Hassinger) who has done work on our facilities numerous times. We have set up a building committee of members with excellent experience in construction, daily operations, budgeting, and financing. We have a project budgeting process that will be closely monitored and ensure that change control is disciplined. All subcontractors and equipment suppliers chosen must be approved by the Contractor and the Building committee.

The Council will also be transparent and diligent about the financial aspects of the program. Working with LCEF, we will determine the amount of money pledged to Called To Be Ministry Expansion Campaign and have follow-up mechanisms in place to monitor fulfillment of the pledges. The Finance committee will evaluate pledges vs. project cost vs. debt capacity and report to the Council. The results will be shared with the Congregation, and the project will only go forward if the Voters give their approval in a meeting planned for November. If approved by the voters, the construction project will begin, and payments will be made at verified milestones.

So, I hope that you also are excited and challenged. Please pray for Immanuel and all involved in this project and process that we seek and discern God’s will in this exciting moment in Immanuel’s 113-year-old mission journey.

Dean Krueger

President Mission and Ministry Council