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From April 3 to 11, 2022, GSB Fundraising conducted a feasibility study for the Hope South Campus Building Project. Pastor Jon Marc MacLean and Kent Hamdorf, Congregation and Church Council President, sent via email to all members a brief summary titled “Key Notes from the Feasibility Study,” dated June 11, 2022. This email is available on our website at hope4all.church.
GSB presented the results and recommendations of the Feasibility Study to Council in May 2022 which are posted on our website hope4all.church. The findings in the Feasibility Study are very positive and indicate that Hope can confidently move forward with our building plans at Hope South Campus.
Action taken by Council: Council has carefully considered the recommendations of GSB Fundraising. As with any consultant’s recommendations, they must be evaluated through the lens of Council determining how they best represent the interests of the Congregation. Council has evaluated each of the ten recommendations and has determined a course of action ranging from concurrence to no planned action at this time. Deferred recommendations in general require more information or are dependent upon other actions before a plan can be developed. This process will be constantly updated by Council as the conditions evolve.
Below is an update of the Current status of the initial ten recommendations submitted by GSB Fundraising:
Recommendations:
1. Launch a $3.5 - $5 million campaign immediately. Silent (soft) phase will take place now. Public campaign will happen in January-March 2023.
Action: Council concurs. GSB Fundraising, the firm which conducted the Feasibility Study, has been hired to run the Capital Campaign. The Soft Phase of the Campaign will start shortly, and the public phase will occur in January-March 2023.
2. Launch the activity center ($500,000) project at an expanded scale for at least fifty people in meetings. This space needs to be configured to accommodate office space after the Worship Center is built but before the office complex is completed.
Action: Council concurs. Based on feedback from the members of the congregation, the following changes have been made:
- Size increased to 2,000 SF with seating capacity of fifty people
- Dedicated Receptionist area in Foyer
- Dedicated Refreshment Area
- Dedicated Counseling Area/Pastor Office
- Additional Restroom and Additional Storage
- Front entry modified • Porch with sliding doors moved to rear of building
- Building construction cost increased to $500,000
A revised building plan and new rendering is available for viewing on the Hope website.
Our conceptual plans for the Activity Center and the Main Building Complex have been submitted to the Villages Review Committee for comments and approval. Approval is pending at this writing. Council has scheduled a Special Congregation Meeting and vote for October 7, 2022, at 3:00pm at Hope Central Campus, preceding the Annual Church Picnic. A Town Hall Meeting will be held on September 18, 2022, at 4:00pm at Hope Central Campus to review details of the upcoming Congregation Meeting.
3. Make the first project of the campaign five years of funding for hiring an Executive Director whose first job will be to lead this campaign, then strategic planning, then marketing/evangelism. Funding should be on a declining basis as the Hope budget absorbs this cost at 20% per year for the five years. Likely cost for this is +/-$300,000 to the campaign.
Action: Council concurs. The Council and administration agreed that these responsibilities are necessary. There was consideration given to having them all as a single new position, splitting them up into multiple positions (existing and new) or covering them using existing staff. With careful thought given to the gifts and skills necessary for these areas and in consideration of the funding and current staff, the administration, with council support, moved Bob Franceski into the role of Church Administrator. He has been in charge of these three areas since the beginning of July and it is going splendidly. This was done for a fraction of the proposed cost for a new administrator position which gives us financial flexibility as we grow into the staff dynamics of three permanent campuses.
4. Construct the Worship Center building ($3 million) at the South Site but hold off on the Office Wing for now. Should the campaign receipts exceed the cost of the Worship Center facility at the South Site and the projects for Hope Central Campus and Hope Lake Weir Campus, it is recommended to pay down debt.
Action: Council concurs in part. Council is evaluating this approach along with building the Office Wing (aka Administration/Education Center) at the same time. Council would like to see additional cost estimate and design details of the Main Building Complex of which the Office Wing is part of before a decision is made. Additionally, Capital Campaign results will have an impact on the overall plan.
5. Money raised above what is needed for this project will go to debt relief.
Action: Council concurs in part. Council recognizes the importance of debt reduction but will reserve action on this recommendation until the results of the Capital Campaign are known.
6. Upon completion of the campaign in April 2023, launch a strategic planning process for all three sites. Strategic Planning timetable is April 2023 to October 2023.
Action: Council concurs. Council agrees with the necessity to have a Strategic Plan for Hope Lutheran Church that encompasses all three of its current campuses.
7. Launch a planned giving program inside the campaign that will extend for three years following the campaign.
Action: Council has no specific planned action at this time.
8. Begin major gift fundraising for the new Office Building in a quiet phase for that project in January 2024. This will be from people who complete their campaign gifts early, new members and others.
Action: Council has no specific planned action at this time.
9. Provide for coaching for the Executive Director and Pastor Jon-Marc MacLean with Nathan Swenson Reinhold of GSB to help assure these key leaders work well together and focus on the most critical activities within the campaign and following. Moving administration from Jon-Marc to the Executive Director will reduce stress in the system and provide for the care and leadership of the congregation where it is needed.
Action: Council concurs in part. After considering the proposed coaching model, the council determined to forgo the additional offering by GSB. Rather than a single contracted coach, Pastors Jon-Marc and Rani will be cultivating a group of mentors and coaches to work with the Administrator, Pastors, and Council as we continue to grow into our shared vision and ministry. These will include leaders with backgrounds and expertise in areas of church administration, evangelism and discipleship, team building, etc.
10. Provide outcome storytelling (CAGA) training for the staff, council, and key lay leaders to become the base of annual stewardship, planned giving, and evangelism strategy.
Action: Council concurs. The first session of this two-part training was provided to church leadership and key members of the team/Congregation on August 10, 2022. The second training session is scheduled in September.
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