June 16, 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Sunday, May 31^st, the members of Emmanuel Lutheran Church voted to proceed with the plans for facility expansion presented by the Campus Development Task Force. The approval of the congregation to move forward in this process means that the Campus Development Building Committee will continue to work with David West of Design Collaborative to refine the preliminary architectural drawings, and this is where you come in.

We are at a critical stage in the planning process. As we move toward finalizing our ideas for the addition to our facility, we want to listen to the concerns and questions of our members and carefully examine the preliminary drawings so that what is presented to the congregation for final approval truly meets the needs of our ministry. This process will include meeting with a variety of user groups within our church family who can offer feedback on the preliminary designs for the addition.

To accomplish this goal, we have scheduled several meetings in July which will serve as open forums for questions, discussion and collaboration. The following Monday nights in July have been set aside to work through the proposed plans for the addition floor by floor.

On Monday, July 6^th, from 6:30-7:30, the focus of the meeting will be the main level of the addition. This will include areas such as the relocated Activities Center and kitchen; the church resource center; the possibility of a small chapel area to be used for worship; a large landing and gathering area near the entrance to the sanctuary; and a number of accessibility issues such as a covered drop off and entry, expanded restrooms and an elevator to all levels.

On Monday, July 13^th, from 6:30-7:30, we will turn our attention to the upper level of the addition. This space will impact our music ministry; Cross Connections counseling ministry; additional staff offices; the Quilters, Crafters and Comfort Maker groups; and accessibility issues such as entrance and access into the choir room and balcony.

On Monday, July 20^th, from 6:30-7:30, we will conclude our user group meetings by looking at the lower level of the proposed addition. Groups impacted by the design of the lower level include our youth groups; families who may use a nursery area; food bank; and the members of our Men’s Club.

Not only is anyone invited to attend any or all of these meetings, but the hope is for wide participation and representation from across our congregation. The more eyes we have on the plan and the more voices we can include in the planning process, the more successful and satisfying our project will ultimately be.

Please prayerfully consider attending the meeting or meetings that best address the way you use our facility. You can download a copy of the proposed plan here. (2MB)  Your input is essential to the overall success of this project and I encourage you to be involved. If you have any questions about the scheduled meetings don’t hesitate to contact me at 423-1369 or taeggold@hotmail.com.

In Christ,

Pastor Thomas A. Eggold