"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." Matthew 2:10
The Savior's star was God's invitation, one the Magi couldn't pass up. It wasn't curiosity that drew them. They knew they needed this Savior. With joy they traveled many miles to worship their Redeemer and King. With grateful hearts they brought their best gifts.
The same Savior works the same joy in our hearts. Our humble substitute is God in the flesh. He has taken away the shame of our sin. He has rescued us from death. He has saved us for all eternity. No sadness in this world can dim the joy he brings us.
Like the Magi who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to honor their Savior, the people of St. Paul have offered generous support of our congregation's Tell the Next Generation plan. Just three months into our three-year plan, we've offered a total of $391,076 in gifts and pledges above and beyond our regular offerings. What a wonderful testament to God's grace at work among us! What a financial boost as we seek to get ahead on our monthly loan payments for phase 1 of our building project! To God alone the glory!
TELL THE NEXT GENERATION: HELPFUL LINKS
SURVEY FOLLOW-UP
In November we sent out an electronic survey concerning Tell the Next Generation. We’re grateful to all who responded! Of the 74 confirmed members who took the survey, 65 said they understood the program well or very well. 7 said they understood, and 2 said they didn’t understand it at all. When asked how strong a connection people saw between our ongoing building program and the gospel ministry of our church and school, 57 said they saw a strong connection, 10 saw a connection, and 7 didn’t see the connection.
Some thoughtful questions were raised in the comments section of the survey. Here are responses from the Tell the Next Generation team.
Q.Â
Should the narthex be our top priority when we have other pressing financial needs related to staffing and our existing building?
A.Â
Our first gift-giving priority is always to our Ministry Financial Plan, which is our annual operating budget. This supports all our ministries. Staff compensation, partial funding of our school operations, and upkeep of our existing facilities are part of this. For this fiscal year, our collective support of $75,500 each month is needed to meet our ministry plans.
Tell the Next Generation is an opportunity for members to give gifts above and beyond their offerings that support our daily operations. The program is designed to bring awareness to our new monthly mortgage obligation, and it positions us to consider starting the second phase of our building project by the end of 2027. The narthex is part of our final building plan. So, it is a long-term priority.
Q.Â
What plans are in place for addressing the needs of our current building?
A.Â
Our church council is working on a plan which includes a list of all the needs of our current building. The plan will include a proposed timeline for addressing those needs. As always, financial support for upkeep and maintenance of our existing building will come from our annual Ministry Financial Plan.Â
Q.Â
Why are our Phase 1 mortgage payments not included as part of the Ministry Financial Plan (budget)?
A.Â
Separating mortgage payments from the regular budget for this first fiscal year of payments was intended to help draw our attention to this new $25,000 monthly commitment we’ve decided to tackle. As we offer our regular monthly gifts ($75,500), Tell the Next Generation encourages support for this new additional mortgage payment with additional gifts aimed at paying down the loan principal.Â
Q.Â
Why is a narthex important for gospel ministry?
A.Â
It’s important to emphasize that Tell the Next Generation will not accomplish the building of a new narthex, but will put us in a good position to consider doing so. Still, it’s good to have in mind why a new narthex is one of our gospel ministry goals. A building doesn’t accomplish gospel ministry by itself, of course, but a well-designed building can better support our efforts at gospel ministry, both the important work of feeding existing members with the gospel message and getting the gospel to those who don’t yet believe.Â
Here are some of the benefits of a new narthex at St. Paul:
Community building: A new narthex allows people to connect with each other before and after services, fostering relationships and a sense of belonging within the church family.
Transition space: The gathering space acts as a transition point between the outside world and the sacred space of the worship area, allowing individuals to prepare to be spiritually fed through Word and Sacrament.
First impressions: For new visitors, the gathering space is often the first impression of the church, influencing their perception of the congregation’s welcoming nature.
Accessibility: Our new narthex will provide better access into church for all disabled people who need it.
Young Families: We’re happy when whole families worship together, including young children. A new narthex will provide easily accessible restrooms and parents’ rooms.
Fellowship and outreach: A well-designed gathering space can encourage casual conversations, small group interactions, and opportunities to connect with others, to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15).
Witness to the community: A vibrant gathering space can demonstrate the church's active presence and commitment to its community
Q.
It seems like we struggle to meet our regular Ministry Financial Plan each year. Why are we embarking on an additional capital campaign at this time?
A.
The goals we’ve set for ourselves were made after prayerful deliberation as a congregation. We recognize great opportunities to enhance and expand our gospel efforts in our community and in our city, and we believe that together we can meet the goals that we’ve set, both in terms of our Ministry Financial Plan and our Tell the Next Generation program. Humbly we commit our plans to the Lord’s gracious hands, and pray that he blesses them.
The Tell the Next Generation communication team wants to thank all who took part in our survey. Please contact our chairman Scott Kohls (president@stpaulgreenbay.com) if you have any other questions or concerns to share.
PLEDGES AND GIFTS UPDATE
"We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord."
Psalm 78:4
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