We Are Not Done Yet!

 

By Troy Nelson, Church Treasurer

WE ARE NOT DONE YET!

Of course, I am talking about the Capital Campaign. It’s been a BIG job, and in some ways, a bigger job than we expected. We set a large goal, and by the grace of God, we have already received more pledges than in any previous campaigns at Shepherd of the Valley. More than 3.5 million dollars! We are thrilled and we thank everyone who has prayerfully considered and made gifts to our campaign.

This Campaign is not just about paying off our mortgage, or making improvements to the building. Over the past 30 years, members of our church looked into the future with faith to lay a foundation and build a church that would serve by spreading and living the Gospel. Each of us are beneficiaries of that prayerful foresight. It is now our turn to lay a similar foundation.

Yes, it is summer. You are busy and everyone else is busy. That is why a visit with you will only take 30-40 minutes.

The goals of this Capital Campaign, to eliminate our debt, improve our facility, and expand our outreach, may not seem as exciting as building a new sanctuary or narthex. Yet, they are just as crucial to the continued success of our ministry, and they build upon the solid foundation of those earlier campaigns.

Our community, our ministry, and our need to be stewards of what God has given us are changing. Today, we are paying close to a $1,000 a day in principal and interest on our mortgage. That is one-eighth of every dollar that you give now, or 12.5 cents. That one-eighth limits our ability to adapt to our changing world and community. 

Right now, we are midway through two weeks of Vacation Bible School. How many more children could enroll if it was free to them to attend? Same thing for Christian education during the school year, if it were free?

In Apple Valley there are 3,000 people or 6.4% of our neighbors living in poverty. How many more could utilize our Food Shelf and other outreach programs help if we had the space and the ability to do more?

There are so many ministries where we could do more, and that is why WE ARE NOT DONE YET. We still want to reach out to every SOTV household with accurate information on which to make a decision. Our original plan was to accomplish our goal by May of this year, and we still need to make contact with about  half of these households.

Yes, it is summer. You are busy and everyone else is busy. That is why a visit with you will only take 30-40 minutes. So I humbly ask you for your help. Please accept the phone call from a volunteer visitor, schedule your visit, get the pertinent information, then prayerfully consider laying a new foundation for the future. Thank you.

Together, We Can Do More!

The Fiery (and Outdated) Furnaces

George Ulrich

Our church building has greatly evolved over its 30 year lifetime, beginning with an eye to an unknown, yet hopeful and faith-filled, future. After five major construction projects, we currently have 15 furnace units that deliver heating and cooling, including equipment original to the building. Some units do not work properly, use older inefficient technology, consume more energy, and cost us extra expense in day to day operation, maintenance and repairs.

The #2 priority of our 2015 Capital Campaign is to improve our facility (after debt reduction). Meeting our campaign goal will make building changes possible and pay a dividend toward our future ministry. Reduced operating and energy costs will enable our resources to be used in other ministry areas as well. The possibilities are endless!

If you had a car with a noisy muffler, worn out springs, or was rusted out, you would need a sizable investment to afford replacing your old clunker. Your pledge to the Capital Campaign is a special investment that enables the church to use its resources efficiently, recover future funds, and continue to be a place of welcome and hospitality.

Please sign up to receive a visit and learn the full story of how your hopeful and faith-filled generosity can be magnified for the future in ways that we can’t fathom today.

Together, We Can Do More! 

Thanks to Bob Dennistoun and Greg Nonweiler for contributing the idea and content for this post.

2015 Annual Meeting Recap

On Sunday, June 7, 2015, the congregation gathered together with enthusiasm to learn about the current state of the church and its continued success in the future. Approximately 180 people packed rooms 20-22 following a lunch in the Great Hall. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Leaders presented updates on our vision, mission, and initiatives, three new council members were unanimously elected, and motions were passed on our 2015-16 budget, expenditure limit, and endowment charter.

A summary of the meeting in detail is below. Official minutes will be made available on our website, following the June Council meeting. Please direct any questions to Council@sotv.org.

Opening Prayer - Pastor Duane Paetznick 

 

Welcome - President Jenny Buckley 

• A word of gratitude to everyone in attendance for valuing this church and its governance 
• Thank you to our leaders on Council, Leadership Teams, and Staff for another year of service 
• Approval of minutes from 2014 meeting

 

Brief Summary of Our Vision - Pastor Chris Smith 

 

Introducing Our Mission and Initiatives - President Jenny Buckley 

• Presented to the congregation in early March 2015
• Approved by Council at its March 19, 2015 meeting

 

How We Live Out Our Vision 

 

Our Volunteers 

Volunteers make our ministry happen. Our staff structure must support their work.

Our Staff 

• Our eventual goal is to have five pastors on staff: Senior Pastor, and pastors in Worship, Learn, Connect, and Care.
• Update on Pastoral Call Process - Presentation by Chair Ellen De Vries
• We are in the process of aligning program staff with Worship, Learn, Connect, and Care initiatives. 
• All staff are being encouraged to focus their time and energy on programming that helps us live out Vision, Mission, and Initiatives 

Our Lay Leaders

• Leadership Teams 
• Highlights from first year
• Emphasis on Welcome Team, and Year of Welcome (2015-16) 

• Council 
• Steve Mueller, Angie Zielinski, and Ann Boekhoff have concluded their time on council, and were thanked for their years of service. 
• William (Bill) Bosch, Chad Dahlke, and Michael Kelly were presented as new candidates for council and were unanimously elected. 

Our Finances 

• Capital Campaign Update and strategy moving forward - Presentation by Scott Erickson, Campaign co-chair
• General and Building/Capital Budget - Presentation by Treasurer Troy Nelson
• Delegation of Expenditure Authority to Properties Team - Presentation by Ken Syverson
• Endowment Charter - Presentation by Chair David Kuhnau

Congregation votes on the budget, expenditure limit, and Endowment Charter all passed.

Treasurer Troy Nelson noted that although the 2015-16 budget is a deficit budget, the resolve of the Finance Committee is that next year’s budget (2016-17) will be balanced.


A motion was made to adjourn, and was seconded. 

50

Jenny Buckley
Council President

Getting Ready for the Annual Meeting: Part 4 of 5

Capital Campaign 

 50. That’s how many people have volunteered to be trained and visit all the members of our congregation during our capital campaign. And the capital campaign is going strong. As of May 19, we are just a little over one-third of the way to reaching our goal for the campaign. That is, over 3.3 million dollars have already been pledged--more than any other previous capital campaign in our history. And the impact of those pledges on the future of SOTV will extend beyond our walls to our local community as well as places as far away as Haiti and Tanzania. Wow--together, we ARE doing more!

One of the reasons church leadership chose to work with J.D. Klote, the firm that helped conduct the capital campaign, was their personalized approach. Unlike other organizations, Klote values personal visits to every member of the congregation, not just a select few. Our consultant, Carl Graber, repeatedly emphasized the awesome opportunity these visits provided us to grow and strengthen relationships at Shepherd of the Valley. Our goal for this campaign is not just to raise money, but to unite as a congregation to support the ministry and priorities of our church.

There are three components to the campaign: debt reduction, facility needs, and benevolence. These three areas align directly with the results of the CAT survey, which over 900 of you took in 2013. Every time I make a visit, and start talking about what it would mean for SOTV if we eliminated debt, took care of our building, and were able to give even more money away, I find myself getting excited. Every time. And the reason is simple: I truly believe that God is at the heart of what we are currently doing and what we want to do at SOTV. I believe He has a plan for the future of our congregation and that the capital campaign is part of that. And mostly, I really believe that “Together, we can do more.”

This campaign is about ALL of us: it is about making SOTV a place that feels welcoming to those that have been here for 30+ years, those who joined us last month, and those who will be joining us in the future. It is about growing deeper in our faith and developing meaningful relationships with one another. It is about the Great Commission--sharing the love of Christ with our neighbors and inviting others to share in community with us. And it will take all of us working together for the next 5 years to achieve these goals.

And so, the campaign continues. Those 50 visitors are making dozens of phone calls and meetings each month to help draw us together as one church. And they will keep calling, and keep visiting, until we have reached everyone. This will take a few more months, but it will be worth it--for our children, for our neighbors, and for ourselves.

If you haven’t already, please consider scheduling a visit and prayfully consider in what ways you might participate in the campaign (being informed, visiting, making a pledge, etc).

To hear more about the Capital Campaign, and the state of our church, join us at the Annual Congregational meeting on June 7 at 12:30 p.m. In the meantime, please direct questions and comments to the council at council@sotv.org

Blessings,
Jenny Buckley--Church Council President

Visit and Be Counted!

About 300 households have responded generously to our 2015 Capital Campaign appeal with a pledge, and we are very grateful. Many more households have responded by increasing their giving to the building fund. That’s what Pastor Duane and I have heard on recent visits with members.  The faithful generosity of our members continues to inspire us. We know we can count on you…but are you being counted?

Here’s the issue: If you increase your giving before meeting with a Capital Campaign visitor, your giving will not be counted toward the Capital Campaign total. 

This makes it a challenge for our Church Council to plan our ministry over the next five years. Council needs an accurate understanding of campaign commitments in order to:

1. Plan the pay-down of SOTV’s debt 
2. Determine what funds are available for building improvements 
3. Allocate benevolence dollars for outreach 

Simply put, we need you to schedule a campaign visit today. Please reach out to me, one of the other pastors, or someone in our list of visitors that you know personally.

You can also call the church office or go to our website. When a campaign visitor calls or emails you, please respond. Visits are fun, rewarding, informative, and there is no pressure to pledge. Even if you’ve recently increased your giving, please still schedule a visit. You will be better informed and understand the plan for SOTV’s future.

As always, thank you for your partnership in this mission we share!

 -Pastor Chris Smith

Getting Ready for Our Annual Meeting

He is Risen! What a glorious time of year! Each day as the sun shines longer and the temperatures begin to rise, I feel a bounce return to my step and a lightness in my spirit. There is such hope and promise with the return of spring.

Over the past year, I have been privileged to be a part of many meetings focusing on the life and mission of Shepherd of the Valley. After each gathering, my heart soars with excitement about all the great things God is doing right here in Apple Valley.  

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will occur on Sunday, June 7th at 12:30 pm. All are invited to attend. A free lunch will be served from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm - please RSVP for lunch. Between now and then we will be writing a blog series about the state of our church. There has been a lot going on at SOTV and we want to take a little time each week to give you an update.  

Here is a list of topics we will cover before June 7th. Please follow along each week and then join us on June 7th to hear more about how God is working in and through us at Shepherd of the Valley.   

May 7:   Our Vision and Mission

May 14: Structure and Pastoral Staffing

May 21: Call Committee

May 28: Capital Campaign
June 1:  Endowment Fund

June 5:  Finances

Thank you for partnering with us as we live our vision of inviting all people to experience the welcome, transformation, and sending of Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Jenny Buckley - Church Council President

Paul Keller - Church Council Vice President

Together We Can Strengthen and Preserve Our Mission

By Rod Hofland,
Member of Capital Campaign Steering Committee

Shepherd of the Valley has developed strong preaching, teaching, music and outreach ministries over its relatively brief history. The inspirational worship services, numerous Bible studies and educational programs help us all grow spiritually. Our facilities provide space for numerous meetings that benefit our community. The congregation provides significant outreach support to those in need, serving and helping people in several states. Sponsorship of our partner congregation in Tanzania aids a thriving ministry. Financial support of the St. Paul Synod and the ELCA help the mission of the church throughout this country and the world.

The purpose of our capital campaign is to allow SOTV to strengthen its financial stability and improve facilities to grow into our vision, “Welcome, Transform, Send”, for years to come. It will position SOTV to increase our outreach locally, nationally and globally. We have an important mission in bringing the message of salvation and demonstrating God’s love to others.

If you have not yet met with one of our visitors, please, welcome and schedule your visit and prayerfully consider your support of this important endeavor. Thank you to those who have already had a visit and are supporting our capital campaign.Together, We Can Do More!

Urgent and Important

By Chris Smith, Senior Pastor

Years ago, management guru Steven Covey divided the tasks of life and work into two categories, urgent and important. Things can be urgent but not important (la ringing telephone that turns out to be a sales call) and important but not urgent (like saving for retirement in your 30s). Covey urged readers to pay their closest attention to what is both urgent and important. Where the urgent and the important intersect, that’s the spot that matters most. Our Capital Campaign is about what matters most.

It’s urgent AND important: 

1. Debt Elimination – SOTV still has debt from building programs from decades ago. Every dollar spent on interest (it’s a lot!) is a dollar not going to SOTV’s mission and ministry. Yes, we all benefit from our bricks and mortar, but it’s time to retire debt and move on to the important and urgent work of Christ here and around the globe. 
2. Renew and Enhance Facilities – There are portions of SOTV’s facility that need help – especially the parts constructed in the 80s. These parts of the building are simply worn out from decades of wonderful use. Heating and air conditioning, water leakage, and a host of others issues have become urgent and important. 
3. Expand Outreach Support – Giving and serving for the sake of others is what the mission of Jesus is all about. SOTV has mission partners who do amazing things with the dollars we give them. More than that, they can help engage us in meaningful relationships and connections with those they serve. It’s important and urgent to direct a growing portion of SOTV gifts to serve more and more. 

Let’s join together to do what matters most: prepare Shepherd of the Valley for generations to come. Please make time before the end of May to sit down with a campaign visitor to learn more, ask questions, and pray together. Visits are the best way to receive the full information about the campaign.

Visits are between 30-40 minutes and can be in a private space at church or in the privacy of your home. You do not have to make a pledge during your visit. Here are some other answers to frequently asked questions. 

Together, We Can Do More!

The Fruit of Our Visits

By Scott Erickson
Capital Campaign Steering Co-Chair

Mary Beth and I, along with our children, (Elise, then age 2, and Zachary, a newborn) joined Shepherd of the Valley (SOTV) on a July Sunday in 1988. Our present Music Room was the sanctuary then. The concrete had been poured on the previous day for the sidewalks around the new sanctuary, our present Fellowship Hall.

Right away, we met Cris Ireland, a volunteer organizing a list of parents to teach church school in the Fall. Mary Beth, a teacher by profession, became fast friends with Cris, and in turn met others committed to teaching children about Jesus. We met couples at Saturday evening fun nights who became fast, life-long friends, and I met men in music ministry, worship and service activities with whom I remain close. In each year, we have added new SOTV friends.

I support our Capital Campaign, Together We Can Do More, for personal, selfish reasons. I need SOTV to be strong forever. I need the fellowship of sisters and brothers in Christ. It's impossible to experience the joy and peace of The Lord in a vacuum by myself. We all have an important role to play in our community of faith.

The world presents men and women with the erroneous view that "I'm in control". When life is smooth, I need you to remind me by your worship and prayers that God is God, and I'm not. When life is gut-wrenchingly difficult, I need you to remind me Jesus is in me, and He, the Good Shepherd, never leaves anyone behind. When hard challenges occur, you call out to me, "Lean in to God… He has your back."  I'm strengthened and fed by your fellowship continuously.

How often do you have a moment when you feel especially close to God? Incredibly blessed or uplifted, or both? I have heard these moments referred to as faith nodes: times when the Holy Spirit seems especially active through others around us. These are times in which God calls out to us, shaping our lives for his glory, and for our joy. Let me tell you about two of my faith nodes.

In August 1995, daughter Olivia (age 3) was riding in a Burley carrier behind my bicycle as we're gliding along a Rosemount street. It's beastly hot, and the streets are deserted. She's belted in with her helmet on, munching on chips. The only sound for a long time is the buzzing of bike tires on pavement. Suddenly, Olivia speaks. "Dad?" "Yes, Olivia?" I responded. "Dad, I love Jesus!" she said. "I'm so glad, honey. Praise The Lord!" I said. A joy-filled dad finished the ride with wet eyes that night. You see, Olivia had just been to her first Vacation Bible School. And, you, the congregation, had helped us teach her about Jesus.

Another faith node: It's Sunday morning in the Fall of 1998, and I've taken a turn playing percussion for the services held in the Fellowship Hall and packing up the drums. A friend from the congregation, Dale Thuftedahl, walks over and says, "Hey, Scott! What are you doing Wednesday night?" My first thought was a guys' night out, perhaps with burgers and beer. Dale had something else in mind, and I'm grateful beyond words. He invited me to my first Bible study for men. Simply put, that was a life-changer, no a life-saver!

You, the congregation, enable the Holy Spirit mightily as we worship, learn, and serve as a community of faith together. That same spirit of togetherness will enable us to move forward and continue God’s ministry at SOTV.

If you’re just hearing about our Capital Campaign for the first time, we are asking for everyone to schedule a visit with one of these members. During these short visits, you will get all the details of the campaign, be able to ask questions, and be able to discern how you can best support our church.

If you are already a supporter — thank you! Mary Beth and I invite you to join us as we visit more and more households. Imagine the fruit of all the visits across our congregation! Let's do this thing to which we are called. Praise be to God! Together, We Can Do More!

Equal Sacrifice

by Robert Dennistoun
Capital Campaign Steering Committee Co-Chair

While the Capital Campaign is a great opportunity for SOTV, it also causes each member to make a critical decision. “How do I decide on a special level of generosity for the next 5 years?” How do I balance this generosity with other gifts I am making and the necessities of our household? Tithing is referred to in Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops”. The campaign’s pledge is separate from tithing which must continue to support the daily missions of SOTV.

A key premise for our pledge is that it is a gift of equal sacrifice, not of equal amount, for its limited time and specifically defined purposes. Sacrificial giving is described in 2 Corinthians 9: 6-7:  

“Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

The Capital Campaign puts into action specific goals over the next five years, each of which lays a foundation for the future to continue efforts of our church to serve God. Our pledge matters, whatever the amount. In each of our lives, we invest to lay a foundation: a college education for realizing personal potential; a new prosthetic hip for continued enjoyment of life; renovation of a home for cherished life experiences, and daily living to build family closeness that endures. By keeping in sight the desired goal of our decisions, we find a way to make it happen.

The campaign asks each of us to consider a sacrificial gift that is right for us to help meet specifically defined purposes. Our gift of any amount matters because we have made it in prayerful consideration of our faith, our church and our personal situation. As the community of SOTV sharing the blessings of a Risen Savior who loves us through all that we do, easy and hard, personal and shared, in our homes and on the go, we know that  

“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things and in all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Cor 9:8).”

Will you prayerfully consider your campaign visit? Please consider a cheerful gift with full confidentiality, knowing that whatever you decide, it matters greatly to the foundation of our ministry.


Please see the list of Campaign Visitors on our website or complete a yellow card available in the narthex.

Take a Walk, God Will Lead the Way

by Laurie Rossin
Capital Campaign Steering Committee Member 

When Tom and I were invited to join the Capital Campaign Steering Committee, I was skeptical. Ask people for money? I'm sure you dread solicitation phone calls as much as I do. In fact, I bet you don't answer your phone unless you recognize the name on your caller ID. So why would I want to put myself and my friends at SOTV through that?

After hearing about the needs here at home and SOTV's dreams for living our vision (Welcome, Transformation, and Sending of Jesus Christ), I realized that even though I worship regularly, attend Bible Study and social events, there is a lot I don't know about our church and many people that I don't know! I said yes to being involved in the Capital Campaign because I see my role as God's feet. My role is to carry the information about the needs and the exciting plans for the future of SOTV to you. This I can do!

Whether we meet here at church over a cup of coffee or at your home, our campaign visits are really about people. We talk about our families, jobs, hobbies or travels and share our stories of how we came to be members at SOTV. We explain the details of the campaign, our excitement for the future of our church and answer your questions. The last step is for you to prayerfully consider your pledge and complete your confidential pledge card. God uses my feet to carry the message, and it is God who places in your heart the desire to give.

I learned in Pastor Mary's study of the book of Joshua that when God was with the Israelites, they succeeded. When they relied on their own plans and their own might, they failed miserably. Thankfully God is leading us in this Campaign to further his kingdom. We are just the feet! So when you receive a call from one of our campaign volunteers, please pick up the phone. You will be greeted by a friendly fellow member who just wants to take a short walk with you and share the amazing plans God has for us here at SOTV.

Please see the list of Campaign Visitors on our website or complete a yellow card available in the narthex.

Capital Campaign: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is SOTV doing a capital campaign? 
A: Our Vision calls us to invite all people to experience the welcome, transformation and sending of Jesus Christ. The purpose of the campaign is to help us live into our vision.

Q: How will the capital campaign do this?
 A: By addressing the three major priorities identified last fall at the 25 congregational dialogues: eliminating debt, improving our facility, and expanding our outreach.

Q: How is the campaign being conducted? 
A: Through visits with each household. We believe it is important for every SOTV household to receive the same accurate information with a personal, confidential visit conducted by a trained volunteer.

Q: How long will the campaign last? 
A: Our goal is to conclude all visits by the end of May, but the campaign will not end until we make certain every household has been contacted for a visit.

 Q: Why do I need a visit? 
A: To make certain you receive accurate information and have the opportunity to ask questions about your participation.

Q: How long does a visit take? Where can I have my visit? 
A: Visits can be done in 30 – 45 minutes in the privacy of your home or at the church.

Q: Do I need to make a commitment to the campaign during my visit?
 A: Once your visit has concluded, you can either make a confidential commitment at that time or you can take time to consider and pray about your pledge and make your confidential commitment a few days later.

Q: Who will know what I pledge?
 A: What you pledge is entirely confidential. Only the SOTV Finance Office and our campaign consultant will know your pledge, because they are required to track all pledges. Your visitor will not know.

Q: Who should I contact for more information or to schedule my/our visit?
A: You may contact any of the visitors listed on our website, or call the church office at 952-432-6351.

Servants to God Alone

By Craig Bane,
Capital Campaign Steering Committee Member

One of three primary objectives of Shepherd of the Valley’s capital campaign, Together We Can Do More, is the elimination of our existing mortgage. Most of us have used a mortgage to purchase a home or other property because we didn’t have sufficient resources to pay in cash. The same was true for SOTV, dating back to 1985 (the original construction) through the 1998 construction of our current sanctuary and additional infrastructure up to that point in time. Our last endeavor to raise capital, the Imagine Campaign, completely paid for the construction of the chapel, narthex expansion, and additional classroom space.

The current building fund is used solely to pay down our old accumulated mortgage debt, and to complete necessary building repairs. As it stands, most of the building fund goes towards servicing interest on our debt. The church’s tax - exempt status prevents writing - off mortgage interest like a homeowner is able to do. Therefore this means the church mortgage is a 100% expense to the church budget.

No one can serve two masters.
-Matthew 6:24a

When we borrow, the lender puts conditions on the loan and this makes us a servant to the lender. We are to be servants to God and to God alone. As Matthew 6:24 reminds us,

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” 

The Bible does not prohibit the use of debt, but everywhere debt is mentioned, there is a call to action to resolve the indebtedness. The main reason for this is because it makes us a servant to someone other than God.

Every pledge made to the capital campaign is significant. The campaign is not about equal giving, it’s about equal sacrifice. Please accept a visit from a campaign visitor to learn more about the campaign. I hope you will prayerfully consider making a pledge once you have the facts. Because, together we can do more!