General Questions
Q. What is the giving timeline for the campaign?
A: Giving began on Sunday, December 3, 2006 and will continue for a three-year period through November 30, 2009 .
Q: How will commitments be made?
A:Commitments will be made either by giving weekly, monthly or annually over a three-year period. If you have not already made a commitment, you may do so at any time during the 3-year period.
Q: Can commitments be changed if necessary?
A: Yes. You may either increase or decrease your commitment at any time the Lord leads.
Q: Will new members have an opportunity to help fund the Acts 1:8 Vision.
A: Yes. We have a Follow-up Team, led by Cindy Wittrock, who will be keeping the Acts 1:8 Vision alive throughout the three-year giving period. As part of their activities, they will make sure that new members have the opportunity to financially support the vision.
Q: With all of the components of the vision, how are they prioritized?
A: All of the components of the vision are important and work together to address all three of the spheres of influence that Jesus calls us to in Acts 1:8. Our hope is that we will be able to accomplish all of the plans for the Acts 1:8 vision over time. However, these would be key priorities:
1) We have an obligation to continue making our monthly mortgage payments ($17,000/month). Our mortgage is scheduled to be paid off in October 2010.
2) The second major priority is church planting. We believe this is the key to Redeemer’s ability to reach lost people and expand the kingdom. We are approaching this as not just one church plant, but the first of many church plants. Although this doesn’t involve a large amount of the campaign from a financial standpoint, it is the most challenging component to implement. This is a very innovative step for Redeemer with a steep learning curve.
Q: Can I direct my financial commitment for the campaign to specific components of the Acts 1:8 Vision?
A: No. All of the components of the vision are important and work together to address all three of the spheres of influence that Jesus calls us to in Acts 1:8. In order to maximize the impact of our financial giving, it is important that leadership has the flexibility to manage the funds such that all areas of the Acts 1:8 Vision can be financially supported at some level.
Q: Will we be borrowing money to fund the vision?
A:No. With the exception of the mortgage payment, which is a monthly obligation of $17,000, the rest of our plans will be implemented throughout the three-year campaign as funds are available.
JERUSALEM : Debt Reduction
Q: Will our mortgage be paid off at the end of the campaign?
A: If we continue to make our minimum mortgage payments from now until the end of the campaign in November 2009, we will have 11 months of mortgage payments ($187,000) remaining until the mortgage is paid off in October 2010.
Q. Why not pay off the entire mortgage during the campaign?
A: We have discussed this. The interest rate on our current mortgage is 5.5%. Although we aren’t planning to borrow money to carry out the plans of the Acts 1:8 Vision, if we did find ourselves in that position, we would be hard pressed to borrow at the current interest rate. If we were blessed with giving to the campaign beyond our goals, we would certainly consider eliminating the debt during the campaign.
Q: Why do we still have a mortgage?
A: The total cost of the Commons Addition (including additional classrooms, offices, and computer network) was $2 million. With financing costs, the project totaled approximately $2.4 million. During the three-year capital campaign we raised $1.3 million. Between the end of that campaign and now, we have raised an additional $600,000. In addition, we have restructured our mortgage to lower our interest rate and reduce the term of the mortgage.
JERUSALEM : Facility Renovations
Q. How did we decide which facility renovations to include as priorities in the $1.6 million goal?
A: We included those renovations that were either most crucial to enhancing our ministry or were necessary from a maintenance standpoint. The Children’s Ministry, Sanctuary Enhancements and Activity Center chairs fall into the category of enhancing our ministry.
The Activity Center ceiling is a maintenance issue. The ceiling is over 20 years old and in need of replacement. Sections of the ceiling have fallen down. We also need to improve both the room lighting and stage lighting. It is most effective to do this in the midst of ceiling replacement.
Bathroom renovations fall into both categories. In some areas there are maintenance issues. In all bathroom areas, there are aesthetic issues that compromise the image of excellence that we are trying to portray as an organization.
JERUSALEM : Land Acquisition
Q: What properties is RLC Properties intending to purchase?
A: The focus of land acquisition will be three properties that are contiguous with two properties that RLC Properties already owns (including the vacant lot across the street). We believe that purchasing this block of property will keep the door open for future ministry expansion.
Q: For what will we use the new property that RLC Properties, Inc. purchases?
A: The properties will be used for future ministry expansion.
Q: How many properties does RLC Properties already own?
A: RLC Properties owns five properties, plus the vacant lot directly across Mississippi Street from Redeemer.
Q: What is being done with properties RLC Properties already owns?
A: Each of the five properties is being rented at this time. The RLC Properties board is responsible for managing the rental and maintenance of these properties. Since some of these properties are not part of the area we are now concentrating on, it is possible that some of these outlying properties may be sold and the profit made on them used for purchase of the target properties or future ministry expansion.
Q: What is meant by “future ministry expansion”?
A: The meaning of “future ministry expansion” is broad, and not limited. It might mean building on the land in the future or never building there. Building there would depend upon growth in numbers dictating a need for building. If building there is never deemed necessary, however, the profit for future sale of the property can be used for other types of ministry expansion such as funding additional church plants, or additional building on our existing site.
Leadership continues to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in this area. The beauty of this plan is that we don’t have to know right now how the property will be used. But when the Holy Spirit does reveal our future plans, we will have made a good investment toward implementing them.
JUDEA & SAMARIA: Church Planting
Q. Where will the first church plant be?
A: We still have some research to do to determine the target area for our first church plant. This will be part of the discernment process of the Church Planting Parent Team. While the “sky is the limit”, we sense the Holy Spirit leading us to plant in a suburban setting since this is more familiar to our current “Redeemer DNA.” As a first-time church planning effort, we believe a style more familiar to our current congregation will give this new church a better chance to succeed.
Q. Who will be involved in the church planting process?
A: We will be gathering a Church Planting Parent Team. This is an ongoing team of people led by Pastor Sean Kelly who will be responsible for launching the church plants from Redeemer. As the “parent”, this team will determine church planting sites, identify Church Planters, and will essentially develop the process that will make Redeemer a church-planting church. In the development phase, the team will serve as the liaison between Redeemer and the church plant.
Once a Church Planter is identified, that person will assemble the Pioneer Team which will be the team of people who actually start the church. This team will consist of a percentage of people from Redeemer who have a passion, desire and call of the Holy Spirit to be part of the church planting process in the particular area where the church is being planted.
At some point each of us will need to personally answer the question, what role is God calling me to play in church planting? Possible answers:
- Yes, I feel God calling me to be part of the first “pioneers” to start this new church.
- No, I don’t feel God calling me to be part of the first “pioneers,” but would like to serve this new congregation for a specified amount of time.
- I don’t feel God calling me at this time, but perhaps he will call me at a later time for another church plant.
- I don’t feel called to be part of this new plant, but I plan to pray diligently for those who are.
Q. What costs are anticipated for church planting?
A: We have estimated $250,000 to support our first church plant. This is primarily for salary and benefits for a full-time church planter over a 3-year period. Other costs might include facility rental, office space, equipment, supplies, etc.
Q. When do we plan to hire a church planter?
A: This will become clearer as we move along in the process, but at this time we are anticipating Spring of 2007.
Q. What kind of church will this be?
A: While we have determined that the general ministry focus group will be families with children, it is important that we allow the vision of a specific ministry model to emerge from the Church Planter. We have knowledge of various models for planting churches and will explore these with the Church Planting Parent Team and with those we interview to fill the Church Planter role.
Q. Have we considered partnering with other churches or organizations to plant a church?
A: We have considered this. We have had discussions with various churches in the area considering such a partnership as well as church planting organizations. At this time, in order to specifically reproduce the “Redeemer DNA”, we believe it is important to establish this church plant on our own. We might look to other churches and organizations to share their advice and experience. However, it would likely be unproductive to try to meld our DNA with the DNA of other churches and fear that we would end up with a compromised church plant as a result.
Q. How will the ELCA be involved with the church plant?
A:We are in discussions with appropriate leadership of the ELCA and they are aware of our plans. They are very supportive of our plans and desire to be a resource to us in our planning, particularly as we determine the location for the church plant.
Q. How can we afford to lose people from Redeemer?
A: This is the true “cost” of church planting. Keeping before us the vision to expand the ministry of Redeemer beyond these walls, we must be willing to send some of our people for the greater good of ministry expansion. We trust that as we step out in faith, God will provide by raising up new leaders from within Redeemer and open up avenues for new people to come to Redeemer.
Remember, this is not a one-time event; this is a new way of multiplying ministry. We must be willing to continually release people from Redeemer to start new churches. For this reason, we have a team actively working on a leadership identification and development strategy.
TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: Community Center in Afghanistan
Q: What is included in the Community Center?
A: Each Community Center will include a medical clinic, an educational building, a communication facility as well as recreational programs and an agricultural demonstration project. A guest house will also be available for visiting teams from other countries who wish to assist in the Community Center.
Q: Specifically, what will the $300,000 cost of a Community Center provide?
A: Included in the $300,000 cost is:
- Medical Clinic – construction, doctors and staff, supplies, computers, first year operation
- Education Building – construction, heating system, teaching and administrative staff, desks, books, supplies, first year operation
- Communications Building – construction, staff, radio studio, radio transmitter, computers, supplies, first year operation
- Agriculture – an area designated for agricultural demonstration projects designed to encourage increased productivity and efficienty for Afghan farmers.
- Recreation – soccer field, basketball court, and volleyball court.
- Guest House – construction, staff, computers, furnishing, supplies, first year operation
Q: Once built, how are the ongoing operations of the Community Center funded?
A: These Community Centers are planned to become financially self-sufficient after the initial set up and three years of operation from tuition, fees for service and guest house revenue.
Q: How many Community Centers have been built?
A: To date there has been one Community Center built in Tangi Saidan Village that serves Afghan families 40 miles south of Kabul. The Afghan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development has challenged Morning Star Development to build 1000 Community Centers throughout Afghanistan!
Q: Other than financial support, are there tangible ways that Redeemer members can help with the community center?
A: (From Brian Anderson , Morning Star Development): The ways that Redeemer can get involved are limited only by our joint creativity. We host quite a few church teams. Some of them are exploratory, some are prayer teams, some are medical teams, etc. One lady came over, taught 10 women how to cut hair, and left each of them with a simple kit enabling them to cut hair as a small business. Others have taught seminars in English, computer, leadership, etc. One church built basketball and volleyball courts and then held a "training camp" for local youth. Whatever skills and interests a group might have, we will work with them to figure out how to put them to use within the context of an Islamic country.
Q: When will the community center be built? Does Morningstar have to wait until we have submitted all of the funding?
A:Morning Star does not need to have all of the funding up front before beginning on a Community Center. They can build one building at a time as funds become available. Current plans are to begin construction on the Community Center in the spring of 2007. Redeemer will be providing $200,000 and Morning Star will work with other partners to raise the additional $100,000 necessary for a complete Community Center.
Q: What is the plan for additional support for Redeemer’s missionaries?
A: The ACTS in Faith campaign will provide financial support only to the Community Center in Afghanistan. However, the congregation is encouraged to continue supporting the Missionary Support Fund, which is dedicated to financial support for our missionaries as well as assistance for those attending missionary training school or going on short-term mission trips. The World Outreach Team is continually evaluating opportunities to increase support to our current missionaries as well as supporting additional missionaries. Their efforts are limited only by the funding that is available to them.
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