Relocation Archives

Peace Lutheran Church started as a seed of an idea about having a Lutheran presence in Pella. Over the years, our ministries and membership has grown in many amazing ways. Now, as we look to the future of growing in mission, ministry and our family of believers to God's glory, there is a need to "transplant" this congregation, that started as a seed, to a location where we can develop expand our roots and extend our branches of ministry.

At the Quarterly Meeting of our congregation on February 29, 2004, the following resolution was presented by the Peace Lutheran Church Council:

In order to support and expand our ministries, Peace Lutheran Church will initiate a building program and relocate

The resolution was approved by a vote of 55 to 10 with one abstention.

Relocation Process Update December 2007

Our RST and building sub-team met with Paul Jeffrey, architect from BVH, and Dominic Filippelli, project manager from BC, on November 5th. During the two-hour meeting we reviewed the updated site plan, elevation drawings, and floor plan. We also discussed preliminary exterior building material recommendations, project budget and cost estimates, and a proposed schedule. Overall, we had an excellent discussion and sharing of ideas and our team feels we’re the closet we’ve been yet to achieving a balance between all of our space needs. Paul marked up the drawings and took several notes so he can revise the schematics and return them to us by 11/13 or so.

Our plans are to provide the drawings to the church council members and ask them to schedule meetings with their committees to gather feedback for us by the end of November. We’ll also provide an update during the quarterly meeting on Nov. 18th and we’re planning a congregation forum for Dec. 2nd after the second service. Paul will present the schematic design drawings during the forum so we can receive additional input from our members.

BVH will take all of our perspectives into consideration as they move through the detailed design development phase, which should be completed by late January. Construction drawings will be created during Feb and March and we hope to have the bidding and permitting steps wrapped up by the end of April. Then, construction of our new church would begin and Dominic indicated if all goes well, there’s a good possibility we could have our first service by the end of 2008.

Now, of course, there are a lot of things that need to be worked out yet, including matching up the project costs with our project budget. Dom will provide us more info on costs when we meet in early December, but at this time it looks like we still have a few hundred thousand dollar gap to close. Don’t get too concerned yet though since we have a few levers we can push and pull to make our ends meet. We can value engineer the design to reduce costs, we can try to raise more funds, we can consider increasing our loan amount, and lastly we can attempt to receive a higher amount on the sale of our property and buildings. With some thoughtful work, continued support from our congregation, and many prayers we’re confident we’ll prevail! ?

We’ll continue working with the council and congregation to keep the relocation process moving forward as quickly as possible while recognizing the responsibility we have to do our due diligence along the way. Depending on the timing of when we're ready for the next major steps, the council will present motion(s) at special congregation meetings or at regular quarterly meetings.

Please be sure to contact me, members of our team, or members of the church council with questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.

Together We Grow Peace,
Don Lanke
Relocation Steering Team Leader

Relocation Process Update November 2007

As of this writing (10/14), Breiholz and BVH let us know we should receive the schematic design package by 11/1/07. Our intent is to have the building team and RST review the drawings to make sure they represent our needs and if so, then ask the church council members to review them with their committees to gather feedback for us. We also plan on discussing the drawings with the congregation during our November 18th quarterly meeting. In addition, we’re trying to schedule at least one meeting for BC/BVH to review their concepts with members of the congregation. BC will also be providing us with an updated project cost estimate and we’ll be working with Breiholz to identify opportunities to reduce costs while still achieving our desired goals. Construction cash flow estimates are also being prepared for us so we can use that information to plan our financial approach to the project.

The fundraising team is pursuing various grant and other foundation options and they’re also making plans for the RST to provide relocation updates to members of new beginnings classes. We’ve received over $254,304.26 out of the $750,493.47 pledged up to this point and have collected $7,717.71 towards our $50,000 challenge. Thank you very much to everyone making contributions based on their pledges and also to those giving to the building project even if you haven’t pledged yet! Everyone’s support is greatly appreciated J!

You may have heard about the 21 cent challenge. If not, watch the bulletins and newsletters for information on this inspiring story and prayerfully consider how you can respond to the challenge. It’s an exciting opportunity for all members of our church, regardless of age, to give to our building program and help it become a reality! The finance team received all of the construction loan application details from the ELCA mission investment fund and also recently completed an analysis of various loans from several lending sources. The real estate team is working on how we’ll respond to Central’s offer and they’ll also be contacting Gary Van Vark to let him know which part of our site can still be farmed next year while construction is taking place (we hope and pray!). We’ll continue working with the council and congregation to keep the relocation process moving forward as quickly as possible while recognizing the responsibility we have to do our due diligence along the way. Depending on the timing of when we're ready for the next major steps, the council will present motion(s) at special congregation meetings or at regular quarterly meetings.

Relocation Process Update July 2007

This past month the building team has been working with our contractor, Breiholz Construction Company, to prepare the contract we’ll use to develop the schematic drawings, complete the design development phase, prepare construction drawings, and build our new church. We received the 30-page contract the week of June 11th and we’re now in the process of reviewing, revising if necessary, and approving the contract so the schematic design work can begin. BC and our architects, Bahr Vermeer Haecker, estimate it will take around six weeks to complete this phase. Based on feedback we received during the May 20th congregation meeting, we’re asking BVH/BC to include a lower level as part of the 12,300 sq ft usable space initial plan. As we discussed, we’ll need to consider the trade-offs related to this and many other decisions as part of the final design development work.

The schematic design drawings will help BC and the RST determine a much more accurate cost estimate for the project which in turn will allow us to finalize the project budget. This budget will be the amount of money we need to raise through selling, fund raising, and taking on debt. We still have a significant gap between our current project budget of approximately $2.4 M and our latest project cost estimate of around $2.9 M.

Thanks to the tremendous efforts of Mandy Smidt, Doris Evans, Patsy Cody, and the rest of our fundraising sub-team this gap was closed by approximately $4,000, which is the amount raised through the June 2nd silent auction! The Peace Family Cookout and Silent Auction was a great success so please share a word of gratitude with those that helped coordinate this enjoyable fellowship and fundraising event for our church.

We’ll continue working with the council and congregation to keep the relocation process moving forward as quickly as possible while recognizing the responsibility we have to do our due diligence along the way. Depending on the timing of when we're ready for the next major steps, the council will present motion(s) at special congregation meetings or at regular quarterly meetings.

Please be sure to contact me, members of our team, or members of the church council with questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.

Relocation Process Update March 2007

Based on the direction the RST received from the church council after their December meeting (see details in the Jan. 2007 newsletter), our team has been focused on developing building design options that will provide at least 12,250 sq ft of space for our initial plan. This is the amount of space we currently have including the space we use at Peace House and Central College.

The building team has been working hard on finding ways to lower construction costs to reduce the significant gap between our current project budget (selling amount + fund raising amount + loan amount) of approximately $2.3 M and our current project cost estimate of around $2.9 M. To do this they continue to meet with our contractor, Breiholz Construction Company, and our architects at Bahr Vermeer Haecker. In addition, they’ve explored alternative construction methods that may reduce costs, but also deliver an aesthetically pleasing church design. The team is also discussing the merits of updating concept drawings, making sure the revised plan ties into our master planning vision, determining what it would take to develop more detailed schematic drawings, and updating cost estimates.

We need to better understand the true cost impacts of the 12,250 sq ft initial church building plan in order to set the project budget which in turn will set the amount of money we need to raise through selling, fund raising, and taking on debt. Once the project budget is close to our total project cost we’ll be able to make a recommendation to proceed with construction. We’re also not in a position to act on Central College’s offer to buy our properties until our actual relocation costs and ability to move become clearer. With this understanding in mind, Central has agreed to extend their offer to us until May 14, 2007.

The fund raising team is meeting regularly again to develop, promote, and implement additional fund raising activities to increase funds which will also help reduce the gap described above.

Our RST will continue to move forward on the above items as well as others. When we have enough additional information, we'll discuss the budget and go forward options again with the council and decide what to bring to the congregation for a possible vote. Depending on the timing of when we're ready for that next step, the council will present the motion(s) at a special congregation meeting or at a regular quarterly meeting.

Please be sure to contact me, members of our team, or members of the church council with questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.

Relocation Process Update December 2006

Our relocation steering team presented several key topics to the congregation during the November 26, 2006 quarterly meeting. Here's a brief summary of the highlights: We described the latest building design options, project budget options, and challenges we’re facing and then opened it up for discussion and feedback from the members in attendance. Our revised project budget stands at about $2.3 M which we estimate would allow us to build a 9,680 sq ft church. This is approximately 800 square feet less that our current church not including the space we use at Peace House (1,500 sq ft) or Central College (500 sq ft). We'd need around $2.6 M to build a church roughly the same size as our current building (10,475 sq ft) and we'd need about $2.9 M to build a new church equivalent to our current space plus the space we use at Peace House and Central College (12,250 sq ft). We reviewed some of the pros and cons of each of these scenarios and then discussed options to close the budget gap including trying to sell the church for more than the $1.250 M Central has offered us, trying to raise more money, and the possibility of increasing our loan amount. There are challenges and concerns with each of these options. The congregation shared their thoughts and opinions on how we should proceed toward achieving our master planning vision and expanding our ministries to others. We also discussed continuing to pursue building cost reduction options and also meeting with Pat Dever, ELCA building consultant, for further guidance and input. In addition, we mentioned that Central has extended their offer to us until February 14, 2007.

Members of our team met with Pat Dever via phone conference on 11/13 to discuss our relocation status, ask questions about how to proceed, and gain insights from her. Our team met the day after the quarterly meeting to discuss feedback church members shared during the meeting and also plan our next steps. Pat also came to our 11/20 RST meeting to continue our discussions regarding how to proceed. Members of the church council were also in attendance.

The church council then met on 12/14 and provided the following direction to the RST:

1. Don’t consider any building options that would provide less than the total sq ft we currently use. The council recommendation supports a minimum 12,250 sq ft plan.
2. Recommends that RST continue to explore ways to lower cost of construction including contacting other architects and builders not limited to design/build teams.
3. The council was divided on the issue of revisiting the option of an addition to current facility, however was unanimous in its understanding that this would not be a task of the RST. This option may be reviewed but only if it becomes obvious that sufficient funds cannot be raised to relocate. A time line as to when that would become apparent was not discussed.
4. The council decided that more information would be needed before we could take a recommendation to the membership to increase our current mortgage cap of an amount equal to our annual budget. This request may have to wait until we have a more specific number as to how much the increase would need to be.

With all of this in mind, it’s likely a spring 2007 ground breaking isn’t feasible and it’s not clear what the new timing will be. Our RST will continue to move forward on the above items as well as others. When we have enough additional information, we'll discuss the budget and go forward options again with the council and decide what to bring to the congregation for a possible vote. Depending on the timing of when we're ready for that next step, the council will present the motion(s) at a special congregation meeting or at a regular quarterly meeting.

Please be sure to contact me, members of our team, or members of the church council with questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.

Together We Grow Peace,

Don Lanke

Relocation Steering Team Leader

Relocation Process Update October 2006

I’d like to share an update on our overall progress and next steps.

Our relocation steering team had a very good discussion with our church council during their August meeting. Here's a brief summary of the highlights: We described our current project budget situation ($1.25 M sale + $0.825 M fundraising + $0 additional loan = $2.075 M - site preparation - fees - dollars already spent - furnishings, etc = approx $1.0 M for building construction) and the rationale for not increasing our fundraising amount or our loan amount at this time. We then described and expanded on three go forward options (proceed as planned, take up to 90 days to gather more info, longer term delay) and then opened it up for discussion and feedback from the council.

After considerable dialogue, the council voted on and approved the following: Dick and Guy will verbally follow-up w/ Central and let them know we thought our $1.5 M offer was reasonable and if accepted would have likely enabled a motion to be taken to our congregation to sell our church, build new, and move. And that since their offer came back less than $1.5 M we'll need up to the 90 days they included in their offer letter to work through our options before deciding to take action on their offer. This meeting has been held and Central is taking our feedback into consideration. The second decision the council approved was to proceed with option two at this time, which is to take another 30 to 90 days to continue working on gaining more fundraising knowledge and responses, gaining more building design knowledge and options, and considering other potential buyers.

The building team continues to work on several building design approaches and scenarios centered on a $2.075 million project budget ($1.25 M sale + $0.825k fundraising). They’re trying to determine if there’s a feasible initial building option for the RST, council, and congregation to consider. Many scenarios have been developed and the top few have been reviewed with the RST and also with the council during their September meeting. The team has taken feedback from those discussions and they’re now working on additional options that will be presented at future meetings.

At a point during the 30-90 days when we feel we have enough additional info, we'll discuss the budget and go forward options again with the council and decide what to bring to the congregation for a possible vote. Depending on the timing of when we're ready for that next step, the council will present the motion(s) at a special congregation meeting or at a regular quarterly meeting.

Please be sure to contact me or any member of our team with questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.

Together We Grow Peace,

Don Lanke

Relocation Steering Team Leader

Relocation Process Update August 2006

It’s hard to believe, but August 24, 2006 marks our relocation steering team’s 18-month anniversary! In addition to the usual sub-team reports included in this newsletter, I also want to share an update on our overall progress and next steps. Our team was formed on February 24, 2005 and we’ll remain active until a recognition celebration is held in our new church. Our mission is to lead and guide all aspects of the relocation process and as part of our team’s charter we identified several major milestones that need to be achieved along the way. Here they are along with the current status of each:

Relocation Process Expected Milestones:

1. Finalize site selection recommendations - complete
2. Gain approval to purchase land - complete
3. Secure option to buy on one or more properties - complete
4. Secure and integrate our church’s ministry plan into our relocation process – complete
5. Complete site master planning – complete
6. Purchase land – complete
7. Complete site and building designs – in process w/ BVH and BC
8. Complete capital campaign(s) – in process w/ KSA
9. Sell current property and buildings – in process
10. Construct new church – start by spring/summer ‘07
11. Coordinate transition from current building to new building – spring/summer of ‘08
12. Dedicate new church – spring/summer of ‘08

As you can see many of our major milestones are complete, several are in process, and the remainder are on track based on our original 3-year relocation project plan.

Our sub-teams are currently working on finalizing the project budget which includes the sale amount of our current properties, the fundraising amount, and a loan amount. The sum of these three pieces will determine the total dollars we have to work with to complete the initial plan construction of our new church. We hope to present the project budget to our congregation during the August 27th quarterly meeting. If (when!?) approved, we’ll then finalize the sale of our properties, secure a loan if necessary, and enter into the final design contract phase with our architects and contractor. The final design planning and communications will take approximately 6 months, which would allow us to begin construction late spring/early summer of 2007. We’re estimating 1-year to complete construction resulting in a dedication service and celebration taking place during spring/summer of 2008.

So, 1-1/2 years down, about 1-1/2 years to go, and everything is pretty much on track!? Please be sure to contact me or any member of our team with questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.

I’d like to thank the RST members, their sub-team members, the council, our congregation members, and our spouses, parents, and friends for their many contributions and endless support these past 18 months. It’s taken a tremendous team effort to get this far and everyone should be proud of all that has been accomplished. Together We Grow Peace!

Gratefully,
Don Lanke
Relocation Steering Team Leader