Pastor’s Corner

Building Update:  February 2022

I am so thankful for our Thrift Shop addition contractor and the team of laborers working through this snowy, cold season.  Winter has set in, and working outdoors can become slow or impossible.  The good news is the roof and building “shell” were completed just before the snow started falling.  Most of the work being done at this time is indoors, like plumbing and electrical. 

The exterior of the building has been ordered, along with the doors and windows.  Everything should arrive just in time for the weather to start warming up, according to Punxsutawney Phil’s latest prediction.  If you aren’t into prognosticating rodents, then simply pray and trust for God’s continued provision of people, donations and favorable weather.  He is good and has continued to bless Cross and its ministries to be a blessing into the community.

For our School and Children’s Ministry addition, things are a bit more complicated.  We are finalizing the details on our official construction drawings and will once again estimate the cost.  So much has changed, both with the construction design and with the economic landscape that our previous estimates are no longer useful. 

Our Governance Board is working to establish a transition committee of sorts.  This group will be charged with evaluating our plans, our funds available, the pledges of the congregation and the immediate needs of our school and ministries.  After doing so, they will submit a recommendation for our congregation to consider as a path forward. 

Why is this committee necessary?  The primary reasons this committee is necessary are to put the details in place for our building plans to move forward and to give the congregation an opportunity to pray and vote.  This includes things such as a ground breaking, actual cost of the final plans (including current inflation for items, like steel and windows), coordinating these plans and timelines with school enrollment and classroom needs, additional funding options to meet the gap in pledges and the expected costs.  These are a few of the many details that need to be addressed in order to move forward with the exciting opportunity in front of us.

We are not able to move forward with the plans until the congregation approves the final plans AND approves the budget/plan to build.  At this point, the congregation could still see those options and choose not to build or to delay the building.  Based on our current school enrollment I don’t anticipate being able to wait to build; I believe we need to build soon in faithful response to the many students and families who are being led to be a part of Cross Church and School Ministries.  If enrollment continues as projected, we anticipate needing to add classrooms and staff to our team for next school year.  This could be a very challenging situation to navigate since we would be losing use of a current classroom during construction.

These are all good challenges to have, but they are challenges none-the-less.  Please continue to pray for the Lord’s direction, for leadership and for the generosity of God’s people to provide the resources (and good weather) necessary to accomplish His plans for us.  Please continue to pray and support Cross Lutheran Church and all its ministries while we all mature as disciples of Jesus who Walk with God in worship, Grow in Faith Together and Love Our Neighbors. 

Jesus told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”  Luke 10:2

His servant and yours,

Pastor Erik Gauss

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