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Boldly Forward in Faith

CAMPAIGN UPDATED DECEMBER 2023 

CAMPAIGN BROCHURE (2022)

BOLDLY FORWARD IN FAITH PRAYER (2022)

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE [DECEMBER 2023]
We are blessed to share with everyone the next steps of the Boldly Forward in Faith progress the weekend of December 9 and 10, 2023. 

 

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE [APRIL 2023]
I have some good news to share about the capital campaign. But before we get to that, I want to provide some background. During the silent and public solicitation phases of our campaign, we raised between $3.3 and $3.4 million, which is an awesome amount for a community our size. Our goal in raising these funds was to address as many of our $7 million in identified needs as possible. And so, while the amount we raised is remarkable, we cannot meet all our identified needs at this time.

Four the past three months, I have been working with Principal Evans, our trustees, our architect, our contractor, and various members of our leadership committees to land on a project that 1) we are excited about, 2) provides great benefit to Good Shepherd, 3) we can afford, and 4) honors the initial breakdown of percentages between the three areas of focus (10% for the church, 10% for the parish center, 80% for the school).

The work of scaling back the project has been difficult. While reducing the scope of work in the church and parish center is relatively easy (the work in these areas can be done independently and over time), reducing the scope of work in the school has been a challenge. This is primarily because in order for any interior renovations to make sense, we need to build. And building is expensive, especially given new codes related to storm shelters.

On top of those difficulties, we have the reality of the pastor change, which I’ve known about for roughly two months but have not been able to share until last weekend. This change slows down some of our plans, as it will be important for the new pastor to be involved with some of the decisions. For example, I cannot justify making renovations to the sanctuary itself before Father Ben has had the opportunity to get to know Good Shepherd and our master plans for this place.

Thankfully, there are things we can do. And thankfully, our time and creativity seem to have paid off. We’re now close to finalizing a plan that will meet many of our needs in all three areas. I cannot say that we’ve officially landed, as we need to be sure what we’re proposing passes all building requirements. But it looks like we will have:
A parish center with new security measures allowing our adoration chapel to be accessible around the clock while keeping the rest of our space locked down.

A church with new confessionals, new sound system, an updated family room, and maybe more.

A school with a new and secure entry, new offices (front desk, conference room, principal’s office, work room, nurse’s station), expanded commons for cafeteria and school care, a dedicated music room, a dedicated Spanish room, a dedicated library/media center, new common bathrooms, new bathrooms in our preschool rooms, and renovated spaces for our learning center and counseling.

As I share all this, I know that some of you will be excited about what’s happening and that some of you will be disappointed. “Why aren’t we doing this part?” “Can’t we do more?” “That seems different from what you showed us last fall.” I get that. That’s the nature of these projects. We have goals, we aim to meet them, we ask for your support, and then we deal with reality. Our reality is that we received tremendous support from you, but not enough to do everything.

As it stands, we are excited about moving forward with these plans – sharing them with you and getting started. And we’re grateful for all you have done to get us here by way of your financial support, your prayers, and your patience. Please pray that the rest of this process runs smoothly.

 

Our Boldly Forward in Faith capital campaign has been successful in many ways. Our Commitment Weekend saw an increase of more than 80 new donors, proving that our parishioners, school families, and visitors are up to the challenge of addressing as many of our identified needs as possible. In December, one of our generous donors was so interested in encouraging our people to support the effort that she issued a matching challenge to kick off Commitment Weekend. She committed to double every new gift up to $100,000. Once again, as our people have done for more than 75 years, we responded to the challenge with sacrifice, generosity, and joy. Due to your continued stewardship, Good Shepherd has now secured this $100,000 match and much more!

To date, more than 250 parishioners, school families, and visitors have pledged more than $3.3 million to address as many of our church, parish center, and school facility needs as possible. We are so grateful to those families who have given so generously to this campaign. The Public Invitation Phase of the effort has been a tremendous accomplishment. Each gift, each pledge, each display of sacrifice, continues to prepare us for future generations of parishioners and the future saints in our school.

We rejoice and give thanks to God for your continued investment in Good Shepherd, our mission, and our ministries. Your support is a blessing to me, our staff, and our people – and it is an example of what we can accomplish when we cooperate with the Lord and one another.

If you have yet to join our cause, or if you would like to increase your gift, I invite you to make your commitment today by clicking here.