Firmly Rooted, Boldly Building FAQ

Yes. Because the Ministry Expansion Campaign is intended to expand our ministry beyond its current scope, we ask each family to prayerfully consider making a financial commitment above and beyond their regular giving. Our ongoing offerings sustain the day-to-day ministries of St. Paul, while gifts to the campaign will help us create additional opportunities for worship, fellowship, education, and outreach.

Our congregation will gather on Sunday, November 15, for our Commitment Celebration, during which members will be invited to prayerfully submit their campaign commitments. However, you are welcome to make a pledge at any time by completing a Campaign Commitment Card and returning it to the church.

Gifts and offerings toward the Ministry Expansion Campaign may be made immediately! Contributions can be made online through the church's giving website or by check or cash. If you give a check or cash offering for the Ministry Campaign please make it clear that your gift is designated for the Ministry Expansion Campaign on the envelope or check you are using. Specially designed campaign giving envelopes will be available beginning in November.

The Ministry Expansion Campaign is a three-year commitment, with the fulfillment period running from January 2027 through December 2029. This extended giving period allows families to fulfill their pledges over time, making it possible to participate in a way that reflects their individual circumstances and prayerful commitments.

Yes. St. Paul Lutheran Church will maintain records of your contributions to the Ministry Expansion Campaign and include eligible gifts in your annual charitable contribution statement for tax purposes. These statements will be provided following the end of each calendar year.

LCEF partners with the LCMS Foundation to handle such things for St. Paul without any fees. Please contact Cameron Jones for more information.

2026 St. Paul Ministry Expansion Campaign

It is St. Paul's 2026 Ministry Expansion Campaign, a three-year effort to retire our remaining mortgage, construct a new flexible multi-purpose space called the Commons, and build a new playground, while deepening our congregation's commitment to outreach and service.

At the core of this campaign is a response to the continued growth God is working through St. Paul in ministry and service to our community. By God’s grace, we are bursting at the seams. The school is using every available space during the week. There is not a lounge or lunch area for the teachers. We do not have enough desks for the employees we are hiring to take care of the building, managing employees, office staff, paying employees, etc. The vicar shares his office space with the school and the church. The church does not have an area to meet during the week. We need bathrooms close to the sanctuary. We need a way to improve accessibility for less mobile people to be able to take part in activities that currently require stair usage. In order to meet these needs, we need to expand, and that requires funding to build the space we need.

The church council gathered information and worked with congressional members to set a vision for St. Paul. The finished document “St. Paul 2030” became the guideline for the ministry expansion campaign. The last time St. Paul expanded its facilities to match its ministry was in 1993.

In addition to asking for your prayers and to commit to a specific act of service, we are asking each and every family to prayerfully consider increasing your current giving levels to support an expansion of the church's ministry as outlined in the campaign booklet.

Foundation (retiring the mortgage), Growth (building the Commons and a new playground), and Outreach (a personal commitment by each household to one specific act of service or engagement over the three years of the campaign).

The portion of the campaign that is characterized by discussion and stories leading up to the commitment date runs from September 2026 through December 2026. December 2026 through December 2029 is considered the “fulfillment” portion of the campaign and is defined as the time when pledged money is collected and work begins on the three pillars. (Note: All construction will not be accomplished in these 3 years, but progress will be made on the design and some ground breaking may begin if supported financially.)

In the same way Council worked to seek and appoint volunteers to serve on the Planning Committee, Council will also source volunteers to serve on a Building Committee and a Finance Committee. The Building Committee will be responsible for the formal planning and execution of all construction activities, including identifying an architectural firm, soliciting input for needs and buildout details, and overseeing timelines, permits, groundbreaking, etc. The Finance Team will be responsible for tracking and recording member pledges, negotiating project bids, and managing all financial disbursements and related activities.

Campaign updates will be communicated through multiple channels, including periodic Sunday morning announcements, the church’s monthly newsletter, and on the campaign’s dedicated website at stpaulministryexpansion.org. Our goal is that no one at St. Paul feels uninformed or left behind as this vision unfolds.

Yes. You can also make a donation directly on St. Paul's church website: Give to the Ministry Expansion Fund.

You can write “MEF”, which is short for Ministry Expansion Fund.

Our goal is to raise $675,000–$900,000 over three years. Based on how three-year capital campaigns typically perform (1.5–2x annual giving), and St. Paul's annual giving of approximately $450,000, this is a realistic and achievable range.

The Building Committee, the Church Council, and the Congregation will discuss how to best utilize the financial gifts given to support our ministry expansion efforts, which could include a reduction in scope of the proposed construction goals.

The $550,000–$600,000 estimate is based on approximately 2,000 square feet of new and renovated construction at $250–$350 per square foot, consistent with current market rates. We want to be transparent: these are planning estimates, not formal contractor bids. Getting a real architect's estimate is one of the first activities to complete once fundraising has commenced. No construction will occur until precise numbers for a specific plan is defined and can be supported by commitments and funding goals.

These funds will be used to joyfully expand our ministry and outreach as outlined in the Firmly Rooted, Boldly Building booklet.

Our LCEF-recommended fundraising goal is based on 1.5 to 2 times our church's annual giving, which is $450,000 to $490,000 per year (this does not include School tuition), and is not predicated on the number of families or “giving units,” per se.

These funds will be used only for our ministry expansion campaign.

That would be a wonderful problem to have, and any funds raised above the campaign goal would be directed by the Council toward ministry priorities, which could include additional improvements to the Commons, future facility needs, or other projects the congregation identifies.

No. Financial giving is one important way to participate, but it is not the only way. Every household is also invited to make a personal commitment to one act of outreach or service during the campaign, including inviting a neighbor to worship, volunteering at a church event, or hosting a small group in the Commons once it opens. Prayer is also a real and valued form of participation.

Pledges are made in faith, not under legal obligation. If your circumstances change significantly over the three-year period, please reach out to the campaign Finance Committee. No one will be held to a commitment they are genuinely unable to fulfill, and there is no penalty for adjusting a pledge.

This suggestion will be passed along to the Building Committee.

We are planning to expand in order to allow for growth that's already occurring and for more growth that we expect to come in the future.

The church council will create a building committee who will work to determine the requirements of the new playground and building addition.

The precise location for the Commons will be confirmed after discussions with the architectural firm supporting the expansion, but is anticipated to be located on the south end of the building, with a lower level serving as the large indoor gathering and play space for the school or as an expanded fellowship hall, and an upper level providing renovated office space and meeting rooms proximal to the Narthex and Sanctuary.

Construction is not scheduled to begin until sufficient funds have been raised and a formal architect's estimate is in hand. Based on the campaign timeline and with a sufficient balance, some groundbreaking may occur approximately mid-fulfillment phase.