Historic Vote on Future Mortgage Passes
With an 82 % affirmative vote on October 1 , Bethlehem members voted to procure financing in an amount not to exceed $ 6.3 million to be used for improvements on both the Minneapolis and Minnetonka campuses . This vote was precipitated by the findings of Built Environments , a local forensic architectural company . In the fall of 2015 in Minneapolis and the spring of 2016 in Minnetonka , the company found ongoing moisturerelated deficiencies and damages with the building enclosures at both campuses . These are important and exciting times for Bethlehem to move ahead on critical improvements so that both facilities continue to serve current and future populations .
Next steps include :
• The Finance Committee , within the next several weeks , will recommend to the Church Council the terms and conditions of the loan after presentations by three lenders , Thrivent Financial , the Mission Investment Fund of the ELCA , and US Bank .
• Built Environments will prepare drawings and specifications for the work to be done on both campuses .
• Bids for the work will go out in early 2017 and a general contractor will be chosen in consultation with Built Environments .
• Construction will begin at both sites in the spring of 2017 . The entirety of the work will be completed by the end of the year in Minnetonka . Work on the Minneapolis campus will be completed sometime in 2018 .
• A master plan by Heller Architects for the Minnetonka campus is currently under way .
• A three-year capital campaign to pay down the mortgage , fund outreach partners , and provide funding for another pastor will begin in April 2017 .
Continue to look at CONNECT for future updates .
YOUR GIVING MAKES A DIFFERENCE
by Pastor Bob Wertz , Pastor of Stewardship and Planned Giving
When Pastor Ben came into my office a few months ago and asked if I liked the idea of calling November ’ s worship theme - " What If It ' s Not Yours ?" - I immediately gave him two thumbs up .
What If It ' s Not Yours ? isn ’ t only a thought-provoking stewardship theme , but an invitation to go deeper into our identity as God ’ s beloved people . It invites us to think about who we are , about what is “ mine ” and about whose we are . It encourages serious reflection about the lives granted to us through no effort of our own , and all the time and material goods that have been entrusted to us to manage . And then it gets even more challenging : it invites us to act generously , both to honor the God who stakes a claim on our lives and to order or re-order our habits so that they reflect , in word and deed , that our whole lives truly do belong to God . Thank you for immersing yourselves in this process and for the blessings that will surely come by doing so .
Here ’ s the calendar of events in November for the 2017 Annual Pledge Drive :
Sunday , November 6 — Pick up your stewardship packets in the Gallery at Minneapolis and the Narthex at Minnetonka .
Sunday , November 13 — Enjoy a “ thank you ” treat following worship at both campuses from the Stewardship Ministry teams .
Sunday , November 20 — Commitment Sunday . Please bring your completed pledge form to worship .
Jesus also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins . He said , ‘ Truly I tell you , this poor widow has put in more than all of them ; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance , but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on .’ - Luke 21:2-4
Give to the Max Day 2016 to Support Mental Health Connect
Support the wonderful work of Bethlehem ' s Mental Health Connect Ministry by making a donation through givemn . org on Thursday , November 17 for Give to the Max Day . Donations will allow us to continue to " open doors " for individuals and families living with mental illness in our community .
Mental Health Connect is excited to begin expanding our impact through a collaboration with other south Minneapolis churches . Please help us make this happen through a special donation on Give to the Max Day !
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