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Lutheranism 201 Thursday, May 23 @ 7:00 PM
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Building Progress
 
    Click here to find out about the 2nd Phase of our Building Program and the ALL IN Capital Appeal going on now
 

Phase 1 of our Construction Project Completed!

altIn 2008, Atonement embarked on its first building expansion and renovation program in over 20 years. The result is truly breathtaking!  Atonement now looks from the outside like the church it is on the inside: Open to the world, visible in the community, committed to members and guests growing closer to Jesus Christ and to one another. Thanks be to God for the generous support of our members that made this amazing project possible. 

 

As dramatic as these changes are, they represent roughly half of the overall plan for site renovation and expansion. Much of what was identified by Atonement and planned by our design team was left for Phase II. A large, multi-purpose room with true gym capability, additional classrooms for the day school, adult education, and high school youth, an integrated central gallery that unifies the look of our building, and more parking and site work remain to be completed.

 

Phase I

Phase I, "A Time to Build Up", is already providing the ministry enhancements that were planned.  This 16,000 square foot addition and renovation has:alt

  • Eliminated much of the overcrowding we were experiencing on Wednesday afternoon and evening, when youth ages 4 through 18 all have programming scheduled. 
  • Greatly increased our storm water management capacity. It took several iterations even while under construction. We have experienced heavy rainfalls since then and have remained dry inside.
  • More than doubled our on-site parking. This helps not only on Sunday morning, but on Wednesday afternoon and evening, and whenever there are concurrent church and school events.
  • More than doubled our gathering space and eliminated points of “people congestion.” The Gathering Place/Narthex is not only beautiful and inviting, but it is highly functional.
  • Added suitable music rehearsal space for both our more traditional and more contemporary musicians.
  • Created work space for both staff and volunteers that should serve their needs for many years.

Giving Summary of Phase I

Total Cost of Project—Phase I:
   $4,917,694 MMMMMMMM
Total Contributions Received:
   $2,756,437  
Total Outstanding Commitments:
   $260,765  
MMLess: Estimated Commitments not funded:
 
($100,000)
 
Member Low or No Interest Loans:
 
$325,000
 
Anticipated Loan with Mission Investment:
   $1,675,492  
 
Thank you to all who have so generously responded with their prayers and financial gifts. Our goal is to have every family participate and it is never too late to make a commitment. Thanks be to God as He continues to lead us through each and every phase of this process.
 

Phase II

For more information about the Phase II Building Program Capital Appeal called “All In”, click here. 
 
What was included in Phase I was not necessarily determined by priority. Rather, it was determined by our topography (lowest point of the property being key to the site work), what sections of work could logically be tied together and, of course, our budget. A key component of what our congregation wanted from this building project, but could not be included in Phase I, was a new multi-purpose room with space suitable for many program activities such as:alt
  • mid-week and Sunday youth programs and recreation activities;
  • other youth gatherings such as “lock-ins”;
  • daily play space for the Atonement Christian Day School;
  • outreach activities such as community athletic activities, concerts/plays/performances, large dinners/receptions, outside organization meetings and events (AA, scouts), polling place, etc.; and 
  • alternate worship space.
In addition, Phase II would add new classrooms for the Day School, dedicated high school (JAM) space, a new drop-off zone to reduce congestion and increase safety, a new façade on the middle unit of the building to unify the look of the building and roughly 50 additional parking spaces.
 

 

Considerations 

 

Phase I has visibly invited "ALL IN" to Atonement - our physical space, our ministries and programs, and our community of Jesus-followers. Since Phase I was started, 50 new families have joined Atonement!  Each week brings guests on Sunday mornings and throughout the week. The building raises curiosity, but the community and the presence of Jesus Christ meet deep needs. (You can learn more about "ALL IN" by clicking here)
 
The energy among Atonement members is high. Interest in the community is high. Construction costs are as competitive as they have been in a long time. On the other hand, underlying economic conditions remain uncertain. 
 
Phase I finished on time and on budget. This $4.9 million construction project will be funded with approximately $2.4 million of member contributions, $475,000 of low or no-interest loans and an approximately $2 million loan from The Mission Investment Fund of the ELCA. We believe our operating budget can support the amount of debt incurred for Phase I, but not more. Phase II as envisioned will cost approximately $3 million to complete.
 
We acknowledge that starting a new capital appeal on the heels of just finishing the last one can be a daunting prospect, yet we know that there will never be a better time than now to complete our building.  To help us with this decision, we engaged Kairos and Associates, who had previously assisted us with the capital appeal for Phase I, to conduct a resource assessment to estimate the amount of funding we could expect from our members for Phase II. Kairos interviewed 52 Atonement households and found that 83% of those interviewed were highly supportive of moving forward with Phase II now.
 
Commitments toward Phase I came from just 163 of our roughly 500 Atonement households, and ranged from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars. Some of those were lifetime gifts on the part of donor families, and cannot be replicated for Phase II. Both Kairos and our church leaders have stressed the importance of broader congregational support for our Phase II building program.
 
 

Recommendation

We believe that now is the time to complete Phase II of our building expansion and renovation.  Our recommendation draws on our faith that 100% of our members will step forward to be a part of something God-sized and God-honoring. We are inspired by the words of St. Paul in Romans 12:4-8:
“So in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve: if it is teaching, let him teach: if it is encouraging, let him encourage: if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously...."  (NIV)
If we can collectively contribute our God-given physical, spiritual and financial resources, we can complete this project. Let's go ALL-IN!  Let's live our mission, "Reach Together for Jesus". To find out more details about the “All In” Phase II Building Program, click here.
 
 

Got Questions?

If you have questions or concerns regarding our building program or its progress, please contact any one of the members of our Capital Appeal Advisory Team found listed here.
 

 

About Lutheran Church of the Atonementalt

In 1958, Pastor Arthur Knudsen was called to establish a congregation in the Barrington area by the American Lutheran Church (ALC). He knocked on doors and found people interested in starting a Lutheran church. Five families founded the congregation.

 

In 1961 the five acre site which is Atonement’s present location was purchased by the ALC to build the original church building. Now known as the Knudsen Center, that structure, with its distinctive curved roof, is used by the church as a meeting center.

As membership grew, a new sanctuary was completed and dedicated in 1981. A lower level included a kitchen, fellowship space, and stage. This 2010 expansion and renovation added 16,000 square feet of modern, functional new space to the church complex for education, ministry, fellowship and administration.

Today, Atonement is a vibrant Christian church that is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America looking to meet the spiritual and caring needs of the community that it serves.
 
 

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