Building Project
In 2008, Atonement embarked on its first
building expansion and renovation project 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 our overall plan
for site renovation and expansion. Much of what was identified by Atonement and
planned by our design team was left for a second phase. This “Phase II” will
provide critical new ministry spaces and complete Atonement’s 2008 vision for a
physical space that maximizes our collective abilities to bring the gospel of
Jesus Christ to our community and beyond.
Phase II
The centerpiece of Phase
II will be a 6,200 square foot multi-purpose space, to be constructed where the Knudsen Center
is today. This multi-purpose space will
meet critical needs of our youth programs, and will also create a multitude of
outreach opportunities for all age groups. See the “QUESTIONS and ANSWERS”
sheet for examples of these activities.
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.
ALL IN
Phase II will cost approximately $3 million to
complete. The value added by the Phase II space is compelling at this cost,
thanks to an extremely competitive construction business environment. The
energy and enthusiasm among Atonement members is high. Through our collective
contributions of our God-given physical, spiritual and financial resources, we
can complete this project.
This
is our opportunity to go ALL IN! With 100% participation by Atonement members, we
can get ALL of our building project completed, and endeavor to reach the full
potential of the Christian ministries that Atonement embraces. Find out how you can be a part of ALL IN by clicking here.
Campaign Questions and Answers
1. What
is the “ALL IN” Capital Appeal?
The “ALL IN” Capital
Appeal is the outreach to Atonement members to support the completion of
our
building expansion and renovation program as defined in 2007. Having
successfully completed the initial
phase of construction on time & within budget, we believe Atonement
is
well-positioned to conclude the building program (Phase II). As the name
ALL IN implies, we are appealing to 100% of our members to provide
their time, talents and resources to this effort.
2. What
will be included in Phase II?
Consistent with our
master plan developed 3 years ago, this phase will include
- The construction of a multi-purpose room
- A new façade on the middle unit of the building
to unify the total look
- Additional classrooms for the Day school and
other ministries
- A drop-off zone near the church entrance
- Approximately 50 additional parking spaces
3. What are some of the possible uses of this new
multi-purpose room?
- Luncheons/Dinners - Bible studies/adult
forums
- Women’s/Men’s
retreats -
Concerts/dances
- Community Meal - Voting
site
- Alternative worship
space - Youth and adult
recreation
- Senior
activities/fellowship - ACDS
inclement weather play area
4. What is the budget for Phase II & how will
it be funded?
Total project costs have
been estimated to be approximately $3 million.
The scope of the work will be less complex than Phase I and thus we feel
confident that this budget is achievable.
Our church leadership believes that Phase II should be funded solely
from contributions by our members and others.
We are asking our members to commit to making their contributions over a
period of up to three years. Your ability to fund your commitment more
rapidly will enable us to reduce any need for interim financing and the
related costs.
5. Will Atonement’s commitments to other ministries/missions
be affected by this appeal?
Atonement’s level of
giving to outside missions (i.e. Holy Family Lutheran Church, World Hunger, LSSI,
etc...) will be unaffected by this building phase. Currently, 10-12% of Atonement’s budget
supports missions outside of Atonement. Additionally, our ability to grow our
ministries in service to all will be greatly enhanced with the benefits this
building phase will provide.
6. What is the time frame for this project?
We hope to break ground
in late spring of 2011 with project completion within 9-12 months of
groundbreaking.
7. Why begin Phase II so quickly after
completing Phase I?
According to a recent
Resource Assessment Survey conducted by Kairos
& Associates, enthusiasm is
high with 83% of the membership interviewed being highly supportive of
proceeding with Phase II immediately. Phase
I has shown us the positive outreach potential of our building program, as
evidenced by some 40 new families joining Atonement since Phase I. Also, construction costs continue to be very
attractive. We believe now is the right
time to move forward with Phase II.
8. How much should I give?
We encourage you to pray and discern your household's most generous
response. We hope you are able to read "Generosity", by Gordon
MacDonald. This short book offers helpful insights on these sorts of
decisions and copies are available through the church office. Please
remember that your gift to the “ALL IN” Capital Appeal is
in addition to your regular weekly giving to our operating budget. Some examples are included in the Giving Guide section of this page of the Atonement web site..
9. What if my
financial situation changes or I move before the three- year giving period is
over?
At any time, your
commitment may be increased, decreased or extended by notifying the Atonement
church office. Even if you move, we ask that you please
consider honoring your commitment to “ALL IN”.
Who Can I Speak to About Additional Questions I Might Have?
Of course you can always talk to any one of the pastors but we suggest that you feel free to call a member of the Capital Appeal Advisory Team whose contact information is listed
here.
Will You Be a Catalyst for Growth?
These
are exciting times and we need your help!
It is a “Time to Build Up”, to further Christ’s mission in the setting
we are called to serve in. Will you help
us with your generous giving in the coming years (2011-2013) so that we can
build these new facilities for ministry? Will you be a strong partner as we undertake this bold building project,
a project that is rooted in the conviction that God is our abundant provider?
Together we can make this a reality. Want to find out more about how you can participate? Simply
click here to get more information.
Our Congregation and Our Mission
Our
Mission is to “Reach Together for Jesus”.
We reach together through our many and ever-growing ministries which
foster the building of the Body of Christ in the Barrington area and indeed
throughout the world.
In
1961, our congregation was founded as a mission church of the American Lutheran
Church in the beautiful rural community that was Barrington. By 2008, when we began Phase I, the
Barrington area was still beautiful, slightly less rural and had a population
that had grown by 350% over those 47 years.
In that time, our congregation size increased tenfold.
Atonement’s
first building, what is now the Knudsen Center, was built in 1961. In 1964, we added the office and classroom
space that now connects the Knudsen Center to the worship space. The worship space and our fellowship hall
were built in 1986.
Over
the last 20 years, we have increased our average worship attendance by 45%, added
significantly to our ministries, and our program staff has doubled. Prior to the completion of Phase I, all of
this growth has been accomplished without any significant improvement to our
physical space. It is exciting to think
about how much greater our growth will be with the completion of Phase II.
