Our ministry expansion program continues to move forward. In the month of June, the Building Committee reported the following progress:

• Completed final construction drawings and specifications
• Submitted plans and specifications to the State of Wisconsin for review
• Received State of Wisconsin approval on footing & foundation drawings
• Finalized utility easement with Providence Place for underground sanitary sewer extension
• Included complete facility update of the fire alarm system based on Village fire department feedback
• Received sign-off from the Village of Grafton on Plan Commission and Village Board approval conditions
• Continued contractor bidding and confirming required budget

In addition, the Finance Committee has remained focused on finalizing the external loan request. They have also been working with those interested in promissory notes. If you are still interested in a promissory note, please reach out to Jason Hasenstein (920) 226-0743 jason.hasenstein@splgrafton.org or Jean Steinke (262) 377-4659 jean.steinke@splgrafton.org.

The Ministry Expansion Project continues to move forward with a lot of activity taking place last month. The Building Committee update includes:

• Received final Village Board approval of architectural and site plans.
• Continued advancing design with completion of the Design Development Plans.
• Reviewed contractor updated budget.
• Footing and Foundation Construction Documents have been submitted to the state for review and are out for bid.
• Began working on utility easement with Providence Place Board of Directors.

The ministry expansion project continues moving forward. The following was  accomplished in April:

• Received Village of Grafton Architectural Review Committee and Planning Commission Committee approval. Next steps are to receive final approval at the Village board meeting in May.
• The terms of the promissory notes were set. Informational meetings will be held on May 21, June 4, and June 19 at 6pm.
• Work continued with the architect on architectural, civil and landscape design development.
• Continued processing gift receipts and pledges.
• Date of June 9th at noon was set for the groundbreaking ceremony.

The need for your continued financial support and commitments is essential as we move forward. Please review the Giving section of this page to obtain more information on giving opportunities. As we move forward together, pray the Holy Spirit guides us to boldly meet this opportunity with courage, love, and steadfastness, enhancing God’s Kingdom now and for future  generations.

Following approval from the voters meeting in February, work is now underway on the ministry expansion project.

The Building Committee members Dave Scherzer (co-chair), Wayne Wiertzema (co-chair), Pastor Anderson, Jim Lindsay, David Schmidt, John Swiertz, Dauna Werner, and Michael Yurk have been busy getting the project underway.

Meetings have been had with various Village staff members to secure input on the site related issues, utilities, and fire & life safety. They are also advancing the conceptual design with the architect and school leadership. In addition, conceptual drawings have been submitted to the Village Architectural Board and the Village Plan Commission. Finally, they are reviewing contracts for both Groth Design Group and Catalyst Construction.

The Church Council has approved the Finance Sub-Committee members as Jason Hasenstein (chair), Sam Myhre, Leslie Scherzer, David Schulz, Ingrid Schulz, Jonathan Schulz, and John Swiertz. The sub-committee is working on the terms of the promissory notes and will review external financing options available in the marketplace.

The mission of St. Paul is to equip every generation to live rooted in Jesus. The means to accomplish this are through God’s word, staff, lay people, and physical resources. Moving forward with sufficient and well-organized facilities will enable us to continue to serve our members, school families and community.

The goals of this project are to create an expanded learning environment to meet increasing demand and to create dedicated space for church ministries and fellowship.

St. Paul is committed to keeping class size reasonable for both student and staff benefit. The strong sense of intimacy is important to maintain along with keeping high standards for learning. As we grow/maintain enrollment, we need to hold true to our vision of being Focused on Excellence…Centered on Christ.

The ability to dedicate space back to church ministries will allow Bible studies, group meetings, and fellowship to thrive. St. Paul enrollment has grown significantly given the high demand for christian education. In order to accommodate additional students and classes, many spaces on our campus are doubling as classrooms (eg. the youth room, library, undercroft). Further, the conceptual plans would consolidate all pre-K classes to the new building, freeing up the current pre-K rooms off the Family Life Center for other ministry purposes.

In 2019, the St. Paul Church Council approved the creation of a Building Committee and gave permission to start looking at our need for additional space due to an increase in student enrollment, as well as increasing ministry opportunities in the church. The Committee includes the principal (Michael Yurk), assistant principal (Dauna Werner), chairperson of the Board of Parish Properties (James Lindsay), Director of Finance (Jason Hasenstein) and three congregational members (Dave Scherzer, Wayne Wiertzema, David Schmidt – all present or former Board/Council members). This Committee began meeting in late 2019. Throughout the past four years, this Committee has met with Groth Design Group and Catalyst Construction to create conceptual drawings and to estimate price points for an expansion project that would meet the needs of the congregation and school, while also examining what improvements would be required for the south wing if no build took place.

In April of 2023, the Voters Assembly approved moving ahead with a capital campaign to fund the ministry expansion project. The campaign theme is Every Generation Faithful Together. This vision statement grows from our mission of “Equipping Every Generation to Live Rooted in Jesus.” It calls us to be faithful stewards of our campus, enabling St. Paul to continue serving future generations. The campaign inspiration Bible verse is “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

In 2011, St. Paul did a capital campaign to refurbish the gymasium and renovate the sanctuary (Extending the Kingdom).

In April 2023, the Voters Assembly approved hiring a consultant to provide the expertise and guidance of an experienced fund-raising consultant to assist St. Paul in conducting a successful capital campaign. We have used consultants in our previous campaigns as well.

The construction timetable will depend in part upon the generosity of donors and how quickly the funds are raised. The architectural and construction timeframe is estimated at 18-24 months. Construction work would ideally commence following the conclusion of the school year in June 2024 to minimize the impact on school operations.

Yes, the building committee explored a building renovation option. If no expansion takes place, the south wing has necessary improvements including updated heating and air conditioning, roof replacement, new windows in classrooms, and refurbishing of bathrooms to make them ADA compliant. The cost estimate for these renovations was $2.1M.

Building plans and costs have not been finalized. We have conceptual drawings with price estimates of what an expansion project might cost. Final plans would be created after the congregation determines the level of financial commitment that can be raised through a capital campaign and the extent of longterm financing that may be necessary. Our working estimated project cost is $9M including design, construction, furnishings, technology and security.

The primary source of funding for this project will come from within  the St. Paul community. Our hope is to raise the necessary funds in gifts and pledges, but we may need to ask the Voters Assembly to approve a level of debt financing.

To this point, St. Paul has not contracted or compensated an architect or construction contractor for this potential expansion. The Building Committee worked with Groth Design Group architects and Catalyst Construction to develop conceptual designs and estimated project costs that were shared in informational meetings and at the Voters Assembly prior to voting to proceed with this capital campaign.

With the new facility we will be able to accommodate 2 classes for every grade level. Current enrollment is 391, can grow to 450.

Yes.

Location of expansion facility on the site offers the future opportunity to add additional building, if needed. Steel framing and sprinkler system facilitate a more straightforward add in the future.

We cannot predict if or when that could change, however through our associations, it seems likely that choice will continue in Wisconsin. The Courts have been favorable on Choice. Milwaukee was the original and longest standing Choice program in the country. For St. Paul, we currently have 61 students through the Choice program. It contributes $500-600K annually to our budget.

We already have staff for 2 classroom grades with the exception of 2 middle school grades, so only 2 more teachers would be needed as enrollment grows.

We are fortunate to have CUW nearby. It allows us to have students teachers/assess potential candidates and to attract those that may want to stay in this area.

We expect to be able to fully use our current facility while the new building is being constructed. To keep disruption to a minimum, only when the new wing is completed will the current South Wing be razed. As work progresses, we will keep members and school families informed if there are any temporary adjustments to our operations.

We will work closely with the design and build teams to define our parking and traffic flow through the project and beyond to be as efficient and safe as possible. Resurfacing of the upper parking lot will help eliminate a significant impact on parking and traffic.

We will work closely with the design and build teams to define our safety and security needs and protocols through the project and beyond to be as safe and mindful as possible.

St. Paul is already operating two classrooms at almost all grade levels, CARE (resource room) and extended care in creatively “borrowed” space throughout the building. As we proceed, we will need to further evaluate if there may be additional staffing needs.

Need to complete Voters Meeting and vote. If affirmative, we will move swiftly to prepare and offer the promissory note option.  Would like to secure amounts by September so that we know amount we need to request in outside debt financing.

St. Paul asks that you consider making a gift, recognizing that our current Church and School has benefited from the generous gifts made by generations past. Your gift or pledge should be based on your ability to give and your belief in the mission of St. Paul Lutheran Church and School Equipping Every Generation to Live Rooted in Jesus. Campaign leaders are happy to answer your questions and personally discuss the size and structure of your gift or pledge. Please reach our campaign leaders at susan.buettner@splgrafton.org or contact the St. Paul Finance Office. Gifts and pledges to the campaign should be over and above your ongoing contributions supporting the Church and School operations.

Yes! Your contributions to the campaign are tax deductible. St. Paul Lutheran Church and School is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization. Please speak with your financial advisor or tax professional about any specific questions you may have regarding tax deductibility.

The architectural and construction costs for the new two-story building would be primarily incurred during the initial two-year period of the campaign. To minimize the financial impact of any bridge financing that may be necessary for St. Paul, we would ask you to consider selecting as short of a period of time for your pledge commitment as your financial means and budget allow. You have any option to designate the length of your pledge commitment. The following are the options on the pledge card for the length of your pledge: one-time, one year, two years, three years, and five years.

The following options will be available to select as the frequency of your pledge contributions: weekly, every two weeks, twice a month (1st and 15th), monthly, quarterly, and annual.

We anticipate the pledge period will begin in the Fall 2023, with pledge contributions beginning December 2023 or early 2024. At the commencement of the campaign, we will ask you to energize the campaign by contributing an initial 10% of your total pledge.

In addition to cash and personal check, St. Paul has a number of electronic options available to contribute to the campaign with ease and efficiency.

• St. Paul website – a one-time or recurring donation can be established and an account can be created for you to personally manage. Donations are made via a checking or savings account, credit or debit card. If you already have a Vanco account established, you can easily set up additional contributions for Every Generation Faithful Together through the website.
• Text-to-Give – Simply text the dollar amount you wish to contribute, followed by the letters EGFT, to 855.927.0750. For example, text “25 EGFT” to contribute $25. You will be sent a registration link. After registering, you will receive a text verification and an emailed receipt. For future giving, text the amount you wish to give, and text “repeat” to make it a recurring donation.
• Mobile App – please search Vanco Mobile Faith Engagement on your mobile device in the App Store to download the app for free. Additionally, you may elect to cover the processing fees (1.00% for checking or savings accounts, 2.75% for credit or debit cards), so that 100% percent of your contribution is directed to St. Paul.
• Automatic withdrawal from a checking or savings account – please contact the St. Paul Finance Office at to complete an authorization form to set up an automatic withdrawal from a checking or savings account.

The St. Paul Finance Office is available to assist you in setting up any of the electronic options above. They can be reached at 262-377-4659.

Yes. Many corporations and foundations offer matching gift programs. Such programs allow donors to double or even triple the amount of your contribution. If you are aware of a matching gift program available to you, please consider naming St. Paul Lutheran Church and School as a beneficiary. Matching gift forms are often available from personnel or human resource offices at corporations and foundations.

Every Generation Faithful Together will not be offering promissory notes with members. The ministry expansion campaign will initially focus on financing through gifts and pledges. At a later time, and only if necessary to achieve the remaining financial goal of the campaign, campaign leadership may request approval from the Voters Assembly to enter into promissory notes with anyone that may be interested.