PURPOSE
The purpose of this committee is to lead Trinity Lutheran through a planning, design, and building process which achieves integrated and unified facilities at the Hamilton Road campus that will support its current and long term ministry needs.
“We are guided by five principles: action, ministry, stewardship, unity, and community. ”
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
OCTOBER 2024
The Building Committee is excited to share the design plans from our initial sessions with the architects. This first phase includes a sanctuary which seats up to 600, a gathering space which is about 3 times the size of the current Narthex, a fellowship room which seats 70, and church offices. Over the next few months, we will continue the development of the plans and budgets in close coordination with the Count Me In! prayer and financial outreach efforts. We will continue to share the updated designs for feedback as we work towards finalizing the plans and next steps in late April 2025.
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:31-33
OCTOBER 14, 2024 voter meeting
After communicating a high level update that included:
A building footprint and rough room layout,
Ministry placement plan, Storage needs, and
Outreach efforts,
with those attending the October 14th special voters meeting, a vote was passed to proceed with the design development phase with the architect and contractor including allocation of up to $150,000 from the building funds.
This request is for the second of the two design phases. The requested fees are usual and customary for this type of construction. These fees and all other architectural fees (estimated total of $600,000) are included in the target construction budget.
SEPTEMBER 2024
Dear Trinity Family,
Exciting times are ahead! What follows is an update of the Building Committee work over the last month or so. We continue to work with the PJ Hoerr and BLDD team to complete our vision for new facilities that will breathe life into our church and school ministries. We're committed to a prudent financial approach, building in phases, and utilizing available funds to minimize borrowing.
As we refine the schematic design, we have been focusing on the design and capacity of the new sanctuary, the science of adding more parking, and the dynamic use of new church and school spaces by our staff and ministries.
Finding the Perfect Fit: We're on a quest for the ideal sanctuary size – one that comfortably hosts our current congregation while allowing room for growth. It will also serve as a fitting venue for school chapel services and events.
Solving the Parking Puzzle: More parking is not just a convenience; it's a necessity for our school families. We're navigating Bloomington's building regulations to add cost-effective parking that makes a real difference during school events and accommodates all worshippers.
Blueprints for Ministry: We're collaborating with ministry leaders and Mr. Hoffman to draft a proposal that outlines how our new and existing spaces will host church and school events over a six-month sample period.
Mark Your Calendars: By late September 2024, we'll unveil a high-level schematic design alongside a targeted budget for our congregation's review. The project timeline can be found below.
Your involvement has been invaluable, and we're deeply grateful. Please continue to support us through prayer, seeking an organized journey and a united outcome for our beloved Trinity family.
In His Service,
The Building Committee
JULY 2024
We are excited to share with you the latest news about our building program. As you know, Trinity’s Building Committee has been working hard to plan and prepare for a new sanctuary, additional parking, and gathering spaces that will serve both our church and school ministries. We are guided by five principles: action, ministry, stewardship, unity, and community.
Here are some of the highlights of our progress so far:
We have started the schematic design phase, which will provide high level plans and a target budget by late September 2024. We are working with the same architect and contractor that we hired in 2019, and we are using the previous work as much as possible.
We have visited some other newer construction churches to get ideas and inspiration for our own design. We are looking for ways to create a welcoming, functional, and beautiful space that reflects our values, vision, and traditions.
We are launching a Count Me In! outreach effort in September 2024 , which will invite everyone, including both church and school families, to support the building program through prayer and financial contributions. Our goal with “Count Me In!”is to complete the first phase of construction with little to no debt. Stay tuned for additional information about how you can get involved.
We are grateful for your prayers, participation, and generosity as we embark on this journey together. We believe that God is leading us to create a new home for our congregation that will bless us and our community for generations to come.
We will keep you updated as we move forward with the next steps.
In His Service,
The Building Committee
Members: Kirk Fuemmeler, Laura Kosinski, Heather Moore, Scott Weaver
Advisory: Pastor David McBurney, Scott Lage, Scott Hoeft, Shawn Hoffman, Joe Elble Jr.
JULY 2024 VOTERS MEETING SLIDES
(click to enlarge)
MAY 2024
As you know, we have been praying and working hard to build consensus and unity around our next steps. Your feedback was invaluable. Here are the things we all generally agree on, our Guiding Principles:
Live within our means.
The Worship facility must be acceptable.
Take actionable and visible steps now.
Our actionable and visible steps should also benefit the school.
Know that the existing church and site will be of benefit to the community somehow.
Knowing we do not have all the funds available to complete the plans, the committee has been praying for God to provide a path forward. Your feedback, summarized in the guiding principles outlined above, has provided that path. We will soon be re-engaging with the architect and contractor on a budget and the design of a phased approach starting with a sanctuary along with parking. God willing, it appears this step is within reach financially!
We will finalize the high-level architectural plan and budget over the next couple of months for this first phase. We will share more details and seek the congregation’s approval on the phases, design, and budget by the end of the summer. I believe that God has great things in store for us as we build His house and His kingdom. I also believe that He will use this project to strengthen our faith, unity, and witness in the community.
Please continue to pray for the building program and to support it in any way you can. Please pray for our church leadership, our contractors and architects, and for our congregation that we may grow in grace and love as we serve God and one another.
In His Service,
Kirk Fuemmeler
Building Committee Chair
February 2024
In 2017, the congregation voted to consolidate our church and school facilities at the Hamilton Road site. This decision was made to best support Trinity's ministry needs, and it aligns with Trinity's rich history of uniting and often reuniting the church and school ministries together in the same location.
The building committee has developed 3 possible approaches which we would like to share with you. These are not recommendations, but rather a way to inform and help gather feedback. Included is a comprehensive overview of each approach, along with the guiding principles that have shaped them. Committee members will be available to answer questions and engage in discussions over the next two weeks on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Please stop by the narthex on the main level or basement level on one of these dates after worship, to share your thoughts and feedback. (Sunday, February 25 or March 3 and Wednesday, February 28 or March 6). If there is a need, we will gladly add additional sessions.
The committee will use these sessions to determine our future actions. In April, we plan to share the insights and feedback we have gathered along with our thoughts on the congregation's next steps. Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support of Trinity's building efforts.
In His Service,
Kirk Fuemmeler
Building Committee Chair
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
November 2023
In June of 2022, the committee paused its efforts due to quickly escalating construction costs. Those costs have now stabilized somewhat and as announced at the September congregational meeting the Building Committee is no longer "on pause." Since then, we have been working with the contractor and architects on options which would allow the congregation to proceed in smaller steps over the next 3-5 years to achieve its goal of unifying and expanding our ministries and worship at Hamilton Road.
The committee plans to be available on Sunday mornings in February and March to share, listen, and gather your feedback. We will share more information on the dates and times for these sessions soon.
We ask for your continued prayers for the building committee, our church leaders, and our congregation as we all work together to further our mission of "Sharing the Forgiveness and Love of the Resurrected Christ and Making Disciples." and pray for clarity and wisdom for the Building Committee.
AUGUST 2022
The Building Committee has begun a brief pause of our construction planning for six months. Construction costs, both raw materials and labor, have seen a steep rise over the past couple of years. Costs are rising faster than our fundraising and pledges, which is keeping the project out of reach. A six month pause allows us to monitor the broader economic conditions for possible opportunities, and to continue to raise funds towards construction. This is only a temporary pause and not a change in direction or plans, and is similar to “pauses” we have taken in the past. While we are pausing temporarily to see if the costs will normalize, we need your continued prayers and contributions towards the efforts. The building committee thanks you for your time and financial support thus far. Please reach out to committee chair, Kirk Fuemmeler, should you have any questions.
Members of the committee
Kirk Fuemmeler - Chair
Laura Kosinski
Heather Moore
Scott Weaver
Advisory Members
Pastor David McBurney - Interim Senior Pastor
Joe Elble Jr. - Lay Director of Properties
Scott Hoeft - Director of Finance
Shawn Hoffmann - School Principal
Scott Lage, Congregation President