On behalf of our Faith Board of Directors and the Stewardship Board we want to thank
the congregation for their attendance at our special meeting to vote on the funding options
for our new sound system.  The strongly supportive vote indicates that many were ready to improve the quality of
our sound system at Faith Lutheran Church.  Thanks to your approval the system can now be ordered and we can work with our chosen lender and funds will be available as needed during the project. We anticipate that the project will be initiated yet this spring.

WE NOW HAVE up to a $50,000 mortgage obligation that will add $550 per month to our expenses over the
next 10 years if we do not pre-pay on the loan. We have collected our first gifts and funds dedicated to paying for the
sound system. Below I am listing the Stewardship Board’s recommendations and thoughts as to establishing an account
for these special gifts. We have set up for now (may change in the future) an account within the church’s general fund, an account
exactly like the one used for the carpet fund. Any pledges, envelopes, gifts, bequests and or memorial gifts that are stated
for the sound system fund will be placed in that account.

Our stewardship board recommends the following method of dispersing funds from this account: We suggest that we keep a rolling one year’s total of monthly payments in this account so that we can pay the monthly mortgage payments from this account and not use funds from the general fund to pay the mortgage. Periodically throughout the year as funds accumulate beyond the 12 months of payments, we would prepay down on the principal of the loan as funds become available to do so. This way gifts and donations to the sound system fund will maintain our cash flow here at Faith Lutheran, but we will not bank funds for long periods of time and gifts will be used as quickly as possible to lower our loan obligations and reduce our interest costs.

We are also asking you, the members of Faith, to assist your church council and Stewardship Board with ideas as to establishing options and opportunities to pay down on our mortgage. If we were to have a named fund what would we want to name the fund? Here are some starter thoughts: “Sound Off”, “Speak Up, “Lift Our Voices”, “Money Talks” and many, many more. We could also use posters, squares, charts, etc. similar to how we did with the Carpet Fund. Our Stewardship Board also talked about FLC sponsoring an open to the public concert(s) as ways to generate gifts, and do some local community evangelism as well. The stewardship board is also asking that each of us TITHE 10% OR MORE OF OUR “STIMULUS CHECKS” that many will receive later this Spring.

We sincerely thank you the members of Faith Lutheran for your support for this sanctuary improvement. Yes we have created an obligation and a challenge; but also an opportunity. At the recent Men’s Retreat at Imago Dei, our pastoral leader for that retreat, Reverend Bruce Hanstedt made the following statement: “We all have gifts, be they woodworking, teaching, speaking, prayer, music and yes giving.” Many have multiple gifts and we thank each and every one of you for your gifts. We here at Faith Lutheran Church have created an opportunity for those with the gift of
GIVING. The Stewardship Board trusts that you will use this opportunity to celebrate the gift of giving and also contact members of your church council and Stewardship Board with your thoughts and ideas on naming funds and promoting prepayment ventures.

With God as our Guide
Bryce Larson on behalf of our Stewardship Board