Expansion Ministry

The First Evangelical Lutheran Church Expansion will greatly improve the congregation’s ability to serve all its members and the West Anne Arundel County community. The church is already growing by leaps and bounds. And with the influx of people to Ft. Meade as a result of the base realignment and closures (BRAC), First Lutheran must be prepared to share fellowship and God’s word to ever more of His people.

Check our weekly progress at http://felcexpansion.shutterfly.com/.

FELC Expansion Committee Weekly Update:

Expansion Update: As our expansion continues, here are a few things to look for during the next few weeks:

--Our current sanctuary windows are scheduled for removal on 7 July and our new sanctuary windows are scheduled for installation beginning on 8 July.

--The carillon has been installed and tested. We’ve already received numerous, very positive comments on its sounds…….and that’s just from the testing! We will not be using our new carillon until the narthex expansion is complete and we’re ready to worship again in our renovated sanctuary. Your Planning Council will receive inputs from the Worship Committee regarding when the carillon is to be used and how. For example, when do we “chime” the hours (at half past and on the hour, or?) and will we play a verse of a hymn at noon and 6 p.m.? More to come on this. We will also be sending letters to our church neighbors explaining that we’ve installed a carillon system and our intended uses, and invite their feedback.

--Our new elevator will be delivered from the manufacturer the week of 7 July and will be stored on-site in a separate construction container until it’s to be installed.

--We had previously thought that Odenton Road would be torn up for installation of new water lines, vault, and fire hydrant. The Fire Marshal wants the hydrant line to come off of Piney Orchard Parkway (northbound lane to be disrupted during installation) and the hydrant placed on the boulevard somewhere near the entrance to our parking lot, which changes things. Final location will be determined later.

--Work on the first floor (the basement) is essentially complete and sprinkler systems are installed for both the first and second floors (second floor being the sanctuary level).

--Work is ready to begin on painting the sanctuary ceiling and walls

--Brick masons are now laying our outer brick facades over the construction blocks (cinder blocks). Please take a look!

More updates will follow in a few weeks and more color selections need to be made. We’ll continue to give as much lead time as possible regarding color selections. In Christ…

By Mike Petersen

Among the most significant improvements the project will provide are:

Better handicapped access
An enlarged narthex
A new nursery
Crying room
Additional meeting rooms for church and community use
Joining the church and fellowship hall
Improved lighting
Refinished pews and sanctuary floor
New sanctuary carpeting
Central heat and air conditioning
Increased storage area, especially for the CAP pantry

First Lutheran’s expansion will enable us to better serve the needs of our growing congregation and the community. We have been truly blessed with the growing number of people that have generously supported and shared the vision

Building in Faith …Begins with you

Your first Step: Pray

Sacrificial giving usually requires us to move outside our comfort zone and stretches our faith as we give beyond our normal gifts. Please make the amount of your gift a matter of daily prayer, seeking to find what God wants you to give.

Your Second Step: Discuss

Couples and families should take time to discuss this matter and seek God’s guidance together.

Your Third Step: Commit

It is vital that everyone in our church faithfully seeks God’s guidance about what they should do and then express that faith in a financial and prayer commitment. This vision will only become reality through the sacrificial commitments we make.

Your Gift Makes a Difference

Please take a moment to look at the table below and you’ll see what a difference you can make!

Weekly	Monthly	Annually	3-Year Total
$ 5.00	$ 21.67	$ 260.00	$ 780.00
$ 8.00	$ 34.67	$ 416.00	$ 1,248.00
$ 10.00	$ 43.33	$ 520.00	$ 1,560.00
$ 15.00	$ 65.00	$ 780.00	$ 2,340.00
$ 20.00	$ 86.67	$ 1,040.00	$ 3,120.00
$ 25.00	$ 108.33	$ 1,300.00	$ 3,900.00
$ 30.00	$ 130.00	$ 1,560.00	$ 4,680.00
$ 40.00	$ 173.33	$ 2,080.00	$ 6,240.00
$ 50.00	$ 216.67	$ 2,600.00	$ 7,800.00
$ 60.00	$ 260.00	$ 3,120.00	$ 9,360.00
$ 75.00	$ 325.00	$ 3,900.00	$ 11,700.00
$ 100.00	$ 433.33	$ 5,200.00	$ 15,600.00
$ 300.00	$ 1,300.00	$ 15,600.00	$ 46,800.00