St. John - Kramer, NE

The secondary preliminary plan from ADA was discussed. The committee has opted to request the "Preliminary Budget Estimate" for this secondary, Southwest Plan in order to compare each plan equally. Once obtained, a further meeting will be scheduled to "stage" build both presumptive project plans by way of cost for each stage, whereby also eliminating elements contributing to budgeting difficulty. It is the hope of the Committee to have final breakdowns of preliminary costs for each plan by the April Voters meeting.

The Building Committee organized a special meeting with the Architect(s) in the form of a round-table or breakout session with church Boards and Committees/Group representatives who function within the facility on a regular basis. This informational meeting provided additional data to the architect, and to the committee, in helping to meet the current and foreseen needs of our Worship, Educational and Fellowship facility.

The Building Committee gathered for this meeting post-voters meeting. The committee members discussed the resulting direction by the membership in which to provide two (2) plans of equal preparation and return them for discussion and/or possible approval of one, the other or neither by the membership.

In attendance at the meeting was Tim McDermott, James Walker, Dolyn Meinke, Pastor Toensing, Les Korte, Adam Hughes and Terry Dittmer.

Additional conversation resulted in making an attempt to better gauge the needs of Boards or Groups within the congregation by providing them with a questionnaire developed by the architect. Using this may better address the needs to be built into each preliminary plan. It is also hoped that utilizing the information gathered from the questionnaire would also provide a starting point when holding a future breakout session, or a discussion night, in which those groups can better express those needs to the architect and the committee for additional development.

The committee will also begin the adjustment process of the first preliminary plan in bringing it to a point worthy of consideration by the voting members. The committee will await the second preliminary plan.

The Building Committee met in its continued discussion on the proposed Addition plan provided by the Architect. Present at the meeting were Tim McDermott, Adam Hughes, Terry Dittmer, Dolyn Meinke, James Walker, Les Korte and Pastor Toensing.

Much conversation was held in regards to differences of thought concerning the location of the Addition. In the end, a motion was made by Terry Dittmer to have the Committee prepare review posters for congregational consideration using the preliminary plan documents provided to us, in preparation for Voter approval in continuing committee work on adjustments to the preliminary plan for final consideration at a later Voters or Special Voters meeting. The motion was seconded by Les Korte. The motion was approved.

It was further suggested that larger diagrams be placed in the Narthex and in the Fellowship Hall allowing an opportunity to consider the preliminary plan prior to the Voters meeting.

The Building Committee met on Thursday, August 30th to discuss a Preliminary Plan provided by our architect for a proposed Addition and renovation of our church facility. The meeting was attended by committee members, Tim McDermott, Adam Hughes, Terry Dittmer & Dolyn Meinke. Attending in support was Pastor Toensing, Troy Henning, Les Korte & Dave Eggert.

The Committee discussed initial pros & cons to the provided, initial preliminary design but concluded the meeting with the intent of reaching back out to the Architect for additional clarification on the build direction of the Addition prior to moving ahead in making adjustments or changes to their suggested plan.

The committee met on Thursday evening, July 26th in preparation of the upcoming Voters Meeting to be held on August 5th. The meeting was attended by committee members, Tim McDermott, Adam Hughes, Terry Dittmer, Dolyn Meinke & James Walker. General discussion was held upon the proposal presented by Architectural Design Associates (ADA). Once a final bit of Information is obtained on this proposal, it will be presented to both the Church Council on Monday, July 30th and the membership during the August 5th Voters meeting. The Committee will ask for approval of funds for preliminary design construction.

The committee is working to begin initial conversations with potential architects in hopes that expected processes, needs based description and anticipated costs derived in which to  present to the Voters workable information to continue the process along. Currently, the committee has set aside Wednesday, June 13 and Wednesday June 20 as evenings designed to discuss the project with a couple chosen architectural firms.

This meeting attended by Tim McDermott, Adam & LaShalle Hughes, Terry Dittmer, Dolyn Meinke & Abbie Reitz, Pastor Toensing and James Walker.

Discussions were held on the outcome of the site survey, elevation measurements, current building floor plan (gauging its relationship to anticipated additional space required) and the results from the parking survey. The committee found understanding in the fact that regardless of the Addition, it would require a 'special permit', as any additional structure attached to the current building would generally exceed the setback requirements of Lancaster County code requirements. In order to obtain a comment, pro or con, on any devised architectural plan, Lancaster County Planning & Zoning will need to be provided a general 'plan'.

This began the necessity in reaching out with an invitation to area architects to begin the process of inquiring about their general scope of work, cost estimates and potential monetary outlay for a conceptual plan. The committee hopes to meet with a few architects prior to the July/August Voters Meeting so that the membership can approve initial funding to have an architect construct a conceptual plan, with general detail as to design, cost and architectural fees when then creating the plan in its entirety, in the next phase. The committee would prefer to have several informal conversations with those professionals to ask, and be asked, questions pertaining to the desired outcome - as earlier provided by the membership.

The next meeting will be scheduled around the availability of architects to meet and visit with the committee.

The committee planned a date and time in which Nate Meier of the LCEF would present demographic data and his financial impact conversation with our membership. This presentation was held on Thursday, April 26, 2018.

This meeting provided an opportunity to meet the Nebraska District Architectural Advisor, Craig Wohlgemuth. A call for this meeting enabled the Building Committee to share concepts and congregational input, ask questions and be guided toward a focused direction when developing an Addition onto our church facility.

The attendee's at this meeting included Tim McDermott, Dolyn Meinke, Terry Dittmer, Adam Hughes, Pastor Toensing, James & Deb Walker, Troy Henning and special guest Craig Wohlgemuth.

Much time was spent bringing our guest up to speed on planning developments thus far. Shared was data mined from our congregational survey, planning a demographic study by LCEF representative Nate Meier and our initial thoughts/concepts by the committee on possible directions for an Addition.

The committee has planned for Thursday, April 26th at 7:00 p.m. as a date in which Nate Meier of the LCEF would present demographic data and his financial impact conversation with our membership. This would provide some groundwork for a conversation with the Voters of St. John on the need to finance an elevation survey of the property in relevance to the areas to be studied for the Addition. Craig Wohlgemuth would also have provided a proposal for a 'master plan', feasibility study by this time also. The Voter's, is hoped, would have enough information in which to supply the Committee funds to begin these next steps.

Following the committee's presentation to the membership at this meeting, the committee has been given direction to move forward in a planning stage for an Addition/Renovation project. This meeting was devoted to better understanding each Committee member's view (pros & cons) on the two 'conceptual' ideas earlier devised for a potential ground level Fellowship Hall, which in turn would have profound impact on other developments; educational space, storage space, kitchen, bathrooms, parking, expanded Sanctuary, etc.

The attendee's at this meeting included Tim McDermott, Dolyn Meinke, Terry Dittmer, Adam Hughes and Pastor Toensing.

It was determined that we proceed with the Demographic Survey information and present our local data to the Lutheran Church Extension Fund representative Nate Meier. The committee would then be ready to invite the congregation to a presentation meeting to share this information with the congregation by way of LCEF representative Nate Meier.

It was then proposed to congregate our pros and cons relative to each plan concept and share this information with invited architects for a process in which we could gain further information on the best mode of focus for the Addition.

The St. John Building Committee met on Monday, December 18th to focus our attention on the upcoming Voters meeting to be held in late January. A further review of survey responses helped to summarize a 'master plan' in which to present in shorthand to the membership during this next Voter's meeting. It is hoped much can be used by our membership to direct the Committee further in a unified, purposeful direction.

The Committee met again on Monday, November 13, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. The focus of this meeting was to absorb and discuss the return of forty-two (42) response surveys recently mailed to all members of St. John; 312 to be exact. It was noted that surveys were still arriving into the drop-box located in the narthex and the Committee will endeavor to include each and every response in its analysis moving forward.

In attendance at this meeting were Tim McDermott, Dolyn Meinke, Terry Dittmer, Adam Hughes and Pastor Toensing.

In short, the presentation provided by Tim McDermott via an enlarged printed spreadsheet, provided textual response sheets and video display of the analysis surmising an obvious focal point and direction led the committee to discuss the primary needs and desires of those who took the time to share their thoughts in the survey. It was found that the three (3) functions or aspects of our church building to be the most important to them were, 1) the worship environment and the value placed on the worship service and setting, 2) Christian Education; classroom/youth space, Bible Study, improved space for Sunday School, among others, and 3) Fellowship & an improved, updated, ground level Fellowship Hall. Other such connected items included updated, larger kitchen area and attention paid to parking.

It is with the Fellowship Hall that the committee zeroed in to focus the remainder of the evening. In general terms, two ideas surfaced in which could garner enough support to present as options to the voting membership to consider at the January meeting. The benefit on focusing on the ground-level fellowship hall would also indirectly open successful avenues to address other elements of need shared in the survey, such as education areas, storage, restrooms, kitchen, etc.

The Committee met again on Monday evening, October 2 to prepare mailings for the congregational letter, survey, and to enclose, stamp, address and mail them to each member of the congregation, age 12 and up. This is to ensure proper and reportable feedback the any direction toward reaching the development of a master plan for St. John's church building and grounds. In attendance was Tim McDermott, Dolyn Meinke, Terry Dittmer, Adam Hughes and Pastor Toensing.

The Committee met again on Monday evening, September 11 to finalize the content of a proposed survey needed to gauge congregational input on the development of a master plan for St. John's church building and grounds. In attendance was Tim McDermott, Dolyn Meinke, Terry Dittmer, Dean Prochnow, Adam Hughes and Pastor Toensing.

After opening with a prayer, the meeting quickly progressed into reviewing an earlier provided draft of various survey questions, as well as an accompanying letter to the congregation describing the purpose at hand. Minor adjustments were made in the organization of the survey that would allow for the best separation of results derived from individuals as opposed to family oriented questions. Further discussion involved those who were to be asked to take the survey, the starting age of survey takers, time restraints on the return of the survey's and the process of delivering them to members. It was decided that all congregation members - 12  years old and onward, would be mailed the survey. The survey would ask to be returned by the end of October; emailed, mailed or otherwise dropped off at the church. The survey would be anonymous.

The next meeting date will be declared upon need of the committee.

The second meeting of the Building Committee was called to order at 6:40 p.m. on Monday, August 14, 2017. Present at the meeting: Tim McDermott, Dolyn Meinke, Terry Dittmer, Dean Prochnow, Adam Hughes and Pastor Toensing. Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) representative Nate Meier was also present upon invitation by the committee.

The meeting began with brief introductions while Mr. Meier was given a short tour of the church facility. The committee provided Nate with an update as to why he was asked to attend, the topics discussed thus far and the extent to which sample ideas were expressed by the committee. Nate shared provided materials in the form of a "Architectural Handbook" by LCEF. Briefly covered this evening from the material were Architectural Advisors, Sub-committees, Survey Information, Master Planning, "Vision Path", Demographics Presentation, Financing and Loan Consultation, among others.

Mirroring Nate's comments, the committee then discussed the importance of performing a membership survey. A draft survey document will be created and shared via email to the committee for editing and emailed changes. Anticipating the accomplishment of this task, the committee set a next meeting date of Monday, September 11th at 6:30 p.m.

The first meeting of the Building Committee was called to order at 6:35 p.m. on Monday, August 14, 2017. Present at the meeting: Tim McDermott, Dolyn Meinke, Terry Dittmer, Dean Prochnow and Pastor Toensing. An open discussion on the merits earned by researching current needs and future expectations of St. John and its member congregation. Shared topics were varied with focused specifics provided by two members. The conversation soon settled on the concept to field a wider scope of need and interest by developing a 'master plan' to encompass both current and any future growth.

The committee unanimously opted to build a membership survey, distribute and collect data in which to build the 'master plan' upon. It was also discussed that alerting the District LCMS office of our intent to beginning considering any such project and invite a representative to our next meeting.

The committee adjourned at 8:10 p.m. with The Lord's Prayer and set another meeting date for August 24th.

The current building committee was formed upon the July 24, 2017 Voters Meeting. Those members volunteering to become a part of the committee at this meeting were Tim McDermott, Dean Prochnow and Terry Dittmer.