Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church
2605 S. Signal Butte Road
Mesa, AZ 85209
2014 ANNUAL REPORTS
12TH ANNUAL MEETING
February 8, 2015
Our Mission:
“To Make Christ Known”
12th ANNUAL MEETING
12th Annual Meeting
Sunday February 8, 2015
12th ANNUAL MEETING
Sunday February 8, 2015
10:00 AM
AGENDA
1. Welcome & Call to Order – Vice President Phil Troiano
Opening Prayer – Pastor Glen Stadler
2. Approval of 2014 Annual Minutes – Vice President Phil Troiano
3. Nominating Committee Report – Chair John Spinas
a. Introduction of Council Candidates:
Brett Edwards, Barb Kearns, Scott Gibson, Tyler Hakes, Kit
McCormick, Wayne Schmidt and Wendy Sontag
b. Election of Council Members - Vice President Phil Troiano
c. Appointment of Ministry Team Chairs - Vice President Phil Troiano:
Youth & Children Education Ministry – Kristen Jones
Adult Education Ministry – Mary Myer
Evangelism Ministry – Marcy Hamstad
Facilities Ministry - Duane Gilson (currently serving)
Fellowship Ministry - Sandy Odmark (currently serving)
Outreach Ministry - Tina Gilson (currently serving)
Stewardship Ministry - Lee Leidel (currently serving)
Worship Ministry - Sandy Carpenter (currently serving)
d. Appointment of Synod Assembly Voting Members - Vice President Phil
Troiano:
Ron and Judy Muraida, Joe Tedrow
e. Election Results
4. Proposed Constitution and Bylaws Changes – Terry Williams
5. 2014/15 Financial Review – Treasurer Janet Davison
6. 2015/16 Budget Presentation – Treasurer Janet Davison
7. Recognition of Staff, Retiring Church Council Members and Ministry Team
Chairs – Vice President Phil Troiano
8. Adjournment - Vice President Phil Troiano
9. Lord’s Prayer - Pastor Glen Stadler
11th Spirit of Hope Annual Meeting Minutes
Sunday, February 09, 2014
1. Meeting called to order by President of the Congregation, Wendy Sontag at 10:20 AM.
Opening Prayer by Pastor Glen Stadler
2. Approval of 2013 Annual Meeting Minutes:
Motion to approve minutes by Mike Johnson second by Scott Gibson. Motion
carried.
3. Nominating committee report by Duane Gilson
a. The team was introduced:
i. Chairman, Frank Bell
ii. Members, Stefani Eisele, Duane Gilson, Steve Osterman
b. The nominees for council were presented:
i. Jim Gowan
ii. Steve Osterman
iii. Frank Bell
iv. Jerry Hansen
c. The nominees for the ministry chairs were presented:
i. Education – Faith Meyers
ii. Evangelism – Karen Ogren
iii. Stewardship – Debby Zimmerman
iv. Outreach – Tina Gilson
v. Worship – Sandy Carpenter
vi. Facilities – Duane Gilson
vii. Fellowship – Sandy Odmark
d. The nominees for the audit team were presented:
i. Lee Leidal
ii. Dave Chapman
iii. Dorothy Hansen (stepped forward during the meeting as the third member)
Terry Williams moved that nominations for council be closed. John Bergstrom
seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Votes for council representatives were collected by the ushers. Results for council
members as follows:
Jerry Hansen, Jim Gowan, Steve Osterman
There were no nominations from the floor for committee chairs.
Dianna Duck motioned to accept the names for committee chairs. Terry Williams
seconded. Motion carried
Nominees for the synod assembly in June stepped forward. John and Reburta
Spinas, Zach Bell, Sarah Bettencourt, Bill Schroeder.
Pastor Glen described the responsibilities of the congregational voting members.
They will make decisions and vote as members of Spirit of Hope.
The congregation voted on members for synod assembly. Votes were collected by
the ushers.
Bill, John and Reburta were elected to represent Spirit of Hope at the Synod
Assembly in June.
4. Motion by Terry Williams to move $10000 from the general fund to designated fund –
capital repair reserve for needed repair to the property. – Explanation by Terry Williams The capital repair reserve limits the expenditures to those items for just these repairs,
rather than the general fund, which can be used for many different things
The motion was seconded by Gayle Troiano
Question by Zach Bell what the $5700 will be used for. Scott Gibson explained
the parking lot is in need of sealing.
The motion carried.
5. Financial Review – 2013 by Treasurer, Janet Davison
6. 2014 Budget Presentation by Treasurer, Janet Davison
Notes:
The $10000 will go to the designated account which will then show $19000, Scott
Gibson clarified.
Budget for 2014/2015 begins March 1.
Changes to the budget for this year include
 Proposed increase in Pastor Glen salary
 Proposed addition of an ordained person to lead adult education
 Proposed increase back to 10% for Synod Benevolence
 Proposed increase to the Ministry Teams Budget
Dorothy Hansen questioned if there is concern that the income is less than the
proposed expenses. This is just a guideline for the year.
Terry explained the new position of ordained person. The congregation has noted
that they want an ordained person for adult education. Dorothy Hansen asked if
there will be a job description. There will be a description approved by council.
Pastor Glen noted that we are in the process of putting together a 3 year capital
campaign. A good part of that campaign will focus on the mortgage.
Terry Williams noted that these are projected revenues and expenses. The
offerings replenish but the savings will not.
Scott Gibson noted that the budget is conservative, not taking any growth into
account. Historically, we collect more than we budget.
Motion to accept the report and approve budget by Scott Gibson, Marilyn
Williams seconded. Motion carried.
7. Recognition of retiring council members by President, Wendy Sontag. A round of
applause was received. Dorothy noted that special recognition of the retiring council
members is in order as the task at hand is not always an easy one.
8. Motion to adjourn by Mike Johnson, second Debbie Zimmerman.
Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 11:00 AM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Tina Gilson, Church Council Secretary
NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT
The nominating team members, John Spinas, Chairperson, Karen Gowan, Ron Muraida
The nominating team presents to the Spirit of Hope Congregation the following persons whose
names have been placed in nomination for the Church Council.
Two persons are to be elected for positions on the Church Council to serve a three-year term.
Brett Edwards
Scott Gibson, Incumbent
Tyler Hakes
Barbara Kearns
Kit McCormick
Wayne Schmidt
Wendy Sontag, Incumbent
The nominating team presents for appointment the names of the following persons who have
agreed to serve one year as ministry chairpersons:
Youth & Children Education Ministry – Kristen Jones
Adult Education Ministry – Mary Myer
Evangelism Ministry – Marcy Hamstad
Facilities Ministry - Duane Gilson (currently serving)
Fellowship Ministry - Sandy Odmark (currently serving)
Outreach Ministry - Tina Gilson (currently serving)
Stewardship Ministry - Lee Leidal (currently serving)
Worship Ministry - Sandy Carpenter (currently serving)
The nominating team presents for appointment the following persons who have agreed to serve
as voting members at the June 12-13, 2015 Synod Assembly in Mesa, Arizona.
Judy Muraida
Ron Muraida
Joe Tedrow
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Gowan, Ron Muraida, and John Spinas, Chair
PASTOR GLEN’S ANNUAL REPORT
God is bringing them, now we need to invite them. Every morning I experience a beautiful
sight as I drive down Signal Butte. Massive machinery covers this once barren desert. New
houses break the sky scape. Giant sized concrete sewer pipes are being dropped into place.
Trees are planted. Workers are pounding, digging, and measuring. This friendly quiet desert
neighbor has come to “life” begging for our attention, our love, and our embrace.
God is bringing them, now we need to invite them. The old GM Proving Grounds is filling in.
Families from across the United States are purchasing homes and looking for a place to belong.
Sunland Village Springs continues to expand. Our older neighborhoods see people moving in
and moving out. Each home … each new family allows us to enter in the Great Commission,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the
Son and the Holy Spirit.
God is bringing them, now we need to invite them. This is the year! This is the time! This is
the opportunity! If you have not served on the Evangelism Ministry Team in the past, this is the
year that I would ask that you step forward. God has given us an opportunity that we may never
see again. The Evangelism Ministry Team meets the second Tuesday of every month @ 6:30 pm
… come and be part of the excitement as we “Make Christ Known” to these new friends.
Thank you! It’s hard to find words to describe the amazing people who make up this ministry.
Hat’s off to Wendy Sontag for her leadership as church council president. I am humbled and
honored by those of you who reach out in love to the homeless while serving breakfast and
dinner to those Jesus called “the least of these.” And then there are those people who clean
inside & out, serve on boards, committees, usher, serve and prepare communion, decorate, count,
…. and the list goes on. Thank you to each of you for supporting this ministry.
Encouraging signs. Our Financial Secretary Terry Williams shared with me some amazing
numbers concerning our finances. Receipts have increased by over 10% in the last 3 years
Total receipts in 2012 were $357,606
Total receipts in 2013 were $363,324.
Total receipts in 2014 were $399,029
Worship Attendance has also increased by over 10% in the last 3 years.
Average worship attendance in 2012 was 285 per weekend
Average worship attendance in 2013 was 307 per weekend
Average worship attendance in 2014 was 318 per weekend
All of this is happening while many Christian churches are seeing just the opposite!
Capital Campaign – Plant the Seed Our Capital Campaign Committee has been working hard
to make this the most successful campaign in our congregation’s history. Co-chairs Scott
Gibson and Terry Pope have done a phenomenal job in organizing the troops to take on this
tremendous undertaking. The key of the program is to take a big swipe out of our building debt
$1.1 million. We are all expecting interest rates to climb and there is no better time than the
present to address this ministry need.
Thank you for your partnership in the gospel. God has given us this mission to “Make Christ
Known” and I’m pleased to share this battle cry with you. May God bless you all!
Peace & love, Pastor Glen
Office Report
The unseen and daily operations of the church are supported by a loyal and efficient crew of
volunteers. They make possible everything from telephone messages to check writing to what you see
on the screen every weekend.
They organize, schedule, write, remind, email, create, order, post and much more.
Thanks to Marilynn Williams for showing up every Tuesday through Thursday for as long as I can
remember. She selflessly offers her expertise, her organizational skills and her love of people. She
proofreads the Spirit Update and orders all our supplies. She puts together this very report every year,
which is no small undertaking.
Thanks to Tammy Day, who assists Marilynn with our weekly record-keeping chores. Last year, she
figured out a way to include photos in ServantKeeper, our “membership” software. She assists our
treasurer in writing checks. Though she is now working, she still cheerfully finds time to help us out.
Thanks to Barb Mykleseth who puts together the powerpoint for all of the weekend services. Her
accuracy is phenomenal, as is her attention to detail. She is unruffled by last-minute changes or
additions. She is a joy to work with.
Thanks to Phil Troiano who comes in to answer the phone whenever he’s needed and never complains
about it. Every Tuesday morning he comes in to answer the phones. He never asks for thanks, but
offers his service.
Last year, these people contributed their talents, their kindness and their “servant’s” hearts. We are
fortunate as a church to have them and I am blessed personally to share the office with them.
Respectfully,
Cheryl Gibson,
Office Manager
2014 YOUTH & CHILDREN’S MINISTRY REPORT
This has been another wonderful year for the Young members of our Spirit of Hope Family.
Saturday and Sunday school s have switched to a more media based curriculum. We have an
amazing group of teachers and volunteers to whom I am very grateful for. It is my hope to
expand our classes to involve service projects in our community this coming year. This year’s
VBS rocked! We hosted over 100 kids and had over 60 volunteers. We are going to keep
growing this Ministry.
TAG, our youth group, is growing. We were blessed with the opportunity to attend the ELCA
western states Youth gathering. There we worshipped and learned about our awesome GOD
with more than 3,000 other teens. We were able to visit the church’s very first African American
church in Los Angeles. They allowed our Teens to lead their service. We learned a great deal
about their history and were able to pack over 400 meals for their homeless outreach. We were
invited to go back and I think we will very soon.
We should be very proud of our Youth. They truly grasp what service is. We are also seeing
them a lot more not only at youth group but also in the Saturday service. They have taken over
the front 2 rows. The group is currently raising money to get to Detroit Michigan for our next
gathering and service trip.
We have been blessed at our church with an influx of 10 to 14 year olds. So this year we
implemented a new group called SWAG for youth in that age range. The group is now up to
about 15. This group along with our confirmation class put on a great Christmas service this
year. This amazing church now not only has 1 strong youth group but now 2! AMEN! Again I
could not run these groups without help. I have 2 assistant leaders that rock and a small army of
junior leaders made up of Taggers who have aged out but want to stay involved.
My hopes and prayers for this next year is to grow in all our groups from nursery to 18 years of
age. I also would like to start a young adult Ministry. I’m currently working with our senate to
make this a reality. I would like to take this chance to Thank Pastor Glen and this Congregation
for allowing us to grow and flourish in our Ministries. Below are the names of all our volunteers
that are essential to these groups:
TAG/SWAG
Saturday/Sunday School
Monyka Aipperspach
Faith Meyer
Kristen Jones
Davyd Jones
Lara Shaffer
Sharlah Reynolds
Tashia Zimmerman
Tammy Day
Kit McCormick
Zach Bell
Christina McElwain Rechinda Nelson
Blake Lindaman
Dave & Karen Torgerson
Andy Blahak
Kadie Radics
Jesus Rocks!
Rusty Shaffer, Youth and Family Ministries
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
It's so hard to believe another year has passed, where does the time go? I have to thank you for
allowing me to be your Council President this past year. It has been rewarding, as well as
challenging at times. I have learned a lot and would like to say thank you to our council for
helping me out along the way. I am hoping to continue serving another year.
I would like to thank all the committees that help, without all of you this church would not be
able to operate as it does. The endless hours you give to help everybody in the church as well as
outside of the church are greatly appreciated and are never to be forgotten. We also have so
many volunteers that are not on committees that offer their wonderful talents from cleaning our
church, to keeping the grounds looking wonderful, making our beautiful crosses that each new
member receives, as well as, making the baptism chests for our littlest people. From myself as
well as all I would like to say a big thank you again.
We are very lucky to have Nick and Nicky lead us with their musical talents on Saturday nights.
If you have not been lucky enough to hear them, I would recommend you join us. We are also
blessed with Michael for our 8:45 service playing our piano, as well as leading our choir.
Michael is always looking for others to join the choir. Roger has been so wonderful with Fred,
Pam and Tashia to lead during our 10:15 service.
We had 63 new members join us this year. With the new development being built across the
street it would be a dream to have them join our congregation. It would be in the best interest of
the church to meet this challenge head on.
We also continue with our yearly challenge of God's Work Our Hands where once again we went
to the House of Refuge to help clean many windows. The Seniors packed lunches to feed 100
men at the East Valley Men's Shelter during the summer months.
In closing, I want to once again thank you all and Pastor Glen for making Spirit of Hope a
wonderful place to worship. I have been blessed on so many levels being a member of this
church.
Thank you,
Wendy Sontag, Council President.
-Enthusiasm keeps the mind young and the spirit growing. May we always see wonder in the
ordinary happenings of our day.
ADULT EDUCATION
First Meeting: October 2014
Committee Purpose: To make available purposeful adult education classes that will fulfill
personal, religious, and spiritual needs through thought-provoking classes lead by passionate
leaders whether pastors or layman and in the company of people seeking to find and understand
God’s voice through scripture.
Members: Terry Williams, Wayne Schmidt, Rechinda Nelson, Pastor William Schroeder, and
Mary Myer.
This committee is also very thankful for the leadership and input from Jonn Bergstrom.
Committee’s work 2014: This group of SOH members met and started creating a calendar for
educational opportunities to be offered for the remainder of 2014 and the 2015 calendar year.
Two classes were offered in 2014: Be Amazed, the study of Mark and Lutheranism: A Walk of
Faith, which continues into this new year. Two other classes were approved for the first half of
2015 that will be led by Pastor Schroeder. They are “Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary
People”(March and April dates) and “Overcoming Obstacles” (Ephesians during May). The
committee also is preparing a survey for congregational input to help define educational needs
and wants.
Goal for 2015: To develop the entire calendar year of class offerings; To increase the visibility of
class offerings; To continue to secure motivating leadership for each class; To solicit SOH
member input; To welcome any members wishing to join this committee.
Giving Thanks: I wish to thank the passionate committee members for giving of their time and
talents to establish this subcommittee and to guide the work that we have done. Without the
history of adult education at SOH and the past efforts of the SOH membership, we would not
have been able to move forward as quickly as we have, even though at times it didn’t feel that
quick. Establishing protocol is often a slow process that will eventually help speed progress.
Submitted,
Mary L. Myer
EVANGELISM
We worked tirelessly for numerous months on the Electronic Picture Directory taking pictures
and downloading our pictures on disks. Due to some technology setbacks we have not completed
our year -long project. We had fun meeting the members and visitors and getting to know them.
We are moving forward with some technical help and hope that the directory will be up and
running in 2015.
We had four new member orientation sessions. Special” thank you” goes to Kathy Barr for
preparing the luncheons for the orientations and Debbie Zimmerman for helping with the serving
and clean up.
Duane Gilson has taken over the running of the moving sign adding the updates and fun quotes.
We are looking for greeters at our 5p.m. service on Saturday evening.
We would like to see the “Random Acts of Kindness” continue to grow and pass it on!
Simple Ways to brighten someone’s days-Make your own and see the happy people!!!
1)Share a smile 2)be a listening ear for someone who needs support 3)Give a sincere compliment
to a stranger 4)Run an errand for someone 5)send a card to someone you have not seen in
awhile6)Pick up trash when you see it7)let someone go ahead of you in line8)Leave a note
,anonymous –in an unexpected place. 9) Visit a nursing home resident 10) Just pass on being
nice to someone.
We would like to have greeters at all services to hopefully insure no one visits without a proper
welcome. We encourage everyone to say hello to people they do not know.
We would like to thank all those who helped us throughout the year.
Peace and Love,
Debbie Tray nor and Karen Ogren Co-Chairman
FACILITIES
2014 was a busy year for facilities. We implemented several cost saving measures that are
starting to pay off in our electric bill.
In spring we had the parking lot resealed and stripped. This seals and protects the parking lot
from damage from the sun, heat, and oil from cars. This will increase the live of the parking lot is
it is regularly maintained.
In October we switched the phone service over from CenturyLink to Cox business service. We
were able to keep the same phone system and phone numbers. The change saves the church
about $100 per month.
Overall for the year, we have been able to cut our electric bill every year for the last two years.
Total savings over the last 2 years is $2,339.00. We also switched to the budget plan to help even
out our bill over the entire year. This prevents us from having our biggest bills in the summer
when we have our smallest attendance.
Annual cost over last 3 years:
2012 = $11,407
2013 = $10,818 (-$589)
2014 = $9,068 (-$1,750)
I expect the bill to be even lower this year.
In October we had all of the lighting replaced in the entire church, inside and outside. The value
of the project was $9,972.50. The cost to the church was $647.80, with the remaining being
picked up by SRP incentives. The new lights are covered by a 2 year warranty as well. This
should save us money on bulbs and ballast that were starting to fail. The projected cost savings
on the energy bill is $1,723.00. I feel this number is very high considering the usage we have
with being a church. Our lights are not on for 10 hours a day like in an office environment. I
think we should save about $700 per year going forward.
The offices and class rooms were fitted with motion sensors which will turn off the lights if they
are left on. The Sanctuary storage room and the pantry were also put on motion sensors.
The kitchen sink was replaced with a much larger sink and faucet assembly. While this was
done, the dishwashers were re-plumbed so they can be run at the same time, and clean the dishes
better. This will help cut our water bill from having to hand wash and rewash dishes. It will also
help clean up time in the kitchen when a large amount of dishes needs to be washed together.
We arranged for a “Green” dumpster to be delivered to the church. This is for recyclable
products. The money from the green bin is being used by TAG as a fund raiser. Rusty is taking
care of the maintenance of the dumpster.
Don and Bill have been working hard on keeping the trees and landscaping looking its best. Scott
Gibson was able to have a dumpster delivered to the grounds to dispose of the trimmings.
The small number of cleaners has been working overtime to keep the church clean. We
appreciate all of the help these tireless volunteers give each week. The job they do is not always
noticed or appreciate it, but we could not do it without them. We cleaned the carpet several times
this year. Hopefully we will be able to replace part of the carpet in 2015 with a lower
maintenance product.
I am sure I am forgetting a few things, but I think I got the big items.
Looking forward, we are looking at replacing the carpet in the front Narthex. We have several
options we are considering. I will make a presentation to the congregation when we are ready.
We are starting to add some additional LED lighting to the south side of the church to help with
lighting in the handicap parking spots. This will help during events like trunk or treat as well.
FELLOWSHIP
Accomplishments for 2014:
Painted and decorated the kitchen,
Held a bake safe for new Narthex flooring,
Kept kitchen clean,
Took care of supplies for the kitchen.
Goals for 2015:
Paint supply room,
Have a bake sale in March,
Work on fundraisers for new floor,
Look to recruit new committee members
Thank you to all members of the fellowship team: Wendy Sontag, Pam Richards, Lonna Leidal
and Val Chapman.
Yours in Christ,
Sandy Odmark, Chairperson
OUTREACH
The Outreach Ministry Team plans and executes the church’s social ministry to our local
community and beyond. This is accomplished through a series of programs and events
throughout the year.
The Outreach Ministry Team had a busy 2014. We served dinner at the East Valley Men’s
Shelter 5 times throughout the year (total cost approximately $980), and served pancakes at
Grace Lutheran church 4 times this year (total cost $1400). We were able to assist in the costs of
Vacation Bible School again this year as well ($1500). Due to the great success of our rummage
sale in 2014, we were able to tithe 10% of the proceeds back to our general church budget
($1500) as well as set $1500 aside for the Narthex flooring change that our Ministry teams
anticipate happening in 2015. All of our ministries are supported by the proceeds that the
Outreach Ministry Team receives through our yearly fund raisers.
The first fundraiser for the year was held in February – our annual Rummage Sale. The sale was
well attended again this year and the Outreach Ministry Team netted 13pprox.. $5250. A big
thank you to Wendy Bell for again organizing the volunteers and setup and to the many other
volunteers who helped make this fundraiser a success
The second fundraiser was a Holiday Bazaar. This was a first for our church and committee and
could not have happened without the tireless efforts of Irene Jeter. We had a bunch of volunteers
we also need to thank for this event as well. The monies raised came to 13pprox.. $1000. These
funds go towards the general Outreach expenses including the EVMC dinners and pancake
breakfast.
We continued to build on our relationship with House Of Refuge in Mesa, which houses
homeless families. During the course of the year, we washed windows, donated turkey dinners,
donated Christmas gifts for their yearly “Christmas Shop”. We look forward to continuing to
build on this relationship in 2015, and assist in more events.
We had a successful school supply drive in August for CAAFA where we were able to supply
this organization with supplies and backpacks for 40 children.
We hosted another successful Trunk or Treat. Thanks to all of the volunteers for helping with
this fun event. This event creates a warm and safe atmosphere for the little ones in surrounding
neighborhoods. A big thank you to the TAG kids for distributing flyers for this event as well as
helping out with the kiddos. This year’s funds raised through a free will offering went to help
TAG reach their goals for their trip to Detroit in 2015 and came to $450. Total cost for Trunk R
Treat was approximately $350.
Various other expenses paid for by Outreach includes special service events and the Christ in
Home magazine offered by SOH and totaled approximately $500.
Totals for the budget YTD for Outreach = $6451.68 raised and $6311.21 spent.
One thing is for certain, this Ministry Team would not be as successful as it is without the
stewardship of this church community. Whenever we ask, the community is there to help.
Whether it is donating money or items or volunteering time, this church always comes through
and the entire Outreach Ministry Team thanks YOU for your support.
We look forward to a fun and service-filled 2015. We look to extend our outreach in the next
few years with a HUGE project that will be funded by our Capital Campaign. While we don’t
know what God will bring to us yet for a project, we know that it will be blessed because of you.
God Bless,
Tina Gilson, Outreach Ministry Team Chair
SENIORS ROCK
Wow another year has passed and we wonder where it went. One thing I can say for sure during
the past year our Seniors have been busy rocking and rolling. We have grown somewhat, which
of course, is always a good sign.
However, on a sad note we did lose Howard, one of our beloved members. Howard has been
part of our Seniors group since the beginning. He was a valued member as all members are.
Howard will be missed by all. I value each of you and all that you do. I am very thankful to
have all of you in my life.
We had another successful year packing lunches this past summer for EVMS. It was successful
as we fed people in need as well as bringing together so many people to participate in this task.
We always look forward to this every summer.
During Thanksgiving we had a pot luck meal where forty plus members had attended and shared
turkey with us.
We had not one but two different Christmas parties this year where Santa came to pay a visit
both times. Presents and food oh my, such excitement!
We collected pocketbooks to give to different places where it was stuffed to the gills with all
types of toiletry items, as well as some fun items.
We had a free will bake sale, where the congregation once again supported our efforts.
Some of the seniors, once a month, go to the Memory Care Center where Pastor Glen does a
beautiful service. The residents seem to enjoy as well as all who attend.
We do so many different things during the year. This is just a few of the wonderful things that
are done during our very busy year. We welcome you to join us any Thursday at 9 AM.
Enthusiasm keeps the mind young and the spirit growing.
May we always see wonder in the ordinary happenings of our day.
Yours in Christ,
Wendy Sontag, Chairperson
STEWARDSHIP
The Stewardship Committee seeks to promote the member understanding of the value of gifts
received and given, and the responsibility to care for each. The member has an obligation to
support the financial needs of the church, as a good steward of the organization, and the church
must be a good steward of its members, helping them to fulfill their personal value and
contributions.
This year the Committee implemented two new programs, each with the intent to meet that
purpose. The Mailed Offering Envelope Program began in the summer, with an online database
that was the source for mailing the envelopes. The second was the implementation of a New
Member Time & Talent spreadsheet that was updated with each new group of members and
subsequently mailed to all Ministry Committee Chairs with a request that they review and reach
out to any new members with potential interest in their committee’s work. The spreadsheet
included a link to the photos of the new members and each family’s submitted Worksheet.
For 2015 each of those programs will be in continued review. The Offering Envelope program
has delivered updated member addresses through Post Office corrections, but the snowbird base
of SOH continues to complicate the accuracy. The Time & Talent spreadsheet is only as
successful as the Ministry Chairs utilize it. Some have done so with great vigor while others
struggle.
The emphasis for 2015 will be to promote electronic giving. A new Electronic Giving Card will
be placed in seatbacks to allow these givers to put something into the offering plate. They will
make a public display of their donations and presumably will encourage others to begin this
format of giving as well. Currently we have 27 families using this format. Our goal is to increase
the number to 50 by year end.
Thanks to Cheryl Gibson, Marilynn and Terry Williams, Phil Troiano, and Sandy Carpenter for
their direct support of the efforts of this committee.
Respectfully,
Lee Leidal, Chair
On behalf of himself and Jim Gowan, member
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY
Depending on the time of year, about fifteen to thirty-five women meet every Thursday
afternoon at 1:00 PM to fellowship, join in prayer requests, and have Bible Study. We use the
Gather Magazine as our main source of study. This past year we completed a study on woman
from the Bible, STUCK in your walk with Christ, relationships between generations of Christian
women, and currently are studying about transforming life and faith in our daily lives. We have
wonderful fun and fellowship together and would love to include any new members who would
care to join us for a few weeks or the whole year.
Our outreach projects this year have been numerous and varied. We have given monetary
donations to CAFFA, Hope Women's Center, Maggie's Place, ELCA Malaria Project, Salvation
Army, Kris Schroeder's Ministry, Food Bank, and TAG. We also supported the project of
making lap robes for the elderly at CAFFA. For Mother's Day we brought purses filled with
personal items for the children at CAFFA to choose and give as gifts to their mothers. For our
Christmas Party we brought $10 gift cards that totaled over $650 to give to CAFFA for them to
give distribute as they saw fit.
Thanks to this wonderful group of women for their ministry.
Yours in Christ,
Ruthie Piasecki and Dar Stucke
WORSHIP
Sandy Carpenter, Chair
Reburta Spinas, Co-Chair
Pastor Glen Stadler
Phil Troiano, Church Council Representative
John Spinas
Sylvia Humleker
Linda Wilcox
Marion Bergstrom (Resigned November 2014)
Ethel Bloedorn (Resigned November 2014)
These members attended the monthly meetings held on the second Thursday of each month at
10am. The Chair supports the meeting by providing an agenda and minutes from each meeting.
The minutes are sent to members of the team and the church office staff.
There are many other members of Spirit of Hope (SOH) that support the Worship Ministry Team
and are provided in a document titled “Worship Ministry Team Contact List” which is updated
periodically.
The Chair, Sandra Carpenter was called to serve and accepted the call February 2014. As part of
her efforts to develop the Worship Ministry Team the following documents were developed and
activities implemented:
 Developed a Worship Ministry Team Mission and Overview Statement
 Developed a Yearly Budget Spreadsheet to track expenditures for the Worship Ministry
Team
 Revised the Worship Section of the SOH Time and Talent Sheet
 Developed and maintains a formal process to contact and follow-up with new members to
SOH via their Time and Talent Sheet
 Developed a Roster of volunteers and Monthly Schedule for all worship assistants
supporting the 10:15am Sunday Service and Guidelines for Ushers, Greeters and
Communion Assistants
 The Chair took over responsibility for scheduling a reader for the 8:45am Sunday Service
but will continue to reach out to 8:45am Sunday service members for a volunteer to take
over this responsibility.
 Developed an inventory for all worship supplies to help manage and track supplies and
provides the location of the supplies. The inventory listing is kept in a notebook in the
church office
 Developed an updated inventory listing of Christmas decorations
 Developed a process for music selection for the 8:45am Sunday Service
Highlights for the Year:
 Reburta Spinas accepted the Call as Co-Chair for the Worship Ministry Team
 New musicians, Nick and Nikki Garza now supporting the Saturday evening service
 New musicians, Roger Hanson and band members, supporting the 10:15am Sunday
Service
 New leader for Church decorations, Pam Richards and assisting volunteers (Sharlah
Reynolds, Sandy Carpenter, Sandy Odmark and Linda Wilcox)
Our future goals include the following:
 Development of an Altar Guild Guide and group supporting all activities covered in the
Altar Guild list of responsibilities
 Development of Wedding and Funeral Guides
 Development of a job description for a Church Wedding Coordinator
 Development and training for Worship Sound Technicians
 Assist the Church Office staff, as needed, to update the Worship section of the SOH Web
Page
 Develop scheduling for Christmas Eve Services’ Worship Assistants
We continue to look for new membership into the Worship Ministry Team for fresh new ideas.
We are constantly looking for ways to obtain additional information, educate members and
broaden our perspectives on how to effectively produce interesting, uplifting and appropriate
church services.
FINANCIAL SECRETARY
Again this year, I worked with the Treasurer to ascertain that all contributions for calendar year
2014 have been correctly entered, including all funds donated to specific Designated Funds. As
of Dec 31, 2014, we received total offerings in all accounts of $398,995.23. We thank our Lord
for your generosity this past year. The amounts reported by the Treasurer are correct.
We were able to send statements out quarterly this year and that assisted us in finding and
correcting contribution entry errors much more quickly than in the previous year. 2014 Year-End
Statements were sent out in January. We encourage you to review carefully against your personal
records. Please sent information on any discrepancies directly to me at
[email protected]
I offer my thanks to Phil Troiano for all his help this past year, especially in overseeing the
offering counting process and the counters. I also want to recognize and thank the counters who
have served this past year – Phil Troiano, Nicole Jessen, Peg Goetz, Marie Renda, Mary Beth
Bracken, Dave Chapman, Bob Brynsaas and myself. I need to additionally recognize Janet
Davison, our Treasurer, for all of her hard work and cooperation this past year. Lastly I want to
thank all of our members, associates, visitors, etc. that made contributions this past year. Your
continued support is what makes all that Spirit of Hope is, and does, possible. Thank you!
Respectfully submitted,
TERRY WILLIAMS, 2014/15 FINANCIAL SECRETARY
CHURCH COUNCIL NOMINEES
Brett Edwards
I was born and raised in Chandler, AZ and now reside in Mesa, AZ with
my wife Jen Edwards and our two boys Chance (9) and Graham (5). We
have lived in Mesa, AZ for the past ten years in the Villages of Eastridge
neighborhood.
In 2013 after spending a few months of searching for a church to join we
found a small place on Signal Butte Rd called Spirit of Hope. After
attending service a few times we knew the search was over and became
members.
I was previously a member Epiphany Lutheran Church that was cofounded by four families 51 years ago with one of those families being my grandparents.
I currently work as a Territory Manager specializing primarily in the marketing and distribution
of 3M products including window film for the commercial, residential, automotive markets. 3M
Paint Protection Film for the automotive industry. Decorative finish films for interior and
exterior design. I also have an extensive background as a Service Director at the new car
dealership level.
I do not have a personal agenda set but I would like to see Spirit of Hope develop a stronger
sense of community within the current congregation by becoming more involved with each other
at and away from church.
Barbara Kearns
I was born to Lutheran parents. I was baptized, confirmed, married
and probably be buried a Lutheran. I come from conservative
Nebraska parents who were farmers. My children, grandchildren and
hopefully our newest granddaughter Raegan will have the opportunity
to attend a Lutheran Parochial school.
My husband, Ray, and I retired in January, 2011. Raegan, was born in
March and Ray was able to enjoy her until August 17th when he had a
heart attack. He passes away Nov. 6, 2011. I took Ray’s advice to not
get too involved with too involved with activities right away.
I think I could now be an asset to the council from my past experience.
I was Sunday School superintendent for 17 years in Nevada. We had a large pre-school where
children of all faiths attended. I served on church council for 15 years. I was president 4 years,
vice-president 2 years and secretary-treasurer 9 years. I think Church Council will be a good fit
for me now. I won’t say I will do a job and then not do it.
Scott Gibson
My name is Scott Gibson. My family and I have been members of Spirit
of Hope Lutheran Church for approximately 11 years. I have served on
our church council for the last three years and I hopefully will get to
serve another three years. During my term as your council
representative, I have been involved in many activities related to Spirit
of Hope Council business. Two years ago I was the chairman of our
Five Year Planning Committee that put together a five year plan
providing direction for the church in all aspects of operation. Our
committee re-engaged the church with a new mission statement, “To
Make Christ Known” and a new vision. I am currently working on the
Capital campaign for 2015 as the Co-Chairperson.
I am married to Cheryl, my wife of 33 years. Cheryl has been working for about 8 years in the
church office. We have two sons; Aaron, age 24, and Jordan, age 15. I am currently employed as
Vice President of Field Operations at Siteworks, a construction firm specializing in the
installation of athletic fields. I am a former Midwesterner growing up in Ft. Wayne Indiana,
attending high school at Concordia Lutheran, and attended Purdue University.
I have been very involved with the exterior landscaping around the church grounds. I installed
the labyrinth in the retention basin. One of my great joys in life is to work with plants and God’s
garden. Jonn Bergstrom and I set up a group called the 3G’S, also known as The Green Garden
Group. A few of the goals I would like to implement if I were to be reelected are as follows:
Successfully continue our fiscal policies, completing our current capital campaign, follow our
five year plan, and assist in the future growth in our membership.
Tyler Hakes
My name is Ty Hakes, and I am running for church council. I want to
run because I've been going to this church since I was three. I love this
church, and I want to do the best I can for it. Although I’m only fifteen
and don’t have any formal experience, I have been on a football team for
many years. From that I've learned to be a team player. I think this skill
would be important for church council. I also feel it could be beneficial
to have a younger person’s point of view so our church can continue to
grow. I appreciate your consideration.
Kit McCormick
I have been with Spirit of Hope Church for one year and already call it
home.. Before joining spirit of Hope I was a member of The Church of
the Epiphany Episcopal Church in Tempe. During my 10 years with
them I was on the Outreach committee and on the Vestry (Counsel). My
working career had been in operational management and also I owned a
small business.
My daily prayer is to help where I can and to do it with respect.
Wayne Schmidt
I have served on the board of two different churches. I was the leader of
the board for two consecutive terms at the church in West Point, Ca. I
also was on the board as a Elder and again as a deacon at Desert Haven
church.
I believe in prayerful consideration of any decisions and a smooth
running board.
Wendy Sontag
I have been a member of Spirit of Hope for seven years. In these
seven years, I have assisted in the office with answering phones; I
have ushered; I served communion; I have blessed people, I have
assisted with Vacation Bible School, I’ve served on church council
filling the positions of Secretary, Vice President and currently serve as
President. I created and organized the group called “Senior Rock”
which has met on Thursday mornings to restock communication cards,
provide lunches for the homeless at Grace Lutheran Church and for
residences at the East Valley Men’s Shelter, I organized a gathering of
purses for the Women’s Shelter and Maggie’s Place, among other things.
My vision for Spirit of Hope is that all members have representation that fulfills the needs of
whole. I see exciting times ahead and would like to continue to be part of the leadership team.
There may be changes ahead but I believe those changes must be done slowly and carefully to
serve God’s ministry in this place. Enthusiasm keeps the mind young and the spirit growing.
May we always see wonder in the ordinary happenings of our day.
SPIRIT OF HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH
Revenue & Expense Actual vs Budget
as of December 31, 2014
INCOME STATEMENT:
Income and Expenses VS Budget
Jan-Dec-13
Jan-Dec-14
Budget-14/15
Income ($$ Incoming)
4000 · General Offerings
$
266,162
$
285,517
$
266,267
4050 · SOH Only Offerings
$
2,405
$
895
$
2,424
4100 · Loose Offerings
$
13,158
$
13,621
$
13,350
4330 · Facility Use Donation
$
1,200
$
1,072
$
900
4450 · Interest Revenue
$
674
$
553
$
952
4600 · Miscellaneous Revenue
$
-
$
500
$
-
$
283,599
$
302,158
$
283,893
6000 · Ministry of Personnel
$
101,314
$
105,653
$
104,993
6100 · Other Personnel
$
67,018
$
76,007
$
75,600
6200 · Ministry of Support
$
110,274
$
127,367
$
121,928
6299 · Ministries
$
6,304
$
7,900
$
10,000
6900 · Miscellaneous
$
-
$
(2)
$
300
$
284,910
$
316,925
$
312,821
$
(1,311)
$
(14,766)
$
(28,928)
$
23,163
$
(37,929)
$
51,024
$
13,095
Total Income
Expense ($$ Outgoing)
Total Expense
Net Income (Loss) - Operations
Additional $$ Required to Support Operations
2300 - Mortgage Principal Reduction
Net Income (Loss) - after Principal Reduction
Additional Funds Utilized to Support Operations
1020 - Cash - Bldg Fund - MIF ( 2014 Contributons)
$$ Incoming - Operations + Building Fund Contributions
Our Monthly Numbers:
December
Monthly General Fund Income:……………...$ 35,216.
Monthly General Fund Expense:……………$ (26,222.)
Total General Income
$ 8,994.
Yr. to date
$ 302,258.
$ (270,488.)
$ 31,670.
Monthly Income for Mortgage Reduction…...$ 4,360.
Monthly Mortgage Payment……….……….…$ (5,800.)
Monthly Total Balance
$ (1,440.)
$ 51,024.
$ (69,600.)
$ (18,576.)
FUND BALANCES:
CASH ACCOUNTS:
Dec. 2014
$
100,617
1010 · MIF - NOTA - 6820
$
2,979
1020 · MIF - Building - 3587
$
66,066
1030 · Fidelity Investments
$
2,505
1040 · Petty Cash
$
500
1050 · WF - Youth Group - 7020 - TAG
$
2,537
1060 · Chase - Women's Group
$
635
1005 Compass - General Checking - 8840
$72,254
General Fund Portion
$29,312
Designated Fund Portion
TOTAL CASH ACCOUNTS:
$ 176,839
TOTAL DESIGNATED FUNDS:
$
29,312
(See Next Page for Designated Funds Details)
Spirit of Hope 2014 Designated Funds Activity
Designated Account
3510 Mortgage Reduction
3511 - No One Turned Away
3531 Education Ministry
3535 Hope Chest
3537 Vacation Bible School
3539 Spiritual Ed - Cursillo
3560 Capital Repair Reserve
3570 Flowers
3580 Grief Share
3600 Designated Memorials
3640 Pastor Gifts
3650 Pastor's Discretionary
3710 Outreach
3755 Seniors Rock
3813 Fellowship
3820 World Hunger
3831 Campformation
3833 Youth General
3841 Worship & Music General
3850 MOPS
3910 Undesignated Memorials
TOTALS:
Dec. 31, 2014
Beginning Bal
Increase
Decrease
Ending Bal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$252.85
$531.55
$210.00
$9,390.36
$854.41
$452.77
$500.00
$0.00
$1,167.39
$4,042.20
$1,347.99
$2,364.82
$0.00
$170.00
$1,975.50
$0.00
$0.00
$1,737.64
$51,589.30
$0.00
$50.00
$37.76
$6,794.00
$30.00
$10,000.00
$410.00
$0.00
$200.00
$75.00
$75.00
$6,451.68
$761.60
$220.00
$19,764.80
$2,396.66
$11,021.58
$374.15
$232.00
$675.00
$51,589.30
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$4,245.45
$230.00
$6,263.61
$832.88
$0.00
$591.66
$75.00
$385.00
$6,311.21
$412.75
$1,064.55
$19,764.80
$2,516.66
$11,966.04
$324.15
$219.50
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$50.00
$290.61
$3,080.10
$10.00
$13,126.75
$431.53
$452.77
$108.34
$0.00
$857.39
$4,182.67
$1,696.84
$1,520.27
$0.00
$50.00
$1,031.04
$50.00
$12.50
$2,412.64
$24,997.48
$111,169.63
$106,803.66
$29,363.45
PROPOSED FY 2015/16 BUDGET
INCOME
General Fund
General Offering
SOH Only Offering
Loose Offering
Misc Income (Interest & Building Use)
General Fund Total
Building Fund (Debt Reduction)
TOTAL INCOME - General & Building Funds
EXPENSES
Ministry of Personnel
Pastor Salary
Pastor Housing
Pastor Social Security
Pastor Pension & Medical
Pastor Auto Expense
Pastor Continuing Education
Other Personnel
Supply Pastor
Salary-Admin Assistant
Salary-Nursery Attendants
Salary-Choir Director / 8:45 Sun Pianist
Salary - Musicians - 5:00 Sat
Technical Director
Youth & Children Education Director
Adult Education Instructors
Other Musicians
Staff Continuing Education
Employer Payroll Tax
Worker's Compensation Insurance
Payroll Processing
Ministry of Support
Bank & Credit Card Charges
Capital Campaign Expenses
Conferences
Insurance & Background Checks
Maintenance
Office Equipment & Leasing
Office Supplies
Postage
Utilities
Local Hispanic Ministry Support
Synod Benevolence
Other Support Expenses
FY
2013/14
FY
2014/15
Actual
12
months
Estimated
FY
2015/16
267,807
1,916
12,628
1,855
284,206
51,935
336,141
285,597
895
13,741
2,125
302,358
51,024
353,382
Proposed
12
months
Mar'15-Feb'16
notes
1
285,500
900
13,500
2,100
302,000
51,000
353,000
35,211
32,727
7,884
24,300
1,200
0
101,322
35,718
33,590
8,429
26,828
1,200
488
106,253
36,400
36,400
5,200
27,000
3,600
500
109,100
350
21,861
5,674
9,278
2,500
0
20,000
0
700
62
286
506
1,369
62,586
600
26,243
4,751
9,200
6,525
270
20,000
1,800
150
-00
350
581
1,667
72,137
600
28,125
4,750
9,200
10,000
0
20,000
12,000
300
200
425
700
1,700
88,000
506
0
810
5,442
4,935
8,819
1,591
115
21,595
146
24,767
1,357
70,083
655
3,500
548
6,141
5,275
16,112
1,773
(29)
19,303
89
28,792
923
83,082
900
7,500
800
6,200
5,500
12,000
1,800
500
20,000
100
29,900
1,000
86,200
12 months
Jan'14-Dec'14
14
notes
2
3
4
4
4
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
15
16
17
Ministry Teams
Miscellaneous
General Fund - Operating Total
Building Fund - Mortgage Principal & Interest
Total
7,119
0
241,110
7,992
(2)
269,462
52,165
69,600
TOTAL EXPENSES - General & Building Funds
293,275
339,062
366,800
42,866
14,320
(13,800)
GENERAL FUND ENDING BALANCE:
BUILDING FUND ENDING BALANCE:
$49,448
$80,474
73,400
66,045
$77,400
$47,445
TOTAL SAVINGS ENDING BALANCE:
129,922
139,445
NET INCOME (LOSS)
NOTES:
1 - Giving in 2014 shows increase in General Fund offerings
2 - Pledges for 2014/15 do not support an increase for next year.
3 - 2015 Capital Campaign may affect Building Fund giving
4 - No change to Pastor Glen Stadler's compensation
Pr. Glen's Salary, Housing and Social Security offset = $78,000/yr
5 - Proposed increase to car allowance by Council action.
6 - Increase to $15.00/hr X 37.5 hrs/wk X 50 weeks= $28,125 est
7 - No change included - Pay = $11.25/hr Total = $4.750 estimated
8 - No change included - Total pay for this category = $9,200 est.
9 - Increase due to 12 mo application of salary - Total = $10,000 est
10 - No change included - Total pay = $20,000/yr (salary)
11 - Increase due to 12 mo of classes- $150 X 10 nights X 8 classes est
12 - Total of employer withholdings only
13 - Expenses = $10,000 contract max plus $1,000 printing.
14 - Extreme one year increase due to color copies expenses
15 - Estimated based upon current per month expenses
16 - Expected increase in support of Capital Campaign
17 - 10% of General Fund and Loose Offering Fund
18 - Anticipated increase in Ministry efforts
19 - Increase due to website rebuilding contract = $500
20 - Current mortgage principal and interest = $5,800 X 12
21 - Increase due to Increase in Offerings
22 - Reduction in Savings Balance due to increase in Expenses
13,000
900
297,200
20
21
69,600
124,845
18
19
20
22