September 2006

Dear Parishioner,
As we have reported in our weekly parish bulletin, our building project and capital campaign are making excellent progress. Enclosed is an update on the project and our work to date.
Over the past few weeks, I have, with the assistance of our campaign counsel, worked to recruit a campaign leadership team to help us with our fundraising efforts. We tried to identify General and Honorary chairs that represent a variety of parish interests, age groups, and stakeholder groups (council members, school families, parish programs). These individuals are familiar with and supportive of the Parish's mission, plans, and campaign objectives, willing to share responsibility for the campaign, and able to devote sufficient time and energy to assure its success.
At this time I am pleased to introduce our Honorary and General Chairs for the campaign:
Honorary Chairs: Bob and June Heck, Jerry Fercello, and Chuck and Sandy Peacock
General Chairs: Bill and Tracey Barnes, Cathy Koerpel, John and Kathy Powers, and Steve and Mary DeNamur.
I appreciate their commitment and am grateful for their willingness to serve in these roles. The campaign leadership team is dedicated to the success of this important parish project and will help keep you informed as we proceed.
Everyone in the parish will have several opportunities over the next few months to become both knowledgeable about and active in this building project and campaign. Our capital campaign aims to raise $4.5 million in new pledges and cash between now and our Commitment Weekends in February, which will be the campaign period. To reach our goal and complete this significant piece of our long-range vision for Nativity of Our Lord, we will need the commitment and support of our entire faith community.
We will be enlisting volunteers to serve in three different sections of the capital campaign: the Special Gifts Section, Parish Family Section, and Information Section. The Chairs and I ask that if you are invited to serve as a volunteer, you give it thoughtful and prayerful consideration and make room in your busy schedule to help. It is important to know that volunteers will not be asking for money. The role of any volunteer is to provide information and answer questions.
Our Campaign Director is Susan Corwith of Phoenix Fundraising Counsel, Ltd., and she is generally on site Tuesdays through Thursdays until the conclusion of the campaign in late February. Debbie Breivogel and Donna Kohlbeck are providing administrative support in the Campaign Office. If you have questions or need to reach them, the number is 362-4009.
On behalf of the Honorary Chairs, General Chairs, and parish staff, I thank everyone who has already taken an active role in this campaign and I look forward to working with many more of you on this project in the months to come.
Sincerely,

Fr. John Gerritts
Pastor

Parish Building Project
Fact Sheet – September 2006
History of the Project’s Development
Following the formation of Nativity of Our Lord Parish in January of 2005, the parish established a Facilities Committee to review the status of the present buildings and establish a long-range facilities plan. As good stewards of our resources we conducted facility and needs assessments in 2005.
The assessments identified several needs, including bringing Nativity Parish together at one site and helping parishioners experience a stronger sense of parish (spiritually important for our community), unifying worship services (a spiritual and practical issue, particularly for our Pastor who has to travel extensively), improving efficiency both in the use of staff and in maintenance, addressing several significant maintenance concerns over the next 5 years (new roofs/repair leaks, boiler repair/replacement, windows, driveways, etc. – costs of $1,830,000 to $3,260,000 over 5 years), providing improved and enhanced facilities for the school under one roof, and giving the parish a facility that will be more accommodating to the aging Oneida County population and those with special needs.
Following the facility and needs assessments, the Committee was charged with making a recommendation to the parish regarding plans for moving forward. The Committee initially considered six options ranging from continuing with our existing buildings, to renovating and adding on at the current sites, to building new facilities on a new site.
The facilities committee formed three subcommittees to examine current and future facilities use; developed a summary of costs to operate and maintain the existing buildings, property values for purchase, and sites for new construction; and studied safety and maintenance needs of our existing buildings for both the short and long term. The Committee also discussed spiritual needs and practical issues. Three of the options (status quo, church and school at St. Mary, and school at St. Mary and church at St. Joseph) were soon eliminated as they had a major problem: the physical space was not adequate and we still had the concern about unifying the parish.
With the three options left, an architect, Jeff Musson from Wausau, helped to develop schematic plans for three of the options still open for consideration (build at a new site, build at an expanded St. Joseph site, or school at St. Joseph’s site and church at St. Mary’s site). Following another extensive review of the data, preliminary cost estimates and the schematics, in June of 2005 the Committee made the recommendation that the parish locate all facilities—church, school, offices, etc.—at a single site. Having any type of split site, even for church and school, did not meet our physical or spiritual needs. The two options that remained feasible following this recommendation were to build on an entirely new site or on an expanded St. Joseph site.
Given further examination of these two options over the last year, including issues of community growth and change, maintenance costs, use needs, parish demographics, land available, and total costs of renovation versus building new, the Facilities Committee and parish leadership determined that building at a new site was the most desirable and cost-effective option for the long term future of the parish and school. But, if an appropriate new site could not be found or other issues in building new facilities arose, the parish could consider working on an expanded St. Joseph site.
Current Status of the Project
This summer, after identifying several potential building sites in the Rhinelander area, the parish identified a site on North Stevens Street as a location for our new buildings and grounds. Members of the Facilities Committee are working with various agencies to assess the site carefully and making sure it meets all our needs.
The Facilities Committee continues to meet regularly and nearly has completed the selection process for hiring an architectural firm to develop a master plan for the facilities. A request for proposals went out in late July, and thirteen firms responded. Using an evaluation and rating process, they identified four firms to interview. Interviews took place in mid-August followed by reference checks. We are in the process of negotiating a contract with our preferred architectural firm.
The architects will work with the parish to finalize a master plan that includes estimated costs for the project and designs for the new church and school, including a Rectory, gathering space, furnishings and parking/land use. We anticipate that this plan will be finalized around mid to late November.
On the fundraising side, following our Feasibility Study in late spring, the parish contracted with Phoenix Fundraising Counsel in July to manage our A New Beginning capital campaign. Our campaign goal is to raise $4,500,000 in new pledges and cash to help us initiate our building plan. The funds we raise will help us, along with input from parishioners and the parish leadership, to determine the best and most fiscally responsible course of action as we construct our new buildings and grounds.
The total cost of constructing our parish facilities will be greater than $4,500,000, which is the amount we believe can be raised at this time based on input from our Feasibility Study. Still, it is always possible that we will have the good fortune to raise more. We will build to the funds we have and consider both short term and long term implications of our decisions. All of this means that we may have to complete our construction as we are able to raise the funds. Adopting the master plan will allow us to determine our options. Although there are multiple steps to take, each step is important and gets us closer to our ultimate goal. Having done all of the groundwork, we know that a unified, expanded campus is what is needed for the health and stability of our parish and school in both the near and long terms.
Throughout August, our Campaign Director, Susan Corwith, worked with Fr. John to recruit a campaign leadership team and coordinate campaign communication among each of the parish committees and councils. Susan has attended Pastoral Council, Finance Council and Facilities Committee meetings; has met with the school staff; and will continue to participate in these and other parish activities throughout the campaign process.
Next Steps
The Facilities Committee will work with the architects on the master plan and complete the review of the North Stevens Street site. The architect will also construct a cost analysis, budget and timeline for the project as part of the master plan development.
At the same time, we will continue to develop our campaign volunteer organization, enlisting volunteers in the Information Section, Parish Family Section, and Special Gifts Section. By late November a new round of information sessions will begin and we will start hosting small group meetings.
Please be sure to read the parish bulletin and check the parish website for information. We will continue to provide updates as we move forward. If you have questions, please contact the Campaign Office at 362-4009.

Questions and Responses from the Town Hall Meeting on July 18th, 2006
Approximately 150 people were in attendance.
Through the parish’s facility assessment process, several needs were identified, including bringing Nativity Parish together at one site, unifying worship services, helping parishioners experience a stronger sense of parish, improving efficiency both in the use of staff and in maintenance, providing improved and enhanced facilities for the school, and giving the parish a facility that will be more accommodating to the aging Oneida County population.
At this point, the most cost-effective solution, and the one that allows us to address the most parish needs is to construct new facilities. The parish has identified a site on Stevens Street on which the future buildings and grounds for Nativity of Our Lord church, school and parish offices could be built.
On July 18th, the parish hosted a Town Hall meeting to share information about this project and its status as of that time. Following is a summary of questions and answers from that meeting.
1. How big is the property (on Stevens Street)? Approximately 20 Acres.
2. Are there any buildings on the site? No.
3. What would happen to the road on the site? Thornapple Drive would no longer be a through street. The access intersections with Woodland Drive and Iverson would remain to provide access to the site.
4. How much frontage is there on Stevens Street? Approximately 420 feet.
5. When we ask for the “Development Cost Estimates” is that for the church only? At this time we are considering both a new church and school. The cost estimates are for the entire project.
6. Will it be clear to the architect that the church is our first priority? We expect to give the architect a clear direction – but that has not been determined yet.
7. What was the 2nd choice property? That is confidential at this time so as not to put the property owner in a difficult position.
8. You know there is very little building area on the preferred site. Have you checked this out? Part of the site is not suitable for construction of buildings. We are conducting soil tests to determine the site conditions with respect to construction of buildings, parking lots, playgrounds, etc.
9. Can we buy Bikes and Boards? Not considered at this time.
10. Has the traffic pattern been looked at? No, except that we recognize three distinct directions that parishioners could use to enter or exit our site.
11. Does this plan include a rectory for Fr. John? The overall budget includes a rectory, but the location has not been decided.
12. If it has to come down to priorities, how will we phase this project? We expect to come to consensus agreement as to what will be in the best interest of our parish when the time comes.
13. In addition to the efforts of Phoenix Fundraising Counsel, what is our finance group doing? Who are they contacting? What grants have they applied for? Several sources of funds have already been contacted. We will also look to sources other than financial institutions for borrowing, possibly Knights of Columbus or even individual parishioners.
14. What kind of contract do we have with Phoenix Fundraising Counsel? The actual contract has not been finalized yet. It is structured as a weekly fee with the option of the parish to cancel at any time.
15. You’re looking at securing the property in the next couple of weeks. Are you going to put in some contingencies so we are protected? Soil conditions will be evaluated as well as clear title.
16. We always have the annual appeal. Would they ever give us money? Not at this time.
17. When we are ready to go to the parishioners for money/pledges, will there be a concrete plan or model that we can look at so we know what we are giving our money to? Yes, we will be developing drawings of the site locating the buildings, parking, playgrounds, etc. Preliminary floor plans identifying spaces will be a goal also.
18. The 4.5 million we are talking about raising – what will be built with that money? We will be discussing that idea in the next several weeks, but our hope is to still complete the full project.
19. Where is the money coming from to buy the “new” property? Possibly current investments intended for building projects or early contributions to the capital campaign.
20. What is happening with Pine Lake School? It has been used occasionally and will become an option to use for school when we find buyers for our current property.
21. Is anything being done about upkeep of Pine Lake School? General maintenance is going on.
22. A campaign for 4.5 million? Then we here the number 10 million. What is our goal? Ten million represents the estimated cost from June 2005 to build a new church and school on a new site. The 4.5 million is the recommendation from Phoenix Fundraising Counsel that can be raised over five years in our community.
23. How much of the new property is lowland? About 25% or 5 acres.
24. What would happen to Thornapple Road? The portion between Woodland Drive and Iverson would be abandoned. The intersections would remain to give access to the site.
25. Would we have to buy Thornapple from the city? We would follow the City’s procedures.
26. Can you drive through Thornapple now? Yes.

August 2006

Dear Parishioner,

As you know, our parish is working hard to plan for the future. We have spent many months gathering information, reviewing options, developing a facilities plan and looking at fundraising options.

The purpose of this letter is to advise you that our parish has decided to contract with Phoenix Fundraising Counsel, Ltd. of Madison, Wisconsin to conduct a capital campaign to assist us in moving our plans forward. This decision has been made after considerable prayer, discernment, and collaboration with the Pastoral and Finance Councils of the Nativity of Our Lord Parish Community.

We have come a long way since combining St. Joseph and St. Mary Parishes into Nativity of Our Lord Parish. It is time to build the future campus for our Nativity of Our Lord Parish.

I understand there will be questions and concerns regarding the campaign, so communication will be critical. A campaign Case Statement, which provides an introduction to this project, is enclosed for your review. Over the course of this project, we will do our best to address all of the critical issues and provide details regarding the sequence of events associated with the campaign. Nonetheless, as Catholic stewards, we have an obligation to move forward with fiduciary responsibility and we are called to sacrifice to the best of our God-given ability.

Over the course of the next several weeks, Phoenix representatives will be building a volunteer group of parishioners to work in the campaign organization. Small group meetings will also be held with parishioners to discuss the need for the project and the campaign process and to answer questions.

We have much to be thankful for at Nativity of Our Lord. This project will remind us that who we are as a community will go on long after we have left this world. Know that I am pleased and honored to serve as your Pastor. Please pray for the success of this capital campaign as we honor our past and anticipate our future.

Sincerely,

Fr. John Gerritts
Pastor

Case Statement

The parish and Fr. John recognize the “sacrificial gifts” of talent, time and treasure that our members have put forth to further our mission and strengthen our parish. We thank everyone who has made a commitment to support Nativity of Our Lord Parish and make it the place it is today.

Thanks to your support and commitment, we have successfully integrated two parish families and crafted a strategic plan for our parish of the future. Our vision and hard work have allowed us to reach out to a wide range of parishioners and the larger community. As a parish we now need to direct our efforts toward the next step—providing an environment that meets the physical and spiritual needs of our new parish family.

The A New Beginning capital campaign is our opportunity to further strengthen our parish programs and provide a campus that will support not only us but also the generations that follow us. Our campaign goal is to raise $4,500,000 in new pledges and cash to help us initiate our campus building plan.

We have all worshiped in churches we did not build and attended schools that we did not build. What we have done in the past, and what we plan for the future, speaks volumes about our commitment to our parish family. Our sacrifices today as we implement a plan for new facilities will reap benefits for years to come.

THE NEED

Following the formation of Nativity of Our Lord Parish in 2003, the parish established a Facilities Team to review the status of the present buildings and establish a long-range facilities plan. As good stewards of our resources we conducted a facility assessment. This assessment identified several needs, including bringing Nativity Parish together at one site, unifying worship services, helping parishioners experience a stronger sense of parish, improving efficiency both in the use of staff and in maintenance, providing improved and enhanced facilities for the school, and giving the parish a facility that will be more accommodating to the aging Oneida County population. The recommendation was that the parish work to locate all facilities either at an entirely new site or on an expanded St. Joseph site.

The parish has selected a site on Stevens Street on which to locate the future campus for Nativity of Our Lord church, school and parish offices.

THE PROCESS

In order to raise the funds necessary for this project, the parish has contracted with Phoenix Fundraising Counsel, Ltd. of Madison, Wisconsin to conduct the A New Beginning capital campaign.

What we know today as the Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Community is the cumulative effort of generations of parishioners past and present. Now is the time to consider what each of us can do to bring this project to fruition. To reach our goal and complete this project, each parishioner will be invited to be involved and to make a pledge to the campaign. The objective is to raise $4,500,000 in cash and pledges. Parishioners will have the option to make payments on any pledge for up to five years. There may be donors who prefer a longer or shorter pledge period and that may be arranged.

As we begin this formal campaign process and all parishioners are invited to consider a pledge, please know that we are grateful for all that you have done and continue to do for the parish.

When parishioners are invited to make their pledge to the campaign, they will be asked to consider their blessings and their obligations and to prayerfully determine how much of their blessings they will return to the parish in the form of their “sacrificial pledge”. They will also be invited to determine their payment schedule, pledge start date and the length of the pledge period.

To make the capital campaign feasible, it will be necessary to secure completed pledge forms from parishioners in stages. Because of the size of the parish, it would be impossible to contact all of the parish families in one step. Therefore, the campaign will be broken down into sections.

To implement the campaign activities, we will be building a campaign volunteer organization. This is to assure that every parishioner has an opportunity to talk to someone in person about the campaign and the project. This parishioner-to-parishioner approach, with the guidance of a Campaign Director, is critical for several reasons:

1) to give as many people as possible a personal contact and the chance to ask questions;

2) to more easily keep track of correspondence and pledges;

3) to promote parish community and signify the importance of everyone to this process;

4) to do everything possible to make this project a success for the parish. Volunteers will not ask for money—their job is to answer questions and provide assistance as the process moves forward.

OUR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Community continues to need your prayers, your forward-looking generosity, your enthusiastic commitment, and your dedicated service to provide future generations with quality facilities in which to carry out programs and services in support of the parish’s mission as a community of faith.

We have all worshipped in churches that we did not build and we have all been educated in schools that we did not build. It is through our “sacrificial pledge” to the A New Beginning capital campaign that we will provide current and future members with a beautiful worship space and state of the art school facilities for Nativity of Our Lord Parish.

8/1/06