Westminster Presbyterian Church 2155 University Ave. Dubuque, IA 52001 563-583-1729 www.wpcdbq.org loren@wpcdbq.org

Property Improvements 1

2

Youth News 3

5

Mission News 4

6

Church News 6

WAM Groups 2

5

Calendar 7

Worship Info 8

Inside this issue:

August 2019 Volume XIX, Issue 8

FROM YOUR

WESTMINSTER

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FOUNDATION:

Be a WILLing Christian… Remember Westminster Presbyterian Church in your WILL.

Westminster Property Update

As many of you have heard by now, we are facing some property challenges that we will need to address in a timely manner. These challenges remind me that our property is nearing 60 years old. Thus, I expect that we will be facing additional and unknown future needs (both in upgrades and basic maintenance) as we continue forward following God’s will. I’m certain that many of you have owned homes that have needed increased maintenance work done on them as they grew older (while you remained the same age, of course!). The church is no different; we will need to continue to address property challeng-es as they inevitably arise.

The three challenges that we need to address now are:

Replace the four main church boilers (estimated cost $50,000)

Replace 14 air conditioner/heater units for classes and Fellowship Hall (estimated cost $50,000).

Replace the rubber “EPDM” roof material over the church (NOT the Sanctuary roof) (estimated cost $250,000).

Allow me to discuss each of these in order. First, let’s discuss the boilers. The four existing boilers serve to keep the sanctuary and other areas of the church warm during the winter using steam heat. They were installed approximately 13 years ago. They are outside of their warranty coverage. They have been inspected on a yearly basis. This year’s inspection un-covered a significant accumulation of ‘pin-hole’ perforations in the boiler system. These cannot be repaired in a safe manner and the components with the holes cannot be replaced separate from the main boiler itself. Thus, we are faced with the reality that the boilers must be replaced. Jeff and the property committee have researched possible options for us and have determined that the most cost-effective solution is to purchase four new boilers. These new boilers will have a 20 year estimated life span and have a five year warranty on parts, with a longer warranty on some components. Jeff will be available at the congrega-tional meeting to further describe the reasons for purchasing four boilers (instead of fewer, larger boilers), as well as answering any additional questions you have. Session has given approval to purchase and install these new boilers prior to needing them this Fall/Winter. We will utilize our Major Maintenance Fund and our Unrestricted Reserve Fund. See below to see the current state of these funds.

Second, let’s discuss the A/C – heater units. These 14 units are scattered around the church in the Fellowship Hall and in various classrooms upstairs. They are geothermal units. Currently, three of them have been replaced. Replacing each of them costs roughly $3,500 apiece. This brings the total cost to roughly $50,000. We will not replace them until they break. Thus, we will not have a need for this entire amount at any one time. However, given the rate at which they have been failing, we anticipate that we will need to replace many of them over the next year or two. Of course, we have no way of knowing exactly at what rate they will fail. These units have been in the church for approximately 18 years. ...continued on page 2

Volume XIX, Issue 8 Page 2

Continued from page 1

They are also out of warranty coverage. The property committee feels that there are no good alternative options other than to replace them with similar units as they fail. Some of these units work together to heat and cool the Fellowship Hall so we could potentially get by without one or two of them if absolutely necessary. The three units that have been replaced have come from the Property budget, which are unbudgeted expenses. This may result in Property going over budget for this year. They are doing their best to stay in budget and Session is monitoring this situation. Unrestricted funds can be used to help cover their costs this year if needed. Again, see below for the status of the Unrestricted Reserve Funds.

Finally, let’s discuss the roof. There are two different roofs over the church. The first is the metal roof over the Sanctu-ary. That roof is NOT needing to be replaced. The second roof covers the remainder of the building (educational wing and Fellowship Hall). This roof does need to be replaced in 3 years or so. We have the roof inspected yearly and maintenance is done on suspected leaks and danger spots. At the last inspection in July this year, the inspector announced that he projects replacement in 3 years. If we do not replace it, the roof will develop more and larger leaks. Often, we do not know of a leak until months or even years after damage begins. This roof was installed 24 years ago. It had an estimated 20 year lifespan. It is also out of warranty coverage. These types of roofs (called Rubber or “EPDM” or “Flat roofs”) have a lifespan of 20-25 years. The cost is estimated to be roughly $250,000 in current dollars. By the way, this estimate seems appropriate to me. The previous church I served replaced their flat roof of roughly half this size for a little more than half this cost. There are not many alternatives to the rubber membrane approach for this roof.

Jeff will be available at the congregational meeting to answer any additional questions or to add clarity to these comments.

The current status of our funds available to address these challenges is as follows:

• Major Maintenance Fund - $20,000

• Unrestricted Reserve Fund - $91,574.14

• Roof Settlement Fund (to be used for roofing expenses) - $80,981.60

Our short-term plan is to begin to utilize the Major Maintenance and Unrestricted Funds to replace the boilers and replace the A/C-Heater units as needed. Session has also approved the formation of a Capital Campaign Committee to begin to raise the needed funds for the roof, to replace funds spent on the boilers, and to prepare us for future property challenges as they appear. There is never a good time to begin a capital campaign, and we do realize that you just completed a campaign. However, we also recognize that these are expensive and extensive replacements that must be addressed. We also recognize that other issues will appear, and we want to be in a position to address them. As I’ve been saying in worship, I refuse to fear this for two reasons: first, we have the short-term funds needed and we have the time needed to raise additional funds, and, second, our main job is to worship and serve God. As we worship and serve, I’m convinced that God will reward us by allowing us to move forward in the way that best serves God’s needs.

WAM GROUPS & Contacts - see binder in narthex for more info

Game Night Thurs., Aug. 29, 6:30-8:30 in Fellowship Hall

Do you like a challenge? Are you competitive? Want to

try new games? We have the WAM for you! Everyone

is welcome. Please bring a snack to share and your fa-

vorite board or table game. We’ll have lemonade and

iced tea and probably popcorn.

You can come and go as you wish.

We’ll have a DVD and Legos for children.

Group Contact Activity

Conversations & Yarn-Linda Stovall-Knitting for all!

Wednesday Walkers-Becky Shellabarger-Walking for exercise & conversation

Woodworkers -Loren Shellabarger-Woodworking with a greater purpose

Game Night -Jean Cheever- Socializing & Competition

Watch for more to get started!

Page 3 HOTLINE

Youth Faith Formation News

Junior Nursery

Helpers are needed. Those

interested in helping in the

nursery must be in 5th

grade and have passed a

babysitting class. See Lisa

Fast for more information.

Unity Point Babysitting Class

August 12 from 5:30-8:45 pm

September 23 from 5:30-8:45 pm

Register on line: www.unitypoint.org

There is a cost for this service.

Save the Dates

August 25th Teacher training day for youth

September 8th first day of Sunday school

September 15th Official Youth Group Kickoff

September 15th Ice-cream & Cookie Social

October 27th Children’s Sabbath

December 8th Christmas Pageant

Our very energetic high schoolers and adult leaders

made it back from the Here’s My Heart Triennium.

During the week they were spiritually fed through

worship, song, small groups, and meeting teens just

like them! Even with scorching hot temps and long

days triennium has left them with new energy,

excitement and love for their faith . Many thanks to

Allie and Sam for taking time from their summer!

Volume XIX, Issue 8 Page 4

More Mission News

FACTS ABOUT HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY

Right now and every day, millions of people across our world – and right here in Dubuque – are struggling with hunger. These households are forced to make tough decisions about providing food for their families or paying their rent or mortgage, paying for transportation, or paying medical bills. We may not be aware of it, but we come in contact everyday with people affected by hunger. These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days.

Food insecurity means lacking reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food because of lack of money or availability. For a household that struggles with food insecurity, the reason is often poverty. There is simply not enough money in the household to ensure that everyone has access to a healthy diet. The impact can be harmful, particularly to the health and development of children and seniors. The cost of food and particularly healthy food is high.

The goal of our Westminster Hunger Outreach Team is to demonstrate God’s love and put our faith in action by caring for our neighbors and combating hunger and food insecurity.

KEY DATES FOR WPC HUNGER OUTREACH TEAM

Sunday, August 18 9:30 AM Hunger Outreach Project blessed and Hunger Outreach Team volunteers commissioned during worship.

10:45 AM Hunger Outreach Team Meeting for all volunteers in Fellowship Hall. Final check and work assignments.

Tuesday, August 20 7:00 PM Hunger Outreach Team Make-Up Meeting for those who were not able to attend the August 18 meeting.

Friday, August 23 12:00 PM Set-up for project begins. Food arrives from St. Stephen’s Food Bank and is unloaded and organized in Fellowship Hall. Team assisted by students from Loras College.

Saturday, August 24 8:00 AM Fresh foods arrive. Team members arrive based on assignment. Final set-up and walk thru.

9:00 AM Food Distribution begins and continues until all families are served or supplies exhausted, approximately 11 AM.

For more information contact Tom Stovall at (563) 581-7220 or at tomstov@aol.com

Page 5 HOTLINE

Westminster’s Newest Team – Rise and Shine!

WAM Groups are started! I’ve had quite a few people suggest different ideas for WAM Groups to me. I’ve heard about ideas involving the County Fair, to supper gatherings, to evenings out, to gardening, and many other things as well. These are all great ideas! The purpose of WAM Groups is to create and build on relationship, both within the church and into the greater community. So, to all of you who are thinking of these great ideas for WAM Groups, my advice to you is to get yours started! Now, you may be asking how you can go about doing that.

To start a WAM Group, you can do one of two things. First, you can go to the Narthex and open up the “WAM Group” binder. In that binder, you’ll find information about the groups that have already been started. You’ll also find blank forms that you can fill out to let everyone know about a group that you’d like to start. The second thing, is to call or email the office and have us send or email you a form and return it to us. It’s really just that simple! Now, perhaps you’re concerned that nobody else will share your interest. Fair enough. If you aren’t sure, talk with a couple of folks that might also be interested and between all of you, I think you’ll come up with a great idea that will spark interest from others as well.

Remember, the goal of these groups is to fulfill some portion of our vision statement: Inviting All, Exploring Faith, Experiencing God. If you have an idea for a group that addresses some portion (or all!) of this statement, then I urge you to get it started. Let’s get active about making our vision statement a reality!

I know there are more of you with some great ideas for groups. Send us your information and we’ll be sure to include your group in the next Hotline. We also will be putting information about our WAM Groups on the website and in the bulletin. Watch for more to get started!

Do you want to learn how to help others in ways that truly affect their lives? Do you want to make lifelong friends? Are you between 4 years old and 5th grade? If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions (or you know someone who can), then Rise and Shine is for you! This new youth group will focus on serving others and building relationships. We’ll meet twice a month starting this fall, on the first and third Sundays of the month in the afternoons, corresponding to the older youth meeting times (to help families with youth in both groups).

The focus of this group will be to learn to serve others and to build relationships. How will we serve others? The youth will work on a variety of projects that show love to other people. You may have heard that the church now owns a 3D printer. The Rise and Shine youth will become part of the E-nable project (See enablingthefuture.org). This project serves to connect people who need artificial hands with people willing to print hands for them. These hands are fully functional and serve as a way to get help to people who cannot afford the high cost of artificial limbs. Rise and Shine youth will also work on projects to help celebrate baptisms, confirmands, and new members.

We’ll also work on building relationships. Each month, we’ll spend some time talking about our relationship with God, asking and answering questions about worship, Christian life, justice, love, and faith. Rise and Shine will also spend time playing games that teach lessons about teamwork, friendships, and relationships. We’ll be starting this fall, so be watching for more information on what is coming!

Page 6

Westminster Vital Statistics

Average Sunday Worship Attendance for July

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014

142 142 144 138 132 165

Financial Stewardship through July 2019

(numbers rounded to the nearest 1,000)

Year-to-Date Operating Budget $207,000 2019 Expenses 202,000 2019 Income 214,000 Income over Expenses 12,000

Thanks for your faithfulness! To God be the glory!

Church News

The Sympathy of the Congregation is extended to

the family and friends of:

• Betsey Shifflett, member

• Dale Repass, member

Mission Team News

• Just a reminder that the Red Basket Event will be happening Saturday, September 14th from 10:30 - 12:00.

Supplies for the event can be put in the basket under the Mission News bulletin board. Please remember to avoid "Super Items" if possible. Come join and meet people from the community that come to this event. If you have questions contact: Linda Stovall at LinStov@aol.com.

• The congregation gave $250 for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. The Mission Team matched that amount. The check was given toward the buckets used for personal items after families lose everything. These bucket were done by the children that attended Synod School the week of July 21st.

We really appreciate all the support for the gardens from everyone.

FRESH PRODUCE given away this summer from Westminster's Mission Gardens totals 532 lbs. "YOU give them something to eat."

IMPORTANT!

We are having trouble getting accurate reports from the Hospitals of our members

who are patients. Pastor Loren and the Deacons would like to visit you, if possible.

So, to be sure we are informed, please have a family member call the church office to notify

us. In the meantime, stay healthy!

Jesus speaking to his disciples in Mark 6. "About five thousand people were fed that day."

DACU

(Dubuque Area Congregations United)

Next Meeting—Tues., Aug. 27th - 6:00 p.m.

Annual Welcome Back Picnic

Dubuque Arboretum

Josh Jaspers from Resources Unite

6 pm gathering 6:30 dinner.

Group Potluck Dinner.

Crop Walk Kickoff.

Off They Go Westminster Mission Trip to Marshalltown,

August 14, 15, & 16

Please Pray for our team as they work with Habitat for Humanity repairing houses damaged by last year’s

tornado.

—go to website for a larger version

Volume XIX, Issue 8 Page 7 AUGUST Calendar

August 4 Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Led by Edgewater Youth Coalition & Pastor Emily Heitzman Sermon: "Who is My Neighbor?" August 11 Rev. Dr. Loren Shellabarger Theme: Being Called for Service and Salvation August 18 Rev. Dr. Loren Shellabarger Theme: David — peaks and valleys August 25 Rev. Dr. Loren Shellabarger Theme: Jonah and being a blessing September 1 Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Rev. Dr. Loren Shellabarger Theme: Elijah and Elisha; seeing and overcoming obstacles

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