The mission of Peace Lutheran Church is to share the love of Jesus Christ with the people of our community and unite them into our family of faith.

• Touching lives
• Welcoming all
• Sharing the truth
• Serving the community

To be the center of faith, family, and fellowship for the WingHaven community and surrounding area.

I envision Peace Lutheran Church as a center of faith, family, and fellowship for the Winghaven community and surrounding area. I envision a facility consisting of sanctuary, classrooms, administrative, and general purpose space on an 8 acre parcel of the “CDP property.” The worshiping community will benefit from a sanctuary with worship capacity for several hundred. Education space will accommodate the Sunday morning and midweek evening needs of the congregation. But what about facility utilization during the daytime hours during the week?

Perhaps in an effort to feel less separated from the kids during the day and improve the commuting time and logistics of childcare, the latest trend in American childcare is “on-site“ childcare. Located across the street from the planned development of the corporate headquarter campus and across the “lake” from several thousand employees of Mastercard, what could be more on-site? Therefore I see an Early Childhood Center serving the childcare needs of the community. This will serve as a primary outreach connection point for families who are without a church home, as well. The Early Childhood Center represents a win-win situation for church and community.

Furthermore, Winghaven is a community with many sidewalks and bikes. Yet it has no school in the interior of the community. Couple that with the area’s demographic and appetite for quality Christian education, that means a school to me—a K-8 school that the kids can walk or ride their bikes to. This goal may or may not be longer-term than the Early Childhood Center.

Ultimately, in years to come, I envision Peace Lutheran Church as a significant draw for people moving in to Western St. Charles County in terms of their home buying decisions. The quality of the school and church as well as its integral part of this “small town” feeling community will give the Winghaven community a distinctly Lutheran presence in years to come.

The community to be served is located on the central US 40 highway corridor in growing St. Charles County, Missouri. The southern part of the O’Fallon, MO area has been expanding over the past 3-5 years both commercially and residentially. The Mastercard Corporation, during this time has relocated their world headquarters to the area. Other national and regional businesses have followed suit relocating to the developing high-tech corridor, Missouri Research Park. Residential development is booming. The nearest LCMS congregation (Messiah, Weldon Spring) is approximately 7 miles to the east. Immanuel Wentzville is about the same distance to the west.

At the center of this developing community is the Winghaven development. This “planned community” is designed to reclaim the sense of community many people agree has been lost in suburban America over the last few generations. Design features like abundant sidewalks, common areas and playgrounds, a golf course and country club, and a centrally-located, quaint “downtown village” all support the community’s efforts to reclaim a small town feel. The community has apparently planned for everything—except a church. One large long-standing Presbyterian Church exists within a mile of the center of the development. One large long-standing Catholic church is located approximately 2 miles from the center of the community. The Catholic church hosts a K-8 day school. An independent Catholic High School, “Barat Academy” is currently under construction in the next development to the east, Barathaven, and is expected to open in the Fall of 2007.

Many subdivisions are springing up around the Winghaven area, especially to the south and west as residential building remains aggressive.

St. Charles County is one of the 2% fastest growing counties in the United States. This amounted to a population growth of over 9,200 last year alone. Much of this growth is occurring along the US 40 high tech corridor much of which is within this ministry’s radius of influence (5 miles).

The demographic for the Winghaven (O’Fallon) area is described very simply: Kids & Cul-de-sacs and Winner’s Circle.

Kids & Cul-de-Sacs
Upscale, suburban, married couples with children—that’s the skinny on Kids & Cul-de-Sacs, an enviable lifestyle of large families in recently built subdivisions. This segment is a refuge for college-educated, white-collar professionals with administrative jobs and upper-middle-class incomes. Their nexus of education, affluence, and children translates into large outlays for child-centered products and services. This demographic group makes up 31% of the total population.

Winner’s Circle
Among the wealthy suburban lifestyles, Winner’s Circle is the youngest, a collection of mostly 25-to-34-year-old couples with large families in new-money subdivisions. Surrounding their homes are the signs of upscale living: recreational parks, golf courses, and upscale malls. With a median income of nearly $90,000, Winner’s Circle residents are big spenders who like to travel, ski, go out to eat, shop at clothing boutiques, and take in a show. This group makes up 26% of the population.

Faith Involvement Level
36.4% of the community are “Strongly Involved with Their Faith.”
32.5% are “Somewhat Involved with Their Faith.”
30.6% are “Not Involved with Their Faith.”


This means that over 63%, or almost two-thirds of the community do not have a meaningful, daily relationship with Jesus Christ or a connection with a family of faith.

19.5% of households claim a Lutheran preference (3X the national average). 28.2% say they are Catholic.

4.7% are baptized Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
1.8% attend weekly worship services.

In 2005 The Armstrong Group (TAG), our strategic planning partner conducted a community study of average residents of western St. Charles County. The anonymous survey was intended to capture the attitudes and felt needs of typical residents. The survey was conducted under the guise of a potential non-profit community service organization considering locating in western St. Charles County.

In general, the people of western St. Charles County indicate reasons for having moved to the County as 1) Competitive real estate prices, 2) relatively low crime rate, 3) newness/progressiveness of the community, and 4) the family orientation of the community.

When asked about the outstanding needs or things that could still be improved in the area, they said things like 1) improved traffic, 2) more athletic/soccer fields for the kids, and 3) safe/positive youth/teen activities.

Felt concerns/needs of the average family were indicated as concern over strong, healthy marriages; concern over raising teens; and things to do as a family.

Interestingly, although the community focus groups were not religiously oriented, almost all of the 5 groups (if not all) raised religion as an important factor in their lives. A large proportion of those surveyed indicated a Lutheran preference or membership, although many indicated a loose affiliation with a congregation, but not an active involvement.

Eighty seven (87%) of Christian congregations in America are either plateaued or declining in membership. In an effort to help understand this trend, Group Publishing and the Gallup Research group surveyed American Christians. Their goals were two-fold. First, they sought to discover the percentage of people in America who consider themselves “very satisfied” with their congregation. The study showed that the majority of American Christians are currently “very satisfied” with their church. The second objective of the study was to discover, among those who are “very satisfied,” what are the key characteristics of their church leading to their satisfaction. The three most outstanding trends were that “very satisfied” people said, 1) they had at least one close friend at their church with whom they socialized with away from church, 2) they felt personally connected to others in the congregation, and 3) the pastor knew their names [an indication of readiness for pastoral care].

For a congregation only in existence since September 11, 2005, Peace is currently in an enviable position by most mission congregation”s standards.

Personnel
The congregation currently has a full-time pastor trained in church planting, a part-time Music and Worship director, two Concordia Seminary student field-workers, and many dedicated, talented, and willing members. The congregation is also blessed with many active and talented lay officers and ministry leaders.

Facilities
Since its inception, the congregation has worshipped in the Hilton Garden Inn near the Winghaven community proper. We will call this period in the history of the congregation “Phase I.” During the winter of 2006-07, however, we purchased a 5,100 sq ft (approx) “empty shell spec building” in the heart of the Winghaven community. A general contractor has been hired and the interior of the “Phoenix Village Parkway building” is currently being configured as a worship sanctuary capable of seating approximately 200 and an educational/fellowship/administrative wing. The congregation will move into the “Phase II” facility in the early Spring 2007.

Property
In addition to the Phoenix Village Parkway building (Phase II facility), Peace has partnered with Church Development Partners of Orange California. CDP is a non-profit Recognized Service Organization of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. CDP’s mission is to provide place and space for ministry at the lowest possible cost to congregations. Typically, they partner with LC-MS mission congregations (or existing congregations seeking to expand) who are seeking land for ministry. Thus organization consists of real estate developers, architects, planners, lawyers, and facility consultants. Peace currently owns 43 acres in Winghaven purchased through partnership with CDP and the Lutheran Church Extension Fund. The land is adjacent to the picturesque Mastercard World Headquarter campus and shares a 1 acre man-made lake with a fountain. The property is located just off Winghaven Blvd (the main 4 lane thoroughfare through the community) and approximately a quarter mile from the US 40 and Winghaven Blvd interchange.

CDP is planning to develop the land, sell off 35 acres, and give Peace 8 acres of ministry space at no cost. CDP has preliminarily indicated that they plan to develop the acreage on the shoreline of “Lake Mastercard” as an executive corporate office park (approximately 15 acres). The “lower” 20 acres are planned as a single home residential development. The remaining 8 acres will be deeded to Peace. Topographically, the 8 acre Peace allotment is the highest point in the local vicinity; a theological and visibility b onus. It is important to note that contractually, Peace has absolutely no rights whatsoever to the 8 acre parcel until CDP completes the development and sale of the out parcels. This process typically takes 3 years, but can take as long as 5 years. God willing, this property will be the site of Phases III+.

The congregation also has cash assets of approximately $85,000 as of January 2007.

Current Term: Phase I (remainder of Year 0)
The focus for the remainder of Phase I will be preparing for Phase II and the re-launch of the ministry in the Phoenix Village Parkway facility. This facility will give us the opportunity to position the ministries to serve the primary demographic of our community. The tactics that will be of critical importance for the remainder of Phase I are as follows.

1) Master the ministry of welcoming and following-up with guests

2) Initiate picture directory project

3) Launch new website development

4) Mobilize the new kid’s ministry program

5) Solidify the worship ensemble and scheduling musicians for weekly worship

6) Mobilize and train the Children’s Message Team

7) Mobilize the elders for ministries of calling, visiting, and caring

8) Plan and mobilize youth program

9) Plan Bible studies at adult and youth levels for Phase II

10) Plan adult information classes

11) Plan adult confirmation classes

12) Prepare the building for Phase II

Short Term: Phase II (Years 1-3)
The focus of Phase II in the Phoenix Village Parkway facility will be to grow the membership through aggressive Outreach and evangelism and continued discipleship. Focusing on both Biblically-based and felt need educational programs will serve the discipleship process. Also, during this phase, focus on getting people connected through small groups or similar relationship and faith building opportunities will be pivotal. Continuing to leverage Peace’s strengths of friendliness and community building will be essential through a continued fellowship emphasis.

1) Welcome and follow-up with visitors and guests

2) Hold new member information classes

3) Conduct adult confirmation classes

4) Conduct youth confirmation classes (not held in the summer)

5) Integrate newcomers into the ministry

6) Plan and initiate Wednesday night family night program

7) Nurture member faith to contribute to the multi-dimensional (in, up, and out) growth of the congregation.

8) Initiate stewardship program with LCEF

9) Initiate Strategic Facility Planning process with CDP

10) Initiate Open Arms Study for Early Childhood Center

11) Initiate Genesis Study for K-12 school

Medium Term: Phase III (Years 4-6)
Phase III covers the plan to build a new facility on the CDP property. In this phase we will want to position the ministry for additional growth and a more central role in the lives of families in the community.

The need for early childhood care in the Winghaven area is expected to continue. The Goddard School in Winghaven has reportedly had a waiting list for a while. Although they recently completed a facility expansion, they are now land-locked. Therefore it is expected that the need for these services will continue to outpace the availability. Additionally, with the expected development of the corporate headquarters properties to compliment the Mastercard facilities, the need for early childhood care will be local to the Phase III facility.

The Phase III facility will incorporate a worship facility, parish educational facilities, and an early childhood center. The early childhood center will offer daycare, preschool, and kindergarten programs. An “Open Arms” early childhood center model is a strategic fit for a congregation wanting to build a facility and serve a need of the community. Typically, the early childhood center is a cash-neutral proposition when built in combination with worship facilities. That is to say, revenues from the early childhood center tend to pay for both the early childhood facility and the congregational worship space. The educational space, being used for both for parish education and early childhood care, is utilized for ministry to the community 7 days a week. This is both good stewardship and an avenue for effective outreach.

An “Open Arms” feasibility market study should be launched during Phase II.

Long Term: Phase IV (Years 7-10)
The appetite for quality Christian education has always been high. The planned community of Winghaven has neither a school within its community proper, nor a Christian school. Education is what Lutherans do best. So, during this phase we want to extend the community-based educational offerings by planning and building a K-8 day school campus. Given the affluency of the community (average household income of more than $100,000/yr) it is expected that the K-8 school ministry would be self-supporting. That is, the tuition would fully cover the operation of the faculty, staff, and operating expenses.

A “Genesis” feasibility market study should be launched during either Phase II or III; preferably II.

The congregation values strategic thinking and planned vision realization. This has been evident during Phase I as we have worked closely on several occasions with The Armstrong Group (TAG) and Chief Visionary Officer Kevin Ford. Kevin has been instrumental in helping us to understand and begin to develop a vision for this ministry that resonates both with the community around us and our core values and beliefs. This work in the early stages of the congregation has been so important to us, we will bind together with other ministries and organizations that think similarly. This is being formalized by our planned membership in the Healthy Church Institute. The Healthy Church Institute is a formal association born out of TAG that mates strategic congregations in peer group relationships and provides planned consulting opportunities as “a way of life.”

Summary of Key Features/Strategies of This Ministry

Understanding the community and the context of ministry leads to several features that will be definitive to this congregation.

• Vibrant Worship (Worshipful, Substantive, Uplifting)
• Children/Family-centered Ministries
• Focus Not on “Membership”, but on Discipleship as a key indicator of growth
• Christian Education That Intersects With the Lives of the People
• Ministries Addressing the Felt Needs of the Community
• Strong Pastoral and Human Care
• Strategic Thinking and Planning Will Be the Basis for Vision Realization
• Providing Evangelistic Events and Opportunities to Which Adults and Kids Alike “Can’t Wait to Invite Their Friends!”

Natural Growth (Migration)
Population Growth: St. Charles County is among the fastest growing Counties in the country. If this current trend in our area continues, what might this mean for expected growth within Peace’s radius of influence? Our demographic data projects the annual growth for Winghaven +3 mile radius to be approximately 3,000 people per year. If the Lutheran data applies for the Winghaven area of 4.7% baptized LC-MS and 1.8% weekly worshipers, the natural growth might affect us as follows.

3,000 (people to area) x 4.7% (baptized Lutheran) = 141 new baptized Lutherans per year

3,000 (people to area) x 1.8% (weekly worshipers) = 54 new worshipers per year

Of course these numbers assume that those migrating to this community intend to remain LC-MS. It does not guarantee, though, that they will choose Peace as their congregation simply because of proximity.

Nevertheless, it is imperative that we make ourselves known to the community so we can be easily found by the brothers and sisters in Christ who choose to migrate out Winghaven-ward. Even if, conservatively, the migrated Lutherans end up dividing between Immanuel-Wentzville and Peace, Peace could still see an annual migrant growth of about 27 people.

Intentional Growth (Outreach)
While the Church certainly needs to care for the spiritual needs of those already connected and committed Lutherans, we are, in fact, a mission congregation. This means we are also keenly interested in the 67% of our neighbors who do not have a meaningful connection with the church or, presumably, with Christ.

What if each member of Peace Lutheran Church were equipped and emboldened to reach out to at least one person a year with the gospel of Jesus Christ? What if we offered resources to help parishioners begin to feel more comfortable with talking about their faith with others? What if we routinely planned events that would be designed to be something that we could comfortably invite friends and neighbors to? What if these events were designed around a three-dimensional model of (in, out, and up). That is to say, these events would seek to build up and equip individuals (in) in their life/vocation (ie. Felt needs events and studies). Additionally, the events would glorify God (up). Biblically-based, we would teach people what God’s word has to say about leading Godly lives sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In this way, our outreach targeted studies seem highly relevant at first glance, and are, in fact, highly relevant by definition because they are Christ-centered and informed by the Word of God. Because they are relevant. members may be more likely to feel comfortable about inviting friends and neighbors. This, in and of itself, can be a powerful outreach (out) tool serving the community and the gospel.

OK! OK! What if only 25% of us could get at least one un-churched or de-churched person connected to the church each year? With a current core attendance of 65, that’s 16 new people reached for Christ just during the first year, 20 the second year, 25 the third year and so on! Are we willing to do this? More importantly, can God accomplish this through us? Most certainly!

Not to put a numerical limit on God and what He can do, but here is a summary of what the growth section has claimed.

Numerical Growth Projection Summary

However, even at only 30% growth per year, here’s what the growth pattern might look like over the next 5 years.

On the average, giving levels for Protestant churches in the United States averages approximately $1,000/year/average worship attendee. This number includes children, but obviously depends on a number of factors concerning the demographics of the congregation and community in general (ie. affluency, age distribution of congregants, stewardship faithfulness, etc.). Currently, Peace averages a little over $1,300/attendee. This is an indication that the core group is, on the average, very mature in its stewardship commitments.

Assuming, extremely conservatively, that newer Christians might be less mature in their stewardship lives (often times the actual case is quite the opposite, however), it might be estimated that the stewardship growth lags the worship attendance growth.

The following potential giving projections reflect a worship attendance growth of 30% annually, but a giving growth of only 20% annually.

Stewardship Growth Projection Summary

Note: Year end projections

Notice how it is expected that the average giving per attendee will drop as families with children are attracted to Peace. These families could conceivably be initially less mature from a stewardship standpoint. With maturity, though, this is expected to climb back to the $1,000/worshiper benchmark.

Notice, also, by the end of our agency support (by Year 4), the “Current Giving” equals the “Total Income.”

Congregational Cash Flow
The expected budget to finance the ministry during Year 1 is $185,164. With the current total (zero growth) expected income level of $149,651, this represents an initial deficit of approximately $35,513. Almost all mission starts show a budget deficit when zero growth is projected. The idea of a mission plant is fundamentally about growth, however. The question is, “Will the initial deficit be able to be overcome with expected growth?” Can we fund the initial deficit in the short term with existing resources? Currently, Peace has accumulated approximately $85,000 in cash assets.

The following data show the 5-year cash flow projections based on the above growth assumptions.

Ministry Cash Flow Projection Summary

Notice how, although the ministry starts out with a deficit, the deficit is rapidly reduced according to previously discussed growth projections. In fact, a deficit only occurs in the first year of ministry and again in Year 4 due to the loss of outside agency funding. Although the Cash Assets are diminished slightly during deficit years, it never comes close to depletion and, in fact, by the end of Year 5 it blossoms to more than $110,000.

All the data shown is presented with one simple purpose; to show how God has blessed this ministry so far. We can move forward with courage and boldness knowing that, not only the Lord of all in charge, but all that we are and have is His and His alone. We are simply stewards of His gifts—gifts given for the furthering of His kingdom through the growth of the Church. The data are presented for the sake of good stewardship. Good planning based on a careful analysis of the ministry at hand is always good stewardship. But, careful and strategic planning is never a replacement or substitute for the uncompromised trust in Jesus Christ as the Lord of the Church. It is for His glory, and purely empowered by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that we build.