ONE EASTER ONE MISSION
one Easter
In about 1994, Easter’s leadership planned to expand our community outreach and ministry capabilities by expanding our facilities to meet the needs of our growing congregation. A land search was initiated, land was purchased, a facility master plan was created, building construction initiated and in 2001 Easter began ministry at Easter by the Lake. Available resources limited the extent of facility development of our by the Lake property at that time, and has been a barrier since. Operational impacts of two sites have been experienced by the congregation and staff for over 20 years. Described in the following outline is the process to complete the development of Easter by the Lake and consolidate our congregational ministry to one-site. This will complete the vision and master plan that began almost 30 years ago.
The Congregation has voted YES on September 29, 2024
Exciting news from our congregation! After a heartfelt meeting on Sunday, September 29, we have voted to approve the sale of the real property of Easter Lutheran Church, Hill Location, and the total project expense of the expansion at the Lake site. We are filled with excitement and emotion as we look forward to this new chapter. Thank you for your support—together, we are ready for the future!
DESIGN IMAGES
Update June 28, 2024
Easter People,
Our One Site team has been working extremely hard and we haven’t had a chance to tell you what we’ve been up to! And so many of you have expressed your excitement and curiosity that I know it’s time to give you an update.
Let me fill you in on a few details:
Our Design Team continues to meet with our architect and contractor to move our new building plans along. We’ve been deep in conversation about everything from sanctuary design to HVAC systems to storage areas. I’ve included a few pictures to help you see how things are progressing. Just picture being able to be all together in this beautiful, new space!
Our realtor and property sale advisors have seen God at work in matching us with an interested buyer for the Hill site. Another worshiping congregation is excited to grow and share the gospel in this building. Better yet, their schedule allows us to stay in the building to worship, do administration, and continue with preschool until our new space is ready. The flexibility is something we have prayed for. We are currently working on a purchase agreement with them. Keep watching for an announcement of a congregational meeting later this summer to discuss and vote on the sale of the Hill site.
Our finance team continues to manage cash flow, giving, planned Hill sale proceeds, and applications for a mortgage. God is good, and God’s generosity is known through your giving. Thank you for the incredible generosity you have shared that continues to move this project forward. It’s essential that we have the clearest possible picture of our finances at this time, and so, if you have been waiting to give your very best gift to Easter’s annual budget or capital appeal, now is the time.
We’re looking forward to celebrating Easter past and present later this fall. Keep listening for details of the ways we will mark 50 years of ministry here in Eagan and the history-making groundbreaking at the Lake site. We are planning a special ceremony on All Saints Sunday, November 3, following worship. I’m so excited to mark the incredible work this congregation has done in its past and get excited for the ways we’re building an even stronger future together.
This is just some of what is going on, and I know you want to hear and see more.
Join us at one of the upcoming One Easter Engagements where you can hear from our architect, see plans, learn about the schedule, and get as excited as I am about what God is up to here at Easter:
July 15: 7 pm at the Lake
July 21: 11:15 (after worship) at the Hill
July 24: 6 PM at the Lake
I want to be very clear: this is happening.
It is time for Easter to be one church under one roof, united in body, mind, and spirit under the one mission in which the Spirit leads us. I can think of no better way to rejoice in 50 years of powerful ministry than to do the work of getting us fully prepared for the next 50 years. Together, we are building a facility where we will care for our neighbors, teach our children, sustain our faith, and celebrate the good news for years to come. For updates and information, you can always visit easter.org/onesite.
We’re doing this together. God is good, and I know it because I know you.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Megan Torgerson
Your questions, comments or ideas are always welcome. Feel free to contact Pastor Megan, Cathie Ford, or Gary Ehret directly or pass thoughts on through any staff member.
One Easter One Mission Capital Campaign
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.
Ephesians 4:4
God of the promise, you call your people together into your one mission in Christ’s name. Make us brave, grant us peace, challenge our expectations, and empower us to truly follow your Spirit’s lead. You are our one God who calls us together as one people, and we thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
One Easter. One mission: to grow in faith and carry on the work of Jesus Christ. Together we share the vision and goal of being in one location to Worship, Gather in Community, and Work in Ministry together.
Generosity Brings Joy Storybook!
Stories by Easter People: Click below
Weekly One Easter One Mission Bulletin Inserts:
ONE EASTER ONE MISSION
Update from One Site Design Committee (March 8, 2024) | Cathie Ford and Gary Ehret Co-chairs
On February 4, 2024, we had a wonderful turnout from our congregation to hear more about the ONE EASTER project. The congregation was asked to consider a motion to approve proceeding with additional expenditures for the project not to exceed $500,000. The motion as proposed was specifically for costs to move the project to the next stage of development between February 4, 2024, and April 30, 2024. The motion was overwhelming supported by over 200 members in attendance.
What has happened since February 4 and how are expenditures are being used?
Immediately after February 4, three primary design related activities were initiated.
First: A geotechnical consultant was hired to complete a thorough investigation of the soil and subgrade conditions on the site. This was done through drilling or “boring” in 12 locations throughout the site area where construction is proposed. These borings determine soil characteristics, foundation bearing capacities, water levels, and other factors critical to the design of the building foundations and the parking lot design.
Second: A professional land surveyor was hired to complete a detailed survey of the entire Lake property site. Like the geotechnical investigation, this information is very important to understanding the specific characteristics of the site as we proceed into the design phase with the Architects and Engineers.
Third: A new contract was initiated with HGA Architects to proceed into the schematic design phase of the project. In this phase, the Architects begin to work with our design committee, staff, and volunteer members of the congregation to better understand our programs, ministry needs and hopes. They use this information to begin more detailed plans and layouts for room sizes, locations, uses, and needs.
The OneSite design committee held their first meeting to initiate the schematic design process on February 5, 2024. The design committee consists of 10 members: Mitch Berger, Rick Dahl, Gary Ehret (co-chair), Cathie Ford (co-chair), Rachel Gill (staff), Neil Groon, Sheryl Johnson, Rolf Lokensgard, Jason Staebell, and Pastor Megan Torgerson (staff).
Through the month of February and early March working groups made up of design committee members, staff and volunteers representing ministry areas have been meeting with the HGA Architect team to dive into details. Working groups have focused on the preliminary design of the Sanctuary and Music spaces, the Kitchen area, the youth and preschool spaces, and the administration areas. Tremendous input is being provided, and the design committee and Architect team are beginning to explore exciting ideas for construction of the project.
Your questions, comments or ideas are always welcome. Feel free to contact Pastor Megan, Cathie Ford, or Gary Ehret directly or pass thoughts on through any staff member.
LEARN MORE
HOW TO BE GENEROUS
What an exciting time to be a part of Easter Lutheran Church! You can feel the Spirit’s energy as we gather for worship, faith formation, and fellowship. Our new pastors bring creativity and stability to the work of the church. We look ahead to one joint ministry at the corner of Pilot Knob and Cliff.
As Easter people, your financial generosity makes this ministry possible. There are many ways to be generous. Here are three of the many ways you can be generous.
GIFTS FROM INCOME
Many Easter people provide support as a portion of their income. In the church, and across all non-profit organizations, this is the most common type of gift. People give to Easter’s ongoing ministry through their ongoing income. Some calculate a percentage of income. Others determine a simple dollar amount. Others give gifts to specific appeals as they feel moved. Consistency is the key to giving from income. A gift of $20 per week adds up to over $1,000 in the course of a year. Where writing a check for $1,200 one time per year could be hard, providing $100 per month as an automatic draft can be very manageable for people.
PLANNED GIFTS
For many families, the largest gift they will ever give comes through their estate. Easter has a history of estate gifts making a huge impact on our ministry. This type of gift comes in many forms. Some name the congregation in their will. Others list Easter as a beneficiary of an IRA or life insurance policy.
GIFTS FROM ASSETS
Others are able to provide gifts from some their assets. While some share these gifts for Easter’s ongoing ministry, gifts from assets often allow families to give significant, one-time gifts to make a specific project possible. Gifts from assets can include gifts from savings, CDs, stocks, IRAs, or mutual funds. There can be significant tax savings for people giving assets. Appreciated assets will normally have capital gains taxes due, but the church is exempt from those. For those who are age 70.5 or older, there are special ways to give directly from your traditional IRA to the church which allows you to get credit for any Required Minimum Distribution that may be due and you avoid having to pay income taxes. The church can provide assistance with asset and IRA gifts.
Gifts from all funding sources allow Easter to boldly step forward in mission. God richly provides for God’s people. How might God call you to share from that income, asset, or estate to allow God’s mission to move forward?
In the coming year, Easter Lutheran Church will take a significant step to honor fifty years of ministry and get ready to follow where God is leading our congregation. After over 20 years of physical separation, Easter will become one site. We will gather all our ministry and congregational life together at our existing property on the corner of Cliff and Pilot Knob.
Early in 2024, Easter will engage in a capital campaign to make this possible.
Terolle and Dale Turnham,
both became Easter Members in 1977
We feel amazing energy within the congregation and find ourselves wondering what God is doing in our midst. Jesus teaches us that we are to love our neighbor. Easter intentionally reaches out to care for others through staff, volunteers and service partners in our outreach ministries. We are thrilled with all of the ways that children, youth and families are supported through faith formation and service opportunities.
Being generous with our finances has been our practice since we married in 1986. We are deeply grateful for the pastoral care given to our family as we mourned the deaths of my sister, Kristi Ann Lockrem and later, my parents, Elaine and Gar Lockrem. We want that sort of care to be available to others through a strong team of pastors and lay people. We feel amazed at the multitude of blessings God has given us and out of gratitude, we return to God a measure of our money, time, and talents.
While meeting with our financial planner, he suggested using funds gleaned from our IRA through the required minimum distribution (RMD) as a Qualified Charitable Distribution. What is that? A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) allows folks who are 70½ years old and older to donate up to $100,000 total to one or more charities directly from a taxable IRA instead of taking their required minimum distributions. If the IRA assets go directly to charity, donors don’t report QCDs as taxable income and don’t owe any taxes on the QCD, even if they do not itemize deductions. Some donors may also find that QCDs provide greater tax savings than cash donations for which charitable tax deductions are claimed.
We decided to use the QCD process to maximize the use of our funds. We are able to give Easter a larger gift and we have a smaller income to report for taxes. In addition, it is so convenient and easy.
If you or your partner are 70½ years of age, consider reducing your taxable income and putting a QCD to work for the benefit of the ministries at Easter.
Contact your financial planner to find out how to make this happen.
(or contact Darci Dawson, Easter Finance, in the church office ddawson@easter.org)
Growing up, my parents instilled the importance of donating time and money to church and programs that were important to us. I started giving on my own when I was in college and working part-time as a server. Money was tight but I knew I wanted to donate when and what I could, usually a 10 or 20 dollar bill if I had a really busy night with good tippers. I was unable to donate regularly but excited for when I could.
After graduating and starting my first “full time big girl job,” I knew I wanted to start regularly giving to Easter. After budgeting my monthly expenses, I realized I did not have a lot left over. I wondered if it would be worth signing up for committed giving of $10 or $15 dollars per week. I prayed for guidance, if it would be worth donating what in my mind was a small amount, towards Easter’s overall budget.
I had experienced so much joy and growth since joining Easter:
I met other members through the Young Adults Group and volunteering on Sundays.
I saw Loaves and Fishes not only fed people it created friendships, Easter partnered with other local churches to host an emergency homeless shelter during the winter, and kids ran around the gym after service while parents caught up with each other (and picked up chairs).
I saw firsthand how lives were transformed and teens went from feeling hopeless to hopeful and loved by attending TreeHouse.
I loved the warm and inviting atmosphere Easter offered to my family and continues to offer to new attendees.
I committed to weekly giving and have continued to participate in it. I have been blessed in the ability to increase my weekly committed giving every year, as I view giving as important as paying my mortgage, car payment, and student loans.
It has been important to me to continue to complete the annual pledge card as it allows Easter to budget resources locally and globally.
This ensures we can continue to support all that Easter does to blur the lines between church and community, even if I am unable to attend on Sunday.
It alleviates the stress of having to stop for cash on my way to church when I am already running late or write a hurried check as the offering plate nears me.
While I am confident that I am still not a top donor, I am grateful that my committed giving will help Easter continue to create warm, safe, and inviting spaces to be Jesus’ hands and feet in the community, as one site.
Think of all Easter has accomplished as two sites with all of the extra costs and at times, inefficiencies. Now think of how much more we can accomplish as one site; the possibilities are endless!
Amy on a mission trip in Guatemala
FAQs
Question: Will the Sanctuary be a part of the build out?
Answer: Yes! The proposed plan has as a focal point of the new construction a 450 seat Sanctuary to accommodate all worship styles. (Feb 2024)
Q: Who are the members of the current (November 2023) PDTF (Physical Development Task Force)?
A: Sara Anderson, Abby Andrus, Derek Boeve, Mitch Berger, Gary Ehret, Cathie Ford, Jim Mattson, Brenda Misukanis, John Rollie, and Pastor Megan Torgerson. This team spent significant time doing due diligence working with staff to identify space to continue current and anticipate future ministries. We are ensuring the Sanctuary plan reflects our realities for worship attendance, and we plan to incorporate technology as much as possible throughout the facility.
Q: Who is the Architect?
A: Easter has hired Hammel Green and Abrahamson (HGA) Architects from Minneapolis. They were the Architects for the draft Master Plan in 2018-2019. We rehired them in January of 2023 to complete the Final Master Plan, right size our current development plan to fit our projected budget and anticipate using them for the design of the project. They presented the current concept plan on January 25 and January 30.
Q: Do we need to vote on this?
A: As we proceed in our effort to Unite our congregation on ONE-SITE there will be several constitutionally mandated congregational votes, and numerous informational meetings along the way. We will hold these votes as defined in the church constitution and as more specific information is available to share with the congregation. The first meeting to include a congregational vote was February 4, 2024. This vote will be based upon the current concept plan and will ask the congregation to approve expenditures to keep the project development process moving forward. That motion was approved. (Feb 2024)
Q: Are we going to worship in the gym?
A: The intent of the master plan and our current plan will be ONE Worship Center (Sanctuary) where we will have Traditional Worship and Contemporary Worship. The Great Room (gym) will continue to be used for worship through construction until the new Sanctuary is completed. After the new Sanctuary is completed, we anticipate the Great Room returning to its original primary purpose. It will be used as a multi-purpose space for athletic activities for all ages, outreach programs, community service events, education, and other intergenerational activities.
Q: Are we going to sell the Hill Facility?
A: We will be completing a financial plan that includes and considers our funding capabilities to bring the development of the full concept plan to reality. Yes, we anticipate the sale of the Hill.
Q: How will we do the acoustics well in the new Sanctuary, for our 2 styles of worship?
A: HGA will lead the efforts to do this. Numerous churches now use a single Sanctuary for both types of worship. Our design committee will work with HGA and an Acoustics specialist to maximize sound for either style of worship music.
Q: Will this be a phased build out?
A: The current intent is to complete the buildout of the current proposed plan in one continuous project. The response to our on-going Capital Appeal will determine our ability to complete the entire build out. The project will have multiple phases of construction to ensure on-going operations and use can continue.
Q: Will there be a parking ramp?
A: No, the parking study has revealed we can reorganize our parking lot without building a costly parking ramp. HGA has prepared a new concept site plan to accommodate our parking needs without a parking ramp.
Q: Will we continue to have outdoor worship?
A: YES. The current plan does not significantly impact the outdoor worship area.
Q: Will we still have the Preschool?
A: YES, Easter Preschool will be involved as we continue the plan development. All of Easter’s onsite partners are considered and accounted for in the planning.
Q: Will we have sufficient kitchen space to accommodate all needs?
A: The current plan is to expand the existing commercial kitchen area to provide better access, improved flow, additional preparation space and expanded storage. The final financial plan will determine the feasibility to expand the existing kitchen.
EASTER MINISTRY
