Dear Prayer Partners,
Grab a cup of coffee……this is a beefy prayer update. The days pass with dizzying speed. Prayers are needed more than ever as we begin April….one step closer to our preschool and mission launch in a new neighborhood! We have seen God prepare the way and we are excited to share His miracles and answers to prayer with you as well as give you a new list of prayer needs.
We are thankfully celebrating God’s mercies and that He has seen fit to answer our prayers and :
1. …..bring Mary Mason to be our new Preschool Director! She is a woman with a clear understanding of preschool ministry and has experience in start ups. She will travel here April 25th with her daughter who is also a preschool teacher and graduate of Concordia Seward. She will begin at Concordia May 1 but is already working hard with the playground contractor in choosing equipment for the new playground.
2. ….. entrusted us with an ABLAZE! grant of $50,000 to launch this new mission in a new neighborhood.
3……..bless our marketing efforts. We have seen God open doors to place low cost ads and direct mail pieces through the efforts of volunteers in the Union Tribune, free distribution of flyers to all students of 10 public elementary schools in the area surround the new mission, having the partnership of local merchants and pediatricians who have placed our pamphlets and cards in their places of business including the local Chili’s Restaurant prominently placing our trifold in both their waiting areas and take out areas of the restaurant just a block from the site, in addition to hundreds of volunteers who have used their influence in the community to market the preschool, much of this in just the last two months……and that the Lord has placed nearly 200 families on our interest list……AND as of April 1 we have 54 students pre-enrolled! We are thankful for a new look to our website that is exclusively focused on the preschool launch. See it here: www.concordiachurch.com
4. ….keep workers safe as they are building the preschool…..keep picketers away as they are likely to make an appearance as they travel contractors around who sometimes employ non-union workers.
5. …..we are thankful for the dozens of volunteers who have worked with passion and abandon to advance the mission work the Lord has entrusted to Concordia. Please see some of the Concordia talent at work…..you can go to our blog and hear our new podcast and see the video of the dedication and consecration of our new mission site. Go to www.concordiahome.wordpress.com and click on the podcast or video found on the right bar….enjoy and thank God for His good gifts to the church.
We are praying that God will…….
1. ……stretch our dollars so that we can meet the astronomical expenses connected with the project. We received a bill for the City’s Building PERMIT of $111,000 which we thought was a misprint but sadly was not! Our water meter cost $80,000. The Fire Department will likely make us change pipe diameter ($26,000 ), and we will need to purchase another water meter for recycled water ($40,000). Winter rains made us have to remove additional dirt from the site ($30,000) Some of these costs are frightening. We are praying that God opens His storehouse to provide what is needed.
…..pray that we can meet our building schedule. As of yesterday there are delays waiting for the fire marshal to sign off on the project. The pour is ready to go and we may need to have a second pour if the Fire Marshall does not make it to the site on time. This means dealy and expense! Pray that the framers can pick up some time and do their work faster, more efficiently and still safely that will help us finish on time. Pray we can finish on time to meet our July 27 open.
2. ……increase our partnerships among those individuals and foundations that will seize the opportunity to be part of this exciting project. We are praying that our grant proposals will connect with those who share the vision of reaching this new and diverse community, of establishing this music and arts Christian school, of trying new models and techniques for mission start ups. Please pray for our requests before the Werner Foundation, the Christopher Foundation, the Day Foundation, among others.
3……fill our preschool to capacity even before we open our doors!
4. ……guide the process of finding the right teaching staff for this unique teaching/ministry opportunity.
5…….help Concordia excel in the Sunday morning worship and welcoming experience that comes from a deeply committed heart that focuses on those outside the church who do not yet know or follow Jesus. Help us also to begin to craft the children’s ministry that will need to be our next area of focus. This requires that God raise up key leaders and teams that are committed to Concordia’s vision and DNA and can communicate that in the unique way necessary to reach children and their families.
6…….help Concordia to be prayer giants committed to blessing this new community through prayer and action
7a. help Concordia build relationships with pre-enrolled preschool parents to partner with us and work with us in launching the new school
7b…….help Concordia build relationships with preschool parents and members of our new community and that God will cause and inspire them to partner with us in launching a new mission in February of 2010.
8…….for the scheduling and staffing of the community events which will serve this new community and help us engage with the people in the neighborhood. These events include an Art Festival, a Music Festival, a Family Fun Day, a Sports Day, a Harvest Fair, a Learning Fair and a Living Nativity in December. Pray that the Windingwalk Home Owners Association approve our request (sent today and considered April 8 at 5:30pm) to use the Town Square next door to our site with a perfect gazebo “stage” and grassy theatre style seating for the August Music Festival featuring the San Diego Youth Orchestra.
8 …… finally, I wish to ask the prayer partners to pray also for an additional request that came in from one of our prayers partners, a young South African woman who is living in England and praying with us for this mission. Her brother is undergoing some aggressive cancer treatment. Please help us pray for her brother Paul.
Melissa Salomon
Community Life Coordinator
Concordia Lutheran Church and School
