April Parking Update

For the last three Sundays in April (4-11, 4-18 and 4-25) please take note of the following construction plans around Redeemer:
- The West Entrance will be closed. All other entry doors are available, including a new door (pictured above) on the west wall of the gymnasium that will allow building access, via the gymnasium, to the Kitchen/Great Room hallway.

- A construction fence around the West Entrance will temporarily eliminate 10 parking spaces, including 2 handicap spaces. A construction fence around the back of the gymnasium will temporarily eliminate another 12 parking spaces. If necessary, please consider parking in the retail parking lot on the east (chapel) side of Redeemer.

- Special parking spaces for those that require proximity to church doors will be marked beginning Sunday, April 12. These are for anyone that requires their use.

- The driveway behind the gymnasium will be narrowed by the construction fence around the back of the gymnasium. Limited driving passage will be available around the back of the gym until Memorial Day.

- The hallway that leads from the gymnasium and library (past the courtyard) and up the stairs to the sanctuary will be closed beginning Monday, April 5th.

- Access to the sanctuary is possible through the staff office hallway, through the church office hallway, through the music wing hallway, through the lower level Fellowship Hall and of course through the front doors/narthex.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

One down and two to go ...

One down and two to go … this Sunday marks the one year anniversary of our three year Sacred Space capital stewardship campaign. The second year upcoming will be one characterized by change and not just a little construction dust and noise. It will be easy to get lost in the “bricks and mortar” issues that characterize any construction project. But before that happens, lets take a look back at our original mission and all that we have accomplished this first year.

- We have committed over $3.8 million to the project through the sacrifice, love and generosity of so many Redeemer families. More than half of this total was collected in the first year!

- We have retained a top notch team of professionals -- architects, construction managers and tradesmen – that will lead us through a successful implementation.

- We have gained the overwhelming support of not only the requisite city officials, but most importantly, the Redeemer families that call this Sacred Space their church home.

- We have attained the original project scope outlined more than a year ago, including:

o The addition of two pre-school rooms that expand our Westmaple Nursery ministry and resulting outreach opportunities,
o The renovation of our gymnasium, including a new stage, for our recently introduced mid-week worship service, Redemption,
o The creation of a new central meeting space we call the Town Square, for both visitor outreach and member fellowship,
o The addition of two new large classrooms for bible study, confirmation, VBS and Sunday School,
o The addition of countless convenience and safety features that make Redeemer an even more attractive place for worship and fellowship.

Now is the time to keep focused on the end result. You might find it interesting to watch the video we created one year ago to kick-off Sacred Space: That all may find a place at His table. Just hit the triangular 'play' button at the bottom of the video screen. Enjoy.

A Message from our Pastor

Dear Friends in Christ,

I just looked down at my watch to check the time and I noticed I had put it on upside down. It confused me for a second or two – okay a couple of minutes, but I figured it out eventually.

Soon Redeemer, too, will be temporarily upside down. The coming improvements are exciting, but I know it will be a challenging time to work amidst the construction dust and noise. We’ll have to embrace that energy, and keep our eyes focused on the end result, which I know will be a great blessing to Redeemer.

The challenge will be working through it and being flexible. We know on the other side of construction our ministries will continue to grow and have greater impact on the people to whom we minister. The journey that takes us there is not an easy one, requiring sacrifice and a commitment to our vision. The inconveniences will be short-lived, though, and the finished product a gift for the generations to come.

As the ground is broken open and walls demolished we are reminded of the great heritage of ministry that has been a part of Redeemer. It feels very real to us, this sacrifice of those gone before us. Now it is our turn to grow our church, continuing to build on all of our past blessings.

I know that the disruption to the building will change what we are accustomed to, but don’t let the dust, noise and unfamiliar bring you down. We are a part of a great moment in Redeemer history. The people of God in this generation will leave their mark as a witness to our love and appreciation for all the Lord has done for us.

The work begun so long ago by a faithful few, continues through us now. Let us be ever aware of our past, so that we may influence the future.

To God be the Glory! Pastor Randy

p.s. Become a part of history … join us Easter morning, April 4, as we all sign our names to the coming chapter of Redeemer’s Sacred Space. A steel beam to be used in the coming construction will be placed in the gym for signing after each of the morning services. Come make your mark on our future.

Meet Craig Collins, Construction Superintendent

As part of our construction management agreement with Frank Rewold & Sons, a full-time superintendent will be on-site each week at Redeemer to manage all aspects of construction.

Our superintendent is Craig Collins, pictured to the right, after a recent meeting with the professional staff (standing between Pastor Randy and Steve Schuetz.) We are fortunate to have someone with Craig's significant work experience. Note from the picture that he already had gray hair before our project started. Craig has successfully completed multiple projects within the City of Birmingham so he is quite familiar with the city planning, building and fire employees as well as the local requirements. Craig will also be supported by a Project Manager, Richard Scheck, who will be at Redeemer several days each week.

Being on-site each day, Craig will direct the activities of all sub-contractors that perform work for Redeemer. Along with our own Steve Schuetz, they will provide a smooth and safe work environment on a day to day basis. If you are in the building during the week and ever have any concerns about worker conduct, or personal safety, Craig and Steve want to hear from you.

Make sure you introduce yourself to Craig if you see him around Redeemer.

Pre-Construction Activities Begin

You may have noticed that small but important activity is already underway as we prepare for the start of construction on Monday, April 5, the day after Easter.

You may have noticed scaffolding on the west wall of the gym. A new double door is being added to the northwest corner of the gymnasium as part of the master plan. This door is being constructed first so it may serve as a temporary "west entrance" when the real west entrance is closed April 5.

What do you mean the west entrance is closed April 5! Yes, beginning with the first week of the project, the west entrance will fall within the construction fence and will be unavailable to members and visitors. In fact the hallway leading to the sanctuary from the west entrance will also be closed.

Members and visitors may still enter through the new gymnasium doors on the west wall of the gym. Later in the spring this door will also be closed as work will proceed inside the gym (after the conclusion of our Wing and Prayer Players spring production.) But our other doors will remain open, including the Westmaple door to the north, the Chapel door to the east, the office and sanctuary doors to the south, and the music wing door on the southwest corner.

Keep checking here each week for more information on parking and church entry.

Redeemer Transformation Approaches ...

You may have noticed that the countdown clock on this web page is now posted at Redeemer for all to see. Just inside the West Entrance hangs a large sign in the shape of a butterfly that proclaims: "Redeemer Transformation Approaches." Each day another butterfly is hung from the hallway ceiling leading to the sanctuary doors announcing that we are one day closer to beginning the construction phase of Sacred Space.

The last butterfly will be hung on Easter Sunday, the day before our construction begins. On Easter morning, April 4, we will all have a special opportunity at the end of each worship service to participate in the blessing and kick-off of this transformation project. Stay tuned for more details from Pastor Randy.

Congregation Gives Final Approval

At a congregational meeting held Sunday, February 28, the members present unanimously endorsed the final construction plans for our capital renovation project, Sacred Space.

No changes in project scope were introduced at the meeting. The plan still includes the four major components: two new Westmaple classrooms, gymnasium renovation for worship, a new main entrance and town square, and various site improvements.

Work is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 5, the day after Easter. The initial work will center on the exterior of the gymnasium and the area around the west entrance.

The project now includes more than 100 drawings and a 700+ page project manual prepared by the architectural firm of Merritt, McPherson & Cieslak. The construction budget, managed by the firm of Frank Rewold & Sons, stands at $3.2 million. Firm bids from dozens of trades, obtained through a sealed competitive bid process, underlie the $3.2 million budget.

Our capital stewardship campaign at this moment in time has expected gifts of more than $3.8 million. After expenses for architectural fees, professional engineering fees, city permits, insurance, furniture, etc. the available construction money stands at $3.1 million. That leaves an approximately $100,000 shortfall against the $3.2 million budget

At the congregational meeting three ideas were presented to eliminate the $100,000 shortfall:

1.) Find new gifts from members that may not have participated in Sacred Space to this point, including new and existing members, as well as directing existing family memorials,
2.) Accelerate 2nd and 3rd year gifts against existing three year pledges. This reduces both the interest expense on the short-term construction loan and reduces the contingency money set aside for possible uncollectible pledges,
3.) Delay individual line items within the four major project areas until a later time, e.g. the parking lot addition, refurbishing existing Westmaple classrooms, new chairs for the gymnasium, a room partition for the new lower level classroom, and the cupola/cross on the main entrance canopy.

Congregation Meeting 2/28/10

With less than 60 days remaining until the start of construction, the Sacred Space project professionals are busy preparing for the April 5 project start date. You will have a chance to review and reconfirm support for the project at a February 28, 2010 Congregational Meeting after the 10:30 a.m. worship service.

The various building professionals that will bid for a portion of the overall project toured the church this past Tuesday, February 2. Competitive bids from the contractors are due to the construction manager, Rewold & Sons this coming Thursday, February 11.

Rewold and Redeemer will immediately open the bids and compare them to our overall project budget. Working together in an "open book" approach, Redeemer will have full access to the bids -- from scope to price to value. After a week of review beginning February 15, the final bid totals will be compiled and presented to church leadership the week of February 22.

A meeting of the congregation has been called for February 28 to allow all members the opportunity to review the final project schedule, budget and funding, with ample time for questions and comments.

In early March we will hang our "Countdown to Construction" banner marking the final 30 days before construction begins.

Plans for our groundbreaking and blessing event will be announced shortly.

Special Coffee Hours January 17

On Sunday, January 17 special coffee hours are planned after each of the three morning services. In addition to coffee and morning treats, we'll have information available on the Sacred Space project. The architect has completed 107 drawings and a 740 page project manual for your review.

Or, perhaps you'll just want to see how the new town square will look, or how the new Westmaple classrooms will be laid out, or the new configuration of the west parking lot and new main entrance.

We'll also have a short video presentation running continuously. And team members will be available to answer your questions. Need more?

We'll also have a "future glimpse" of the new mid-week, family fellowship and worship program that will begin next fall in our renovated gymnasium. It's your first look at this exciting Redeemer ministry.

Please plan to join us for coffee after any of the three Sunday worship services at 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.

Sacred Space Giving Report

Total gifts given and pledged to the Sacred Space capital stewardship campaign totaled $3,820,000 as of December 31, 2009. This total of $3.8 million can be broken down as follows:

• Pledged Gifts, $2,458,000 from 225 families
  
• Unpledged Gifts, $1,331,000 from 58 families
  
• Interest Income, $31,000.

In the month of December alone more than $136,000 was received. For November and December combined, more than $215,000 was received.

We are all so grateful for the ongoing sacrifices made by so many families.

Of the total $3.8m in gifts, $1,983,000 has been collected to date. The difference, a little more than $1.8 million, represents outstanding pledges. The capital stewardship campaign runs over three years, from April 2009 to March 2012.

New gifts, pledged and unpledged, continue to be made each month. We still hope to top $4 million before the campaign is completed.

Ten percent of the outstanding pledges (currently $184,000 as of 12-31-09) will be set aside in the project budget as a contingency against pledge receivables. This contingency helps assure that we only spend what we can conservatively plan to collect at the end of the three year campaign. As pledges are collected over the remainder of the three year campaign, the contingency will be reduced and the monies will be made available for construction spending.

Less than 100 Days and Counting...

Less than 100 days until our anticipated start of construction. Hence more Sacred Space progress to report as work continues during the Christmas season.

- On December 17 architect Ron Cieslak presented initial interior design selections to the architecture committee. These selections include things such as carpet and tile in the new main entrance, town square and adjoining cafe and bathrooms. Several lay members with interior design skills are being added to the architecture committee to review these selections.

- On December 21 the final drawings for Administrative Approval were completed and subsequently submitted to the City of Birmingham. These drawings include all final changes and inititate the permitting process with the city.

- On December 23 the Sacred Space financial team talked with Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) concerning a possible 18 month construction loan (or "bridge" loan) that will be necessary to cover the difference between cash collected and cash expended prior to the end of the three year capital stewardship campaign. Earlier the team had also met with our local banker, Chase, to review their construction loan program. Both conversations were very positive.

City Commission Says Go Ahead

The Birmingham City Commission gave their approval for the Sacred Space project at a December 7, 2009 meeting. The City Commission vote was 6-1 in favor of the Redeemer proposal, with newly elected Commissioner Mark Nikita casting the lone dissenting vote.

Prior to this meeting Redeemer had been required to file a comprehensive site plan and amendment to the Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) that governs Redeemer's operation in the neighborhood. The site plan and SLUP amendment were reviewed by members of the city planning department and had previously been approved by the City Planning Board at a September, 2009 meeting.

The next step in the city review process is to apply for the appropriate construction permits. This will occur over the next month just as soon as the final construction drawings are completed and submitted to the City of Birmingham.

Video: Virtual Tour in 3D

This short one minute video provides the viewer a 'virtual tour' of the new Town Square and Gymnasium. At the time the video was produced, many of the interior design selections had yet to be made. Hence there are some subtle differences between the video and final design. For example, the fireplace will be a painted, wood paneled design to match the rest of the Town Square (not red brick as depicted in the video.) Click on the 'play' button in the middle of the video and enjoy.

Design Update: Gymnasium

A new vision is unfolding for the Redeemer gymnasium. The cinderblock and tile gym completed in the early 1970’s is currently used for a variety of events, from athletics to fellowship to theater. The new vision includes all the existing uses, and the addition of a mid-week family worship program that combines inventive bible studies, teen programs and newly-formatted confirmation classes.

In order to bring this multi-media, multi-dimensional vision to life we will be giving the 1970 gymnasium a major face-lift, including a new floor, new acoustic treatments, new lighting and sound capability, and the cornerstone -- a new worship and performance stage. The elevated stage will be placed on the north wall of the gymnasium. Additional double doors will smooth the movement of visitors and members to and from the gym. New storage and prop rooms will speed the ‘change over’ time as we switch between basketball, worship, coffee hour and theater.

Join us January 19, 2010 when Pastor Mark will offer a “Glimpse of the Future” night to launch the new mid-week family worship program.

Design Update: Town Square

Visitor impact starts the moment they enter our parking lot and find their way from our entrance to the sanctuary, and then again after worship service, as they navigate our hallways to join in member fellowship. The new Town Square is focused on improving this visitor impact and member fellowship.

The scope of work includes a new “main entrance” off our west parking lot, including a covered canopy for drop-off. One enters through two sets of double doors into a large lobby atrium. The sanctuary, now on the same level as the entry lobby, will be more readily apparent and accessible to visitors, as will other guest services such as the all-new nursery, and all-new women’s and men’s restrooms. The wood-paneled lobby, which includes views to our existing courtyard, will transition the visitor to a comfortable seating area around a fireplace which is adjacent to a new café equipped for coffee service and fellowship. Our hope is that this Town Square becomes a magnet for visitor and member alike, not just on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week.

Design Update: Westmaple

Westmaple has unfortunately turned away families for many years. This year’s waiting list is already at 46 families and growing. Fortunately, Sacred Space will add two additional classrooms to the three existing rooms. With alternate day scheduling, we hope to bring as many as 50 new families to Westmaple and perhaps Redeemer.

The two new rooms will be built on the north end of the existing Westmaple wing. The new rooms will be similar in size to the existing rooms, and have the same amenities, including carpeting, built-in toy cabinets, 25 child cubbies, and child-sized fixtures in the new restrooms. The existing rooms will also see upgrades, like new room-controlled heating and cooling. Finally, much needed storage will be added for the Westmaple staff.

Design Update: Site Improvements

In order to support the first phase of Sacred Space, as well as accommodate the future growth outlined in our master facility plan, several improvements are being made to the Redeemer site. Highlights include:

• West parking lot expansion close to sanctuary and main entrance


• Fire protection in all new areas and existing hallways


• Water upgrade to accommodate new fire suppression sprinklers


• Electrical upgrade to accommodate current and future growth


• Phone and wireless upgrade in all new areas


• Fire exit from children’s lower level classrooms to outside


• Air conditioning in the gymnasium

Design Update: Project Scope

At the June 2009 annual congregation meeting, the Sacred Space project scope was approved as presented. The project scope spans four major areas:

• Westmaple Nursery expansion and renovation
• Gymnasium renovation and worship stage addition
• Town Square entrance and lobby addition with café
• Site plan improvements for current and future growth.

Since June of 2009 these four areas have been detailed in the architect’s design and construction drawings. The final cost for all four areas will be estimated and then finalized in a competitive bid process conducted by our construction management firm. The final project scope will then be presented to the congregation in the first quarter of 2010.

Project Schedule Update

Construction manager, Frank Rewold and Son, has prepared the initial project schedule for Sacred Space. While the schedule is subject to revision, these dates provide the first exciting glimpse into the construction schedule for Sacred Space.

• Work will begin just after Easter, in early April 2010. The initial effort will include new construction outside the north wall of the gymnasium and demolition work around the west entrance and adjoining areas. Work inside the gym will start in mid May 2010. For the Westmaple wing, work will begin in early June after school is finished.


• These start dates will allow us to complete work in the gymnasium and Westmaple before the end of August, in time for the new school year. The new Town Square, which includes more extensive demolition and excavation work, is scheduled for completion in November 2010.


• The expansion to the west parking lot is scheduled for May and June of 2010, or as soon as weather conditions permit digging and paving.

Sacred Space Giving Report

Total gifts given and pledged to the Sacred Space capital stewardship campaign totalled $3,732,000 as of October 31, 2009. This total of $3.7 million can be broken down as follows:

• Pledged Gifts, $2,452,000 from 225 families


• Unpledged Gifts, $1,252,000 from 58 families


• Interest Income, $28,000.

We are all so grateful for the generous sacrifices made by so many families.

Of the total $3.7m in gifts, $1,767,000 has been collected to date. The difference, a little less than $2 million, represents outstanding pledges. The capital stewardship campaign runs over three years, from April 2009 to March 2012.

New gifts, pledged and unpledged, continue to be made each month. We still hope to top $4 million before the campaign is completed.

Ten percent of the outstanding pledges (currently $197,000 as of 10-31-09) will be set aside in the project budget as a contingency against pledge receivables. This contingency helps assure that we only spend what we can conservatively plan to collect at the end of the three year campaign. As pledges are collected over the remainder of the three year campaign, the contingency will be reduced and the monies will be made available for construction spending.