Impact Booklet
How Your Stewardship Campaign Contribution
to the 2025 Budget is Making a Difference
“In the same way let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven.”
~Matthew 5:16
Message from Pastor Jesse about last year’s Stewardship Campaign
Friends in Christ, Grace and peace to you!
Last year’s Stewardship Campaign invited us to “Imagine Together,” and what a faithful imagining it was. Rooted in God’s Spirit and guided by hope, we dreamed, prayed, and gave generously for the flourishing of our church and the wider community.
I continue to be deeply moved but never surprised by your generosity, which reflects the heart of Christ at work in you As the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us. ” (2 Corinthians 9:11, NRSVUE)
Let me offer a few truths from my heart:
I give thanks to God for your generosity and our work together. Your pledges and gifts are sacred acts of faith, put to good use for our mission. Your giving is making a real and felt impact.
But don’t just take my word for it please read the stories shared in this booklet. They are testimonies of how your stewardship is transforming lives through the ministries of our church.
None of these Spirit-led ministries would be possible without your faithful support. Stewardship is more than a campaign it is a living expression of discipleship, of trusting that God can do far more with us, together, than we can imagine alone.
May you see in these stories the fruits of your faith, and may your heart be encouraged.
In gratitude and grace,
Rev. Dr. Jesse Tanner
Thank You for Your Investment in Living Love
Ministry of the Building
What would we do without the Jehle Trust helping underwrite all the capital expenses that come with being good stewards of a historic building?
Nevertheless, ministry volunteers rely on your Stewardship Campaign support for all the other things the Jehle Trust does not fund.
Snow removal
Utilities
Trash collection
Garden maintenance
Custodial supplies & services
Building maintenance
This is what one ministry volunteer said about what your Stewardship Campaign support has helped accomplish in 2025...
“I think it was great that William Becker stepped up and took charge of getting the leak fixed in the chapel. And then continued, obviously, with Paul Turk’s help to handle the sewer problem that we ran into early in the year. It was a big deal, but it needed to be corrected in order to use the church.”
Ministry of Faith Formation
Children’s activities
T h e p u r p o s e o f t h i s m i n i s t r y i s . . .
1 C o r i n t h i a n s 1 2 : 2 7 - 3 1 –“ N o w y o u a r e t h e b o d y o f
C h r i s t a n d i n d i v i d u a l l y m e m b e r s o f i t . A n d G o d h a s
2 9 3 0 3 1
a p p o i n t e d i n t h e c h u r c h f i r s t a p o s t l e s , s e c o n d p r o p h e t s , t h i r d t e a c h e r s , t h e n m i r a c l e s , t h e n g i f t s o f h e a l i n g , h e l p i n g , a d m i n i s t e r i n g , a n d v a r i o u s k i n d s o f t o n g u e s . A r e a l l a p o s t l e s ? A r e a l l p r o p h e t s ? D o a l l w o r k m i r a c l e s ? D o a l l p o s s e s s g i f t s o f h e a l i n g ? D o a l l s p e a k w i t h t o n g u e s ? D o a l l i n t e r p r e t ? B u t e a r n e s t l y d e s i r e t h e h i g h e r g i f t s . A n d I w i l l s h o w y o u a s t i l l m o r e
e x c e l l e n t w a y ” 2 7 2 8
Operating budget construction & management
Bookkeeping
Annual Stewardship
Campaign
Financial management & policy development
e 1
T h e p u r p o s e o f t h i s c o m m i t t e e i s . . .
E p h e s i a n s 4 : 1 1 - 1 3 –“ S o C h r i s t h i m s e l f g a v e t h e
a p o s t l e s , t h e p r o p h e t s , t h e e v a n g e l i s t s , t h e p a s t o r s a n d
t e a c h e r s , t o e q u i p h i s p e o p l e f o r w o r k s o f s e r v i c e , s o
t h a t t h e b o d y o f C h r i s t m a y b e b u i l t u p u n t i l w e a l l
r e a c h u n i t y i n t h e f a i t h a n d i n t h e k n o w l e d g e o f t h e S o n
o f G o d a n d b e c o m e m a t u r e , a t t a i n i n g t o t h e w h o l e
m e a s u r e o f t h e f u l l n e s s o f C h r i s t . ” 1 1 1 2 1 3
organizations, it is your Stewardship Campaign pledge/gift that makes it all happen.
Ministry of Mission & Outreach
Food pantry
Soup Kettle
Clothing closet
Elgin Pride
Bienvenidos rental assistance program
Mission grants And so much more
Chancel Choir
Bell choir
Organ & equipment
maintenance
Concerts
T h e p u r p o s e o f t h i s m i n i s t r y i s . . .
P s a l m 9 8 : 1 , 4 - 6 –“ S i n g t o t h e L o r d a n e w s o n g , f o r h e
a s d
a r m h a v e w o r k e d s a l v a t i o n f o r h i m . S h o u t f o r j o y t o t h e
L o r d , a l l t h e e a r t h , b u r s t i n t o j u b i l a n t s o n g w i t h m u s i c ; m a k e m u s i c t o t h e
t h e s o u n d o f s i n g i n g , w i t h t r u m p e t s a n d t h e b l a s t o f
h e r a m ’ s h
K i n g . ”
Offering collections
Coffee Hour
Ministry of Worship & Hospitality
T h e p u r p o s e o f t h i s m i n i s t r y i s . . .
2 C o r i n t h i a n s 9 : 1 1 , 1 2 –“ Y o u w i l l b e m a d e r i c h i n
e v e r y w a y s o t h a t y o u c a n b e g e n e r o u s o n e v e r y
o c c a s i o n , a n d t h r o u g h u s y o u r g e n e r o s i t y w i l l r e s u l t i n
t h a n k s g i v i n g t o G o d . T h i s s e r v i c e t h a t y o u p e r f o r m i s
n o t o n l y s u p p l y i n g t h e n e e d s o f G o d ’ s p e o p l e b u t i s a l s o
o v e r f l o w i n g i n m a n y e x p r e s s i o n s o f t h a n k s t o G o d . ” 1 1 1 2
Coming Soon . . .
That’s right. We are approaching that time of the year again, when the Stewardship Campaign team will ask us to think about making a pledge to support the church’s 2026 operating budget.
Our fundraising goal for the Stewardship Campaign to support the 2026 budget is $250,000.
Please mark your calendars for November 2, 2025. This is the date for this year’s Dreaming God’s Dream potluck luncheon event.
More information will be coming your way soon!
Thank You!
Your gift/pledge to the Stewardship Campaign helps support FCC’s volunteer leadership teams
Church Council
Beth Claxton, Moderator
Gloria Helin, Vice Moderator
Judy Leith/Dennis Leberecht, Treasurer
Shannon Lile, Church Clerk
Mary Underhill, Member At Large
John Schlomann, Member At Large
Janet Aldred, Member At Large
Lorri Powell, Member At Large
Mission & Outreach
Deb Leberecht
Vicki Frederick
Brian Stark
Anna Cannone
Pat Segel
Dawn Schmied
Veronica Noland
Wendy Breitmayer
Michael Montgomery
(Eco Group includes Paul Stocksdale, Pat Segel
Jim Hinton, Bill Becker, John & Lori Schultz)
Music
John Schultz
Kathi Bernhard
Sonia Solomonson
Beth Mitchell
Ben Brictson
Building & Grounds
Paul Turk
Don Patterson
Beth Mitchell
Charlie Hall
Faith Formation
Krista DeBolt
Katie Kamenjarin
Charlotte Norman
Savannah Lile
Finance
Dennis Leberecht
Jeanne Rothlisberger
Judy Leith
Erik Anderson
Shirley May Byrnes
Sue Laude
Liz Sharf, Memorials
Pat Jocius, Memorials
Bonnie Turk, Memorials
Worship & Hospitality
Sandy Dalton
Janet Banwart
Marilyn Kauffman
Kirsten Pedersen
Lori Schultz
Barb Burton
Debbie Helin-Wetzel
Governance
Lyn Humbracht
Steve Aldred
Pat Segel
Sue Ruf
Rep. to Assoc. & IL Conference
Jennifer Green