Faith That Welcomes.
Love That Reaches.
For five decades, our church has welcomed all and lived out love in tangible ways. Children have grown up here. Students have explored meaningful questions here. Adults have formed relationships that sustain them through seasons of joy and loss. Neighbors have encountered compassion and community here. Faith and hope are nurtured through every season of life.
As we enter this anniversary season, we do so with a clear sense of purpose. We are launching Faith That Welcomes. Love That Reaches. — an invitation that names both who we are and how we are called to live.
This Anniversary Appeal is an invitation to open wide our doors of welcome by strengthening the foundations that make our shared calling possible, not only for today but for generations to come.
Campaign Priorities
Church
Opening the Doors for Welcome
Investment: Approximately $3.8 Million
Our church is the daily home for worship, learning, care, and connection. It is where faith is formed and where many encounter a welcoming, Christian community for the first time.
This appeal focuses on strengthening essential systems and spaces so ministry continues to flourish.
Examples of this work include:
Visible Projects
- Expanding our kitchen space to strengthen and support our hospitality ministries, creating more room to gather and serve well. Family restrooms will be added to better welcome families of all ages. Our main entrance will be repaved and heated to improve accessibility and safety in the winter.
- The Fellowship Hall entrance doors will be widened to create a more open, welcoming flow for large gatherings and special events. Our adult education spaces will be redesigned for greater flexibility: Room 206 will include a movable divider for adaptable programming, Room 208 will be enhanced with a kitchenette, and the Youth Room will be remodeled to better maximize space and functionality. The current Music Room and adjacent storage area will be reimagined as a multi-use space, including flexible work areas to support our growing staff and expanding ministries.
- Refresh our Early Learning classrooms with new cubbies and cabinetry to create welcoming, organized spaces where children are nurtured in faith each day. A new wall between the infant and toddler rooms will provide a calmer, quieter environment tailored to the unique needs of each age group. We are also upgrading the playground and resurfacing the remaining wood-chip areas to enhance safety, accessibility, and the overall experience for our youngest learners
- Plan the next chapter of our Prayer Garden with the addition of a new columbarium, creating sacred space for remembrance and reflection. To improve safety and accessibility, we will relocate the garbage collection area to keep the entrance to our Early Learning ministry clear and welcoming. We will also maintain and upgrade our parking lot to ensure safe and smooth access for all, and are exploring options to enhance our visibility and welcome through updated signage along Technology Drive.
Behind the Scenes
- Upgrade technology in the Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, and Room 207 to improve connectivity, enhance sound and visual quality, and make systems more intuitive and user-friendly for small groups and events.
- Address the aging infrastructure of our building by installing a new energy-efficient boiler, replacing windows in the administration and education wings, and updating the remaining seven classroom heating and cooling units. In addition, we are conducting a feasibility study for a potential solar energy system — taking thoughtful steps toward long-term sustainability and responsible stewardship of our resources
- Improve the safety of our community with upgraded cameras and enhanced security systems to keep everyone, most importantly our children, safe and welcome.
- Setting aside funds to strengthen our reserves, supporting wise stewardship and sound financial management. Building healthy reserves ensures stability, flexibility, and long-term sustainability as we continue to grow and serve.
Investing in staff and programming
- Investing in our ministry programming and staff to nurture and support our continued growth. A portion of the Anniversary Appeal will strengthen our operating budget, ensuring we have the leadership, care, and capacity needed to sustain excellence in ministry and faithfully steward the momentum God is building among us.
These efforts strengthen the physical, operational, staff and programmatic foundations that carry the heart of St. Andrew forward—so people continue to experience a church where they matter, they belong, and they are cared for.
Camp
Forming a Welcoming Faith at Spirit in the Pines
Investment: Approximately $1.1 Million
Spirit in the Pines is one of St. Andrew’s most powerful settings for faith formation. It is where children, youth and families of all ages encounter God in community, build lasting relationships, and grow into servant leaders wherever life leads them.
This appeal invests in facilities and infrastructure that allow Spirit in the Pines to welcome all people to camp, where they can experience life-changing moments in a safe and supportive environment.
Examples of this work include:
- Replace three of the five oldest cabins — original to the 1937 property — with new, thoughtfully designed spaces. These cabins will be winterized to allow for expanded year-round use, accommodate more campers than the current units, and include two modern bathrooms, one of which will be ADA accessible.
- Construct a multifunctional, unheated pole barn to address the growing need for additional dining and gathering space. This flexible structure will provide shelter during inclement weather, expand our capacity for meals and large-group activities, and support a wide range of camp programming needs throughout the year.
- Invest in improving critical infrastructure, including septic systems and shoreline stabilization, to protect the health of the property, ensure environmental stewardship, and preserve the Camp’s natural beauty for future generations.
- Invest in essential equipment and facility updates, including kitchen appliance replacements and a kitchen renovation to better support meal service and hospitality. In addition, we will replace aging operational assets such as our camp truck and trailer, one pontoon and two wooden docks — ensuring safe, reliable transportation and waterfront experiences for campers and guests.
These investments improve our camp experience for the hundreds of young people who experience God’s love every summer. Camp is a place where faith takes root, belonging is experienced, and lives are shaped for service in the world.
Ministry Partnership
Love That Reaches Into Our Community
Investment: $600,000
St. Andrew has consistently answered the call to reach beyond its own walls. Through generous acts of service, commitment from volunteers, and bold imagination of servant leaders, God’s love is made visible across the street and around the globe.
This appeal intentionally focuses our attention and our resources toward pressing needs in our community. St. Andrew’s growing ministry, Church Anew will draw from its demonstrated expertise transforming communities of faith to accompany creative leaders in a variety of contexts in Minneapolis, build on current partnerships, and drive change for the greater good. God’s love will be expressed in tangible ways – feeding hungry people, healing communities, and forming faith.
Examples of this work include:
- Alleviating hunger in the Phillips neighborhood, one of the most diverse pockets of Minneapolis and empowering the St. Andrew community to live out our faith through service
- Deepening partnerships with Northside neighbors to provide hope and healing to communities experiencing violence
- Nurturing the faith of young adults at the University of Minnesota by building scalable models for ministry and training student leaders for a future of faith
- Emboldening gospel proclamation by launching an annual preaching festival that will encourage hundreds of preachers and fortify communities of faith across the country
Ministry partnership broadens our imagination of welcome to see more clearly the needs of our neighbors. These investments help St. Andrew continue to serve our community with humility, presence, and care.
Reaching Further Together
Appeal Goals
Base Goal: $5.5 Million Stretch Goal: $7.1 Million
As generosity grows, St. Andrew has the opportunity to extend the impact of this appeal even further.
Reaching a stretch goal of $7.1 million allows the congregation to expand this work across church, camp, and ministry partnership—building on the foundation of the base appeal and addressing additional needs that strengthen ministry for the long term.
In the Church, this level of generosity allows St. Andrew to:
- Further invest in technology upgrades in the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall
- Replace aging kitchen appliances in our main kitchen
- Refresh the bathrooms in our Early Learning classrooms
- Upgrade our landscaping, including rainwater collection to mitigate sprinkler costs
- Further strengthen our reserves for future growth and ministry
At Spirit in the Pines, reaching this level allows St. Andrew to:
- Replace one additional cabin
- Create additional adult housing in the space of the current 5th original cabin
- Strengthen infrastructure that prepares camp for future growth and expanded use
Through Ministry Partnership, reaching this level further allows St. Andrew to:
- Multiply our outreach efforts with greater reach and impact
- Deepen commitments to our partners and communities
- Extend the congregation’s capacity to respond to emerging needs with compassion and care
Campaign Prayer
Loving and gracious God,
We thank you for fifty years of blessings at St. Andrew, where you have grounded us in your abiding love.
As we look to the years ahead, lead us by your Holy Spirit, and root in us a joy-filled faith.
Bless our efforts to grow in love that reaches, open our eyes to the needs of our neighbors, and move us to serve with purpose.
Inspire us to welcome and nurture the faith of youth among us, as we raise up a new generation of servant leaders.
Give us wisdom, hope, and trust in your plan, and stir in us generous and willing hearts.
To you, Lord, who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine–
we place the future of St. Andrew into your mighty hands.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Campaign Information
From March 22 - May 3 , you’ll hear stories, get updates, and receive resources that bring the Faith that Welcomes. Love the Reaches. Anniversary Appeal to life. Information will be shared through:
Stories of Faith and Generosity
highlighting voices from our community
Bulletin handouts
weekly reflections and campaign updates
Letters and the campaign prospectus
details about goals and priorities
Events and Mission Moments
that inspire connection and commitment
This page will be updated regularly as a central hub for everything related to the campaign. Check back often for new content and resources to guide your journey!
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Submitting Your Intent
Your commitment makes a lasting impact. There are three simple ways to share your intent for Faith that Welcomes. Love that Reaches
- By Mail—intent cards will be sent to each household for you to complete and return.
- In-Person—you can bring your mailed intent card with you, and extra cards will also be available at the church.
- Online—submit your intent quickly and securely through our online form.
Every response—no matter the size—helps shape the future of St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Thank you for prayerfully considering how God is calling you to give.