Building Project

A New Worship Space

Current Construction Photo Gallery

Our new worship space is complete!  A glorious dedication service was held on Sunday, August 24, 2008 to celebrate the completion of the worship space and to set it apart as a place of worship.  Bishop Michael W. Rinehart presided at the service.

Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church has financed part of the costs for our new sanctuary with a loan from the Mission Investment Fund of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Loans such as ours are possible because of the investments made in MIF by congregations and their members. Visit the MIF Web site to learn how you can invest in the Mission Investment Fund and thereby assist other ministries that want to expand or renovate their facilities to better serve their neighbors.

History

On August 12, 2007, a groundbreaking ceremony at Salem heralded the beginning of our first phase of construction, a $2 million new worship space.  The first phase will include new worship space and restrooms as well as other renovation and repair.  When more funds become available, the new narthex (linking the new worship space to the existing Fellowship Hall area) can be completed in the first phase as well.  View the revised drawings.

The rest of the information below is from our master plan process and capital campaign.

Our Legacy of Discipleship

Salem has a 50-year history of ministry in southwest Houston.  We have been celebrating God's grace over these five decades.  Through the years, we have experienced "grace moments" in our lives and ministry together.  These "moments" have become our legacy of discipleship that has been passed on to each of us.   Now, the future is in our hands.

Our Future

Our immediate need is to renovate and build facilities which will be the setting for 21st-century ministry.  Throughout our first 50 years we have prayed together, sang together, worshiped together and shared our lives with one another.  Our facilities have served us very well, but they are wearing out.  Our buildings are in dire need of extensive repairs.  Safety codes and flooding issues are new challenges for us.  The cost of making basic infrastructure repairs would be at least $500,000.  We decided that it makes more sense to build and renovate for our ministry needs than simply simply make repairs.

Our New Plan

After intensive involvement with the congregation and the guidance of an architectural firm, we have defined our future facilities' needs.  We developed a Master Plan in 2004 to address these needs in order to best serve our ministry.  The congregation voted to approve the Master Plan in July, 2004, and voted again in April 2006 to approve a revised Master Plan and the beginning of Phase I construction, which includes building new worship space and renovating the existing worship space to serve as fellowship space.   (See bottom of page if you have trouble opening the file.)

Now is the time.  This is our opportunity to raise the funds needed to build on our legacy of discipleship and God's grace.  We intend to raise the $4.2 million in commitments necessary to renovate and build so that our worship of God, our service in Christ's name an our witness to our community can continue far into the future.  Normally, financial commitments are contributed over three years. 

Our Progress

Our initial pledge response thus far is over $1.2 million in commitments.  Thanks be to God and thank you, Salem!  It is a thrilling response!  We see our $1.5 million goal in reach.

Campaign Materials

Campaign Q&As:  Some commonly-heard questions and our best answers!

Creative Giving Options:  Ideas for giving other than out of your monthly cash flow.

(Note:  Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the downloadable files on this page.  If you do not have it installed on your computer, you can get it free at www.adobe.com; click on "Get Adobe Reader" on the left side of the page.  To save the file to your computer, right-click on the link, choose "Save Target As" and save it to your desktop or in My Documents.)