Keep Noah's Ark Afloat- PLEASE!

As many of you may already know, Sandy has told the board of Education (Russ Maack, Steve Beeck, and Hoss Reddick) that she intends to step away from being our preschool director after this year.

This puts us in a pickle if we want to keep Noah's Ark open since the state deadline for filing for license renewal is June 1. Part of her reasoning is that she'd like to have one full time job instead of two part-time ones.

Her current salary is something like $300 per month. All of this comes from tuition funds, essentially Noah's Ark is "self-supporting," receiving virtually nothing from St. John, except the us of the building and just more than half the heating costs.

I feel that Sandy is a professional deserving at least $15 per hour. I consider Noah's Ark a major mission of our congregation. Sandy has brought the Gospel to hundreds of children. The preschool should also be a major way of reaching the young family (20-40 yr olds) age group that we need to grow and remain viable as a congregation.

Because St. John will be paying the interim pastor half of Pastor Gebhardt's current salary, I believe that we can not afford to let Sandy get away and Noah's Ark sink. I think it would be completely prudent and financially feasible to invest in our preschool.

I believe that the congregation should add at least $500 to the $300 that Sandy is currently receiving, bringing her up to $800 per month. over 10 months, this will cost St. John only $5,000 per year.

Rent or mortgage payments for most of us easily exceed $400 per month and utilities can cost any where from $50-150 per month. I don't know what the Bramley's financial situation is like or how much her other job pays, but I was ashamed to find out how little Noah's Ark pays her and that St. John doesn't contribute anything!

If Sandy's reasons for retiring have nothing to do with compensation, but are more personal- just being ready to retire, wanting to spend time with her own grandchildren, etc. we certainly need to honor her. But if that is the case, then I BEG you to pray that God will miraculously raise up a new preschool director for Noah's Ark between now and the end of May.

If you think that any of my ideas are viable, please pass them on to anyone you think should see them (elders, council members etc.)

In Christ,
Ted Mallory

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St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Charter Oak, IA
Mission Statement:
Offering with open arms
the love of Jesus

Purpose Statement:
St. John Lutheran Church exists to offer God’s Word and Sacraments and to prayerfully...
• love God through worship and praise
• and joyfully serve others with love
• build each other up through love and fellowship
• reach out with the Gospel message of God’s love and salvation
• encourage growth in and study of God’s Word in truth and purity