Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church Votes Unanimously to Proceed with “Seeds of Hope” Capital Campaign

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
June 22, 2018

Omaha, NE – In 1973, a group of 8 families from two local Lutheran churches launched out in faith and planted Seeds of Hope in a corn field in the burgeoning town of Millard, NE.  Now, 45 years later, the congregation which grew from that effort, Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, is seeking to plant new Seeds of Hope in a soybean field about three-miles away.  It is estimated that this new location, near the corner of 168^th Street and West Giles Road will see more that 13,000 new people settle in this area in the next ten years. 

After four weeks of Readiness Assessment, including more than 17 Focus Group meetings where feedback from the congregation was sought, the Board of Directors has unanimously voted to immediately begin the “Seeds of Hope” Capital Campaign and form a Steering Committee.  The capital needs required to see this new vision take shape are significant but as one member said, “We will be planting seeds – seeds that grow.  What an awesome plan!”

The initial plan is to build a Christian child care center on what will be known as the Family Campus.  This will enable the church to meet a very real and growing need for quality, Christian child care in this emerging part of the Omaha metro area.  As the property is developed, additional features such as outdoor fields for play and even a new satellite worship location for Divine Shepherd could begin at this location. 

“Continuing to extend the impact and influence of the Gospel message to this part of Omaha is an important part of our church’s vision,” said Rev. Mark Hannemann, Senior Pastor of Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church.  “This initiative is critical to the continued growth and outreach of a church that has a long history of reaching into the community.  Two years ago, we commissioned many of our key members to begin a new congregation, GraceHill Lutheran Church, to expand the ministry of the Gospel in Omaha.  We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for our new Family Campus as we take another leap of faith and plant Seeds of Hope in a new, promising location.”

In addition to constructing a new facility at the Family Campus, Divine Shepherd’s main campus at 15005 Q Street will be renovated to add a daycare option to the preschool which has been in operation for many years.  This will enable working parents to have child care options throughout the day which is a well-documented need in this area.  It will further round out the effectiveness of the Christian education of young hearts and minds.  While taking care of the needs at both campuses, the church Board of Directors has also committed to supporting important renovation plans at both the LCMS District Office in Seward, NE and the University Lutheran Chapel on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Due to the scope of these proposals, the Board of Directors at Divine Shepherd has asked James D. Klote & Associates to assist and guide their efforts through this “Seeds of Hope” Capital Campaign initiative.  Consultant, Dan Reese, is providing full-time, resident service for the duration of the campaign. 

“I am honored to be part of this excellent vision to see the Gospel expand in this part of the State,” said Reese.  I have been very impressed with the many years of planning and thorough consideration given to this project by so many.”

To learn more about this project, visit the Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church website at: http://www.dsomaha.org/community/seeds-of-hope.html.

With offices in Falls Church, Virginia; Dallas, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, James D. Klote & Associates is the largest full-time, on-site stewardship consulting firm in North America.  For additional information, please contact the firm at www.jdklote.com or (800)-360-2315.