Annual Report for August 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012

Together We Experience Jesus And Deliver Hope

Worship (God) Connect (Community)

Serve (Everyone)

3641 N. 56th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85018

480.945.9537

Www.popphoenix.org

The Climb Continues

It has been said that a picture

is worth a thousand words.

My favorite picture from the

past year was taken Easter

morning at the top of

Camelback Mountain. The

occasion was our first annual

Sunrise Prayer Climb. Like

many other photos snapped

each day, this one features a

smiling group of hikers

gathered to celebrate the

daunting task of making it to

the top. However, if you look

more closely you can see

something infinitely more

exciting. This is a snapshot that depicts the future of Prince of Peace – a diverse

group of Christ-followers who intentionally seek new God-inspired challenges and

celebrate the Spirit’s presence in new and wild places.

2011-2012 has been a wonderful year in the life of this dynamic congregation. As

we look back at the past year, it is important to keep in mind: we continue to live

through economic uncertainty, changing demographics and unprecedented levels

of fear in our country. Yet, we watched ministries grow, we observed a climb in

attendance and we experienced a level of financial giving that rivaled better times.

In other words, the world did not shape our ministry…our faith did!

As we move forward, we do so with a sense of adventure as we build upon the

foundations we have been constructing and reconstructing for the past 54 years.

2012-2013 is a year for expansion –innovative family ministries led by our newly hired

Children’s Ministry Coordinator, meaningful community involvement including

monthly service projects and a remodeling of our contemporary worship service. Of

course, our vision is the same as it has been for 2,000 years – to build an army of

people who make it a habit to sow seeds of God’s love wherever they go.

This promises to be an amazing time to watch God at work in our midst. We can

follow the Apostle Paul’s advice:

“Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything,

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rev. Rick Sherrill

Lead Pastor

Pastoral Staff

Pastor Rick Sherrill

Lead Pastor

408-472-0529

Rick.sherrill@gmail.com

Connie Rose-Kamprath

Minister of Youth and Family

480-298-4379

connie@aplaceofgrace.org

Pastor Lou Accola

Pastor of Visitation

425.941.7582

accolalw@cox.net

Office/Program Staff

Preschool Director: Laura

Van Klaveren

Children’s Ministry

Coordinator: Angela Sherrill

Office Manager: Karen Walsh

Accountant: Emily Whitwell

Assistant Financial Secretary:

Verna Lauritsen

Bulletin & Messenger Editor:

Marge Mayes

Arcadia Music Academy

Director: Glenda Rauscher

Organist/Choir Accompanist:

Dr. Allen Quie

Pianist/Choir Director/Bell

Choir Director: Lynne McGinley

Music Team Leader: Chris

Flores

Custodian: Herman Vergara

Worship Services

Sundays from September—May 9:00am Traditional Worship

10:30am Celebration Worship

10:00am Coffee Fellowship

Sundays from June—September 9:30am Festive Summer Worship

10:30am Coffee Fellowship

A Brief History…

In May 1957, Pastor Philip Gangsei accepted a call to serve as the mission

developer pastor for a new congregation of the American Lutheran

Church in the Arcadia area of Phoenix. He and his family arrived on

September 2, 1957, and assisted by parish worker, Mary Jane Swiggum,

began a house-to-house visitation.

The first worship service was held on October 20, 1957 at the V.F.W. Hall

on Thomas Road, east of 48th

street with 81 people in attendance. The

congregation was then formally organized on March 10, 1958 with a

membership of 98. The congregation’s first unit—at its current site at

the corner of 56th

Street and Indian School Road— was dedicated in May

1959. This “church with four peaks” was unique, and became well-known

in the area.

Growth continued at a rapid pace in the coming years and when three

worship services and two Sunday School sessions were not adequate to

accommodate the number of people attending, plans were drawn up for

a new sanctuary. The current worship center of the congregation was

built and dedicated on March 27, 1966. That same year, the Prince of

Peace Preschool opened and a daycare was later added in 1982.

In the years since 1966, the campus has undergone a number of

remodels. In 1968, the four peaks from the original sanctuary were

removed and construction began to provide a fellowship hall, kitchen,

ten classrooms and a Sunday School office. Then in January 2001 ground

was broken for the current campus plan; Kinderhaus and the old Gangsei

Hall were demolished, and the congregation built the new gymnasium

(Gangsei Hall), a new Preschool/Daycare wing, an Administrative Office

building, and a new multi-use education building for Sunday School and

community groups. This was dedicated on May 19, 2002.

During the course of our 54 years, Prince of Peace has been led by just

five senior pastors: Philip Gangsei, Lester Hoffman, John Cockram,

Richard Rouse, and now Rick Sherrill. Assistant Pastors have included

Roger Gordon, Howie Wennes, Paul Evenson, Carl WIlfrid, Kirk Anderson

(part-time), David Mohr, Ruth Bruland, Tim Selbo, Scott and Melissa

Maxwell-Doherty, Bill Walles, Ray Stiffler, and currently, Lou Accola (part-

time).

Prince of Peace has always been and continues to be an evangelizing

congregation, reaching out to the unchurched in our area. The Arcadia

area is going through a renaissance as a number young people who had

grown up with Prince of Peace have chosen to return to the neighbor-

hood to raise their families and reconnect with the church.

A YEAR IN FINANCES...

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

August 1, 2011 through July 31, 2012

11,902 in worship attendance

$312,705 in Pledged Giving

$ 89,126 in Unpledged Giving

$101,052 Preschool Contributions

$ 24,417 Facility Use Income

$ 3,772 Grocery Card Income

Mission Investment fund repaid in full

$ 25,200 in Council Reserve account

$24,933 given in benevolence which

includes: ICM, Duet, Campus

Ministries, Hispanic outreach, Vida

Nueva, Homeless outreach.

$8,200 sent to Tanzania to

fund school projects and tuition for

AIDS orphans.

Thank you for your faithful giving!

Emily Whitwell, Accountant

Pastoral Acts

21 New Members 12 Baptisms 10 Confirmands

10 Funerals

Youth and Family Ministry

BLAST! SUNDAY SCHOOL: New Drama and

Science Lab Centers

We learned about God’s heroes in the

Old and New Testament

Christmas Pageant: “The First Leon”

Over 40 children participated in

sharing songs and a message given to

our congregation during the Advent

season

Confirmation and Fall Retreat:

Teaching, serving and growing

together in Christ

Youth Trips

Mission Trip to San Diego

Serving the Homeless in San Diego, St.

Vincent De Paul and Feeding America

National Youth Gathering in New Orleans/

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

Gathering with 34,000 Lutheran youth

to live out Justice, Discipleship and

Peace

Vacation Bible School

We flew with four other churches to

share and tell all that everything is

possible with God.

52 young people are enrolled in Prince of

Peace BLAST Sunday School.

Over 35 youth and adults shared an amazing

Christmas Pageant “The First Leon” to our

congregation on December 18.

Over 30 young people began confirmation

classes last fall. Together with our Joint

Ministry we had 38 confirmation youth on

Wednesday nights.

On Reformation Sunday 11 youth reaffirmed

their faith during our Confirmation Sunday.

Over 20 high school youth gathered, prayed,

and served God on Wednesday nights at

Hangtime and the many events throughout

the year.

Together with Gloria Dei 31 youth and adults

took the trip to New Orleans to experience

Justice, Discipleship and Peace with 34,000

young Lutherans at the ELCA National Youth

Gathering.

“Everything is Possible with God” was our

Vacation Bible theme. 60 youth and 51

volunteers experienced an uplifting week of

fun. With the Prince of Peace pre-school we

sang, prayed and participated in squashing

Malaria in the African nation of Mali. By

giving to the World Vision Project for life

saving mosquito nets, children can be

protected while they sleep.

Connie Rose-Kamprath, Minister of Youth and

Family

Arcadia Music Academy

The following is a summary of

Arcadia Music Academy

activities for 2011:

Maintained enrollment at over 90

students with high rates of renewal.

Increased attendance and participation

in student recitals conducted in

February, April, May, October, and

December with an all-guitar recital in

May and a student solo recital in

June.

Provided entertainment for POP

Senior Luncheon.

Again offered summer group classes

in music theory and composition.

Fully implemented sharing of office

and computer facilities with

Preschool.

Continued budget surpluses while

providing scholarship assistance and

POP discounts.

Glenda Rauscher, AMA Director

LIBRARY

Our church library has books available for

everyone. There are books that will help

you grow in your faith. We have an

excellent choice of fiction, all of which are

based upon faith in God. We invite

everyone who has not done so, to visit the

library and see the many choices available

for your reading pleasure.

If you do check out a book, we ask that you

return it within three weeks.

For several years now the library has had a

very successful used book sale. We thank

you, the members, who contribute their

books for this sale. The sale will be held in

conjunction with the Craft Bazaar in

October.

Jeanne Knutsen

Grace Swanson

Altar Guild

Altar Guild has provided communion for

every Sunday Service. During the school year

it was twice each Sunday. The 9:00 am Service

is the Traditional Service and the 10:30 am

Service is the Celebration Service.

During Lent we also held a weekly

Wednesday Service and a Maundy

Thursday Service.

At Christmas we held two evening

Services.

Altar Guild is made up of 18 devoted

ladies.

The chairperson sends out a monthly

letter to notify those who need to serve

that month and she provides them with

any information needed.

The chairperson does all the shopping for

the wafers, juice, wine and cups.

The chairperson also makes bread once a

month that is used in place of wafers.

Services

The chairperson makes arrangements for

the purchases of Christmas candles for the

candlelight service as well as the small

candles for All Saints Day and arranged

with the Foundation to replace the oil

candles with new ones.

The chairperson also orders flowers

needed each week and makes sure Karen

Walsh receives the message for the

bulletin.

We need people to clean after the

second service but we will set up both

communions.

Gail Hartman

Altar Guild Chairperson

Prince of Peace Preschool

Prince of Peace Preschool is a ministry of

Prince of Peace Church. Classes are available for

children from 2-5 years of age. The preschool is

operated for the purpose of providing a

Christian environment to aid in the child’s

development spiritually, intellectually,

emotionally, physically and socially. The

preschool is open from 7am- 6pm, Monday

through Friday. The hallmarks of our 2011-12

School Year include:

Average enrollment during the 2011-2012

school year was 215 students with several

others on a waiting list.

The preschool was able to grant $12,790 in

scholarships to families this year through

the Katie Wunch Scholarship Fund.

Summer Camp 2012 generated over

$117,000 in revenue. Each weekly camp

was completely full during June and July.

The Parent Volunteer Committee held

many fundraisers throughout the year.

The total profit raised for the purchase of

new playground equipment was $15,558.

The Preschool passed our Arizona State Licensing Inspection with flying colors.

2012 Facility Improvements: Wi-Fi is now available in our classrooms and a misting

system was added to the sandbox on the north playground.

In addition to health insurance which is offered every year, this year we were also able

to offer disability insurance, life insurance, accident insurance and critical illness

Insurance to our employees.

For the first time, we were able to provide hearing and vision screening to all of our

children on campus.

We received a $5,000 grant from the Steele Foundation

that is designated to go to the south playground

improvements.

In November of 2012, we were able to send three

teachers to the NAEYC conference in Orlando, Florida.

Our first annual Dad’s Pancake Breakfast took place in

February with wonderful participation and attendance

from all the dads and kids at the Preschool.

It has been a great year at the Preschool. We are blessed to

be able to provide a great learning and growing atmosphere

for the children of this community.

Laura Van Klaveren, Director

Women's Ministries

All women of Prince of Peace are part of our

women's ministries. You don't need to belong to a

special group. We are one.

We do have two women's Bible study groups,

knitters, quilters, sew and tie quilters, greeting

card makers, altar guild, Elderberries, etc. If any of

these interest you, we would love to have you join

us.

We have our yearly Fall Craft Bazaar fund raiser

in October. That money was put to good use this

year with the purchase of ten new 8-foot banquet

tables, the purchase of a new commercial

refrigerator for the kitchen when the old one died,

and also helped to pay for the repair of the

garbage disposal in the scullery.

Every year at Christmas, Dorcas Circle donates

to a family in need. This is someone that is

connected with POP or the preschool. POP quilters

make and donate a quilt to be raffled at our

bazaar.

Elderberries put on a luncheon for the 85 years

plus members at POP. Sew and Tie quilters donate

approximately 100 quilts to the needy each year.

We also had some cleanup days-----the kitchen,

the choir loft, the big job of cleaning all the

upholstered chairs in Gangsei Hall, and the tables in

rooms 13/14 were cleaned.

We might be small in numbers but we are

mighty in the gifts God has blessed us with. We

would love to have more hands to help with our

mission.

Suzy Steinmetz and Ellen Schoeneman

Chairpersons

Elderberries

The Elderberries are an active,

vibrant Senior Fellowship Group who

meet Wednesdays for weekly Bible

Study, and on the second Wednesday

of the month for lunch at a local

restaurant. We sponsor three annual

events which in 2011-2012 were:

Fall - The Franciscan Renewal Center

Pre Lent - Canaan in the Desert/

Garden

Spring - 85 Years Plus Luncheon with

entertainment by the Preschool

We also have a thriving cottage

industry with the designing of greeting

cards from recycled donated cards. The

cards are for sale Sundays between

services with profits going for supplies

and for items donated to the church.

This past year we contributed to the

Youth Group for their trip to New

Orleans and we purchased, with the

help of the POP Foundation, a cross for

the healing services held in the choir

room.

June Larson and Lois Godward

Voices of Praise

Our choir provides choral music for the congregation an

average of twice each month and during church holiday seasons.

While the number of choir members still remains low (14 on

average), the members are very loyal and give 100%!

Fortunately, our numbers increase during the winter and spring

due to an influx of seasonal members.

Joy Ringers

We averaged eight or nine ringers throughout the September to May schedule.

Keeping the 11:45 a.m. start time on Sundays helped to maintain consistency since it

followed the contemporary worship. We were also not displaced from other events

happening in the sanctuary on Sunday afternoons.

We were able to provide special music about every six weeks throughout the church

seasons. We also incorporated playing with piano and with an acoustical guitarist to

introduce us to different music and give the congregation (hopefully) a special treat.

Praise Team

The two worship teams rotate every two weeks. The worship team practices Thursday

evenings at 7:00 p.m. The 10:30 a.m. Celebration Service remains the contemporary worship

service at Prince of Peace.

Lynne McGinley, Choir Director / Bell Choir Director

Administration and Facilities

Lots of changes have taken place in the administration and facilities this past year:

In October, 2011 Karen Walsh came on board as the new Office Manager.

We remodeled the choir room and added new padded chairs and have used it for our

healing services.

The new church directory was distributed in March, 2012.

A commercial garbage disposal was replaced in Gangsei Hall.

Our church office has outstanding volunteers who assist us daily with grace.

We have two wonderful new volunteers in the office, Anita Thorne and Jean Harney and

would appreciate the opportunity to train new substitutes. Please let us know if you

would like to help us out on occasion.

Our new locking mailbox has been a welcome and safe

change.

The cartridge recycling program is saving us $40 per

month on our office supplies.

New alarms were installed in the Sanctuary making it

more secure.

Karen Walsh, Office Manager

PRINCE OF PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH FOUNDATION

The Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Foundation exists to provide financial support to

complement the ministry of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and Preschool. The Foundation

is a separately incorporated ministry that receives, manages, and encourages memorials,

estate bequeaths, and the gifts it receives. The Foundation receives these gifts, memorials,

bequeaths, and monies from church members and friends and expends earnings to

complement and supplement the ministry of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. The

Foundation uses its invested earnings to help support projects beyond the normal day-to-day

running of the church, which is financed by the yearly stewardship and special fund raising

efforts of the congregation.

The Foundation is pleased to have helped provide financial assistance to numerous projects

this 2011/2012 year.

Facility improvements: new church sign, new church website, re-keying and upgrading

POP campus security, protective cages around the exposed water mains on church property,

new POP Wi-Fi, and a new mailbox.

Worship improvements: a new communion set, Advent wreath, a chapel cross for the

healing services, choir music folders, and new altar candles and snuffers.

Aid to POP Youth: funding for three mission gatherings in San Diego, San Francisco, and

New Orleans; a camcorder to record youth activities, plus sixteen college scholarships to our

Prince of Peace youth.

Financial support also went to the Feed My Starving Children Fund, the Big Dot Big Difference

Fund, Tanzania Aids Orphan Fund and La Vida Nueva Lutheran Church.

The Foundation is dedicated to encouraging members and friends of the congregation to be

good stewards with their lifetime assets. Also, to exploring the many ministries the

Foundation initiates and supports and to consider how they may assist the Foundation in a

way that will perpetuate the ministry of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church for future

generations.

Please consider how you may give in a manner that will support ministries at Prince of Peace

for generations to come. You may wish to remember the church in your estate plans.

Remember, your gift is preserved by investment and that the ongoing income will support a

variety of Prince of Peace ministries or a specific ministry you may choose. It is the legacy of

your gift that allows you to keep giving to Prince of Peace in perpetuity.

I would like to give a special thank you to the present board members for the giving of their

time and talents to serve on the board: Gene Stevens, Treasurer; Mary Quinsler, Secretary;

Craig Myrmel and Beth Pachman, Special Ministries. Their professionalism and financial

experience is serving Prince of Peace well.

Don Johnson

President

Church Council

An operating plan for 2012/2013 was

introduced at the May congregational

meeting. Increased momentum of

identified strategic objectives will

continue to be accomplished as each

one of us is challenged to step up and

continue to work hard using our God

given gifts. Thank you to those of you

who have expressed interest – the

church is your oyster!

We are eager to experience the gifts of

worship and interaction our newly

appointed Children’s Ministry

Coordinator, Angela Sherrill, will bring

to both our pre-school and our church.

Connie Rose-Kamprath (6th

– 12th

grade)

will work in partnership with Angela

(infants through 5th

grade) for a holistic

unity of all youth ages.

Church Council has had a very positive,

collaborative spirit with regard to the

work we have and continue to

accomplish. I am honored to have such

Council surrounding me.

I extend much gratitude to our staff,

council members, preschool board,

committee members and volunteers

for all you do. Together we make up

our church.

Gail Andrews, Council President

Grocery Card Program

Monthly, Bashas’ donates to Prince of

Peace six percent of all amounts loaded

during the previous month on Bashas’

Community Support Cards obtained

through the church. The cards are

honored at AJ’s Fine Foods, Bashas’ and

Food City.

The rebate paid by Fry’s for using Fry’s

gift cards purchased through Prince of

Peace is based upon the level of reloads

during six-month periods beginning

approximately February 1 and August 1.

Our rebate has been five percent. Rebate

checks are issued by Fry’s to Prince of

Peace in March and September. Fry’s cards

are honored at Fry’s and all other stores in

the Kroger chain throughout the United

States.

New cards are preloaded with the amount

paid for them: $10 for Bashas’ and $5 for

Fry’s. There is no extra cost to the users.

The cards are rechargeable at the store.

From 8/1/2011 – 7/31 2012 we earned $925

from Bashas’ and $3,091 from Fry’s for a

total of $4,016 to support Prince of

Peace’s ministries.

THANK YOU to the

many participants in

the grocery card

program.

Steve Crofton,

Grocery Card

Coordinator