An Initial Plan – Next Steps

Initial Report of the Strategic Planning Committee of

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Falls Church, VA

Approved by the Church Council to be brought to
a meeting of the Voters on September 27, 2026 (11:45am)

Charter

In late 2025, as the long-awaited sale of a portion of St. Paul’s property received county approval, the church council urged the formation and charter of a Strategic Planning Committee. In January of 2026, the Council approved the charter as follows:

The St. Paul’s Strategic Planning Committee is charged with developing a plan to guide St. Paul’s effective execution of its mission, which is to “Share the life-changing Good News of God’s love for all people in Christ Jesus.” The Committee will consist of Pastor Mark and 3-6 members. It will meet at least twice a month starting in January and report to the Council starting in March with the goal of a final report in November. Over the course of its meetings the Committee will:

–             Seek God’s guidance through prayer and spiritual discernment

–             Examine and discuss the previous Strategic Plan (2016)

–             Consider a means of polling or interviewing our membership and staff

–             Consider the use of outside consultants

–             Work towards identifying the congregation’s needs, strengths and desires

–             Recommend steps and timelines for the congregation to take in the areas of ministry, finance and facilities

Chris Frenze, Melissa Hecht, Jim Easterly, Mike Johnshoy, Sara Starck, and Kyle Werntz were chosen as committee members to work with Pastor Mark. Of these members, Chris, Jim, Mike and Pastor were also on the 2016 Planning Committee. The current committee commenced its work at a meeting on February 10.

History

The Committee began its work by re-visiting the 2016 report. It took note, especially, of its recommendations that the church, upon sale of the property, take the steps of a) paying off the current mortgage, b) replace the HVAC system and upgrade the organ in the sanctuary, c) set aside funds for six years of a full-time Education Director, d) make necessary repairs and upgrades to the existing facilities, and e) give a large offering to our District and Synod. The report also suggested that the remaining funds be used to do one of the following three things: 1) Build a large gathering space called a “Family Life Center”, or 2) Build extra office and classroom space by adding a third floor to the Education Building, or 3) Invest the proceeds in a fund that can be drawn down over time to supplement the budget for building expenses and new ministry efforts.

First Reflections

Other early discussions of the current Strategic Planning Committee centered on questions such as “shall we recommend adding a vision statement for our church?” and “shall we do a survey of the membership?” Regarding a vision statement, it was felt that our congregation’s general vision has always been to grow larger in membership and to facilitate the growth of stronger faith in our members. With this in mind, we didn’t feel it was critical to develop and recommend a specific statement for adoption. Regarding a survey, we felt that this was an important step to take and we proceeded to formulate one. The survey was conducted during five weeks around Easter. The results of the survey can be found at the end of this report.

Emerging Thoughts

Upon examining the survey results and reflecting further upon the needs and status of the congregation, the Planning Committee next considered the emerging thoughts it was discerning regarding the next steps for our congregation. Here is a summary of these thoughts…

1) It seems very clear, from both the congregational survey and our scriptural beliefs, that donating a tithe of the land sale proceeds should be done as a matter of first importance. The value of the land has appreciated immensely over the years, and we are blessed to be receiving such a large amount. Ten percent was the figure most generally suggested in the survey, although some urged us to give more. The emerging thought is that we give away ten percent and then consider whether we can raise this number after our other needs are addressed.

2) We considered the idea of investing all or most of the land sale proceeds for the purpose of receiving perpetual dividends, but our thought is that new funds for ministry can and should come primarily from donations (not passive income) and that living off a “nest egg” discourages member giving. We believe that putting funds toward facilities and ministry is the better form of investing and one that will better lead to growth in membership, our most important goal. At the same time, we also wish to save a certain amount for future needs, perhaps doing so in an endowment fund. Also, much of the initial proceeds will be invested until building and staffing plans materialize. In the end, all money will be invested… whether in facilities, staff, programs, or savings.

3) We all agree that St. Paul’s facilities have many maintenance and upgrade needs. These should be addressed as a matter of good stewardship. Some of the current building needs can be addressed immediately while others should wait until new space decisions are made. Some of these decisions will need research and may necessitate the hiring of an architect or engineer. We should not be afraid to spend on this research or on the upgrades needed.

4) It would be nice to add some space that could be used for new ministry efforts. The survey does not show strong support for a large building such as our previously envisioned “Family Life Center.” Rather, it points more toward re-working the Education Building and adding classrooms, offices, and meeting spaces. The Committee, therefore, recommends that this possibility should be explored first, with the added thought that any new building addition should be constructed with specific ministry goals in mind.

5) Regarding new ministry efforts, the survey indicates that the top two efforts people would like us to improve and expand upon are those of reaching young families and increasing our general fellowship. The Planning Committee agrees with these being top priorities and urges that staffing choices and new space work to enhance these. The Committee does this with the knowledge that demographic trends and projections for this area indicate a slight aging of the population. Our thinking is that in a county of over a million people, young families are still plentiful and targeting them is still a strong strategy.

6) In thinking about next steps, the Committee discerned a need to make an initial report to the Council and Voters ahead of the Land Sale closing in order to guide the congregation.  A second report should be made once studies and estimates for our facility needs can be garnered. This second report would also include further thoughts on specific ministry directions.

Specific First-Step Recommendations

In consideration of the above-stated emerging thoughts, the Planning Committee recommends the following five immediate steps once the land sale closes and proceeds are received:

1. Pay off our mortgage ($950k), place the rest of the land sale proceeds in an LCEF fund with the right balance of liquidity and interest, and start distributing a tithe (ten percent of the sale price of $16 million) as a gift of thanks. We recommend that the Board of Spiritual Life lead us in discussions of how to distribute the tithe. Interactions with LCEF will be carried out by our Business Manager and Treasurer, and overseen by the Congregational President, Pastor, and the Board of Stewardship and Finance.
2. Upgrade our Sanctuary with a new HVAC system ($500k), new organ ($1 million), and general maintenance and repairs to stairwells, windows, and other items ($200k). Steps toward a new HVAC and organ have already been taken, with the HVAC install needing to be done first. Certain Undercroft updates can be made too, with the understanding that the usage of this space may change depending on what other facilities are built.
3. Study the possibilities of an Education Building overhaul, including the need for environmental remediation, new HVAC, general maintenance and repairs, and the possibility of a third-floor addition with elevator. This study will entail the consult of a professional firm. A first-step cost for this is $14k for an initial study.
4. Increase staffing to assist with new ministry efforts, with the idea that we “staff to grow.” A first addition would be a young assistant pastor since this would help in our effort to reach young families and provide much needed pastoral support to the current congregation. Specific tasks for this pastor would include the teaching of classes geared towards young families and the leading of our congregation in a new social ministry effort. Money for this ($110k/year) will likely need to come from the land sale proceeds since we have already hired a full-time Education and Care Ministries Coordinator. Another staff we recommend hiring is a part-time nursery attendant ($10k/year) to help watch young children on Sunday mornings. The Assistant Pastor search can begin immediately with the formation of a Call Committee and will likely not need to be funded until 2027. The Nursery Attendant should be hired immediately.
5. Increase the Fellowship budget ($10k) to allow for more events and activities, and increase the Evangelism budget ($10k) to allow for better communications and new outreach efforts. Both increases can be done immediately. We make these recommendations as a means of addressing our second highest priority effort, that of general fellowship.

Adoption

The Church Council approved this plan to go forward to the voters at its July 20 meeting and its follow-up discussions in August. The motion we are bringing for the voters is as follows:

“Upon closing of the land sale and receipt of proceeds, the congregation authorizes the Church Council to implement the First-Step Recommendations described in this report, within the estimated budgets presented. Any project whose total cost exceeds the approved estimate by more than 10%, or any materially new project not described in this report, shall require approval by the voters.”

 

Addenda

Here are some thoughts on the benefits of adding a third floor to the Education Building:

• Building up instead of out saves land space, which could allow us to create more outdoor fellowship areas.
• A third-floor addition would expand that facility by up to 4700 square feet (72×66). A multipurpose room of perhaps 3000 square feet would be about 50 percent larger than the current fellowship hall and could have a higher ceiling.
• A third-floor addition could include more office/class/meeting rooms and a large gathering space that could serve multiple functions including a hangout and play space for families, a preschool activity room, a large Sunday School space, and a meeting room for large groups.
• If a third floor is added, an elevator should be installed.
• We could decide if this floor would have a kitchen or a kitchenette

 

Here are some thoughts on the task division between two pastors.

Senior Pastor Job Description

• Represents the church to Synod and Community
• Supervises the staff
• Works with the staff in administrative tasks
• Preaches 50-65% of the services
• Schedules the Bible Classes and is the primary teacher
• Oversees worship choices and design
• Responsible for visitor contacts and follow-up
• Covers half the visitation
• Teaches half the confirmation and new member classes
• Works with Board of Stewardship and Finance

Assistant Pastor Job Description

• Preaches 35-50% of the services
• Covers half the visitation
• Leads a second adult class on Sundays geared toward parents
• Leads us in a social ministry effort
• Works with the young adult ministry
• Teaches half the confirmation and new member classes
• Works with the Board of Evangelism

 

Update on property work that is currently taking place.

• The Property Board has selected an HVAC design concept and company. Plans are being developed.
• We have met with a General Contractor to inquire about their oversight of the HVAC install and related Sanctuary work. This contractor could also work with us to research further additions and renovations and give cost estimates.
• We’ve installed new phones in the office.
• Land sale plans seem on track (July land clearing commences, September closing).
• We are doing small masonry and concrete repair work

St. Paul’s 2026 Strategic Planning Survey — Results

A huge “Thank You” to all who submitted their thoughtful responses to the 2026 Strategic Planning Survey (48 surveys submitted). And thank you to all who are reviewing these results and keeping the church’s planning efforts in your prayers. Many helpful suggestions, excitements, and concerns were also shared in the comments. The Strategic Planning Committee is reviewing all of these as it prepares its recommendations to the Council and Voters.

Values Questions: (5=Strongly Agree; 1=Strongly Disagree)

Finance Questions:

What percentage of the land sale proceeds would you like us to donate?

0 percent – 10.4%

10 percent – 68%

20 percent – 10.4%

30 percent – 10.4%

No other percentages chosen

What percentage would you like us to allocate for facility improvements?

0 percent – 2%

10 percent – 2%

20 percent – 18.8%

30 percent – 18.8%

40 percent – 18.8%

50 percent – 31.3%

60 percent – 4.2%

70 percent – 4.2%

No other percentages chosen

What percentage would you like us to allocate for new staff and ministry efforts?

0 percent – 4.2%

10 percent – 23%

20 percent – 33.3%

30 percent – 25%

40 percent – 8.3%

50 percent – 6.3%

No other percentages chosen

What percentage would you like us to invest (Ex. in LCEF)?

0 percent – 6.3%

10 percent – 20%

20 percent – 25%

30 percent – 14.6%

40 percent – 8.3%

50 percent – 18.8%

60 percent – 2.1%

90 percent – 2.1%

100 percent – 2.1%

No other percentages chosen