608-752-7434 | office@flcj.org
612 N. Randall Ave. Janesville, WI 53545
This church and daycare have long been a place of comfort, learning, and community for so many families. After the recent flood, those spaces were deeply impacted—but we are moving forward with hope, rebuilding together.
You can be part of that effort. If 100 people give $5, $10, $50, or $100, it quickly adds up and brings us closer to reopening our doors. Will you be one of the 100?
WAYS TO STAY UPDATED
Weekly updates will be sent via email on Wednesdays and shared on our website (flcj.org/rebuilding), Facebook, and Instagram. To be added to the email list, contact Office Assistant Nan Bandt at 608.752.7434 x15 or NBandt@flcj.org, or sign up at the bottom of our homepage under the “Staying Connected” section at flcj.org.
STAYING CONNECTED WITHOUT INTERNET ACCESS
If you don’t use the internet or aren’t receiving our updates, please contact Office Assistant Nan Bandt at 608.752.7434 x15, or speak with her when you see her at Good Shepherd. We will make sure you stay informed. If you know of members who may not see this message in the bulletin, please reach out to Nan on their behalf.
WORSHIP
While we work toward returning to our church building, Sunday worship will be held at 8am and 9:30am at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (700 N. Wright Rd., Janesville). Enter on the east side of the building (large parking lot).
EVENTS & MEETINGS
Most of our events and meetings will take place at Good Shepherd during this time. Please check with your group leader for new location details. Enter on the south side of the building (small parking lot).
MEDICAL LOAN CLOSET
The Medical Equipment Loan Closet is closed until further notice. We cannot accept donations at this time.
As you all know, a major storm caused serious flooding in Janesville last Friday evening. The city’s sewer system was overwhelmed, streets became rivers, and the FLC parking lot suddenly transformed into a lake that poured into the lower level of our building, filling it over four feet deep.
The losses from this event have been devastating. Area schools, businesses, homes, and our church have been profoundly impacted. Reality is settling in after several days of feverish work to clear out flood-damaged properties and begin the cleanup work. How are you feeling? Most of us are probably feeling a strange mixture of grief, gratitude, anxiety, and uncertainty about what comes next.
Clear communication and up-to-date information will help to calm our anxiety, so that we can focus on the priorities and the things that we each can do to help recover from this storm.
FLC’s leadership team will seek to be transparent, providing weekly updates on Wednesdays. You can also check our website for updates. When you go to www.flcj.org, a pop-up page will provide the most current updates.
In these last days, we have needed to make many decisions quickly. Council met in emergency session on Saturday and on Tuesday evening for the regular April meeting. We are trying to stay calm, think clearly, and ask questions, so that we make good decisions. Please share with us your questions, so that we can provide timely responses.
Here are some current updates:
New Temporary Location
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at 700 N Wright Road has generously invited us into their space. We filled the house last Sunday for a shared worship service, and we enjoyed a meal together afterward, prepared and served by Chad Measner (and his family) of our congregation. It was encouraging to find strength in one another.
It will likely take one to two months before we can resume regular gatherings in the building at First Lutheran. In the meantime, we will maintain our regular Sunday worship schedule at Good Shepherd: 8am and 9:30am, with Sunday School at 9:15am. The Good Shepherd congregation will worship with us at 9:30am. Refreshments and fellowship time will follow both services.
Most of our regularly scheduled meetings and gatherings will take place at Good Shepherd, until we can get back into First Lutheran.
First Lutheran Building Condition
In the first two days after the flooding, we removed and hauled away nine dumpster loads of water-damaged and contaminated items. The experience was devastating. The Child’s First child care center lost virtually everything, including their kitchen renovation that had been completed only a few weeks earlier.
Encouragement came from over two hundred volunteers from our own congregation, other churches, and from across our community. Our spirits have been lifted by the many people who came out to help and by all those who continue to pray for us that we find wisdom and strength for the steps ahead of us.
At this point, the first level of the building has been completely emptied, and the remediation work has begun. The FLC Council contracted with ServPro to do the moisture remediation and cleaning work. Dehumidifiers have been running since Monday. Water service was restored to the building today, but no hot water is available until gas and electricity are back. ServPro will set up a temporary generator-run water heater so that they can begin cleaning the first level on Monday.
Electrical systems are currently being assessed. We hope that power can be restored to the building by the end of the week or early next week.
Steve Shulta was traveling through Janesville on Tuesday morning and stopped to help us evaluate and clarify the steps to restoring our mechanical systems. Steve was our facilities maintenance specialist on Council until he and his wife Kathy moved to Wausau last year. It was reassuring to have his knowledge and experience on hand to give direction.
Both elevators were flooded, and the boiler room was totally under water. Fire panels will need to be replaced, motors replaced or repaired, and utilities and mechanical systems restored. Until these are back up and running, we won’t be able to return to having gatherings in the upper floors.
Flood Recovery Task Force
The Council took action at our meeting on Tuesday to establish a Flood Recovery Task Force. This group will manage the restoration and reconstruction process. They will direct the ongoing cleanup and storage of property, recruit volunteers, and guide the recovery effort.
Fundraising Efforts
It is apparent that $10,000 is the limit of what we can expect from our insurance for flood damage. The coverage is minimal and was not designed for this unexpected catastrophic loss. We are exploring every option for disaster relief through the wider church and government channels.
We have also set up to receive donations for our flood recovery efforts. Anyone who visits flcj.org/rebuilding will find a “Donate Here” button at the top of the page. This takes you directly to our donation page for flood repair.
Child’s First Child Care Center
The Child’s First Center is a not-for-profit childcare center that has been housed at First Lutheran Church with 73 children enrolled, from six weeks to six years old. They are starting over, having lost everything. The center is seeking temporary space to be able to reopen and keep the families and the staff together. They are also seeking funding support to be able to rebuild their program.
Special Congregation Meeting
The Council has called a special congregation meeting on Monday, May 4, 6:30pm, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. This will give us the chance to gather in-person for updates and to confirm a not-to-exceed spending limit for the initial recovery plan.
Prayer
A couple days ago, my mom shared with me this quote from the April 19 reflection in her devotional: “God’s help is timely. He places himself between you and the need. And at the right time, he gives you what you need.”
Jesus taught us to pray for daily bread, so let us pray that God will provide what we need at each step. Even as we are taking needed action, we can trust, wait, and watch for the gift to be given.
I am grateful for your love and faithfulness. I pray for you, as I know you are praying for me.
Pr. Michael Mueller