Snow and Cancellation Policy Update

We currently need to follow the policies set by KPUMC regarding closing the building during snow or other inclement weather. We will also set, as a general rule, that when Cedar Rapids Public Schools cancel activities due to snow and winter storms, Salem will also cancel activities. During last week’s snowstorm, our information on the three area television stations varied greatly in how soon it was aired on crawl at the bottom of the screen. We will continue to contact media with our cancellations, but because the CR schools info is usually displayed quickly and prominently it will be easier for members to locate and know when events have been cancelled. We will continue to update the Salem Blog (salemcongregation.blogspot.com) with weather related information.

Prayer Room

Tuesday Morning Prayer Room

1st question: What could be better than spending a morning with Jeff Cook?
2nd question: What could be better than spending a morning in prayer?
Next question: What if you could combine those two options?

That’s what happens each Tuesday morning at 9:30am at Salem. With Jeff’s leadership, and the help of a couple other people each week, prayers for Salem members, family, and friends who we know are in need are prayed. The yellow prayer cards submitted on Sunday mornings are all prayed over. The prayer requests on the prayer chains are prayed over. And they are prayed over each week until it’s learned that the prayers have been answered.

You are invited to come take part in the Prayer Room on Tuesday mornings. Come every week, once a month, or whenever you can. No reservation or experience is required. You won’t have pray out loud. Come and meet with others in the Library (behind the sanctuary) at 9:30. It lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. If you have, or can take some time to come be part of the Prayer Room you will be warmly welcomed, and you will be blessed.

Block by Block

Block by Block

ADOPT A HOUSE

Adopt a House
Fund and Rebuild Gutted Walls into a Move-In Ready Home
Complete Adoption enables your organization to volunteer and fund the rebuild project. The Construction Manager of Block by Block will oversee the project to ensure inspection, standards, and code requirements are met. Rebuild timeline is 80 days from the installation of mechanicals (electric, plumbing, and mechanicals). The range of rebuild costs is $38,000 to $100,000.

Building Block Adoption
Rebuild Gutted Walls into a Move-In Ready Home
Building Block Adoption enables your organization to rebuild a house after mechanicals (electric, plumbing, and mechanicals) are installed without providing funding. The Construction Manager of Block by Block will oversee the project to ensure inspection, standards, and code requirements are meet. Materials will be delivered in a timely fashion.
Rebuild timeline is 80 days.

Finish Line Home Adoption
Finish Line Home Adoption allows your organization to give homeowner hope and healing by finishing an array of small projects. The adoption can be tailored to your needs based on timeline, funding availability, and skills of volunteers. The Construction Manager of Block by Block will oversee the project to ensure inspection, standards, and code requirements are meet. Materials, if funded through Block by Block, can be delivered in a timely fashion. Typical timeline for completion is between
4 to 15 working volunteer days.

Block Adoption Transform an entire Block.
Block Adoption allows your organization to see great results as an
entire Block comes back to life. Funding and/or providing volunteer labor is an excellent way to build teamwork. The Construction Manager of Block by Block will oversee the project to ensure inspection, standards, and code requirements are meet. Typical timeline for completion is five months.

Interested in Adopting a House?
Block by Block 350-2552
Melisa Bracht-Wagner (319) 480-4469 melisa.brachtwagner.iaumc.org

Voluntary “Buyout” Paperwork Signed

On Monday, July 20, Leadership Board chair, Linda Curson, signed the paperwork for the voluntary “buyout” in Cedar Rapids. Our Leadership Board decided to do this as the deadline was upon us and we needed to sign the paperwork if we ever wanted to be considered for the buyout.

Salem is eligible for the voluntary property acquisition program ("buyout") as the Salem properties downtown are located within a flood-impacted neighborhood and our properties are determined to be "beyond reasonable repair," which is defined as a rehabilitation cost that exceeds 60% of the pre-flood assessed value of the property.

We are able to back out of the buyout at any time up until closing. If we participate in the buyout, we will first need the approval of the district building and location committee, the approval of the Bishop and Cabinet, and the approval of our congregation (charge conference).

If we participate in the buyout, it could take a year or longer to close on our downtown properties. The money is available, however, and closings will begin in the coming months. Salem would receive a check for almost $700,000, the 2008 pre-flood assessed values. That is $488,166 for the main church building; $180,152 for the annex building; and $30,809 for the parking lot (total = $699,127). Salem has also just received $50,000 of Jumpstart money. Any of that money not used for renovation will be deducted from the total buyout price. If Salem would receive any insurance money, that would not be counted against the buyout.

Salem has faced some major issues. The Flood of 2008 was the worst disaster in Iowa's history and one of the ten worst in the nation. Our buildings, gathering space, furnishings, equipment, and base of operations were destroyed. The church office was also destroyed, including all the data, information, history, and filing therein. The staff changed radically with a new pastor and no associate pastor, discipleship director, or contemporary music director. The chaos interrupted many of the ongoing congregational ministries. The flood directly compromised many in our congregation. The flood displaced the Walk to Emmaus community after 133 walks at the Salem site. But God is good! Look at the timeline below and see how we have dealt with these issues this past year.

The Year That Was

It has been a year since the flood and we want to
remember what has happened during that time and
celebrate what has been accomplished.

While many things have changed, we are still the people of God, participating in God’s mission in the world. Exciting things have happened and continue to happen. This is an adventure!

Please see the following timeline for a summary of what has happened since the flood last year and our major milestones.

TIMELINE
Salem UMC

June 11 – move and sandbag at church buildings, members’ homes
June 13 – Cedar River crests at 31.12 feet;church buildings flood with over 10
feet of water
June 15 – begin worshiping at Lovely Lane UMC (11:00 am)
June 17 – a few staff and members see destruction
June 17 – Bishop Palmer visits Cedar Rapids and Salem
June 19 – begin cleanup of church buildings and members’ homes

July 1 – congregation receives new pastor
July 6 – Stephen’s Ministers begin training Salem persons to work with flood
survivors
July 14 – executive leadership team forms
July 28 – begin conversation with DS, FOM, Trinity, St.James, and MT 25 about
future

Aug 3 – begin worshiping at Kenwood Park Presbyterian Church building(8:30 & 10:30)

Sept 8 – congregation tours King of Kings church building
Sept 24 – Bishop Trimble visits Cedar Rapids and Salem


Oct 28 – contentious administrative council meeting regarding Salem’s future

Nov 9 – cleanup on church buildings complete
Nov 13 – begin conversation with New Creation UMC
Nov 16 – re-creation of membership list begins
Nov 18 – charge conference

Dec 7 – begin conversation with Buffalo UMC leaders
Dec 17 – congregational Q&A session with ad council

Jan 8 – begin conversation with KP UMC leaders
Jan 20 – ad council adopts new organizational structure
Jan 21/28 – Q&A about new structure and current state
Jan 23 – receive notification that Kenwood Park Presbyterian building selling
Jan 28 – begin Nominations and Leadership Development work for new structure

Feb 17 – administrative council empowers new Leadership Board and its members
Feb 24/25 –Shrove Tuesday pancake supper and joint Ash Wednesday worship with KP UMC


Mar 1 – new conference superintendent, David Crow
Mar 25 – Kenwood Park Presbyterian church building sells
Mar 31 – re-creation of membership list complete


April 19 – decide to move to Kenwood Park UMC
April 9/10 – joint Holy Thursday and Good Friday worship with Kenwood Park UMC
April 26/28 – move to Kenwood Park UMC church building


May 3 – begin worshiping at KP UMC (9:30 am)
May 12 – task force explores Blair’s Ferry Land use
May 26 – conversation with MT 25 about annex building


June 14 – special charge conference vote on leasing annex building to MT 25
June 23 to July 7 – meet with contractors to obtain estimates of downtown building
repairs


July 20 – sign the voluntary “buyout” paperwork
July 21 – Iowa United Methodist Foundation presents capital campaign information to
Leadership Board
July 23 – MT 25 decides to move away from annex to allow Salem to take the buyout


MAJOR MILESTONES

 did not miss a single week of worship

 missed a bulletin only one Sunday, June 15, 2008

 continued all ministries for children and adults

 no issues of the newsletter, The Forecaster, were missed

 paid 2008 apportionments and Rainbow Covenant mission giving

 volunteers from 45 churches and organizations (plus other families and individuals) donated 6,438 hours; about 805 eight-hour days!

 volunteer equity equaled $42,168.90 ($6.55/hr)

 received $30,000 for flood relief

 received and distributed $7,650 to Salem’s own 18 flood survivor families

 sent #123 thank you letters for gifts and volunteer service

 created a 2009 budget lower than previous years

 created a new, transitional organizational structure, the Leadership Board

 created pastoral care team for daily hospital visitation and home-bound care

 re-created membership list

 re-creating church office

 participated in numerous conversations with other congregations and district and conference leaders regarding moving forward

 received $50,000 Jumpstart money

 signed the “buyout” paperwork, making possible the buyout of the downtown properties for $700,000

Pastoral Care at Salem

Salem’s Pastoral Care Team
By Deb Black

Our Salem Pastoral Care Team is made up of Dave & Ginnie Clark, Jane Knapp, Jan Hutchison, Momodu Kamara, Sharon Vavra, Marilyn Whittlesey, Deb Black and Pastor John. On a day-to-day basis one person on the team will visit both St. Luke’s and Mercy hospitals. We have enough volunteers to cover the entire week, Sunday - Saturday.

On our assigned day, we call both St. Luke’s and Mercy hospital to see if anyone in our church family is listed as a patient. If so, we come and pay a visit to see how you are, listen to your cares or concerns and pray with you.

We have monthly training meetings to nurture, educate, encourage, build relationships and answer questions for our spiritual growth in this caring ministry. Once a year we plan to bring in a guest speaker to give more training and insight for us.

Members of the Pastoral Care Team have begun organizing visitations for members of our Salem congregation who are in a retirement community, a nursing home or shut-in.

We also offer communion to those we visit on the 1st Sunday of each month.

If you know of someone who is not receiving a visit please call the church office at 362-6178 or Deb Black at 365-3624 to let us know so we can arrange to visit. Our prayer is to stay connected with our church family and to be a spiritual heart-beat and friend to those in need of care.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2

+++If you, or a family member, or Salem friend are hospitalized, please be sure to let us, at Salem, know. Even if you list Salem as “your church” when you are admitted, the information does not always get to the right people so that it is communicated to us when we call to ask if any of our members are hospitalized. The Salem office phone number is 362-6178. Thank you.

Flood Update

The devastating flood in June of 2008 filled the Salem building, at First Avenue and Third Street SW with over ten feet of water, as measured from the sidewalk outside the building. The mucking out and securing of the building required the removal of the hardwood layers of the floors in the sanctuary and fellowship hall, as well as all the pews in the sanctuary. The 104 year old subfloor remains, but it is no where near solid or safe enough for more than a few people at a time to walk or stand on. The mechanical systems (furnace, water heaters, boiler, etc.) that had been located the basement were destroyed by the flood waters.

No decision about the future of the downtown Salem building can be made until the Army Corps of Engineers receives funding from Congress and can do a feasibility study to determine exactly where a future levy and flood protection system will be located. We know that it will be very close to the building, as it is now proposed to be constructed within a block away. That engineering study may take up to another 18 months, or possibly more. A “construction zone” for large, heavy equipment will be necessary during the construction period which could take 12 to 15 years. Until the facts of the flood protection system and its actual location are verified, we cannot make decisions about the future of the building. We would not be good stewards to spend large amounts of money to make the building usable without knowing the facts to be learned in the Army Corps of Engineers study.

The flood left the congregation of Salem, the people of Salem, the people who are Salem, homeless. Salem was immediately blessed, after the flood, by Lovely Lane United Methodist, in Cedar Rapids, The members their opened their hearts and building to us, allowing us to worship in their sanctuary each Sunday, hold meetings in other rooms, and have fellowship, and farewell, and welcome parties in their kitchen and Fellowship Hall. We will be forever grateful for Lovely Lane’s beautiful hospitality.

On August 3rd, 2008 Salem moved to the corner of 35th Street and C Avenue NE. The people of Echo Hill Presbyterian blessed us with the use of the former Kenwood Park Presbyterian Church buildings. The buildings were already for sale when we moved in. The understanding was that Salem could remain in the buildings until June 2009 if they did not sell before then. The graciousness of Echo Hill in sharing the facility with Salem was wonderful, and we are so very thankful to them. On January 17, 2009, Echo Hill notified us that they had just accepted an offer from a buyer for the Kenwood Park buildings. We rejoice with and for our brothers and sisters of Echo Hill. This sale will help them as they construct a new building on Echo Hill Road where they will worship our Lord for many years in the future. In a February 3rd meeting with Echo Hill, the buyer, and the realtor, we learned that the buyer, Calvary Chapel, would not actually move into and begin using the buildings in 60 days as originally thought, but sometime in the summer. They planned to begin repairs and renovations to the building very soon.

On Sunday, April 26, following our last worship service at 327 35th Street NE, members of the Salem congregation loaded everything except contents of the two offices into trucks and moved Salem's things to storage at the Ecumenical Center. Two days later the contents of the church office and Pastor John's office were moved to office space at Kenwood Park United Methodist Church at 175 34th Street NE. We will share space in the Kenwood Park building with deep appreciation of their offer of hospitality for offices, activities, and meetings as well as Sunday morning worship. Salem Church will worship in the KPUMC sanctuary at 9:30 am on Sunday mornings.

Salem is continuing to explore options and opportunities for our future. We continue to listen for God’s direction. We do not yet know where we will meet when our time in these loaned buildings concludes. We will not know the physical future of the downtown building, or what it will mean for the future of Salem for a minimum of another year, and most likely more. We know that complacency is not good, but that patience is. Most of all, we know that we remain the children of a loving God, and He has promised to not forsake us.