by Paul Gnan
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
For starters, let me just say this is not a “how to” article but more of a “what did” happen at Sheboygan Lutheran High School during the past two years.
The groundwork was laid by the previous administrator who had concept drawings completed, had built up a war chest for startup costs, and talked with stakeholders about the importance of taking the next step in the process. That administrator took another Call to serve the church in a different capacity on the next level. That firm foundation was laid so I could step in and carry it on to the next step.
Being new is both a blessing and curse. I could claim ignorance on past issues and be bold to have direct conversations with old guard about vision and the importance of follow through. “New blood” is the term that is often used when a different voice says the same thing with a little different slant, and sometimes this new terminology really pays off. I have to give credit and say thank you to Dr. Steve Buuck for giving me courage with his advice at our ALSS Conference in Las Vegas a few years ago. He told me to ask boldly because you already have a “no.” Only God knows if they are ready to say “yes.” I can get a “yes” if I only have the courage to share the vision with the right donor. I still use that advice in praying for courage before each meeting—today is the day to get my next yes.
The project came to life when the board finally committed. When I arrived, the Board was not ready to do so! The words were “yes,” but the action was “no way.” Vision became my battle cry as I asked over and over what is the vision/next steps for our school. The same answers kept coming up as building a worship center, but it will be very hard to sell here and to get full buy in—so I was told.
A step in the right direction came from showing what the possibilities were. We, the key stakeholders of the vision, visited various colleges, schools, and art centers to see what was possible. Two questions were asked at each stop: 1) what would you do the same and 2) what would you do different if you started the project today? They had plenty to say, and they were not shy about sharing their thoughts. We listened and used that for our design later. We could see our vision starting to take shape through what others had done.
We then hired the right architects—a firm with a Christian school commitment in their background and within their leadership team. They understood our limitations and our desires. They were flexible and offered great suggestions within our budget. They did not judge or force their way with us. I felt as though we were partners in the whole process. They also had experience with very similar projects in the recent past. They were local, so they were aware of the many pitfalls in dealing with the city bureaucracy.
We were very intentional with the organizing the right group to work as a team and trying not to have any prima donnas in the group. I had to swallow my desires more than a few times to maintain peace and empower others to move the process forward. Good communication with the architects made sure nothing went too far offline from the original vision. It was a very deliberate critique of every option to get the right design.
God provided a talented, Christian advisory group to be our general construction management group. They did not perform any of the actual work, but managed the contractors and had the school’s best interest at heart from the very beginning. One construction company owner even committed his own money to the project after reviewing the plans. He saw the value and the benefits to the ministry in our area. His private contribution was significant as he told me that he loved our vision for ministry.
The turning point in the whole process for the board came to head as I asked, “what is our vision?” Should we change it, or should we follow through on it? I thought this might be the end as I had exasperated some of the board members with my constant questioning of their will and desire. Two pastors and an alumnus stepped up in a board meeting that I will never forget. The room was clearly divided and were not sure exactly what direction we were about to go, but I felt it was leaning toward being over conservative and altering our vision to play it safe and not take any risks. Lightning struck that night. Three very rational speeches were made with passion and a faith to move forward. I saw a transformation of opinions of the skeptics as those people won over the whole group. It was like the Holy Spirit came in and suddenly, we were united in moving forward. There became a sense of urgency to make this project happen.
All the pieces started falling into place. We had a united building committee and a united board committed to the project. Stakeholders started to believe that the project might happen in the near future. The right group of sub-contractors were hired. The next eighteen months were a myriad of challenges followed by blessings. Volunteers pitched in where time and talents allowed. The right general contractor embraced our volunteers and worked within all the time constraints. The weather held out; the pandemic hit and we were forced to go virtual for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. The builders never slowed down as they could work full time with no interruptions from student school traffic. Noise was not an issue during the day either. I laughed because it sounded like tanks were mobilizing outside my office on a daily basis throughout the entire summer.
Excitement built as we hosted a local congregation who held their Sunday services in our parking lot (due to COVID restrictions for their own church sanctuaries). Using a radio transmitter, they had drive-in church services with their pastor on a make-shift stage in front of our school building. The Lutheran High building progress news went through the grapevine of this church and to others better than any publications I could have put out. Tours continued with key stakeholders from each association church to also help the flow of information on progress from month to month. Being in “Middle America” has its blessings despite the special weather we get to enjoy. We were able to start the year and continue with face-to-face instruction to this day with very few issues and intrusions from local and state government. In fact, they were quite helpful in many circumstances.
We completed 99% of the tasks and celebrated our first chapel in the new auditorium on Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. How appropriate to give God the glory and to be truly thankful. The next three and half weeks were a blur as we hosted two ribbon-cutting ceremonies, three open houses, and three Grand Opening Christmas concerts while adhering to social distancing and other COVID protocols.
Our theme for the addition was the acronym “STEAM,”, which stood for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Ministry. We remodeled the science wing of our school, making three existing rooms into two larger, updated teaching areas. In the 30,000+ square foot part of the addition, we added a robotics/advanced technology room (which includes a videography sub-room), conference/gallery space, a new band and choir room, and a 600-seat worship center with a set construction area, dressing rooms, and a large foyer area with a serving station.
All along we have been thinking on how to use this Fine Arts Worship Center. This spring our band is not going on tour for obvious reasons. So, we are partnering with the Wind Symphony from Concordia University Chicago and having a livestream event with our two bands. With all their alumni and our 1700+ alumni, we are hoping to have congregations from across the country host the livestream event. We have hired Inspirmedia from Lincoln, Nebraska. They have conducted national youth gatherings and will handle the production of this event. We hope it will be something that our students and people who can attend will never forget. Opportunities are all around us, we just need to be open to the possibilities.
Our stakeholders, students, and staff were amazing throughout the whole process. As I reflect on it, it was truly a miracle. I just happened to be here to witness it! God’s timing is perfect, and He knew it was the right time. To Him be all Praise and Glory.
God bless,
Paul Gnan
P.S. I invite any of you that happen to be traveling in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin area to come and see our project. I would be blessed to give you a tour and share our vision for ministry.
Paul Gnan is the Executive Director Sheboygan Lutheran High School and can be reached at gnan@lutheranhigh.com.
