Endowment
In 1990, recognizing the need for long-term investments to support major capital projects, several members proposed the idea to form an endowment with the principal emphasis for capital repairs and additions. Since then, all bequests from wills and estates have been directed to the Endowment to invest and manage. Since inception, the Endowment has received over $600,000 in gifts to manage, has realized over $200,000 in investment income and granted over $400,000 to fund projects at Emmaus for the church property, school support and the Pantry. For a more detailed history of Emmaus and the Endowment, click here.
Exciting things are happening at Emmaus! Emmaus continues to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through our service to the Fountain Square community. We need to invest $300,000 in the coming years to support our facility needs and the growth of our ministries. Click through the tabs below to learn more about the Capital Campaign and how you can support.
Emmaus is growing! This current school year (our 116th academic year) Emmaus added 5th and 6th grades and Preschool 3 and enrollment doubled to nearly 60 students. The atmosphere is vibrant and exciting. We plan for future growth in enrollment and educational offerings, striving to achieve academic excellence and teaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is working. We have received many students into Baptism the past few years and school families are joining the church. Emmaus also continues to serve the needy in our community through the Food Pantry at the Hodge-Daniels house.
Supporting these growing ministries requires investment beyond what our operating budget can support in the areas of:
The goal of the Capital Campaign is to raise at least $300,000 to repair and replace some aging parts of our facilities, support school growth with administrative, teaching and technology resources and support community outreach plans for the church.
By God’s Grace and Blessing the school and church are growing again. The School Board and Parish Planning Council, with guidance from the Indiana District, are putting together a strategic growth plan for the school. The plan will identify the steps necessary to support continued growth, the resources needed for each step, and the priority of each step. The mission of Emmaus Lutheran School is to provide the highest quality education in a Christ-centered, nurturing and academically challenging environment.
Emmaus is blessed with amazing facilities with the capacity to support the growth of our church, community outreach and school ministries, including the 1904 sanctuary and school building, 1960 gym and parish center, and the 1982 school addition. Our challenge is to maintain all of these facilities to a usable and presentable standard. A lot has been done over the years, primarily funded by the Emmaus Endowment. However, the Endowment Fund needs replenishing in order to finance the significant projects which need to be completed, including:
The Capital Campaign will include various forms of communication to keep everyone updated on the exciting things happening at Emmaus. Through this website, campaign mailers and emails, and postings on Facebook, you can get the latest Capital Campaign and Emmaus news. Click on the ‘How You Can Help’ tab to see how you can join and support the campaign.
Rep. Brian Bosma – An Emmaus alumni, Brian is a partner at the law firm of Kroger Gardis & Regas and is the Speaker of the House of the Indiana House of Representatives. The Bosma family has a long history at Emmaus. Brian’s mother Marge taught Kindergarten at Emmaus for 30 years and his father Charlie was Chairman of Emmaus for many years and held numerous other leadership positions at Emmaus. Brian was active at Emmaus including teaching Sunday School.
Mr. Steve Schultz – Steve is an Emmaus alumni and is currently the Vice President of Legal Affairs for Purdue University. The Schultz family has also been such an important part of Emmaus for many years. Steve’s parents, Ray and Sandie, are fixtures in the pews of Emmaus and have done so much for Emmaus, including chairing the School Board and teaching many Bible studies. Steve’s sister Kristi Broughton taught Kindergarten at Emmaus for many years and the park/playground at Emmaus is dedicated in her memory.
Mr. Gerald Roesener, President – Jerry led the creation of the Endowment Fund in 1990. He also served as Executive Director of Emmaus Lutheran Church and on various other boards.
Mr. Jerry Campbell – Jerry is the Chairman of the Facilities Board at Emmaus. Jerry is a retired electrician and works tirelessly to keep our facilities in operating condition with limited resources.
Mrs. Sandy Duncan – Sandy is a retired teacher at Emmaus, having taught for more than 20 years. Sandy and her husband Dave have held various leadership positions at Emmaus.
Ms. Anita Roesener, Treasurer/Secretary – Anita was the Treasurer of Emmaus Lutheran Church for 25 years.
Mr. Derek Roesener, CPA – Derek is currently the Treasurer of Emmaus Lutheran Church and has been the Chairman of the School Board and the Stewardship Board.
Rev. Raymond Smith – Pastor Ray is a son of Emmaus. He earned his Master’s of Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary and was ordained into the ministry in 2006. He was called to serve as the Pastor at Emmaus in 2014. Pastor Ray has also served the last few years as the acting Principal of Emmaus Lutheran School.
Parish Planning Council – The Parish Planning Council consists of the Officers and Ministry Board Directors of Emmaus.
Please prayerfully consider your support of the Emmaus Capital Campaign in one of the leadership levels below. The pledge form provides options to make your gift in memory or honor of someone and payment options.
| Emmaus Endowment Society – Platinum | $25,000 + |
| Emmaus Endowment Society – Gold | $10,000 + |
| Emmaus Endowment Society – Silver | $5,000 + |
| Emmaus Legacy | $1,000 + |
| Emmaus Supporter | Up to $1,000 |
The Capital Campaign is to raise funds to support significant capital investments for Emmaus Lutheran Church and School and its ministries. The Capital Campaign funds will be used for facility and other investments in ministries or projects which cannot be funded by the normal operating budget of Emmaus Lutheran Church and School.
The Emmaus Endowment is uniquely designed for the purpose of managing long-term investment funds ultimately for the benefit of the Church and School. The Emmaus Endowment has been in existence for over 25 years, has raised over $600,000 and made grants of over $400,000 for major capital projects at Emmaus.
The Emmaus Endowment has its own Board of Directors which decide how the managed funds are invested and which projects requested by the Emmaus Lutheran Church Parish Planning Council can be funded. The Endowment Board of Directors are elected, with staggering terms, by the Voter’s Assembly of Emmaus Lutheran Church.
We encourage and appreciate your on-going support of Emmaus Lutheran Church and School. Contributions directly to the Church and School are used to support the recurring costs of the ministries at Emmaus such as salaries and benefits, facility maintenance, utilities, insurance, etc. Contributions to the Capital Campaign will be managed as a long-term investment for significant capital investments (i.e. major roof repair/replacement, replacement of major systems like Boiler or A/C, windows, brick, parking lot, etc.) and to support investments in new ministries or ministry growth which are not yet supported by Emmaus’ normal operating budget).
Yes. The Emmaus Endowment has a written investment policy which preserves the principal while generating a recurring income stream. This conservative investment policy requires the Endowment to invest only in high-quality, investment grade corporate or municipal bonds or up to 25% in high-quality mutual funds. The Emmaus Endowment is advised by a professional investment advisor from the national investment firm, Stifel. Download the Endowment financial statements in the ‘About Us’ section above for a current list of investments and fund balances.
The Emmaus Endowment is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization. Contributions to Emmaus Endowment can be deducted as charitable contributions if you itemize deductions on your tax return. Contributions made to the Emmaus Endowment will be documented with a contemporaneous receipt.
Yes. We encourage you to prayerfully consider making a contribution pledge to the Capital Campaign over and above your normal tithe. In the pledge you can designate how you will make your contributions (one-time gift, monthly, quarterly or annually). Download the pledge form, complete and return via email or US Mail.