You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop with my God I can scale a wall.

2 Samuel 22:29-30

“”

You Are HereDear Friends,

I am excited about all the good things God is doing here at St. James. His graciousness over the past 12 years to provide the resources to expand the school and modernize significant portions of our facility have created a wonderful opportunity to grow and prosper.

While we have come far there is still much left to do. Our first priority is to continue to completion the program we presented to you as part of the first phase of Capstone. We have already finished significant projects undertaken two years ago including landscape improvements, parsonage porch replacement, office suite build out, disabled access to the Worship and Community Centers, and multiple multi-use spaces for meetings and events.

We are committed to continue to upgrade this campus for the long-term benefit of our ministry. At the same time we must begin to understand God’s plan for us to expand in order to share His love with more people in the City of Chicago.

While we continue our commitment to achieve excellence in our church and school, we also need to expand our opportunity to bring Christ’s love to other families. It is our vision to devote

ourselves to three initiatives: taking our school to the highest level of excellence through creating a unique urban education, creating a new campus to serve families with a licensed day care facility and accredited preschool as an extension of our existing program, and expanding our worship opportunities so more people can receive the love and grace of Christ.

Every one of these initiatives builds on our strengths and is a natural extension of our current and historic ministry. Every one of these initiatives works to strengthen our future. And every one of these initiatives glorifies God and His plan for salvation.

My invitation is simple: Join us in Advancing Christ’s Mission in the City!

Rev. Robert B. Donovan Jr.Senior Pastor

Advancing Christ's Mission in the City / 1

History 18572011

1871St. James is used to house, feed and

clothe refugees from the Chicago fire making this St. James’ first recorded act of

mission in the city.

1857St. James begins as a society of German immigrants who start a school at Willow and Burling Streets.

1869The school forms a church plant as St. Jacobi (St. James)

Evangelical Lutheran Church U.A.C.

1874A third school site is added at Fullerton and High Street.

1881A fourth school site is added at Hoyne and Wellington.

1905The schools

consolidate at Fremont and

Garfield, which is now Fremont and

Dickens.

1922The parsonage is built

next to the church.

1916The existing

church is constructed to accommodate

growth.

1870Rev. A.W. Bartling is installed as

Senior Pastor.

1897Rev. Karl Schmidt is installed as

Senior Pastor.

1927Rev. Louis

Leidel is installed as Senior Pastor.

2 / Capstone 2011

2000St. James

repositions itself and embarks on growth strategy.

2002$2.5 million is pledged in

response to the Reaching Out Building Up Campaign.

2007The school celebrates

150 years and is the oldest continuously

operating school in Chicago.

2009-2011$1.2 million is pledged during

Phase I of Capstone, which allows for handicap

accessibility, more meeting space and updated facilities.

2004Dedication

of new gymnasium

and four new classrooms.

1936Rev. Arthur C.

Dahms is installed as Senior Pastor.

1970Rev. Robert P. Degner is installed as Senior Pastor.

1985Rev. Steven M.

Hummel is installed as Senior Pastor.

1999Rev. Robert B.

Donovan Jr. is installed as Senior Pastor.

1961Rev. Herbert

Nommenson is installed as Senior Pastor.

Advancing Christ's Mission in the City / 3

Next StopCapstone is an initiative to move St. James beyond the boundaries of our street corner and participate in Christ’s mission to share the gospel with others in the City of Chicago.

We are being called as a church to think outside of our own needs and share the blessings God has provided to us with our neighbors. God has done amazing things through St. James over the past 12 years, and now He is presenting us with even more opportunities for impact.

We believe God has a vision for St. James to be an impact church, a church that transforms the landscape of our community, of our surrounding communities, of the greater Chicago area and of the world.

But it all begins with us. God is calling us to advance. To be a part of Capstone means to build upon what God has done here in the past. Throughout the next two years, we hope

to implement a second campus that allows us to share God’s love and forgiveness with more children, more young adults and more families than we can now serve.

The following pages offer a broad plan for how we can faithfully achieve this vision. The council of St. James has diligently worked

to hear God’s call and strategize a plan for the next generation. Now we need you to prayerfully consider

4 / Capstone 2011

God’s call in your life to serve.

The planning stage now moves to defining the details. Your gifts and abilities as well as your commitment to St. James will create a better place and a stronger future.

Won’t you join us and consider what it might look like for your life if you made a commitment to build with us a future where the city knew Christ and His gift of love and how faith could make a difference in their lives. Please pray for God’s guidance to use you joyfully in support of this vital project.

Join us so together we can Advance Christ’s Mission.

Advancing Christ's Mission in the City / 5

Unique Urban EducationEvery parent wants his or her child to have the best opportunity possible for a successful life. At St. James we believe this includes a Christ centered education with a strong and challenging academic program instilling a values system that makes outstanding citizens.

While we develop a model curriculum that will assure a competitive education at Chicago’s premiere high schools we must continue to offer the best preschool facility and learning experience possible while identifying ourselves to the community as a unique education opportunity.

Your support of this phase of Capstone will complete newly remodeled bathrooms for our preschool classrooms upgrading them from their original 1953 construction. We have finally competed the plans and

6 / Capstone 2011

permitting for this project and only need to have the funds in order to complete construction in time for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Cost – $ 150,000

Our streetscape face lift is half completed leaving the school corner of Dickens and Fremont awaiting new pavers, benches and a landscaped parkway providing better safety for our children and a greener footprint for the neighborhood. This work has also been permitted and can be completed this summer with your support. Cost – $ 127,500

“ ”My investment in Capstone isn’t just a financial investment in a building. It’s investing in teachers, resources and caretakers that will prepare my child for success now and in the future.

Lynn Clary Fellowship Council Member and School Parent

Advancing Christ's Mission in the City / 7

A safe and loving environment allows a child to thrive. Our preschool has excelled at making this a reality for families for almost 40 years. In today’s world more families than ever before have parents who are in the work force full-time and need loving and nurturing care as well as preschool for their children.

We believe God has blessed us with the ability to build on the strength of our preschool program and offer a licensed child care facility for infants through kindergarten with all of the benefits of a fully accredited Early Childhood Program.

Extending our preschool program to a new site but coordinating the programs to be one school in two places means we can reach more children to feed into our elementary school, serve more families with a Christ centered education and offer parents the security that their son or daughter is safely cared for in a cost effective and loving place.

Your support for this project to provide the start up costs for the market research and business plan will help us to make the smart decisions and God pleasing effort to reach more families than we can now as well as strengthen our current school for generations to come.

Cost - $150,000

Childcare and Family Center

8 / Capstone 2011

Once our second daughter became school age we sold our home and moved walking distance to St. James. That is how important the school is to us. . . It really did change our lives.

“”Sue Claar School Parent

Advancing Christ's Mission in the City / 9

New Starts - New BelieversSt. James is part of a movement of congregations to create ministries reaching more people by the year 2017, the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Reaching our neighbors to share the love of Christ is at the heart of what we believe and what God calls us to do.

Our beautiful church and school campus is growing to its capacity which makes this the time to plan a new start in order to make new believers for the sake of Christ. There are hundreds of thousands of people within a 20 minute drive from St. James who do not have a vibrant relationship with Christ or know His love. God gives us the responsibility to find ways to bring the gospel and its life giving reconciliation to them.

As Lutherans we know this means to engage them in Word and Sacrament or, in other words, the worship

community of the church. We propose to create a new worship site away from the current Lincoln Park campus that is intentionally designed to offer alternative opportunities for worship and fellowship.

This second site could double the worship attendance of the congregation and offer the same loving and supportive community we all enjoy for hundreds of others here in the city.

Your support for this initiative can fund the first year’s salary for a site Pastor necessary to develop a new community and lead worship on a weekly basis. Additionally, it will provide the specific equipment necessary to convert a space into a worship venue.

Cost - $ 250,000

10 / Capstone 2011

To continue to be relevant we need to have the same foresight as the original founders of our church. This campaign will allow us to build on what was given to us and bring more people to hear the word of Christ and be a part of His vision.

“”Jonathan Drews Fellowship Council Member

Advancing Christ's Mission in the City / 11

So here is what we are asking of you. We are asking for your commitment to participate in the advancement of Christ’s mission in Chicago. Your investment of both time and financial support will make it possible to keep moving forward. More important though, a commitment will provide you the opportunity to grow spiritually and develop a closer relationship with God.

God’s way of nurturing our faith is by teaching us to balance our management of both His kingdom needs and our personal needs. When you find contentment in God’s urgency to share His love with others faith is strengthened as trust grows.

Capstone provides you the benefit of both serving the needs of others while God serves you. There is no better way to show your love for God and give thanks for His blessing than to invest in this opportunity. Please accept this invitation and generously commit to advance Christ’s mission in the city.

All Aboard

12 / Capstone 2011

Two -Year Gift Chart

1

1

3

5

7

9

10

12

Many

$50,000

$35,000

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$7,500

$5,000

$2,500

$25,000

$17,500

$12,500

$10,000

$7,500

$5,000

$3,750

$2,500

$1,250

$2,083

$1,458

$1,042

$833

$625

$417

$313

$208

$104

$50,000

$35,000

$75,000

$100,000

$105,000

$90,000

$75,000

$60,000

$87,500

Gifts Needed Gift Level Annually Monthly Gift Total

Total Gift Goal $677,500

Prayerfully consider how God will use

you and make your commitment on the

enclosed card.Drop-off your

commitment in the office or bring it to worship on

April 17 as we celebrate

Advancing Christ’s Mission in the City.

Advancing Christ's Mission in the City / 13

Phone773.525.4990

Websitewww.stjames-lutheran.org

Address2101 North Fremont StreetChicago, IL 60614