OWNERS MANUAL

Since you excel in so many ways I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:7

IMMANUEL CHURCH HAS A GREAT HISTORY!

Its a history of God doing big things in our midst. This has been possible because the people of Immanuel have been faithful in following Gods direction. With each milestone of ministry in Immanuels history, we have kept an eye on the horizon for whats next. We believe God is calling us to move with greater velocity into our future to ACCELERATE the momentum in our church, mobility in our community and movement in other countries. We are being called to do more . . . NOW! As we step into our future as a church, I hope you will join us in building momentum to change even more lives. Lets step on the gas together and . . .

ACCELERATE!
Pastor Joe
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OUR HERITAGE
Immanuel Churchs rich history reaches all the way back to the late 19th century, when a small group of immigrants from Sweden began meeting in homes for fellowship and prayer. In 1895, they decided to organize a church and the Swedish Baptist Church of Waukegan was born on November 10 of that year. Reaching their community was so important to the infant congregation that not many years later, the decision was made to conduct services in English, rather than their native language. They were willing to sacrifice their preferences in order to more readily share the Good News of Christ with their neighbors.

1895
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The first church building, erected in 1898, was replaced by a larger one in 1950, as momentum increased and a bigger facility was needed. Two additions to the original sanctuary served Immanuel well until, at the end of the 20th century, the vision was cast for further sacrifice to bring the Gospel to an even wider audience.

The move westward was driven by the Immanuel familys determination to better reach out to people in their neighborhoods and workplaces. After three years of meeting in rented spaces, in the spring of 1998, Immanuel occupied its present building on Dilleys Road in Gurnee.

2013

Spanning portions of three centuries, Immanuel Church continues to seek Gods direction in devising innovative ways to share the Gospel. Its people have always been characterized by a generous spirit and a willingness to embrace new ideas so that lost people can be introduced to the Savior.

ACCELERATE OVERVIEW
ACCELERATE is a two-year effort to boldly fund three initiatives to which we believe God has called Immanuel Church. Youll notice on the next page that these arent necessarily new concepts to us, but they are a part of who we already are. Since the beginning of our church we have been pursuing these things, but by Gods grace, we think we have an opportunity to now pursue them at a higher rate and see them happen at new levels. In order to meet this challenge were all going to have to ACCELERATE our giving. Just like our pursuits will be at new levels, some of us will need to give at new levels. It might require an unprecedented level of sacrifice. However, we know God can and will use our gifts to change our church, our community, and the countries we serve around the world. Please read on and consider how you can be involved in helping Immanuel . . . ACCELERATE!
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MOMENTUM IN OUR CHURCH

$4.6 MILLION

There is so much to do for the Kingdom. More often than not, doing these things requires money. Over the next two years, in addition to our current giving for existing ministries, facility and administration, we want to ACCELERATE payments on our mortgage. By decreasing our debt, we can free up finances to do great things beyond what we are currently doing as a church. Our heart is to care more completely for the people God brings through our doors. The next several years provide an awesome opportunity for us to pay down our mortgage at an accelerated rate and build momentum for the future.

MOBILITY IN OUR COMMUNITY

$450,000

Our desire is to ACCELERATE our ability to reach poor and marginalized people in Gurnee and Waukegan. We need to mobilize with a renewed sense of urgency. Our world is changing and the way we do ministry needs to adapt as well. New technology is needed to help us communicate more effectively, especially with the younger generation. A variety of facility upgrades are also essential over the next couple of years.

MOVEMENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES

$550,000

The heart of Immanuel begins at home but continues far beyond our national borders. In places like Nigeria, Haiti, Mexico, Japan, Argentina, South Africa, the Philippines and more, we serve through our missionaries and partnerships. Accelerating the funding of these initiatives strengthens the existing ones and opens countless other opportunities as well. God is certainly on the move around the world and we hope to become a greater part of that movement.

TOTAL TWO-YEAR ACCELERATE GOAL

$5,600,000

MOMENTUM

IN OUR CHURCH

A healthy church can never afford to just be status quo. Either it is moving forward, or it is falling behind. It is never static. There is much to do for the Kingdom in our church. More often than not, doing ministry requires money. Over the next two years, in addition to our current giving for existing ministries, facility and administration, we want to ACCELERATE payments on our mortgage. Low interest rates over the next five years will provide us with a great opportunity to decrease our debt and thus free up finances to do great things beyond those we are currently doing. Our desire is to care more completely for the people God brings through our doors. Paying down debt will help us build momentum for the future.

$4.6 MILLION
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MOBILITY

IN OUR COMMUNITY

Over the next two years we intend to unleash and empower our people to dream, initiate and implement plans for reaching poor and marginalized people in Lake County and especially Waukegan with the love and message of Christ through relationships and service. We will call these endeavors ICU (Immanuel Church Unleashed), and we will provide seed money for individual projects, ongoing support for select partner organizations, and funds for two all-church service events each year. As the Go! Project enters its first official year, we are looking to provide Gospel sharing resources for in-home small group use. With the introduction of Go! Mobile, our potential for reaching unchurched people in Lake County is even further impacted. Through mobile versions of Alpha, Marriage Course and Parenting Course materials and training, we can reach friends and neighbors who dont yet know Jesus Christ. Inside the walls of our building we continue to draw larger and larger crowds for Alpha, Alpha related courses and the Recovery Course. Over the next two years we anticipate significant growth in these ministries and are planning to make changes in the way we provide meals and resources so we can accommodate more and more people in need of a relationship with Jesus Christ.

$450,000
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MOVEMENT

IN OTHER COUNTRIES

The heart of Immanuel begins at home but continues beyond, by partnering with local churches around the World. We will ACCELERATE the funding of specific initiatives to strengthen our existing partnerships and to open countless other opportunities.
JELLY (Jesus, Education, Love, Loans, YOU) Through Bright Hope, we will work with a Haitian church and village, building a church structure/school, providing small business loans, digging a well and supporting training opportunities. Existing Partnerships We will continue our generosity to projects that will deepen the ministry of our missionaries in Nigeria, the Philippines, Japan, Haiti, Mexico, Argentina and the USA. Next Generation We will invest in college students by providing a longer mission experience as they explore how God is calling them to service and ministry. Philippines Movement God is calling our Filipino brothers and sisters beyond their country to Indonesia as missionaries. We will help them launch this new stretching mission. Human Trafficking Through Bright Hope in India, we will work with churches in rescuing women from the sex trafficking industry. Thousands are in captivity, waiting for help.

$550,000
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ACCELERATE CHALLENGE
The challenge of ACCELERATE is no small one. Its going to require all of us to be involved at some level. Challenging does not mean unachievable, it just requires unity and effort.

WED LOVE FOR EVERY PERSON WHO CALLS IMMANUEL HOME TO COMMIT TO THIS INITIATIVE IN THREE WAYS:

PRAYER

While were calling for everyone to participate, we know full well that success will only happen with God leading the way. So, will you pray for Gods blessing on this initiative? Will you pray that our goals are met not for our glory, but for His and the furthering of His kingdom? Pray that the financial needs are provided beyond what we can imagine!

GENEROSITY

Immanuels impact will be accelerated only as each of us makes a generous financial commitment. This could simply mean starting to give on a regular basis or making a change in spending habits. For some, it will mean being obedient to God with regard to tithing (giving 10% of income). Others might have the capacity to give from their stored resources. Whichever camp you fall into, lets all ACCELERATE our giving.

FAITH (INSTEAD OF FEAR)

Its a tough economy, to say the least. But the Bible is full of stories where God does big things in and through His people, regardless of the difficult circumstances they face! We must trust in God and His provision more than ever.
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2 YEARS. . .

ACCELERATE is a two-year financial commitment which

will run from December 2012 through December 2014. On November 11, well ask everyone to participate in Commitment Sunday, committing to take this two-year initiative journey with us. Then on December 2, we will begin with our initial offering to the ACCELERATE initiative.

$5.6 MILLION. . .

To meet the goals of the ACCELERATE initiative, our united generosity as a community will need to be $5.6M. We think two years is a realistic timeline for meeting this goal, but will require sacrifice and commitment from us all. On the next page youll see a gift chart that details how the various gifts to ACCELERATE might break down. Please pray about your personal financial commitment.

Start with a number that seems doable a number that you can make work. Now pick a number that is truly generous a number that would require a significant (maybe radical) lifestyle change and dependence on God alone. Can we challenge you to pick THAT number? Walking in faith like this for two years will monumentally ACCELERATE your spiritual growth!
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SUGGESTION:

$5.6 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS INCLUDES:

MOMENTUM IN OUR CHURCH MOBILITY IN OUR COMMUNITY MOVEMENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES $4.6 MILLION $450,000 $550,000

TWO-YEAR GIFT CHART

Gifts Needed
1 1 1 2 4 6 12 15 25 30 50 60 100 100 100 All Others

2-Year Gift Amount

$300,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $75,000 $50,000 $40,000 $30,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $7,500 $4,800 $3,600 $2,400 < $2,400

Annual Gift of
$150,000 $100,000 $75,000 $50,000 $37,500 $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $7,500 $5,000 $3,750 $2,400 $1,800 $1,200 <$1,200

Monthly Gift of
$12,500 $8,333 $6,250 $4,167 $3,125 $2,083 $1,667 $1,250 $833 $625 $417 $313 $200 $150 $100 <$100

Accumulated Total
$300,000 $500,000 $650,000 $850,000 $1,150,000 $1,450,000 $1,930,000 $2,380,000 $2,880,000 $3,330,000 $3,830,000 $4,280,000 $4,760,000 $5,120,000 $5,360,000 $5,600,000

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FAQS
Q: HOW DOES ACCELERATE DIFFER FROM PREVIOUS CAMPAIGNS?
A: Previous campaigns have asked for a three-year commitment of giving over and above what people were already contributing in order to fund a special project. ACCELERATE is a two-year commitment which utilizes a ONE FUND approach that resources all ministry- not just a special project- because everything we do in ministry matters. The ACCELERATE goal is the projected budget for everything we are currently doing plus what we need to be doing over the next two years.

Q: A GIVING INITIATIVE IN THIS ECONOMY? ARE WE CRAZY?

A: From a human perspective it may seem that way! But God has demonstrated from the very beginning of this journey that He is able to take our faith and commitment and do what seems impossible. All we are asking is for each person at Immanuel to pray, God, is there something you want me to give that, to me, seems impossible, but for You is possible?

Q: WILL WORLD OUTREACH CONTINUE TO BE FUNDED AT THE LEVEL IT WAS?

A: Actually, it will be funded at a level that is far above what it has ever known. Not only will the current years giving continue to go to this ministry, but additional money realized as a result of ACCELERATE will be designated for it as well.

Q: WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE TWO YEARS?

A: For one, we believe that you will discover the joy of giving and that generosity will be an ongoing reality at Immanuel. Additionally, with the success of this initiative, we will have reduced our mortgage to $1 million. Who knows, perhaps God would raise the level of generosity of people at Immanuel to the point where we could eliminate our debt all together!
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www.immanuelaccelerate.org