The ministry at Lutheran Church of the Wilderness would not be possible without the amazing support and partnership of compassionate people such as yourself. If you would like to help us financially, please click the button below to donate to our ministry.
Funds received will go towards our ministry to the local community first. That being said, we also have some additional projects we would like to accomplish in the upcoming months/years. If you would like, you can designate your donation to the following projects:
Projects to Fund
Add Snow Guards and Repair Gutters on Church Roof - Due to heavy snowfall accumulations, the gutters in one corner of the roof have been partially ripped off and need repairing. In order to prevent future damage, snow guards will need to be added to the roof to prevent accumulating snow from sliding down and tearing off the gutters.
Renovate the Parsonage Garage - As with all buildings, the garage is starting to see some wear and tear due to age and the elements. We’d like to repair the foundation, insulate the walls (currently none), and extend the garage to provide space for our lawnmowers and snowblower.
Repair Hatchery House - The Hatchery is a great spot for groups to gather and explore their faith while exploring the great outdoors. In cases of inclement weather or fall/winter groups, we do have a modest home that can be used for lodging/shelter. Sadly, the building needs quite a bit of TLC, a good scrubbing, fresh coat of paint, and some general repairs.
Build bathroom facilities at the Hatchery - A sense of adventure and roll of toilet paper will only get you so far in life. We’d like to make the Hatchery user friendly for more than a few hours, and repeated rental of port-a-potties can get expensive. We'd therefore like to eventually build a permanent structure to accommodate larger groups.
Start an indigenous plants garden at the Hatchery - Wouldn’t it be great to see exactly where your food comes from, and learn some fun information about Native American planting at the same time? Wilderness thinks so too! But we need some help! Because the Hatchery is kept as natural as possible, we’d need to install a fence around our garden area, as well as purchase supplies to work the ground and tend to the plants.
Replace Parsonage Windows with Energy Efficient options - Saving starts at home. Even when it’s the Pastor’s home. We’ve noticed that energy use is higher than we’d like in the summer and winter months, even with reduced usage of the furnace/AC. But windows don’t just grow on trees, and we want to make sure they’re going to last for years to come, so this may be a ways down the road. Keep the fan and blankets ready, pastor!
Projects Already Funded!
A huge thank you to those who have worked hard to turn these dreams into a reality for Wilderness! Below are just some of the projects that outside support and contributions have helped to make a reality for our community.
Repair and stain BBQ Pit grill area - Many thanks to Bob Vele, ministry partners from the Appleton Conference, as well as to Mamadou Coulibaly, an international guest and leader of the Fox Valley Islamic Society! They worked hard to not only get the grill area in tip-top shape, but also raked, weeded, spread wood chips in the garden beds all around the church and parsonage! While having a good time getting some dirt under our nails, we also learned about one another’s culture, made friends, and gave Pastor’s dog a few baths!
Basketball Hoop - Our youth, as well as other locals are big into basketball. That’s why we were so pleased that our friends in the Appleton Conference, especially , donated both time and talents to provide a hoop for the community at the end of our parking lot. Our ministry partners in Sibiu, Transylvania also donated a basketball to this project.
Replace faulty Water pump pipe - Over the winter, it came to our attention that a hole had formed in the pipe for our water pump. Because of this, the water never got up to pressure, and the pump was running constantly. Between the generosity of donors and the amazing and professional dedication of Eric’s Septic Service, LLC, we were able to get the entire pipe replaced and updated.
BBQ Pit Roof - Again, our partners from the Appleton Conference were able to help with funding and building a roof over our BBQ pit. Weather has taken its toll on the grill area, so we wanted to provide cover first before repairing the masonry of the grill itself. Wilderness volunteers managed to complete the project within the following weeks.