Royal Ball Run – Autism Awareness
All Saints Lutheran Church has been listed as a Royal Supporter for Royal Ball Run for Autism for the last several years and has been listed on back of 1,500 t-shirts because of your financial support! Anyone interested in donating again this year can place your donation (checks written to All Saints) into the offering plate on Sunday mornings, just make sure to designate the donation by marking the memo line Royal Ball Run and one check will be written from All Saints to support this great non-profit. Thank you for your donations!
The Royal Ball Run for Autism raises funds, awareness, and greater acceptance for royally remarkable children and young adults on the Autism spectrum. In our first 9 years, thousands of runners, volunteers, sponsors, and donors have helped the Royal Ball Run for Autism contribute approximately $230,000 to local programs serving children and families touched by autism.
We are royally grateful for your support! To date, our signature events, the Royal Ball Run for Autism Race and Royal Ball for All Carnival has provided financial assistance for autism programs and services in the Quad City Area, which includes, the Quad Cities Autism Center, scholarships for speech and language therapy, peers program, Blackhawk Area special education center and others.
At the 2nd Annual Quad City Autism Resource Fair in February 2019, we unveiled The Royal Guide which will help to be a resource for new or experienced caregivers, parents, or teachers with individuals on the autism spectrum. The Royal Guide will continue to evolve, and we will continue to ask for your recommendations. You can find the guide at www.theroyalguide.org.
We also provide a community of support for families of autism through parental networking, social skills development, and celebration/awareness events for families and their extended family and friends to come together. The fact that 1 in 59 children are now diagnosed on the spectrum means there are approximately 5,600 individuals in the immediate QCA (Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Davenport, and Bettendorf) who are on the spectrum.
Special Congregation Meeting Recap Letter (sent September 17, 2021)
Members of All Saints Lutheran Church met for a special congregation meeting on Sunday, September 12th, to assess a proposal to refurbish the sign in the front of the church, facing Jersey Ridge Road.
Jim Low presented the report from the sign committee and was endorsed by the church council.
The recommendation for the outdoor sign proposed refurbishing the existing sign with a color LED message board at an estimated project cost of $31,000. The new sign would be placed on the existing base. The crumbling brick around the base would be replaced by landscaping.
The new LED message board provides an attractive message screen to reach and attract individuals driving past the church. The present sign is difficult to see and has limited visibility.
The proposal presented to the congregation primarily will be financed by including project costs in a refinanced church mortgage presently held by the ELCA Mission Investment Fund. The loan balance will increase from $126,722 to $160,000. The mortgage interest rate will drop from a 4.375% 5 year adjustable loan to a 3.875% mortgage with 15 year amortization. The estimated monthly payment will be $1,181, a $33.00 per month increase, or an annual total of $396.00.
The church council encourages All Saints members to consider financial donations toward the project.
For years, the church has witnessed a slow but continuous decline in membership. The possibility of closing the facility has been raised by the Southeastern Iowa Synod.
All Saints members believe the church has significant assets that need to be factored into any decision about the future of the congregation. The church has an ideal location, a beautiful facility, vital ministry and dedicated membership, but needs to attract new members to maintain viability.
Please consider a financial donation to this project. Current operating expenses will be paid, but the need exists to invest in the church’s future. The sign project is a first step toward parish revitalization. Let’s put our best foot forward and tell the community the good news about All Saints Lutheran Church. Your contribution helps secure the future of our church.
Pastor Richard Pokora