LVC has been working on its Capital Campaign to purchase the Dorothy Day Volunteer House for quite some time now. The campaign is well on its way to be completed and the purchase and sale agreement was signed just last week! Part of LVC’s excitement in finishing the Dorothy Day House Campaign is what it will mean for its partners in Milwaukee, specifically Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church, who has been a faithful partner in the Milwaukee community.

 

The Dorothy Day House is actually the Spirit of Peace parsonage, and LVC has rented it from the church for its Volunteer housing for many years. This rental agreement has not only proved a great source of income for the church, but has also provided stability for LVC in the city of Milwaukee. However, in the last few years, Pastor Tim Tahtinen and the members of Spirit of Peace have envisioned turning their basement into an Urban Retreat Center, much like that of the Steinbruck Center at Luther Place Church, where LVC was born years ago. Like with any other church project, Tim and Spirit of Peace ran into some roadblocks while trying to renovate their basement and were in search of funds to help complete their project and make their dreams of this new ministry a reality. This is when the Dorothy Day House Campaign was born. Not only would LVC’s purchase of the house provide Spirit of Peace with the money needed to make repairs and carry out their new ministry, it would also solidify LVC’s presence in Milwaukee for years to come.

Ron Quimby, the Administrator at Urban Retreat Center, reports that progress on the basement and ministry is moving at lightning speed. He writes, “We are in a frenzy as we try to get the final construction completed on the Center and as always it seems like the construction projects don’t go quite as smoothly as promised. But, we know that it will all get done with faith and hard work.” So far, the Center has ten groups signed up for this summer, some staying for three day retreats and others for a week long urban immersion. This should result in the Urban Retreat Center serving over 150 youth and adult leaders in its first official summer!

 

 

LVC is grateful for the faithful partnership of Spirit of Peace and excited to watch the ministry of their Urban Retreat Center flourish. If you would like to help LVC finish the Dorothy Day House Campaign and Spirit of Peace begin its ministry, please make a gift here, or call Sam Collins for more information on what you can do to help.

 

This article originally written for the June 2016 Leader Letter.