Graduation 2012 - Congratulations, Graduates! 

We congratulate and pray God's blessings on our departing Class of 2012.  We welcome Mr. Brad Alles as our guest speaker for the graduation address and remind 7th grade parents of their responsibility to get their 7th grader here to SING for graduation  - and - assist with the graduation reception.  Questions?  Call the school office. 

As we move forward into the new fiscal year, it is good to review for our families the improvements and adjustments that we have sought to implement in both our church and school in an earnest effort to keep costs low and balance our needs with responsible stewardship practices.  Contained below are a listing of the main areas and deliberate actions we have taken as a church and school to maintain quality, but spend wisely within our budgetary means in lean economic times . . .  

Increased Prayer & Fellowship Time

• Prayer Partners implemented        
• Pastor Prayer Program that lifts up in prayer one family per day        
• Advent Daily Devotional Guide        
• Financial Peace Bible study offered      
• Other Bible Study offerings to encourage being in the Word
• Social Accountability Committee set to conduct June meetings for members new to ORLC in the past 14 months to increase their involvement, engagement and ownership of their church
• New group Bible studies formed for devotional book discussions and fellowship
• Increased opportunites for service project involvement on and off-campus

Initiatives to Increase Revenues - Finding Ways to Fund Our Mission      

• Increased marketing initiatives      
• Identified media opportunities to gain full exposure        
• Referral Program implemented (Cost-$haring for Families)        
• Matching Gifts identified to off-set Thrivent Program elimination·        
• Grant Writing for School Counselor, technology resources, and          
• On-line Giving implemented through our web site     
• Special Thank-you Offerings        
• LIFt Program developed ($52,000+ to date for tuition aid assistance)

Initiatives for Cost Avoidance and Expense Reduction

FACILITIES  

• Recycle Program implemented for campus cost savings
• Review of and change to electric usage and review of high billing periods  
• Change of light bulbs in the sanctuary
• Review and change of supply and maintenance contracts to reduce overhead
• Projects/Building Repairs and improvements delayed

ADMINISTRATION

• Financial best practices implemented to include internal audit procedures to eliminate annual external professional audit
• Purchasing discounts used at a higher level throughout departments
• Higher awareness and best practice of resource and supply sharing within the facility  
• Spending freezes unless pre-authorized  
• Equipment retired that is aged and not utilized to full potential and efficiency  
• Self- funding Ministry Programs (i.e. Youth, Men's, Women's)  
• Mortgage Satisfied        

HUMAN CAPITAL

• Positions that must be backfilled are done so at a lower salary level  
• Increased productivity and efficiency in staffing within all areas, staffing levels reduced within custodial area and administrative areas  
• Child Care and Hot Lunch programs re-evaluated and reorganized over the past three years
• Elimination of teaching substitutes when coverage can be from internal resources
• Utilizing volunteers for tasks to assist specific areas
• No salary increases for staff  
• Benefit Cost sharing program implemented for staff to cover a percentage of health care premiums; premium increases also passed on to staff

All of these new efforts are, of course, in conjunction with and accompanied by the on-going amazing work of our Parent Teacher League, Dinner Auction Committee, Market Day program, and every other support system we are blessed to have at ORLS/ORLC.  We are also thankful to the individuals who faithfully collect all of the items that mount to amazing totals that benefit areas of our school program.  Keep up the good work!