April 8 Organ Design Reveal!

Excitement was in the air for the Meet the Pipe Organ Builder presentation on Monday evening, April 8!

Over 70 people attended the event for the unveiling of RLC’s new pipe organ design. Joseph Brown, President and Owner of J.F. Nordlie explained the vision for our organ, how the design was developed and shared the architectural drawings of the new organ. Our organ consultant, Dr. Gregory Peterson, spoke about the importance of honoring the design and history of the Holtkamp organ and our existing organ. The result will be a unique new instrument that will be dynamic, versatile, exciting to play, inspiring to hear, and musically, liturgically, artistically and architecturally complimentary to RLC’s worship center. He is excited that RLC’s organ will offer various new opportunities and be a destination venue for guest organists and musicians.

Fundraising = $54,000 to go!

Financially, we are very close to reaching the $850,000 project goal. To date, $795,988 (94%) has been pledged or donated leaving just $54,000 to go! If you have been waiting to see if the project was really going to happen, now is the time to help support this legacy project.

Intent to Give forms are available by the organ poster in the Commons or you can click here to complete the form online. If you’d like to make a charitable donation using a distribution from your IRA or have appreciated assets you’d like to donate to the organ fund, please call the RLC Finance Office. They will be happy to answer your questions and assist you.

FEBRUARY 5, 2024 UPDATE

2023 marked a big year in our pipe organ replacement project! The graphic below provides a summary of last year’s milestones and what we have to look forward to in the coming months.

Fundraising Update - $58,676 to reach the project goal!!

The organ project is funded solely by congregational donations. Commitments for the organ have reached $791,324 or 93% of the $850,000 project goal. The steady fundraising progress is a testament to the dedication and determination of RLCs members, reminding us all of the incredible power that lies within a collective effort to uplift and inspire.

To make a donation to the Organ Project, please fill out the Intent to Give form here  or pick up a form and envelope in the Commons by the organ poster. You can also make a “noisy” donation to the organ by dropping your change in the organ donation pipe in the Commons. Every gift, regardless of its size, makes a difference and helps ensure the success of this legacy project!

Dec. 31, 2023 Update

Only $90,777 to Go!

Commitments for the organ project as of December 31, 2023 are $759,222 or 89% of our project goal of $850,000. The matching funds have been exhausted. Thank you RLC for your tremendous generosity and support! 

Cash flow for the project looks great and is on track. Commitments to the organ project can be paid between now and June 1, 2025. Donors are encouraged to make payments early in the year or quarterly. If you would like to make a commitment to the project, the Intent to Give form is available here or pick up a form and envelope in the Commons by the organ poster.

How to Fulfill your Intent to Give Commitment

• For 2023 gifts - If you designated an Intent to Give for 2023 and or wish to make a financial contribution this year, please send your donation before December 31 to the attention of Laurel Hofeldt, RLC Director of Finance, and designate Organ Fund in the memo line. If you have forgotten the amount of your Intent to Give, please email Kathy Arveson at and the Finance Office can assist you.
• For 2024 gifts - RLC is making monthly payments of $30,000 to the organ builder. To help with cash flow, please consider making your donation early in 2024 or making quarterly payments.
• For 2025 gifts - RLC will make monthly payments of $30,000 to the organ builder with a final payment in June 2025. To help with cash flow, please consider making your donation early in 2025 and complete your donation before June 1, 2025.

Update on Our Möller Organ

The reliability of our organ is still questionable after the major ciphers during the worship service on November 26th. Our organ contractor, J.F. Nordlie has been consulted and John Helgen has been testing the organ daily to identify trends and concerns.  Mechanical issues, temperature and humidity changes are all factors that make the problem(s) difficult to diagnose and impossible to predict or steer around while playing the organ. Analysis of the issues will continue. Due to this unreliability, the organ was not used for the Christmas Festival. 

Progress on Our New Organ

Progress on our new pipe organ has been steady! Nordlie made a return trip to Mountain Brook, AL in early November to gather detailed information on pipe diameters and to create a disassembly procedure for June 2024. They have begun planning the layout of the wind chests and façade and 65% of the outside sourced materials for the casework, console, and interior components have been received. This includes 500 board feet of quartersawn white oak which is acclimating in their shop and has been sorted to find the most beautiful pieces to build the organ console. We hope to hold a Meet the Builder session early in 2024 with more information.

Play the Pipe Organ

Do you play the piano or other instrument? Have you ever wanted to play a pipe organ? The Organ Project Team would like you to have that opportunity! On Saturday November 11, we will be hosting Play the Pipe Organ.

Event Filled!

RLC Organ Survey by Nordlie

The crew from J.F. Nordlie was on-site Friday, Oct. 6 to perform a physical survey of RLC’s organ pipe loft and collect the pipe diameters of those that will be re-used in our new organ. This will allow Nordlie to create accurate renderings of the new instrument. Several components have been ordered such as the leathers (22 skins of various thicknesses and finishes) and all the fuses for the control system. There will be nearly 100 fuses in our organ! Construction has begun on small generic components. The Organ Project Team provided lunch for the crew and it was exciting to hear the wheels are turning! RLC member Mike Dolan leads the team of volunteers responsible for putting up the Christmas mural and stopped by to discuss the mural logistics with the Nordlie team.

Ongoing Organ Fundraising

$648,870 of $850,000

As of October 26, 2023, the committed donations for the pipe organ project are $648,870 or 76% of the project goal, and many supporters have begun fulfilling their 2023 Intent to Give commitments. We want to finish strong by raising the remaining $201,130 in commitments by the end of this year! Commitments will be paid over three years (2023-June 1, 2025). You can support the project by filling out an Intent to Give form, or print the form and mail it. 

Please use the following links:

• Fill out an Intent to Give Online
• Print and fill out a paper Intent to Give and return to church
• Give now online, designate your gift to "Organ Fund"

For supporters who have designated an Intent to Give for 2023 and those wishing to make a financial contribution this year, please send your donation to the attention of Laurel Hofeldt, RLC Director of Finance, and designate Organ Fund in the memo line. If you have forgotten the amount of your Intent to Give, please email Kathy Arveson at  and the Finance Office can assist you. Your support of this legacy project is greatly appreciated!

RLC Organ Task Force Archive

All the previous materials, videos, and updates produced by the former Task Force can be accessed by clicking here.