An Important Message from our Board of Directors

Dear Friends,

As many of you have heard by now, the current Board of Directors is giving serious consideration to closing down Arise MKE this summer following the upcoming Family Day. This is an important and difficult decision for the board to make. We would like you to hear directly from us concerning our thought process as we continue our discernment. 

At the end of this email, we would share ways in which we can hear from you and add your insights to our discernment as well.

Over 20 years ago, Arise Ministries and the Wisconsin Catholic Youth Rally (WYRE Ministries) began ministering to the faithful in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee with opportunities to encounter Christ in the Sacraments in unique and vibrant settings. The energy and enthusiasm that Arise and WYRE brought to all of their events was successful and contagious and led to long term success for both of those ministries until the time when they merged in 2017.  

Over the course of these past two decades, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has experienced a "Springtime of the Spirit."  The positive changes that have taken place in our Archdiocese are evident from the growth of our Seminary and the energy of our many young priests, to the proliferation of sacramental opportunities at our local parishes. While there are many factors that have contributed to this exciting new energy within the Archdiocese, no one can deny that Arise and WYRE – and the combined Arise MKE – have been instruments of the Holy Spirit and have contributed to this movement in material and significant ways. 

The Archdiocese is now a different type of mission field than it was 20 years ago, and over the course of the past several years, and especially in the last 12 months, the Board of Arise has been prayerfully deliberating over the future course of this ministry. We have been seeking input from all sectors, interviewing our Bishops, Pastors, Youth Ministers, Catholic School Principals and Archdiocesan representatives – as well as our own donors and volunteers – about the current needs of the Archdiocese and what role Arise might play in this new landscape.

Following this most recent Youth Rally, the board began meeting in earnest to seek a way forward. Several long meetings, hours of brainstorming and group discussion with detailed and shared notes, as well as countless one on one conversations have led us to this moment. We looked for God's will in everything – but especially in the elements most closely tied to the future of the ministry – that is, strategic, staffing, financial and leadership. Some of these elements presented realities that we could control, but in many of these elements we saw God's timing around issues that were beyond our control.

The decision we have come to as a group is that Arise/WYRE/ and Arise MKE have served the Archdiocese well these past 20 years and it is time to close our doors and celebrate all that God has done through us, and honor those who have worked so tirelessly to bring it to pass. We have the rare opportunity as an organization to go out on a high note, with dignity, honor and celebration.  

We know that many of you have or will have strong feelings and opinions, and we want to hear from you. You are invited to reach out to our Chairman of the Board, Peter Giersch, directly at peter@gierschgroup.com if you would like to better understand our thought process.

We have also reserved two hours for an open Board Meeting from 12 Noon to 2 p.m. on May 21st at the Layton Center (12900 W North Ave, Brookfield, WI 53005). The entire board will be assembled at that time, and we are willing and eager to hear your heart and answer any questions that you may have. If you plan on attending this open board meeting, you must register ahead of time using this link: https://forms.gle/NrgbDyGS7258LE7XA

Please know, however, that this meeting is mainly an opportunity for you to be heard and to hear from the Board. The vote will take place on that day at 2 p.m. If you feel God is calling you to "save" Arise, or somehow change the course of this deliberation, we recommend that you provide us, in writing, a proposal to do so. Your proposal to keep Arise open past this fall must contain the following:

3 year vision: July 2025-July 2028, including:

• Proposed Programming Plans

• Proposed Board Leadership

• Proposed Staffing Model

• Proposed Funding Strategy

Please send your proposal to Peter Giersch at peter@gierschgroup.com as soon as possible. We will be in touch. 

Should we continue down this current path, we will have our Arise Family Day on July 12th as usual, and then likely some sort of large celebration in August or September to bring closure and to honor all of you for your efforts through the years. 

And without waiting for some future date, we want to take this opportunity to thank you right now for all you have done to help thousands of people encounter Christ in the Archdiocese of MIlwaukee. Thank you! May God Bless You for your generosity.

Sincerely,

The Arise Board of Directors

Peter Giersch: Chairman

Tom Klind: Vice Chairman

Jerry Batzner: Treasure

Nathan Sward: Secretary

Annie Andres

Fr. Andrew Infanger

John Schlosser

Charlie Sweet

Christine Winters

John Zeidler