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Friday, 28 January 2011
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ,
Last night as the Council gathered, before any discussions began, we lit a large candle and prayed. We recalled Jesus' words that 'wherever two or three gather in my name, there I am in the midst of them'. Throughout our meeting the candle served as a reminder that the Risen Christ was with us.
As you know from numerous e-mails, worship announcements, special adult education programs, phone calls, and letters, St. James faces a serious fiscal challenge. Thankfully the response to these appeals has been encouraging and life-giving so far. In a short amount of time a lot of ground has been covered. Still we head to our Annual Meeting on Sunday with a challenge in front of us.
Last Sunday the Mission Budget that will be presented to the congregation was discussed during our Adult Education time. This plan was crafted and revised by numerous people (committee leaders, committees, staff, council) and represents what a collective voice sees as best describing our mission together. This spending plan is currently 'out of balance' with our offering estimates. Since last Sunday our Re-Pledge effort made tremendous progress in closing this gap. Currently, our gap is $70,000 (down from $105,000 last Sunday). Re-pledges continue to come in on a daily basis.
Last night, Council met for the second time in two weeks for discernment. We asked for not only the Presence of Christ to be with us but also for the Spirit's guidance. Come Lord Jesus. Come Holy Spirit. These were our prayers. After thoughtful discussion a 'way forward' was decided upon. Instead of an 'easy' fix "PLAN" that would 'solve' the problem in time for Sunday (which would no doubt have long lasting negative effects on the mission we share) the Council decided upon a "PROCESS".
At the Annual Meeting, along with recommending a Mission Budget that is currently in deficit, Council is recommending that the following steps be taken in order to meet this challenge:
Step One: Allow Re-pledge campaign to continue until February 7th. Invite Pledgers who did not re-pledge to consider giving an extra week of offering per quarter.
Step Two: An Expanded Executive Team (including additional committee leaders) explores with Synod guidance Staff/Program reduction options. A plan is worked out that will best support St. James’ mission going forward (As of January 29th the estimated amount of reduction would need to be in the $40-50K range, which assumes a manageable deficit of $20K). A plan with targeted benchmarks for re-establishment of Staff/Program is also proposed at this time.
Step Three: Town Hall meetings allow for congregational input on proposals.
Step Four: Council acts on Expanded Executive Team recommendations by February 15 with reductions going into effect March 1.
Step Five: The Expanded Executive Team will meet and establish quarterly financial/worship/participation goals. These targets will refocus all ministries in key areas, eliminating non-essentials and will be evaluated quarterly.
This process allows for both time and communal discernment as to how we best meet this challenge together. In addition, this process allows for us to keep St. James' mission to praise and serve at the center of discussions and not sacrifice long term directions for short term gains.
I hope that you will be able to join us for worship on Sunday. Even in times of challenge, there is great joy as we gather as the Body of Christ. Sunday will be no exception. What joy it will be to welcome new families into membership during both worship services. During the Adult Education time, a shortened version of this year's Leadership Conference will be presented along with a brief report of the conference, which is focused this year on increasing worship attendance. After our 11:00 a.m. worship, lunch will be served by our youth in the fellowship hall. Our Annual Meeting begins at 12:30 p.m. Again, I hope that you can join your sisters and brothers in Christ for this important time of coming together as a church family.
See you in worship,
In Christ,
Pastor Walt
The Rev. Walt Lichtenberger, S.T.M. - Pastor
St. James Lutheran - Burnsville, MN
cell phone: (952) 836-8588
emergency pastoral care hotline: (651) 354-1883
Friday, 21 January 2011
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ,
Imagine that you have just walked into your favorite restaurant. The waiter, who you recognize immediately (you might even know his name and how his kids are doing in school), says 'follow me'. As you walk toward the back corner of the room, everything you see and smell brings a sense of comfort and warmth. This is familiar territory and it feels good. You approach 'your usual table'. Everything is set nice and neat - already you begin to salivate over the meal that is just minutes away. The menu that the waiter holds and will soon be presenting to you once you are seated is almost unnecessary - you know what you would like to order. The usual.
Just then, the waiter stops and turns around. He poses a serious question. Would you like 'your regular table' or would you like to be seated at this table? He directs your eyes away from your familiar place... a comfortable place... a place where so many meals have been eaten... a place where celebrations occured. He points instead to a smaller table, one with a different color tablecloth, one with fewer chairs. On this table is not the familiar menu but an abbreviated one. A quick glance reveals that the 'usual' is not available at this table.
Which table do you choose? Where will you dine? On what will you feast?
These serious questions were posed during the Adult Education time last Sunday. In truth, we have been wreslting with these questions in a variety of ways since our Mission Budget process began early in the fall. There is no getting around a basic reality, St. James faces some serious questions about the nature and scope of the mission we share together. What table will we choose as a community of faith around which to lift our praise and serve others? What menu will write together?
Last Sunday, our Annual Reports - indicating all the options and ministries that we enjoyed in 2010 - were made available. If you didn't pick up your copy, please do so as you come to worship this week. One way of thinking about the Annual Report is to see it as a 'Menu of Mission'. All the choices and options and opportunities and programs that we had as a church in 2010 are listed. Both the new and the familiar are listed. From this menu, we dined together as the Body of Christ.
Now the choice is presented. With our 2011 Mission Budget in the mid-80% funded range, we are faced with limited options. Either we work together to support the kind of mission that we have come to associate with St. James or we choose to gather around another size-table with a different menu. We are grateful for the new pledge and Re-Pledge responses that we have already received. THANK YOU! We have collected nearly $13,000 in new and additional commitments in the first week of our Re-Pledge - that said, over $90,000 remains. This is a goal that can be made but only if EVERYONE does at least their 'fair share'.
Not only is it a time for response but it is also a time for prayer. Please pray for wisdom as St. James leadership gathers and sorts through possibilities. Please pray that the Spirit might led us through this time in such a way that it strengthens our mission to praise and serve.
I hope that you will be able to join us this Sunday for a 'familiar tradition' at St. James - the Youth Service. During the Adult Education time, another look will be given at our 2011 Mission Budget. This time we will focus on the expense or cost side. Come and see how St. James leaders worked together to prepare a bare bones plan that will not compromise our mission if it is funded. Come and see how your support will help to determine what table is used during 2011.
In Christ,
Pastor Walt
The Rev. Walt Lichtenberger, S.T.M. - Pastor
St. James Lutheran Church, Burnsville, MN
Office: (952) 890-4534 ext. 112
Emergency Pastoral Care hotline: (651) 354-1883
Cell phone: (952) 836-8588
www.stjameslc.org
Friday, 14 January 2011
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ,
Last night after a busy night of meetings, I hit 'send' instead of 'save' on my computer. This misstep caused an electronic 'hiccup' as blank emails were sent to Lord knows where. Thankfully blank emails are free.
The reason for last night's meetings of Finance and Stewardship was the challenging circumstances in which St. James finds itself. For the past two weeks, St. James leadership (including Council, Executive Mission Team, expanded staff, Mission Stewards, Committee chairs, Committees) have gathered together and have worked together in a remarkable way. Facing St. James is the harsh reality that at this point in time the funding for our current year's mission is insufficient. For two weeks, pencils have been sharpened and folks have cooperated in a process that has significantly reduced our 2011 expense plan. Still, the mission budget that is being presented to Council on Tuesday night for their consideration (Council needs to approve the budget that goes before the congregation as a whole on Annual Meeting Sunday), is at this point in time funded at the 82% level.
On Sunday we will be introducing the second component of our new St. James logo. This element focuses on the PRAISE portion of our mission statement: Led by the Spirit to PRAISE and serve. As I mentioned in last week's email, our new logo itself is a cooperative effort that involved a variety of people and the congregation at large (remember that congregational survey last week). Working together we crafted an image that seeks to both inform us/others what lies at our core identity as a church and invite us/others to participate in the life giving community in which we share at St. James.
As we face serious challenges as a church family, it is good to be both reminded of who we are and to be invited to respond. Together - along with the constant presence of the Spirit - we can rise to this occasion and see that our mission to praise God and serve others does not falter. The challenge can be met but it will require all who call St. James their church home to lend a hand.
This Sunday, January 16, at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall our previously scheduled Adult Education program on Lutheran World Relief will be replaced with a SPECIAL TABLE CONVERSATION about our fiscal challenge. In the coming week, you will be invited to prayerfully consider if you are able to increase your support of St. James. I would ask that you begin by praying daily for this wonderful community in Christ that we share. Come and see Sunday where we are. Come and see how you can help out.
As always, I look forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday as we lift our hands in prayer.
In Christ,
Pastor Walt
The Rev. Walt Lichtenberger, S.T.M. - Pastor
St. James Lutheran Church, Burnsville, MN
Office: (952) 890-4534 ext. 112
Emergency Pastoral Care hotline: (651) 354-1883
Cell phone: (952) 836-8588
www.stjameslc.org
Friday, 07 January 2011
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ,
With the arrival of Epiphany yesterday (January 6), the Christmas season is finally over. As a church we shift from the celebration of the birth of Christ (God's presence entering our world, time, and space) to the ways we come to know that presence among us... Epiphany is a season of revelation - of being aware that God is near. Because God is near, everything changes. There is hope in the midst of our life's struggles as nothing is able to separate us from the love of the One who created the heavens and the earth. Nothing is able to separate us from the One who walked among us, taught us how to love and welcome one another, gave his live for our sake, and remains risen among us. Nothing is able to separate us from the One who continues to gather us together in life giving Christian community, giving us the gift of faith and faithful purpose.
On Sunday we will celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. It will be a joy-filled day and I hope that you will be able to join us for worship. In addition to the wonderful music we will have our monthly healing service. We will also celebrate the interconnected sacraments of Baptism and Communion. As we gather around the Altar Table we will engage in another one of our Eucharistic Experiences (this one will be a surprise - come and find out).
In the waters of Baptism, we are named children of God. God claims us as his own. God gives us the gift of faith. God invites us to live out that faith in lives of service. As we serve we reach down our hands to lift another one of God's children up. Serving others is extremely important - not only does it give us an opportunity to follow Jesus' command to love one another but it allows us to grow in our faith as we encounter the presence of Christ in the face of the one in need.
Serving others is a key value at St. James. In fact it is part of our dual purposed mission to praise God and SERVE others. Beginning this Sunday, we are going to be revealing (its an Epiphany sort of thing to do) our brand new St. James logo. This logo was the work of many talented folks with oodles of marketing experience. Had we needed to pay for this caliber of talent it would have cost thousands of dollars. Instead, they willingly served by giving their time and sharing their talents. Based on the congregational survey that was conducted last Spring, the M&E Team worked on developing an image that would represent our congregational mission (Led by the Spirit to praise and serve). Their generosity of time and energy produced a fresh, exciting, and inviting logo that was approved with thanksgiving by the Council at their November meeting. At the Annual Meeting (January 30) the logo will be officially launched.
Back to this Sunday... you'll get a sneak peak as a portion of the new logo is revealed. You'll get a chance to see how we will be reminded of our mission to SERVE through our new logo.
You'll also get a chance to take part in Godspeed prayers to Dr. Ken Olson as embarks on his SERVICE trip to Africa. In conjunction with the St. Paul Area Synod Bega Kwa Bega relationship, Ken will be traveling to Tanzania. There he will visit congregations and serve using his many talents. In the time that he will be abroad, Ken will visit with the congregation in Idunda, St. James' sister congregation. He will visit with the students that we support as a congregation. On St. James' website there will be a blog of his travels that you can follow. From our worship on Sunday, we will send Ken forth on his journey with prayers, gifts to Idunda, and greetings from our community.
So come.... come to worship God who is revealed to us in the life of Jesus. Come and celebrate God's wonderful invitation to serve others... Come and pray for relationships we have in the gospel with sisters and brothers in Christ on the other side of the globe... Come and see what God is doing in our midst!
Can't wait to see you on Sunday.
In Christ,
Pastor Walt
The Rev. Walt Lichtenberger, S.T.M. - Pastor
St. James Lutheran Church, Burnsville, MN
Office: (952) 890-4534 ext. 112
Emergency Pastoral Care hotline: (651) 354-1883
Cell phone: (952) 836-8588
www.stjameslc.org
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What's Happening. . .
May 22 FMSC 6pm
June 1 Scrapbookers 9am
June 2 Baccalaureate Breakfast 8:30am
June 2 Congregational Meeting 10:30am
June 4 Senior Moments 9am
June 8 Quilters 9am
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