Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus!

On Sunday during worship, we gave thanks for the work of the Return to In-Person Ministry Team. This group of dedicated folks were responsible for charting the course for our congregation through pandemic. Formed by the Council over two years ago, they were tireless in their efforts to keep our community (particularly those most vulnerable among us) safe. They kept current with the latest recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Stay Safe MN and formulated policies and procedures for St. James Lutheran’s ministry. This was not easy, especially when recommendations changed (or sometimes didn’t agree) in a politically charged environment. Early on in its work the group met weekly for multiple hours. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

Not only did we share our congregation’s thanks (and fun COVID garden gnomes) with the team for their work, but we also recognized the completion of this Mission Team’s work. Although COVID remains a reality in our community, we have a system in place for the monitoring of community levels, designated responses for each level, and a full preparedness plan for our congregation. Because of the efforts of the Return to In-Person Ministry Team, we are well prepared to deal with the ongoing nature of this pandemic. If you would like to access St. James Lutheran’s COVID continued response (click here).

Please join me in sharing your thanks for the Return to In-Person Ministry Team’s work. They are Viv Aarestad (Co-leader), Diane Miller (Co-leader), Wendy Dickman, Doreen Evans, and Mark Lind. It was my pleasure also to serve with them.

This coming weekend, we are on holiday worship schedule. We offer an in-person (sanctuary and parking lot) worship option at 8:00 a.m. and an ONLINE ONLY option at 9:30 a.m. I look forward to greeting you with a smile and a wave.

In Christ’s Light,

Pastor Walt