APRIL 2020 We’ve Never Done it This Way Before Words that, in church culture, usually speak a gentle rebuke to something new and untried now define so much of our lives. We’ve never not had school. We’ve never not been able to go to work. We’ve never not had spring sports. We’ve never not had the neighborhood kids over. We’ve never not been able to visit grandpa in his nursing home. We’ve never not been able to go to a res- taurant. We’ve never not been able to worship together. We’ve never done any if it this way be- fore! We have scrambled to adhere both to the govern- ment’s edict that we not gather in more than groups of 10 and remain socially distant at all times, while also remaining faithful to the Lord who has called us to remain rooted in Christ, grow in grace, and reach the lost. Daily chapel, weekend private confession and absolution (with the Lord’s Supper) and so much on-line content has been our answer. Time will tell if it was the best answer, but it was our prayerful response to making the best out of what we have been given. In less than two weeks, the church calendar will declare an end to the season of Lent and celebrate the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; Good Friday and Easter Sunday. What are we going to do? Violate the mandate of the state, or forego meeting together on the highest of holy days? We’ve never had to consider doing it this way before. And yet, through all of this, our faith is not shak- en. We have the example of Christians who have come before us who suffered worse, whose meet- ings were prohibited not because of the risk of contracting and spreading a dangerous virus, but because they were Christian. And we have the absolute assurance that, whether we meet public- ly for worship, or privately in our homes (for a time), the work of Christ is complete, that our sins have been forgiven, that we have been given a relationship with God through faith, and that noth- ing in all crea- tion will be able to sepa- rate us from the love of God forever. We have an opportunity, one that has not existed in my life- time (that I can think of), to bring true comfort and hope for people for whom the spread of the Coronavirus has brought unplanned, unwanted, and difficult change. We have the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that God is with us and will raise us to live with him forever because of the suffering, death, and resurrection of his son. God be with you all in these days and give you confidence to speak the name of Jesus to the lost, that they might be brought to faith; and to the saved, that they might rejoice, even in these days. — Pastor Duncan
Transcript
APRIL 2020
We’ve Never Done it This Way Before Words that, in church culture, usually speak a gentle rebuke to something new and untried now define so much of our lives. We’ve never not had school. We’ve never not been able to go to work. We’ve never not had spring sports. We’ve never not had the neighborhood kids over. We’ve never not been able to visit grandpa in his nursing home. We’ve never not been able to go to a res-taurant. We’ve never not been able to worship together. We’ve never done any if it this way be-fore!
We have scrambled to adhere both to the govern-ment’s edict that we not gather in more than groups of 10 and remain socially distant at all times, while also remaining faithful to the Lord who has called us to remain rooted in Christ, grow in grace, and reach the lost. Daily chapel, weekend private confession and absolution (with the Lord’s Supper) and so much on-line content has been our answer. Time will tell if it was the best answer, but it was our prayerful response to making the best out of what we have been given.
In less than two weeks, the church calendar will declare an end to the season of Lent and celebrate the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; Good Friday and Easter Sunday. What are we going to do? Violate the mandate of the state, or forego meeting together on the highest of holy days? We’ve never had to consider doing it this way before.
And yet, through all of this, our faith is not shak-en. We have the example of Christians who have
come before us who suffered worse, whose meet-ings were prohibited not because of the risk of contracting and spreading a dangerous virus, but because they were Christian. And we have the absolute assurance that, whether we meet public-ly for worship, or privately in our homes (for a time), the work of Christ is complete, that our sins have been forgiven, that we have been given a relationship with God through faith, and that noth-ing in all crea-tion will be able to sepa-rate us from the love of God forever.
We have an opportunity, one that has not existed in my life-time (that I can think of), to bring true comfort and hope for people for whom the spread of the Coronavirus has brought unplanned, unwanted, and difficult change. We have the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that God is with us and will raise us to live with him forever because of the suffering, death, and resurrection of his son.
God be with you all in these days and give you confidence to speak the name of Jesus to the lost, that they might be brought to faith; and to the saved, that they might rejoice, even in these days.
— Pastor Duncan
By Pastor Andrew Coop And Be Thankful These are words from the Apostle Paul, in Co-lossians 3:15. Not exactly the easiest words to hear right now. Not exactly what we had planned on doing today. Not what we’ve been hearing about from the sources we have been listening to or watching over the past few weeks. Why listen to these hard words that Paul wrote to some other Christians thousands of years ago? How can we be thankful in the midst of the so-cial distancing and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic that we are experiencing? Now, please do not mis-understand me: what we are experiencing is NOT good. No virus, let alone pandemic, is good. Ra-ther, it is an aversion to what God desires all peo-ple to experience, and what Christ came to bring all of humanity: abundant life (John 10:10). Death was not a part of God’s original and good creation, but rather is something that entered into the world through sin. But, even in the midst of experiencing the effects that sin has brought into our world, even in the midst of our social distancing and isolation, we can still give thanks to God. And the Apostle Paul knew this firsthand; he experienced countless episodes of pain and suf-fering throughout his lifetime, all for the sake of Christ, and spreading the Gospel message. The one who had been an insolent opponent to the Way (Christians), became one of the greatest proclaimers of the message of Jesus Christ. Ear-lier on in his ministry, Paul recounted some of the sufferings he had already experienced in his ministry for Christ, saying,
“Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often with-out food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from
other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” (2 Corinthi-ans 11:25-28). And yet, Paul still en-courages, exhorts, calls the Christians in Colos-sae to be thankful, not just when things are going well, or when it’s convenient in your faith walk with Christ, but at any and all times. And what we’re left wondering with is, “How?” How can we be thankful even in the midst of suffering? And
this is where context is key: we have been fo-cusing on the final sentence of what Paul said in Colossians 3:15, why don’t we take a look at what he says to begin the verse. “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.” That which is the deciding factor in our lives, which captivates our hearts and minds, which shapes our words and actions, is not our feelings or emotions, but rather, for us, Christians, it is Christ alone who does this. Jesus’ perfect life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection is
April showers bring May flowers. April showers also make the grass grow! If you are interested in volunteering to mow the church lawn, please see the sign-up sheet located on the bulletin board near the Fellowship Hall. You can also call the church office and Kathy will get you signed up. If you need training on how to use the riding lawnmower or any other equip-ment, please contact Jim Harvey or another property board member.
what rules and governs everything in our lives, because through His work, Jesus has given to us that which no one else in this world can offer: and that is peace. And this gift of peace that Christ graciously gives to us, is not some eerie quietness, or stillness, possi-bly like what we are experiencing right now as we socially distance and isolate ourselves, but rather the peace that Christ gives to us chang-es everything. It changes how we see our-selves, and those who are around us. It shapes what we focus on, and prioritize in our lives, and in the lives of those whom we love. So, how can you be thankful even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? Maybe instead of trying to find the “good” or the “silver lin-ing” because of things that have taken place, maybe we can focus on giving thanks for that which our God has given to us that never changes: our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ truly is the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 13:8) — Pastor Andrew Coop
Greetings from the preschool! We are missing all of our precious preschoolers, and praying that their families are healthy and safe during this unusual time. During the next couple weeks our preschool teachers are still staying engaged with families through email and online activities, but we hope to resume to normal classes soon. We still have space in our program for the 2020-2021 school year. Help us spread the word! As always, we appreciate our congrega-tions support, involvement, and prayers. “And HE shall be the stability of our times.” Isaiah 33:6
God’s Blessings and JOY, Alissa McLellan Preschool Director
On Saturday, February 29, nearly 50 volunteers gathered to share their time and talents as part of the 2020 Mission Workshop. The event consisted of several project stations, which were hosted by differ-ent groups or individuals. Volunteers would come and go, as their schedules allowed...but the smiles, helping hands and uplifting hearts were continuous all day. By the end of the day, the totals for each of the mission projects were; 57 bereavement bracelets, 10 pillowcase dresses, 222 ripped and rolled bandages, 180 cards for veterans, 85 witness bracelets, 20 fleece tie blankets, and 23 towels prepared for care kits. A special heartfelt thank you to each of the volunteers of the Mission Workshop, and to the members of the different project sponsors: Evangelism, the Board of Education, Men’s Mission, LWML, and the Youth. Without the efforts of each of you, this would not have been possible. So now, only one question remains....when is the next one?
2020 Mission Workshop February 29
See videos, music and more. Like us on Facebook!
www.stpaulankeny.org
Land Committee The Land Committee continues to work with our attorney on a draft contract, but progress has slowed due to the COVID-19 situation. When more details are available, they will be shared with the congregation.
DCE Call Committee The Call Committee has suspended our meet-ings due to COVID-19 restrictions, but is still working to collect information on potential candidates. The time for congregation mem-bers to submit an objection to any candidate will be extended, but that date has not yet been determined.
Men’s Mission Group The next gathering is scheduled for April 11, but more information will be provided later on whether they need to cancel.
Hello from St. Paul’s Youth Ministry!
With no school and no gatherings, we
are going online! Bible studies,
games and daily devotions all on our
phones. It’s not perfect but we are try-
ing to remain connected and prepare
for being back together soon. Teens
are excited to share together and hear
from the Lord about our Faith, serving
His kingdom and pray together.
Please join us in praying for our teens
and our community.
Many blessings,
John Ritchey
New LWML Facebook Page
Des Moines East LWML has a new Facebook page. They will plan to post information re-garding meetings, gatherings, missions, and much more. Search for LWML Des Moines East Zone on Facebook. If you have trouble finding the page, please email or call Julie Stokke and she will help you navigate to it. We are unsure of when our next gath-ering will be. We’ll continue to email updates, and please check out the St. Paul Facebook page for information as well.
In attendance: Ray Marvin, Pastor McLellan, Pastor Coop, Jason Buls, J im Harvey, Morey Juh-lin, Ryan Down, Alyssa Wendzel, Joy Wehmas, Zach Pool, Jim Turner, Kaleb Grev. Call to order: 6:27. How have we been blessed: Jason gave an update on Jalen who is doing better. Joy gave thanks for our church being in a financially good place to deal with this crisis.
February minutes: Motion to approve February minutes made by Ryan Down, seconded by Jason Buls. Motion carried.
Staff Reports Pastor Duncan said we will stream sermons and Arkay will put some music online. Cancelling worship and all activities other than daily chapel. Will stream both Wednesday and Weekend. We will be sending a document to the church regarding private confession and absolution. 15-minute time slots on Saturday night and Sunday morning for Confession and Absolution as well as The Lord’s Supper for individuals or families. Sign up on Google Doc through One Call. 5-7 Saturday night and 7-Noon Sunday morning. Alyssa suggested providing resources on the website for Sunday School age kids. Joy raised concerns for people with no internet and/or in isolation. Potential to send cards or phone calls to those who can’t at-tend Confession and Absolution or watch services online. Pastor Coop suggested phone calls to mini-mize contamination possibilities. Motion to approve staff reports made by Ryan Down seconded by Alyssa Wendzel. Motion carried. Treasurers Report Raised $77,143.25 over budget in 2019. Savings budget will be over $200,000. Preschool savings grew to $13,558.40. 2020 budget almost ready to be entered. All expenses under budget and income over budget. Opening account with Thrivent. Motion to approve treasurers report made by Jim Harvey Se-conded by Joy Wehmas. Motion carried. Elders Report Supported interim spiritual activity plan. Motion to approve elders report made by Kaleb Grev Seconded by Ryan Down. Motion carried. Old Business Planning team has completed their work. One adjustment to final document before it can be presented. Discussed replanting a church in St Paul’s current facility at the end of the 5-year plan. Nominating com-mittee will be conversing via email. New Business Preschool will continue on with Ankeny Schools schedule of restarting classes. April 13 tentative date. May 29 new ending date. 5-year plan release presentation scheduled for April 5 at 2:00. Explanation of rules and constitution to voters. Voters meeting May 26. Updated officer’s handbook: Delete item #5 in the President Elect section “Shall accept the responsibility to develop and maintain a secure filing system for all official documents and records” Change #8 in the Secretary section removing “The responsibility to develop and maintain a secure filing system for all official documents and records” and changing the statement to now read “Shall be respon-sible for submitting all approved Council and Voters meeting monthly to be included in the St. Paul Epistle newsletter.” Delete #9 in the Secretary reading “shall submit with the year-end summary, the list of all transfers in and out as well as list of others who left the congregation, and the reason for their leaving during the cal-endar year.” As this job is done by the elders. Remove “salaries and” from #2 in Treasurer so it will now read “Have oversight of the Assistant Treas-urer’s monthly disbursements for missions to the district office, loan payments, prompt payment of in-voices as authorized by the board chairpersons and staff.”
Council Meeting Minutes, March 17, 2020
Meeting was called to order and discussion opened with a vote on a new van driver and the person was accepted and we approved him and will submit him for a background check. A copy of the door lock quote was passed around and discussed and some recommenda-tions were made. A second quote will be com-ing from Baker group in the next week. We will finalize the quotes when the bid specs are approved by the board. The project of opening the door up between the pastors offices was brought up and we de-cided to do it after Easter. The mower was discussed and it was dis-covered we do not have a list posted. Dan volunteered to put up one and we are looking for volunteers as always to mow. We have a kit ordered and are going to service the mower and also add a kit to mount a pail and grabber on the mower. The duty is easy and we have a relatively new zero turn and it makes the job a lot easier. This saves the church a bunch of money and is very rewarding. The sound system was discussed and it was very hard to hear in the early service last Sun-day. The readings were also hard to hear . We will be looking into it with the technology committee in the near future. The meeting was closed with the Lord’s Pray-er and we adjourned to the kitchen to repair the oven door. Sincerely, Jim Harvey
March Property Board Report Replace the word monthly with the word quar-terly in #5 of the Treasurers section. Now reads “Present a written quarterly financial report for Voters’ Assemblies and Council Meetings.” Motion to approve made by Jason Buls seconded by Alyssa Wendzel. Motion carried.
Alyssa proposed adding a third preschool room to keep up with demand. Asking to re-move 2 walls in Sunday School classroom area to make one bigger classroom and add one door. Could still be divided with the movable partitions. Would cap new classroom at 16 students per class. Suggesting moving John’s office across the hall. Have been in contact with DHS making sure everything is compli-ant. Proposed renting a “pod” or borrowing the garage during the summer to put preschool items in during VBS. Motion to move forward with 3rd preschool room made by Alyssa Wen-dzel seconded by Zach Pool. Discussion. Mo-tion carried. Board Reports Renewing Ankeny Living article for the year. Checking on the price of getting a larger space. Preschool would like to move director and 3 lead teachers from hourly to salary. Motion to approve made by Jason Buls seconded by Joy Wehmas and discussion. Motion carried. Preschool would like to find a way to get some money to the preschool staff who are currently not being paid while school is out of session. Motion to pay the staff for their average num-ber of hours per week for time they will miss until April 13, made by Jason Buls seconded by Alyssa Wendzel. Discussion. Motion car-ried, 1 abstained. Motion to approve board reports by Kaleb Grev, seconded by Jim Har-vey. Motion carried. Motion to adjourn made by Ryan Down se-conded by Zach Pool. Motion carried. Conclud-ed with the Lord’s Prayer. Submitted by, Zach Pool
Board of Elders Meeting March 17, 2020 To be received, transferred or released March 17, 2020: Released: Aaron, Cari, Jonah & Mackenzie Poock, to Lutheran Church of the Cross, Altoona, IA
Transferred: Blake Rabe, to Immanuel Lutheran Church, Olivette, MO Eugene & Jean Goodman, to Trinity Lutheran Church, State Center, IA Average worship Attendance in February: 2020: 411 2019: 286
Average Worship Attendance YTD through February: 2020: 377 2019: 321
