501 NW 16th Street, Grand Rapids, Minnesota 55744 (218) 326-8508 www.saintand.org November 2016

FROM PASTOR DAVE…

I don’t know about you but every once in a while I get this overwhelming feeling that I have to start getting into shape again. I know that I might be overly optimistic by even thinking that it’s still possible, but hey – you’ve got to give me some credit! After all “it’s the thought that counts.” And yet, I realize that I have to do more than think about getting into shape, I’ve got to do something too.

I’ve got to start getting into shape physically. I’ve been pondering this for some time. My daughter lovingly reminds me that I haven’t lost the measly 4 pounds I wanted to lose about a year ago. About a month ago, I had a sort of wakeup call when my brother Peter had a heart attack and then triple bypass surgery. He’s the closest living thing to me physically and genetically. Both male. Both products of our mom and dad. Yes, I received that wake up call, but will I get up and answer the call? I’m recommitting to eating smaller portions, and not checking out what may be in the church kitchen when I get the munchies. Whenever possible, I’m going home for lunch, and spending time exercising on my NordicTrack ski machine. (I prefer “exercising” to “working out.” The latter sounds too much like work.) It takes about a couple of hours in the middle of my day, to get home, change, exercise, shower, grab a sandwich and get back to the church. Usually, it’s time well spent. As it energizes me for the afternoon and evening.

I encourage you to get into shape physically. Why? Because God wants you to care for your body like it’s His and not yours – which is the case anyway. “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” You have been entrusted with that body so that you can be of useful service to the Lord, as you love and serve God by loving and serving people. We need to be mindful of how we are caring for these bodies so that God can use us to make a difference in the world and in the lives of others. That means exercise, eating right, getting a full night’s rest. I’m no Mr. Universe, and I’m not a health nut, but it is time for me to get into shape physically.

I also need to get into shape spiritually. I find the Marks of Discipleship a good scale by which to judge my spiritual fitness. I hope that you may have drawn a similar conclusion. And yet, even though I am being more intentional about reading from the Bible and praying everyday, worshipping every week to be honest, I have been sensing a dissonance within my spirit. Maybe it’s more discontentedness. Or even discord. Whatever it is, it is not shalom. My searching has led me to re-read three books, more reading than I usually do. I am reading a book by Eugene Peterson called “Under the Unpredictable Plant – Rediscovering Vocational Holiness.” (Peterson is the author of the Bible paraphrase The Message, a favorite of mine.) It has caused me to become quite introspective in the last few weeks, as I again ponder God’s calling me to the ministry of being pastor. The other book in my study helping me to get into shape spiritually and to address the dissonance of spirit, is “Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First – Rediscovering Ministry” by Bill Easum. It is helping me, in the image of Revelation chapter 2, to rediscover my “first love” – God.

The third book I’m rereading as part of my spiritual fitness program is called “A Passionate Life,” by Mike Breen and Walt Kallestad. In it, they introduce eight easy to recall shapes to help us remember principles and practices to help the reader live a passionate life as a follower of Jesus. That brings me back to the metaphor I’m using for this bit of writing: it’s time to get into shape. So far, I’ve read about two of the shapes. The semi-circle and the triangle. Think of a pendulum. As it swings back and forth, the shape it makes is a semi-circle. The two poles represent rest on one side and work on the other; or abiding on one side and fruitfulness on the other. One cannot exist without the other. God intends for us to live both. A proper balance is critical to spiritual health.

In the Book of the prophet Micah, we read “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (6:8) The triangle – three sides, three angels - reminds us that we need to balance three types of relationships in our lives for spiritual health. Out - “act/do justly”. In - “love mercy”. Up - “Walk humbly with your God.” Out - reaching the unchurched. In - building the church community. Up - developing intimacy with God. When you think about your own life, are you living in balance? Are you spiritually fit?

It’s high time we get into shape – physically and spiritually. Join me for the journey.

Peace,

Pastor Dave

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499TH ANNIVERSARY of the

REFORMATION

Monday, October 31 is the 499th anniversary of the day Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses he wanted the church and it’s leaders to discuss and debate. It’s the event that we credit with having launched the Reformation and birthed what we call the Lutheran Church. So much has happened in the ensuing 5 centuries. Some of it has been ugly. The animosity and downright division between Protestants and Roman Catholics. Suspicions between Lutherans and Roman Catholics. We, with arrogance, accused each other of not living out or understanding what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ. And yet some of it has been positive. In 1999, the Lutherans and Roman Catholics signed Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. “It is a document created, and agreed to, by the Catholic Church’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Lutheran World Federation as a result of extensive ecumenical dialog. It states that the churches now share "a common understanding of our justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ.” To the parties involved, this essentially resolves the five hundred year old conflict over the nature of justification which was at the root of the Protestant Reformation. (from Wikipedia) Just this past summer, another document was agreed upon: “Declaration on the Way," a unique ecumenical document that marks a path toward greater unity between Catholics and Lutherans. At the heart of the document are 32 "Statements of Agreement" that state where Lutherans and Catholics do not have church-dividing differences on topics about church, ministry and the Eucharist. More tentatively, the document also explores differences that remain. (from ELCA News Service) I want to call your attention to another sign of the warming relationship between Lutherans and Roman Catholics. Pope Francis will be in Lund, Sweden, at the headquarters of Lutheran World Federation, to participate in a joint prayer service with LWF President Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan and its general secretary, the Rev. Dr. Martin Junge. This historic event of Lutherans and Roman Catholics will usher in the 500th year (2017) since the Reformation began. Instead of focusing on our differences, we are celebrating God’s continuing reformation of the Church and our partnership with one another in it. This event will be live-streamed, so YOU can watch. Go to https://www.lutheranworld.org/lund2016/livestream

VOTING – HOW TO DECIDE Every time I turn on the radio or the TV lately, I’ve been bombarded by campaign commercials. Unfortunately, most of their ads are about the “evils” of the candidate’s opponent rather than why you or I should vote for that candidate. It’s so overwhelmingly negative and mean-spirited! As a nation, we are so polarized, with both sides entrenched. I know I’m stating the obvious. Less obvious perhaps is who we, as Christians, should vote for. Or how we should vote. I start with the presupposition that as Christians, our primary and ultimate allegiance is to Jesus. In the New Testament, one of the first statements of faith was “Jesus is Lord.” The unspoken second part was “…and Caesar is not.” Jesus is Lord…and the Democrats or Republicans are not. Jesus is Lord and the United States is not. Jesus is Lord and not any particular set of political positions. It is Jesus, not any of these other things that drives me, and directs me, and shapes me, and motivates me, and will help me decide how to vote. We need do a gut level check on ourselves as concerns this presupposition that Jesus is Lord, and nothing or no one else is. Is that true of you? Are you a follower of Jesus first and foremost, and only after that a citizen of a particular country and an adherent of certain political positions? If my presupposition is correct, what follows is that I will vote for a person whose positions are more likely to bring about a world that begins to resemble the world that Jesus wants, and policies that align with the character of Jesus.

Jesus was compassionate.

Jesus always sided with the poor, and disenfranchised.

Jesus loved even the outcast lepers.

Jesus spent time with sinners.

Jesus broke down barriers that separated people into insiders and outsiders.

Jesus passion extended to foreigners.

Jesus taught that we are to love and serve others. My encouragement to you, followers of Jesus, is to vote for the candidates whose policies you believe will move us as a state and nation to:

be more compassionate,

take care of the poor and disenfranchised,

embrace the outcast

break down walls of separation

accept and include foreigners

love and serve all people. Of course, I cannot and would not presume to tell you who to vote for. That would be an abuse of my position here as your pastor, and also would jeopardize the congregation’s tax exempt status. (It always amazes me to hear of some pastors/priests who so seem to cross that line!) But as your pastor, it is my role to call upon you to let your faith be your guide in all aspects of your life – including how you vote. Pastor Dave

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SOUND SYSTEM UPDATE

If you’ve been to worship in recent weeks, you have heard. Literally! The new sound system is in and functioning well! People are hearing. They – and you – have heard. Stewart Enterprises will be able to wrap everything up shortly for phase one of this project. Just a few miscellaneous things to get done, plus labeling and tidying up some cables. Here are a few highlights: Fellowship Hall. In addition to the main sound system in the sanctuary, we have a new system in the Fellowship Hall as well. This sys-tem can either be used as a stand-alone sound system, or it can be used in an overflow capacity, so that people in the Fellowship Hall can hear what is happening in the sanctuary. It is very user friendly. Just an on/off switch, a volume knob and then you select which input you want to turn up or down. There are 7 inputs: one wireless handheld mic, the sanctuary sound, iPad (or anything that connects with a 1/4″ plug), and 4 mics that can be plugged in. Versatile, but simple. Hearing Impaired System For those who may still have difficulty hearing everything, we have a “new and greatly improved” hearing impaired system. Currently, we have four units. They are kept in a basket at the control booth. Plug in some ear buds (or any head phone with a ¼” plug), turn it on, and voila! You control the volume. An additional option exists for those who have hearing aids that are Telephone Coil (“T-Coil”) enabled. Same process, but you wear a cord around your neck which transmits the signal/sound directly to your hearing aid. If you have this feature on your hearing aids, you probably are aware of it and already use it with cell phones or other devices. Recording We also have the capability of recording directly onto a compact disc (CD). Stewart Enterprises has set the initial re-cording levels, including levels for the organ and the choirs. Training Next up: Stewart Enterprises will be training a few people from St. Andrew’s on the sound system in the sanctuary, who will then be able to train others. Are you interested in being a coordinator (one who trains and schedules oth-ers)? Please let Pastor Dave know. We will also be looking for people who are interested to be part of a team to serve in the sound booth. With just sound to be concerned with, one person per worship service is what we are in need of. Finally many thanks to all who made phase one of our Sight and Sound systems possible. Many people made special contributions over and above their regular giving. Special thanks to Tom and Becky Markwardt who built the control booth. It’s beautiful! Thank you to John Rajala and the Rajala Companies for donating the lumber for the control booth. And thank you to Conley Janssen, for his work as Project Manager on behalf of St. Andrew’s. Together, we have made a difference – a difference we can hear!

It is that time of year again when we are all being asked to discern what we believe God is calling us to give to make possible the ministry and mission of St. Andrew’s in the coming year. A letter was mailed to the entire congregation, together with an Estimate of Giving card. Please, if you would fill that out and return it to the church, that would be greatly appreciated. It will help the Congregation Council as they build a 2017 budget. Right now, we are still a bit uncertain as to whether members will be giving all that they had anticipated to give in 2016. That, of course, raises concerns about 2017. Unless members of the congregation indicated on their Esti-mate of Giving cards what they intend to give, the leadership will need to assume that it will be no more than 2016. You can place your completed Estimate of Giving card in the box in the lobby when you come for worship. You may also mail it to the church. It would be most helpful if you did so by November 6. The Council believes that God is calling us to make an even greater difference in the lives of people at St. An-drew’s, around Grand Rapids and beyond. As the body of Christ we are called to make a difference. We are making a difference. And it’s all because of people like you – generously supporting the work of your church.

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Your Plan Can Outlast Even You! One way to support the ministry of the church you love is by making St. Andrew’s a beneficiary of your life insurance policies. You can designate any percentage of the value of your life insurance to be given to your church upon your death. This is an easy, and often overlooked way, of ensuring that your church continues to make a difference in the lives of people in our community and beyond for years to come. A similar method is to include your church in your will. Just as you undoubtedly want to provide for your descendants you love (which is why they are in your will and listed as beneficiaries of life insurance), you can also provide for the church you love, so that it can continue to proclaim Jesus, whom you love. It’s part of having an intentional plan, and oh what peace of mind and joy it can bring!

Pastor Dave continues to lead “The Divine Drama–The Biblical Narrative.” This fifteen session course meets Tuesday evenings 6:00 – 7:15 pm, except the third Tuesday of each month which is when the Congregation Council meets. “The Divine Drama – The Biblical Narrative” is a survey of the Bible from creation to the birth and ministry of Jesus. We need to know something about the themes that weave through the Biblical narrative to be able to understand the meaning of the Bible. And we need to know those themes so we can better understand what Jesus does with them. The class began in early October and will conclude February 28th– just before the season of Lent begins. While it is, of course, best to come for every session, you will still be able to follow along and learn and grow by coming whenever you can. This course is good for both new comers as well as veterans of Bible Study. Bring your Bible with you!

View looking out onto McKinney Lake from our lakeside worship area.

“Be still and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10

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One of the true privileges about being a Pastor for me is the opportunity to hear and sometimes be a part of people’s faith and life stories. This is more than just interacting with a person; it is being invited into deeply personal and often transformational life moments. These are things like walking with someone through a crisis in life like health problems, divorce, losing a job, or struggling with emotional or mental issues. It’s celebrating life moments like confirmations, graduations, weddings and births. It’s walking with people as they do the hard work of exploring and growing in their faith. And, of course, it’s walking with people as they die and grieve the loss of loved ones. To be allowed into people’s lives in such a deep way is an honor beyond describing which works out well because a lot of these moments are confidential. However, some of these stories are exactly the opposite, and once I have been entrusted with these stories, I have an obligation to keep them safe not by holding them in confidentiality as I do most stories, but by telling them to anyone who will listen. That is why for my newsletter this week, I need to tell you what I learned about migration and the people trying to immigrate to the United States from Honduras.

Now I am aware that this is a potentially divisive topic, and I want to say right here and now that this is NOT a political article. I’m not trying to tell you how to vote, not claiming that illegal immigration isn’t a problem we need to deal with, and not going to tell you a sob story to try and emotionally manipulate you into anything. Truly my motivation in writing this and sharing it with you is simply to share the incredible stories I heard on my most recent trip to Honduras, call people to pray for the millions of people in our world who caught up in the cycle of migration, and think about ways of dealing with the root problems behind mass population migration. To be clear, I’m mainly talking about Honduran migration since that was the context I was in, and I’m not talking about refugees fleeing from war torn areas… (That needs a musing all to itself and I would LOVE to talk to anyone who would like to have a conversation. Call me; we’ll set up a time to talk about it!) Ok... Now that we have all that settled, let’s get into it.

This story started with a visit to the Lutheran World Federation Office in Honduras and sitting down to talk with their national coordinator, Hermilo Soto. The LWF (which the ELCA is a part of) is a global communion of Lutheran church communities working for justice, peace and reconciliation in God’s world. Visit www.lutheranworld.org to learn more about them. In Honduras, one of the major problems they are dealing with is population migration… or large groups of people attempting to relocate to escape violence (domestic abuse and gang related mainly), find employment, or find and reunite with family members who have migrated before them. In our conversation, we found out that despite the huge cost of attempting to migrate to the United States ($5,000- $7,000 a person, which is often raised by families taking out loans and selling off homes or land to send one person north in hopes they will be able to send back money to keep the family going), and the trauma of the route (rape, abuse, starvation, and a very real possibility of losing life and limb)… 90% of the people who attempt to migrate and get sent back will attempt to do so again. This is not because they want to risk this journey or because they are greedy people who want more than they can get in their country, it is largely because when they are sent back (either from the U.S. or Mexican boarders), they go back to the same situation they were in when they left; often times made worse because now they have debts to repay, face the stigma of migrating, and in many cases have been permanently injured on the journey. We saw one man in the street asking for help who was missing an arm, and our translator told us that he most likely lost it to the beast… a large freight train that people jump onto attempting to cross borders. Many people lose arms, legs, and even their lives when they fall off the train. It was hard for me to wrap my mind around this, and that night sitting in the LWF office, we talked about despair and the feeling of hopelessness that attempting to deal with such a big problem leaves us with. Thinking of so many people caught in a never-ending cycle of desperation, abuse, and tragedy with no good options for a way out is heartbreaking, and yet into even this darkness, God’s light shines! Another story broke into my life on this journey that showed an important way in which this cycle can be broken. It was actually a play written by two members of the Lutheran Church in Honduras, Belinda and Misile, who had both attempted to migrate multiple times and blessed us by combining their stories and sharing them with us on the second night of the theological workshop we were attending together. They told the story of a man at the end of his rope, being mugged and robbed frequently and extorted for money, and desperate for the means to provide a better life for his family. A wife who hesitantly accepted her husband’s desire to go North, a family that fell apart with an absent father, that spent everything on sending him North, and when he went missing on the journey could not afford food, clothing, and other basics. And they told the story of the church that stepped in to offer comfort and support to this family in the time of need. The church which came to visit the wife and brought eggs every day for her children, which helped the family reconnect through loaning them a cell phone, and encouraged the family to keep believing, keep trying, and to know they were not alone… and when the father was found and sent back to them, the church helped provide a scholarship to the father to study and get job skills so that he could stay with his family and still provide for them. This was their story! Misile has a wife and four children and works with youth group in his church and provides music for church events, and thanks to a scholarship through the ICLH (Lutheran Church in Honduras), he is able to stay in Honduras with

PASTOR MEGAN ’S MUSINGS . . .

Continued...

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All Saints Sunday, Sunday, November 6, we will observe All Saints Sunday. The names of all the Saints who have died and been baptized in the past year will be read at both worship services. Our prayers continue to be with all the families who have experienced a loss.

Pastoral Acts

Baptisms

October 2 Kendalyn Marie DeVries

October 16 Archer David Thompson

October 16 Sullivan Michael Theis

Funeral

October 8 Patricia Elise Peterson

Wedding

October 15 Kirstiane Nicole Holgate & David Glen Bilyeu

Special Gifts

$50 to Memorial Fund-Sound System in memory of Jack Rajala by Lisa Bolton

$20 to Memorial Fund-Sound System in memory of Patricia Peterson by Irene Weller

them as he studies to become a teacher. Belinda has two children and works with the ICLH as a leader in her church community and helping with the Women’s ministry and Health ministry in the ICLH. I thank God for the privilege of hearing and sharing their stories!

The truth is, people who migrate have names and faces; they are fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers, trying to help their families; they are sons and daughters carrying the hopes of their entire family as they set out from home, taking a terrible risk for a reward they may never see. There is a way to break the cycle of migration and deportation, and the church has an important role in it. One we can work together to help support programs and projects that address the underlying causes behind migration. And guess what, it’s already happening! There are people and programs in Honduras addressing migration and working to help break the cycle right now! The LWF is working on programs that help offer people attempting to migrate other solutions such as job training, protection from domestic abuse and violence, and helping them start small family businesses so that they have a means to support themselves. It’s a small program now, but one that hopes to grow! The ICLH is also having conversations about this, and is working to walk with families who are struggling with this issue right now. These programs won’t fix this problem overnight, but they are a start.

A light shining in the darkness, and we as Christians are called upon to work together to help that light grow. To lift up our brothers and sisters working for change in Honduras and around the world in prayer, to think carefully and critically about immigration reform and care about the people who work in immigration courts, border patrols, and to care about the people trying to cross borders, and going through immigration courts. We are called to believe that there is a better way and to work for a better way, a way that treats everyone with respect and dignity, and that changes the underlying causes behind these problems so that people aren’t put in this desperate situation in the first place.

As I said before, I’m not trying to influence your vote, not asking you to give money to a cause, and not asking you to change the world single handedly. My goal in writing this is to share a story that I was blessed to hear. It is my hope that as I share it, more people will see that we are not alone in this world. We are not alone in our fight to do justice, not alone in our desire to provide for and protect our families, and not alone in as we strive to share God’s love in this world. Alabado Sea Dios! (Praise Be To God!)

PASTOR MEGAN ’S MUSINGS . . .continued

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Thanksgiving Community Worship Sunday, November 20 - 4:00 pm at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church.

Handbell Choirs from multiple churches directed by Darcy Reich and

Community Chorus directed by Sam Evans will perform

Each congregation is asked to provide 5 pies for fellowship time following worship.

YOUTH NEWS We are now accepting donations of books, games, movies, puzzles, and cd’s to sell during the WELCA bazaar on

November 12th! All donations can be dropped off in the youth room.

Middle School Youth Gathering

Please hold the 9 youth and three adult leaders attending the Middle School Youth Gathering in your thoughts and

prayers on November 18th and 19th, and hold the Lutheran Youth Organization (especially the three members from St.

Andrew’s - MacKenzie Kooda, Michaela Smith and Charlie Cease) in your prayers as they lead this event for 1,000

youth throughout our synod!

November and December Youth nights!

High School Youth nights are offered every Wednesday from 4:30-6:30 pm. Join us for devotions, activities, and

dinner. Friends are always welcome.

We are looking for parents and adults who would be willing to help with youth nights. We need adults to help cook

dinner, lead activities, and help clean up after youth nights. To sign up to help on a Wednesday night, please contact

Pastor Megan or sign up on the kiosk in the fellowship hall.

Collage Care Kits

St. Andrew’s Youth will be assembling Care Kits to send all the students from our congregation in college or trade

school. If your son or daughter is studying beyond high school and you want them to get a care kit from our youth

group, be sure to send us their address before Thanksgiving.

High School Lock-In

We will have a lock in for our high school youth here at St. Andrews stating Friday, December 2nd at 5:00 pm and going

until 10:00 am on Saturday, December 3rd. Join us for games, food, movies, midnight devotions, and so much more!

Parents we are always in need of helpers for these events. If you would like to help with dinner Friday Night, games

Friday night, breakfast on Saturday morning, or if you’re a really brave volunteer to stay overnight with us, please

contact Pastor Megan. Friends are welcome and we ask that each person attending bring a snack to share.

Middle School Youth Group

Our Middle School Youth group continues to meet each Sunday in the Fireside Room from 9:20-10:15 am. Join us as

we talk about where the Bible and our faith impact our everyday life, have fun with games and activities, and spend time

with fellow middle school youth.

Coming in 2017! The Worship Team is planning to start monthly Service Groups. Each family will be assigned to one or two months of the year with the intention that those would be the months you would be asked to help with worship. Help needed on Sunday mornings include greeters, ushers, readers, and communion assistants. Training for all of these tasks will be offered. If everyone assigned to a given month agrees to help with at least one Sunday, it should be very easy to cover all of our worship needs. We hope this will make it easier and more inviting for everyone to give helping on Sunday mornings a try. Watch for Service Group assignments and January, February, and March worship sign-ups to be shared soon. (If you are generally not available during certain months of the year, please contact the office so we make sure you are not assigned to those months.)

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Sabbatical Update!

As I draw closer to my sabbatical, I am excited to spend more time in conversation with people about sabbaticals and about how mine will work. I am very excited about three opportunities that we will have to talk about this is person in the month of November and encourage you to join our conversation by attending any or all of the Sabbatical Q & A sessions that will be held at the church.

These sessions will be held:

Thursday, November 17th from 6:00-7:30 pm

Sunday, November 20th during Adult Forum from 9:30-10:15 am

Sunday, November 20th after second Worship service from 11:45 am-1:30 pm

I know not everyone can attend these sessions so I wanted to address some Frequently Asked Questions in our November and December newsletters as well. If you have a question you don’t see in this month’s newsletter that you want answered in the December/January newsletter, please send it to the church office or e-mail me at mcrouch604@gmail.com.

FAQ about Pastor Megan’s Sabbatical

What is a Sabbatical?

Sabbatical comes from the term Sabbath, a time when we rest, refocus on God, and reconnect with our faith. For pastors, a sabbatical is an extended time away from the congregation that they are encouraged to take every seven years in order to devote time to growing in their own faith, spending time in study and developing as a leader, and to renew and refresh themselves for ministry and service.

How does a Sabbatical Benefit a congregation and a pastor?

Sabbaticals have many benefits to both the congregation and the pastor. They help encourage growth in both the pastor (by giving them time to reflect on their ministry and study) and to the congregation (by opening space for new ideas about ministry and for leaders to emerge while the pastor is away). They also help promote pastors staying in their congregations for a longer period of time by helping to prevent clergy burn out, and send pastors back to their congregations with a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm for ministry.

When will Pastor Megan be gone?

My Sabbatical will start Monday, January 9th 2017; the last day will be Monday, April 3rd which means I will be back in the office on Tuesday, April 4th, just in time for Holy Week and Easter!

What will happen with Ministries Pastor Megan is part of while she is away?

I have been working with the church council, Children and Family Ministry team, Youth team, Angie, and Pastor Dave to ensure that the ministries that I take leadership on happen while I am gone. Members from the congregation and in these areas of ministry will take on new leadership and responsibility.

What will Pastor Megan do while she is on Sabbatical?

I have a full sabbatical plan that I’m happy to provide to anyone interested, however some high lights of the plan include a three-week trip to Tanzania, spending time doing independent study of Lutheran Theology, Youth and Family ministry and leadership, and writing curriculum for our Middle School Youth and VBS program. I also plan to spend time with my family including time in Michigan with my mom, dad, sister Mallory, brother-in-law Keith, and grandma, and in Wisconsin with my sister Molly, brother-in-law Greg, and niece and nephew Fiona and Wesley.

How can I get in touch with Pastor Megan while she is away?

You can’t… major part of a sabbatical is temporarily stepping away from the congregation. This is not because I don’t care about and love the people of St. Andrew’s… in many ways it’s because I care about them too much. I, like most pastors, am on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I sleep with my cell phone by my bed ready to respond to calls or texts in the early morning (which for me is anytime before 10:00 am), middle of the night, and anytime in between. I often take calls and texts or respond to e-mails while I’m on my day off, on education leave, and in emergencies even while on vacation. I’m NOT complaining about that…I love what I do and choose to do it… however, I do need time to recharge and for that reason, I will not be answering phone calls, texts, e-mails or messages while I am on Sabbatical.

How did I get a remind 101 notice from Pastor Megan when she was gone?

Remind 101 (the primary communication for confirmation, youth group, middle school youth group, Sunday School, and our summer service learning trip group) has a feature that lets you schedule when reminders go out. I will set up common reminders such as youth nights, family fun nights, Fink Nights, and special worship services in advance so that people can still get reminders while am I gone.

I know there are lots more questions and answers, but we have so save something for the meetings and the December

newsletter! I hope to see you at one of the November Q and A sessions, and look forward to sharing this journey with you!

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President’s Report

VISION (continued from last month):

The Church Council conducted a workshop retreat on October 8. The retreat purpose was to follow-up on the 2013 Transition Report Recommendations and begin the vision planning process setting direction as to where St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church is headed. It was a very successful workshop discussion on two questions with regards to each recommendation in the Transition Report:

Progress made since the 2013 Transition Report?

Visioning “where are we headed?”

Below are summary notes from the retreat related to the first question, “What progress has been made since the 2013 Transition Report?”

Progress Made since 2013

Reclaim Our Welcoming

Moved from pastoral led to program led ministry; using intentional language during worship

More hugs and greeting at church entrance and outside; more notice to new people; improved name tags for members

Established wedding policy; welcomed migrant workers with meal served to their family and children

Established and using Church website; renewed phone ministry; new sound system; handicap accessibility; outdoor worship

Strengthen Servant & Service Ministry

Council assumed a stronger leadership role; more strategic mind-set; chose to be a program led church instead of pastoral led

Visitation ministry team in place; GRACE House overflow; Confirmation ministry “FINK” – servant events are part of it

Established Finance Committee; new policies (wedding, facility use, sabbatical, capital)

Member led ‘Bible Studies;’ lifting up the Marks of Discipleship - “within the church” & “outside the church”

Boost Our Worship Energy

Sound system in place; sight system in progress

Rotation of liturgy at worship services – introducing new hymns; rotation of worship assistants; communion served every Sunday

Seeing more children involved in worship – i.e. lectors, communion servers; discipleship talks

Renewed Rally Sunday; lakeside service; growth of Summer Concert Series; Youth leadership increasing due to FINK, youth nights

Be Relevant In the Community

Connecting youth and adults; ‘FINK’ Work; Haunted Trail; Fall Family Fun Festival; Marks of Discipleship; Early release youth

hang out after school

Bike and Build; Habitat builders; Grace House overflow; Care kits for Transients; Migrant workers meal; Highway 38 yard sale

Same gender marriage statement reaches out to mission statement; Social Justice lock-in focus on local community needs

Restructured Live Nativity of Christmas Eve; Renewal Live Nativity – volunteers; Embraced ‘God’s Work, Our Hands’ day this

year

Embrace Forward-Looking Stewardship

Educating Stewardship means management of all that we have - raising money for the life of the church; time and talents

Discipleship talks; Year-round conversations; Power Surge focus on Giving

Finance committee work to get us to a healthier financial position

Use of technology: Increased use of and emphasis of “Simply Giving” and ability to give online

Choose A New Senior Pastor

Boldly Redesign and Staff Youth/Family Ministry

We have a new Senior Pastor!!

We have an Associate Pastor with focus on but not exclusive to ‘first third of life’ people

Making good movement from pastor led to program led ministry

Strengthened Children & Family Ministry and Youth Team; Youth and technology addition

Initiate Council Led Strategic Planning and Congregation Wide Visioning Processes

Council day retreat/conversation; strategic planning is moving forward slowly

Cottage meetings for Pastor Dave to meet members

Formation of strong Finance Team; stabilizing our financial situation has allowed visioning discussion

Growth in Trust; More transparency; Can have honest conversations without causing division

So, this is a snapshot of what we have done since the 2013 Transition Report. The second question asks, where are we headed?

The council discussed this a lot at the workshop to allow a starting point for Allison Ahcan to champion congregational wide visioning.

Stay tuned and be thinking about that question. There is much for us to do “God’s Work with Our Hands.”

The Council and respective committees have begun the process of preparing the draft 2017 Budget. Please pray for all involved, as

this is always an onerous task that requires strategy, mission and financial scrutiny, all rolled up together. The draft budget will, of

course, require approval by the congregation at the Congregational Annual Meeting in late January.

There is a lot happening at our Church! Thank you for the ways you have helped. Take a look at the calendar on the church

website. It shows just how much is happening in our ministry. www.saintand.org

Respectfully submitted by Barry Olson

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Deadline for December/January Newsletter

All news articles and information need to be in the church office by November 20 to have it included in the December/January newsletter (please note this newsletter will cover 2 months). The newsletter will be assembled Tuesday, November 29 at 10:00 am. Please come help with assembly if you can.

Members of the PRAYER CHAIN are ready to offer confidential help and support through prayer. Please call Jean Gardner at 999-9890 or Gail Olijnek at 326-2431 with your prayer requests.

Good Samaritan Fund is always in need of additional funds. The purpose of this fund is to assist individuals and families facing unique crisis situations; to offer both financial and spiritual support in time of extreme need. Financial support is received from members of St. Andrew's and is not a part of St. Andrew’s General Budget. Any contributions are greatly appreciated. Please make checks payable to St. Andrew's and indicate "Good Samaritan Fund."

If the pastors can be of assistance to you in any way, please don' t hesitate to call. They can be reached at the church office 326-8508. If after hours and pastoral emergency, please call Pastor David Anderson at (218) 838-8202 or Pastor Megan Crouch at (231) 730-4127.

ST. ANDREW’S LUTHERAN CHURCH

TREASURER’S REPORT TO CHURCH COUNCIL

Nine Months Ending September 30, 2016

The good news is that our expenses remain below budget! The bad news is that so does our income. Year-to-date, our income is $16,488 below budget and it is $6,832 below the same period last year.

Expenses year-to-date are $20,515 less than budget, with $8,167 of that amount attributable to deferring benevolence payments and transfers to the building improvement fund. Budget line items significantly below budget include Repairs & Maintenance, Utilities, Office Expenses, Custodian Wages. Our expenses have exceeded our income by $14,211 in the first nine months of this year. Historically, our giving improves significantly in the last quarter of the year. With your help, I know we can do it again!

Respectfully submitted, Diane Weber, Co-Treasurer

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Linking Women Together Women's Group News Vicky Fall, Chair

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30

Fall Bazaar & Soup Luncheon SAT, November 12, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Our annual Bazaar is just around the corner and we need ALL members of St. Andrew's to take part in some way please. This is our main fund-raiser for the year

that supports so many activities at our Church and keeps the kitchen supplied and maintained. Please check out the sign up sheets in the Narthex. Quilting Ministry - The St. Andrew’s quilters can use your help in several ways. (1) We need women to come on Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 am in the Fireside Room to help us make quilts to be used for those in need overseas, in other parts of the U.S. and also locally. No experience is necessary an all women are welcome. (2) We need you to pick up a quilt top kit, take it home and sew it together according to the instructions. They are located in a bin in the Fellowship Hall under the long table by the office windows. Help us make this a record year for LWR quilts. Questions? Call Cathy Snowden at 327-2503. Women's Conversation Group Join us for our meetings on November 1 and November 15 from 10:00-11:30 am in the Fireside Room. We meet the first and third Tuesdays of each month during the school year. All ages of women are welcome. Our discussions are based on selections from The Upper Room devotionals. These discussions enlighten us and strengthen our faith as we apply them to our daily lives. Questions? Please call Cathy Snowden at 327-2503. Plan to join us. Prayer Shawl Ministry We continue to meet the 4th Tuesday of the month at 10:00 am to knit, crochet, pray and chat as we work on our prayer shawls. Knitters, crocheters and “wannabes” come join us as you can. Thank you to everyone who made all the creative prayer squares and prayer pockets for Pastor Megan to take to Honduras. Three prayer shawls went with her, too. We have many beautiful prayer shawls in the church office, so if you know of someone in need

of prayers, love and comfort, please take one and give it to them. We only ask that you put the person’s name receiving it and the date given on our clipboard list so we don’t give more than one to an individual. Sunday Coffee Hour Each monthly newsletter lists the serving group for the month. If your name is on the list, please call your leader to let her know when you would like to serve coffee and/or donate baked goods and snacks for Sunday mornings. Thank you so very much for your Christian hospitality to help make coffee time a success. Sunday coffee is served between Sunday worship services from 9:00-10:20 am. November’s leader is Frances Haubrich 327-1351

Carol Anderson Gretchen Bachman Sue Baker Robin Barcus Jan Bilden Colleen Bishop Barbara Blank Lisa Bolton Linda Bonney April Buescher Steve Bundermann Anne Bylkas Belinda Carlson Kari Carlson Sharon Carlson Marlene Carrigan Colleen Casey Carol Coil Keri Daniels Jennifer Dorr Diane Erickson Marcia Erickson Jean Esler Taunia Finckbone JoAnn Frick Hattie Gould Missy Gray-Sutherland Glenda Green Julie Halvorson Gloria Holcomb Deanna Jaeger Paulette Jerome Dianne Johnson Tiffany Johnson Sue Keeler Shirley Kilcher Rene Kislia Kathy Kooda Kevin Krautkremer Diane Mangseth Jayne Martin Bonnie Moors Valerie Netland Mona Petersen Ellen Pfalzgraf Bobbi Jo Reed Pat Rukavina Stephanie Schuette Marilyn Steffen Angela Tanner Darlene Tanner Lori Walstad Shirley Ward Susan Wesley Melissa Wheelock Vickie Whirley Jim Willford

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Rascals will meet Thursday, November 10th at 5:00 pm. Our program will be our own Fran Rowe talking about Martin Luther. She spoke at Conversation Group about our founder and was a real hit. Since 2017 is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's 95 Theses, Fran's talk is very timely. We'll be doing our meal potluck style again. It was very delicious and fun last month. We hope to have a good crowd. Please sign up on the kiosk, so we know how many are coming.

WELCA

St. Andrew’s

Fall bazaar Saturday

November 12

9:00 am—2:00 pm

Soup Luncheon, Cookie Walk, Bake Sale, Lefse, Craft Items, Used Book

Sale and so much more!

St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church

501 NW 16th Street

Grand Rapids MN

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Are you interested in serving on Congregational Council? We are assembling the ballot of candidates for five openings in next year’s congregational council. The standard term length is 3 years. There is also a 1 year term being filled. If you are interested and wish to serve on the St. Andrew’s Congregation Church Council, please contact Barry Olson, Council President. You will then have a follow-up contact with a nominating committee member. The election of new council members will be at the January annual meeting. We are pleased to announce the following names already on the ballot for the January election to the congregational council: Cindy Busby, Byron Snowden, Kim Jamtgaard, Tia Halvorson, Barry Olson

“Keep Your Headlights On”

This is the title for Itasca Hospice’s third annual “Spiritual Companions” event this coming November 15th at the Sawmill Inn, starting at 8:00 a.m. and closing at 12:30 p.m. This event is a “gift of thanks” for your partnership in care.

The subtitle for this conference is “Respectful Care for People Living with Depression, Anxiety and Addiction at the End of Life.”

Dr. Katherine Piderman is the resource speaker for the morning. She is currently chaplain for the Mayo Clinic Hospice program. She is certified by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. Katherine is the Coordinator of Research for Chaplain Services at the Mayo Clinic and is also Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She is a published author and has spoken nationally and internationally on excellence in pastoral care, spirituality, and mental health in patients with advanced diseases.

With our increased awareness of mental health issues in our communities, this presentation will be a special gift to all who attend. Inclusively, almost all of us have a friend, family member, or know of someone with some degree of the items listed above. This will be a life changing event as we look to caring for ourselves and others. We are highly honored to have Dr. Piderman be our guest for this very special Spiritual Companions event.

There is no charge for this meeting thanks to Rowe Funeral Home, Andrews-Libbey Funeral Home, the Peterson Funeral Chapel of Coleraine, and the Blandin Foundation. We are asking for registrations as a continental breakfast and a snack at the break will be served. Please call 327-8780 or email Donna.Helgeton@EssentiaHealth.org for registration and an electronic copy of the program. “Let’s fill the house!” It will be a day well spent! Please call Itasca Hospice if you have any questions.

Chaplain Mark Shuey

The Monday Night Bible Study continues the series “PAUL - His Life and Teaching.” The group will meet Mondays, November 14 and November 28 at 6:00 pm. The study is Bible based and meets the second and fourth Monday of each month in the Fireside Room. Please join us; everyone welcome.

“The apostle Paul led a dramatic and fascinating life from his conversion on the road to Damascus to his imprisonments to his speeches in the public square. His letters shaped the believers in the early church just as they do today. In this study guide, we survey both

the highlights of his life and the core teachings in his writings.” This is a Life Guide Bible Study by author, Jack Kuhatschek.

The Lessons are:

Blinded by the Light Acts 9:1-31

Proclaiming God’s Promises Acts 13:13-52

Poor Yet Rich 1 Corinthians 4:8-13

2 Corinthians 6:3-10

The Power of Praise Acts 16:16-40

Becoming a Spiritual Mentor Acts 20:13-38

Truth on Trial Acts 25:23-26:32

Strength in Weakness 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Feeling Safe in a Storm Acts 27:1-44

Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom Acts 28:11-31

Experiencing Joy in Sufferings Philippians 1:12-26

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Thank You Notes Dear Rajala Companies, Thank you for the donation of building materials for the new sound system booth. The wood matches our church setting very well. The sound booth looks great! The Rajala Companies and family has been instrumental to St. Andrew’s for many, many years. This donation of building materials is an example of your commitment to doing good things in the community. Your Friends in Christ, St. Andrew’s Church Council Dear Tom & Becky Markwardt, Thank you so much for building and finishing the new sound system booth. It looks awesome! The countless hours you spent building the new sound booth is a prime example of doing God’s Work with Your Hands! God is smiling upon you and so is St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church congregation. Your Friends in Christ, St. Andrew’s Church Council Dear Conley Janssen, Thank you very much for the excellent job you have done as project manager for the new sound system booth. It looks awesome! You have spent many hours researching the scope of the new sound and sight system and continued on making the Phase 1 Sound System a reality. Your continued work to make the Phase 2 a reality are much appreciated as well. Your work and leadership on the Sound & Sight Project is a prime example of doing God’s Work with Your Hands! God is smiling upon you and so is St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church congregation. Your Friends in Christ, St. Andrew’s Church Council Dear members of St. Andrew’s, We would like to take this opportunity to advise you that Rowe Funeral Home is arranging to have a young tree planted in memory of John ‘Jack’ Ivar Rajala. This memorial tree will be planted on public lands during the earliest appropriate season. The living memorial is a part of a large endeavor to restore the Minnesota landscape with the eternal beauty of living trees, for the benefit of all the residents of the state. As a broad reaching legacy to all, it will grow without personal inscription and become an important, enduring part of its nature surroundings. We would like to extend our condolences to the friends of Jack Rajala, along with the staff of Rowe Funeral Home, who have provided this living memorial. Sincere yours, Robert S. Pearson, President Lofty Oaks Association

Dear Friends, Many people never expected to need help putting food on their tables. At Second Harvest Food Bank, we help our neighbors make ends meet and thanks to your generous gift of $142.00, we are making a difference in their lives. Thank you for changing lives here in north central Minnesota through your Noisy Offering. Also, thank you so much for your in-kind 3rd quarter donation of 14 pounds which will help us provide food for thousands of meals for hungry neighbors through the 115 organizations we partner with. It means so much to those in our community who struggle to put food on their tables when times are tight. Thank you for helping us feed hope and end hunger. Sincerely, Sue Estee, Executive Director Dear St. Andrew’s, Thank you for participating in VLM’s Bluegrass Festival this summer! Thank you so much for the wonderful ‘North Woods Handmade’ basket. More than 400 people came for an afternoon of great music, great food, and great fun. Together we raised almost $35,000 to support the ministries at Camp Hiawatha and Camp Vermilion. Thank you for helping make camp happen here in God’s great northwoods! Blessings—The Bluegrass Team Dear SALC, Thank you on behalf of all of us Care-a-Vanners for feeding us so graciously and deliciously recently at the Habitat for Humanity worksite. We so look forward to lunch. It’s a very welcome break in our day. Vicki, your coffeecakes are sublime!! Ron & Jean Gratz-Livingston TX (leaders) Ron & Judy Bell-Fenton MI Lowell & Gwen Larson-Blaine MN Tom & Sue Cook-Maple Grove MN Dave & Gin Anderson-Rogers MN Dear St. Andrew’s, “When you focus on gratitude, your life expands.” Thanks so much for the hospitality! Long Lake Lutheran ‘Habitat’ participants, Will, Karen B. Karyn, Gerald and Pastor Matt

Calling Wood Workers

Help continue the tradition....

Anyone interested in constructing baptismal faith chests for St. Andrew’s? This could be done on an individual basis, with a friend or as a group. Plans are available in the church office. Please inquire if you’re interested.

Also, funds are appreciated to help purchase the supplies needed to make the chests. Please make checks payable to St. Andrew’s and indicate ’Faith Chests’ in the memo. Thank you for your support of this ministry.

15

Fellowship AND Service We have a lot of possibilities for family, fun, food, fellowship and friends in December starting with decorating the church on Saturday, December 3rd at 9:00 am. It really is a great time, and it’s a proud feeling when you enter the beautifully decorated sanctuary knowing you had a hand in it. It’s a way to meet people at St. Andrew’s. “Many hands make light work” so put December 3rd on your calendar. It’s fun fellowship for all ages, and homemade treats will be provided.

Sunday, December 4th, the Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus (directed by Eileen Grosland) will present their annual Holiday Concert at 2:30 pm at St. Andrew’s. St. Andrew’s Handbell Choir will also be performing at the concert and providing special music at the Sunday morning worship services that same day.

Then for your listening pleasure and enhancement of the worship services, the Men’s and Mixed choirs will be performing at both worship services on Sunday, December 11th.

On Saturday, December 17th at 9:00 am, it’s time for Operation Merry Christmas! We’ll assemble the Christmas fruit baskets for members of our congregation who have been through a difficult time this year. This project doesn’t take long, so give it a try. We need a few hair dryers to shrink wrap the baskets. We’ll also need people to deliver the baskets which can be very meaningful for the deliverer as well as the recipient.

Our Sunday school Christmas program will be presented at the 10:30 am worship service on Sunday, December 18th. Students will rehearse on Sunday mornings in December during Sunday School hour and will have a dress rehearsal on Saturday, December 17th starting at 9:30 am. Parents, please make every effort to have your child at all rehearsal times. The gingerbread and seniors ‘tree tags’ for the children and elderly are another way to reach out beyond St. Andrew’s doors. Also, ‘Good Gifts’ tags will be available to donate to the ELCA. Be watching for these tags to all be available mid-November. These opportunities should put you in the Christmas spirit. They are all ways to serve others and nurture relationships. Through these activities, we can be true disciples of Christ.

“God’s Work, Our Hands” T-shirts. We have a few t-shirts left to purchase. Shirts cost $8.00 each. What a visible way to show our unity with one another and our commitment to serving our community in Jesus’ name. Check with the church office to buy.

A reminder to all congregation members. When writing checks to St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, use only the St. Andrew's information on the "Pay to the Order" line of your check. Anything else, such as Youth, WELCA, specific fundraising, etc., should be on the memo line. This change is part of our new ac-counting system. The various ministries are tracked by our accounting firm, but there are no long-er individual bank accounts for each one. The bank will be returning checks, to be reissued or corrected, by the maker of the check if they are written incorrectly.

We are pleased to announce that we have additional and convenient ways for you to do the giving you want to do to St. Andrew’s using your credit or debit card. Giving online is easy and allows you to either make a one-time contribution or to set up automatic recurring con-tributions. Simply visit the church website at www.saintand.org and click on the DONATE button. Or, donate from your smart phone. Simply scan the image you see here using your phone’s QR code reader. (Many free code readers are available at your app store.) Contri-butions can be made to either the General Fund to support our many ministries or to the Sight and Sound Fund.

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Good Samaritan Fund Needs Your Help The purpose of this fund is to assist individuals and families facing unique crisis situations; to offer both financial and spiritual support in time of extreme need. Financial support is received from members of St. Andrew's and is not a part of the General Budget. If you can help, please make checks payable to St. Andrew's and indicate "Good Samaritan Fund." Place donations in the offering plate on Sunday or mail to the church office.

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank "Giving Tree" We will again be participating in the "Giving Tree" Itasca Holiday Program. The purpose of the Itasca Holiday Program is to provide two nonviolent educational gifts and a book for children ages one year to 12 years old who are from families who are working but could use assistance.

Gingerbread boys and girls will be placed on the Christmas tree in the Narthex following the WELCA Bazaar. To participate in this program, please take gingerbread people, purchase the age appropriate gifts, and return unwrapped to St. Andrew's no later than Wednesday, December 14.

Poinsettias Each year for the season of Advent, we place poinsettias in the altar area. Watch for order forms in the Sunday bulletins to donate a poinsettia in memory of or in honor of a loved one. Please call the church office at 326-8508 for more information.

Advent/Christmas Schedule - 2016

Sunday, November 27 -- First Sunday in Advent (no Sunday School or Y outh Forum classes)

8:00 & 10:30 am -- Worship Services

Saturday, December 3

9:00 am -- Decorate Sanctuary for Advent

Sunday, December 4 -- Second Sunday in Advent

8:00 & 10:30 am -- Worship Services with Holy Communion

9:20 am -- Sunday School (Christmas program rehearsal) and Youth Forum classes

9:30 am -- Adult Forum & ‘Thessalonians’ Bible Study

2:30 pm -- Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus Concert

Thursday, December 8

5:00 pm -- Rascals program and dinner

Sunday, December 11 -- Third Sunday in Advent

8:00 & 10:30 am -- Worship Services with Holy Communion and special music by the

Men’s and Mixed Choirs

9:20 am -- Sunday School (Christmas program rehearsal) and Youth Forum classes

9:30 am -- Adult Forum & ‘Thessalonians’ Bible Study

2:00-7:00 pm -- Festival of Lights at Camp Hiawatha

Saturday, December 17

9:00 am -- Operation Merry Christmas - assemble Christmas fruit baskets

9:30-11:30 am -- Sunday School Christmas Program rehearsal

Sunday, December 18 -- Fourth Sunday in Advent

8:00 am -- Worship Service with Holy Communion

9:20 am -- Sunday School Christmas program rehearsal (no Youth Forum)

9:30 am -- Adult Forum & ‘Thessalonians’ Bible Study

10:30 am -- Sunday School Christmas Program

Saturday, December 24

3:00 pm, 5:30 pm and 10:30 pm -- Christmas Eve Services

with candlelight, adult nativity and live animals on the hillside

Sunday, December 25

10:30 am One Worship Service with Holy Communion

Sunday, January 1

10:30 am One Worship Service with Holy Communion

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FIN

K N

ite

18

NONPROFIT

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 286

GRAND RAPIDS MN 55744

St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church 501 NW 16th Street Grand Rapids MN 55744 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Worship Service Schedule September-May Sunday School 9:20 am Adult Forum 9:30 am Worship 8:00 am & 10:30 am Memorial Day - Labor Day Sunday Worship 9:00 am Wednesday Worship 6:00 pm

ST. ANDREW’S MISSION STATEMENT

WELCOME All people of faith in community in Jesus Christ, inviting and celebrating a rich diversity of members.

CELEBRATE God’s presence in our lives.

GROW In our experience and understanding of God’s grace and God’s purpose for our lives.

REACH Out with compassion to those in need, especially those who have not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.