PRESIDENT'S PONDERINGS
First Peter 4: 8 - 9 says "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling".
One of the values of the ELCA is Faithful stewardship of God's creation and gifts
--As church together, faithful stewardship is about holding to God's purpose and
ensuring the responsibilities and resources that God has entrusted to us are used
with great care and with accountability to God, to each other and those served by
this church. (emphasis mine)
Immanuel's Vision statement states that we will be known for "welcoming hospitality...and risk-taking mission and
service..."
So why all this? At the December meeting of the Church Council, the Council agreed to have the concert wall left in place from Sunday, December 19 through the end of February. Immanuel is hosting several events during this time, from Tuba Bach concerts to numerous Festival of the Arts events. This helps us fulfill our vision of community service and risk-taking mission. When the building was conceived and built, it was designed with flexibility in mind, and we are now realizing this flexibility. We are blessed with a building that can house worship services as well as concerts and other events and allow us to serve others. We should be thankful to God that he has allowed us to create this space to showcase the local talent in the area and celebrate the arts in the community. The concert wall does not detract from the worship space and remember Jesus' words from Matthew
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them
It is a known fact that our membership is declining. At this same meeting, we had a letter from a family removing themselves from the rolls. We have a fair number of delinquent members, so our membership is not booming. I'd encourage each of you to reach out into the community as Paul says in Philippians. "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others." That's really what it is all about.
This is difficult, I know. Some may feel we are "giving in", or that we are becoming a concert hall and not a church. I point again to the verse above where two or more are gathered. That's the church, it's not a building, it's the people. And the church needs to minister to the community, and by doing that, can serve God and serve those in our area (ELCA Value). I think a concert wall is a small price to pay to help extend our vision into the community.
Please feel free to reach out to me with your concerns.
~Dave
First Peter 4: 8 - 9 says "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling".
One of the values of the ELCA is Faithful stewardship of God's creation and gifts
--As church together, faithful stewardship is about holding to God's purpose and
ensuring the responsibilities and resources that God has entrusted to us are used
with great care and with accountability to God, to each other and those served by
this church. (emphasis mine)
Immanuel's Vision statement states that we will be known for "welcoming hospitality...and risk-taking mission and
service..."
So why all this? At the December meeting of the Church Council, the Council agreed to have the concert wall left in place from Sunday, December 19 through the end of February. Immanuel is hosting several events during this time, from Tuba Bach concerts to numerous Festival of the Arts events. This helps us fulfill our vision of community service and risk-taking mission. When the building was conceived and built, it was designed with flexibility in mind, and we are now realizing this flexibility. We are blessed with a building that can house worship services as well as concerts and other events and allow us to serve others. We should be thankful to God that he has allowed us to create this space to showcase the local talent in the area and celebrate the arts in the community. The concert wall does not detract from the worship space and remember Jesus' words from Matthew
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them
It is a known fact that our membership is declining. At this same meeting, we had a letter from a family removing themselves from the rolls. We have a fair number of delinquent members, so our membership is not booming. I'd encourage each of you to reach out into the community as Paul says in Philippians. "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others." That's really what it is all about.
This is difficult, I know. Some may feel we are "giving in", or that we are becoming a concert hall and not a church. I point again to the verse above where two or more are gathered. That's the church, it's not a building, it's the people. And the church needs to minister to the community, and by doing that, can serve God and serve those in our area (ELCA Value). I think a concert wall is a small price to pay to help extend our vision into the community.
Please feel free to reach out to me with your concerns.
~Dave