From the Desk of Pastor Ted…

Month of August (most recent on bottom)
Sunday Bulletin Articles, Newsletter Information, and Report to the Council

 

August 3, 2008

Today’s Conversation after Church – Some Items for Congregational Attention

Next Sunday, an announcement will be made about a special congregational meeting immediately following worship on Sunday, August 24.  Several things require endorsement by the congregation.  I’ll provide relative information after the service today and in upcoming Sundays.

Mission – A Vision for Ministry and Family Support this Fall

In the most recent Sunday morning “Building Conversation” a participant asked about St. John’s mission… a “So, what are we all about?” kind of question.  Conversation focused on the current state of ministry to children and families.  This may be a key question for St. John’s right now.

 

August 5, 2008

To:       Members of St. John’s Lutheran, Oshkosh, WI  (ELCA)

From:   Pastor Ted Johanson

Re:       Notification of a Special Congregation Meeting

            Three Questions for the Congregation

Date:    August 5, 2008

 

 

 A special Congregation Meeting with a THREE (3) item agenda has been called for Sunday, August 24, 2008, held in the sanctuary immediately following Sunday worship.  The meeting shall begin no sooner than 10:00 AM. This notice is being made in compliance with clause C10.03 of St. John’s Constitution. Active members are encouraged to attend. 

 

Item One (1) asks to approve funding for the gathering of Itemized Estimates for the Wicklund Hall Renewal Project.  This item essentially picks up the question of the previous special Congregation Meeting of January 2008.  (Itemized estimates for the Sanctuary Renewal already exist.)

 

In today’s world, the term “Free Estimates” is a rapidly disappearing phrase. Many contractors and service providers now charge for their estimates. The Council has been directed to have the Wicklund Hall Building Committee gather and itemize complete construction estimates for the Wicklund Hall Project. As stated before, itemized costs for the Sanctuary Renovation are already available. The Wicklund Hall costs are to be itemized in order to allow the Congregation to better scrutinize and plan for any future construction.

 

1. Shall the St. John Council release funds, as needed, for the gathering of construction estimates relative to the Wicklund Hall Renewal Project?

 

This vote will not approve any building or construction.  Rather, this vote, if passed, will allow the Congregation to see and examine the “costs” of each of the various construction items / projects. With such information in hand, all costs on board, the Congregation will be able to determine exactly which directions the Sanctuary Renewal and the Wicklund Hall Project should take.  Funds drawn for this resolution shall come from the Meliuss Fund (a fund designated for this purpose).

 

Item Two (2) asks to approve taking on the project of renovating the pipe organ.

 

With funds received by St. John’s and dedicated to this specific purpose, a major upgrade can be made to the pipe organ (the primary musical instrument for leading worship).  To carry this out, the Council needs congregational approval to create and enter into a contract with an organ builder for the work.

 

2. Shall the St. John Council release funds to remove, replace and install the Organ Console using designated funds for that purpose?

 

Item Three (3) recognizes the emergency conditions brought about by the recent sewer water backup in the church basement.  Billing for the cleanup expenses have been submitted to the congregation’s insurance company and insurance settlements are being worked out at this time.

 

3. Shall the St. John Council determine how best to pay for any yet-to-be-determined expenses to the congregation incurred by the recent sewer water backup and its cleanup (using e.g. existing funds, future budget, special appeal, etc.)?

 

August 7, 2008

Quoting from Page 1 of Peter Steinke’s Workshop 4 on “Forgiving”:

 

Forgiveness is featured in both The Lord’s Prayer and The Apostles’ Creed.  It is central to the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist.  Forgiveness is the heart of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and the pulse of the Apostle Paul’s preaching.  Divine forgiveness is a gift.  It is unconditional.  It is there.  It is irreversible.  It cannot be changed or modified. But human forgiveness is different.  It is slower, weighted with questions, ifs, and strong feelings.  Still, it is important to relationships in congregations.  The purpose of forgiveness is the absolution of guilt, the reconciliation of brokenness, and the creation of a new future.

 

Forgiveness is receiving new attention.
The International Forgiveness Institute was founded in 1994.  Based on 14 years of research, the institute is dedicated to learning and publishes a newsletter, The World of Forgiveness. The IFI sponsors workshops connecting forgiveness with such topics as peacemaking and pastoral counseling.  In 1997, a campaign for forgiveness research issued a call for research proposals to study the effects of forgiveness on mental and physical health, conflict in families, and racial tension.  The John Templeton Foundation donated five million dollars to launch the ten million dollar campaign.  Co-chairs of the campaign are two noted Christians, former President Jimmy Carter and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

 

What is the meaning of forgiveness? 
One of the Old Testament words for forgiveness means to remove a weight.  One of the New Testament words means to let go. Forgiveness is an act of release or removal.  Forgiveness is a freeing action.  To forgive is to believe in transformation.  Human destruction can be transformed into new life; human despair can be transformed into hope.  Forgiveness is about new life.  “My sin is forgiven,” Dietrich Bonhoeffer exclaimed, “I am no longer in death but in life.”  The Apostle Paul stated that if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creation.

 

Forgiveness is giving power to the future.

Forgiveness is moving toward others without reacting emotionally in the same old way.  You can only offer forgiveness when you change your stance in relationship to others.  Indeed forgiveness is pproaching others in a thoughtful and intentional manner.  To forgive another is to say in some way~

 

I have been wronged by you

I have the right and reason to end any connection between us

I have the right and reason to demand from you a payment or an apology

My sense of dignity and my values require nothing less

Nonetheless I refuse to let the wrong consume me in resentment

And I refuse to let the wrong come between us

I give no assurance that I’ll be able to forget the wrong that you’ve done

I demand no conditions…  Whether or not you accept my forgiveness or ask for it has nothing to do with my offer

I want to be at peace with myself and be glad in your presence

I want to open the door to tomorrow

 

Children of St. John’s Returned from Camp!!

The people of St. John’s supported a number of the congregation’s children who were thus able to attend a week at our church’s summer camp (Pine Lake of Crossways).  They shared a few things from their experience last Sunday at the conclusion of the worship and I asked for more contributions in today’s worship service.  Several songs were included as favorites from camp.  I hope to have more personal sharing.  And some of the parts of the service will be read by the camp youth.   

 

Pastor Ted Johanson

 

A Thank-You in the Hallway reads:

“Thank You for supporting our Fund Raisers so we could go to camp!”

“Thank you for letting me go to camp. It was a blast.  Swimming was the best.”  Trenton

“I was the best time of my life”  Andrew

“Thank you.  It was my favorite thing all summer”  Nick

“I loved the training! Can’t wait to be a counselor next year.”  Trevor                   

“It was a lot of fun”  Alex

“Thank you for supporting me to send me to camp!  I really grew in my faith and reflected on my life.  Everyone was like family because they were so kind and helpful.”  Hope

 

August 14, 2008

This Wednesday Evening, August 20:
Picnic Supper and Informational Gathering

This summer’s second Wednesday picnic/gathering will occur this week, August 20, beginning at 5:30 P.M. All are welcomed.  The fellowship supper is followed by a few minutes of “sing-song” (spontaneous singing of songs from my Songs and Creations books… just for the fun of it).  At about 6:30, we’ll focus on the three questions of next Sunday’s congregational meeting, other questions that may arise, and some small group conversation time.  My wife, Joan, will be leading this part of the evening.  Last month, Joan provided information, perspectives, and some challenges about renewing relationships and community… this gathering will have a very different focus.

      I’ll again bring to the picnic a Nesco with brats, burgers and dogs along with a couple of salads.  I invite people to bring dishes to share… casserole, salad, desert, etc.  If you don’t have time or occasion to prepare or obtain something to share… join us anyway! There will be plenty of food and some good fellowship.

Special Congregational Meeting

Three questions will be posed to the congregation next Sunday.  I am suggesting that the special congregational meeting next week (August 24 after worship) not be much longer than it takes to pose the individual questions and call for a vote on each.  Information was provided in the letter to the congregation.  Many Sundays and Tuesday mornings have been devoted to the relative issues.  While connecting with complicated and challenging issues, the actual questions are not particularly complex and it’s best to come into the meeting with yes/no positions.  It might be a good thing for the congregation to celebrate some “acclaimed” decisions to promote mutuality rather than to continue reflecting division and conflict.  The reason these votes are needed is that they will involve contracts exceeding $5,000 above the congregation’s adopted budget… and by constitutional polity require congregational decision in a regular or special meeting.

      1) A “yes” to the first question will allow the needed spending (likely from existing funds designated for that purpose) to bring the years-old renovation planning to the next step… and that next step is to obtain enough specific information to develop a specific renovation plan that will be brought again to the congregation.  This is exactly the nature of the question put to the congregation last January.  It was voted down in January… which essentially halted all project work.  I’ll interpret a “no” vote on August 24 as the choice to end the renovation project… period.

      2) A “yes” to the second question allows the leadership to act on a specific gift to the congregation, to carry out the intentions of the giver relative to enhancing the pipe organ.  I’m not sure how I’d interpret a “no” vote… but I think it would effectively suspend, conclude or substantially change the specific gifting process relative to this question.

      3) The recent sewer water backup emergency needed action for rapid cleanup… a company was immediately brought in by St. John’s leaders.  It was understood that bills would be submitted for insurance reimbursement, but to date, the cost direct to St. John’s hasn’t been settled.  A “yes” to the third question allows the council to manage whatever costs emerge.  Again, I’m not sure how I’d interpret a “no” vote other than perhaps trying to defer the yet-unknown cleanup expense to the 2009 budget.

      So… there you have a bit more perspective and information.  More information about these questions can be requested of me, other leaders, or in Wednesday’s picnic/gathering.

“Building Conversations” are Completed

I think that the intentions for Sunday and Tuesday morning “Building Conversations” have been met… I think the process for now has run its course.  Some accomplishments of the time together include:  (next page…)

Notes on “Building Conversations”:

• Some basic systems theory has been taught and applied to various situations.
• The synod provided support to St. John’s through Joan’s consultant work.
• Issues have been raised… many were finance related; some were about relational issues and behaviors; other issues needed clarification on “how things work” in terms of organizational structures and polity.
• I’ve received specific challenges to the integrity of the current system… I’ve sought specific clarification and consistently encounter solid integrity. I have encountered a few specific issues that obviously emerge out of past conflict and thus inherit misunderstanding, harsh feelings, lack of trust, and lack of clarity. I’ll continue to pursue more clarity on these challenges… some good progress has been made already. But, I repeat: I consistently encounter solid integrity in the congregation’s current system.
• (This is a big item… and not easy for me to try explaining.) I continue to realize more and more how much impact has been made on the congregation by some members’ continuing discomfort with decisions, changes, and issues from past years. We are reaching a point where it will be increasingly important for members to choose trust, to reinforce mutual trust, to “let go”, to reduce the intensity of emotional forces, and to deliberately curb (not-participate in) anxiety ridden conversations/gossip especially about things of the past that are laden down with… “stuff”. It seems unlikely that all people will derive mutual agreement on things that have happened in the past (conflict is like that). And, if the congregation doesn’t discover how it might together envision healthy mission for the present and future, it will likely continue the kinds of trends/declines of the past twenty years. Congregational life leading toward vibrant mission and ministry needs healthy relationships among its people and its leaders… and healthy behaviors by as many individuals as possible… and, as the saying goes, “the only person you can really change… is… YOU.” One of the elements of the current mission is: Love One Another. Love is about CHOICE in attitude and behavior far more than it is about feeling. Systems thinking suggests that changes you make in YOU will also change the whole system. Everybody (by their choices, behaviors and their being) impacts and can change the whole… there is profound hope in this reality.

Shifting in Interim Focus

I’m shifting my interim focus toward mission and St. John’s vision of that mission in its present and future life.  I once heard from Bishop Justman, when reflecting on transitional times in congregations:

I still think the basic template (beyond conflict) for all the congregations, across the ELCA, includes these primary things:

#1-They need to identify a mission to the community that is near their church

#2-They need to adopt, maintain, celebrate and support that mission.

So… what will St. John’s DO to change the trends of conflict and massive decline since 1990 evidenced by the ELCA Trends Report information I distributed two weeks ago?  (Please know that I don’t use the phrase “massive decline” very often… but it seems to be an accurate descriptor here.)  I usually phrase this blunt question with more gentle questions: “How is God calling the people of St. John’s to live out its mission?”  Connected with this are questions of: “How will the people of St. John’s carry out that mission?”

Walk – Listen – Give

You might have noticed these three words on some posters.  They are the words that will guide us in a stewardship emphasis in October, leading to the requesting from St. John’s members on Reformation Sunday pledges of Time, Talent and Treasures for the upcoming year.  Expect to hear more about how we:

• Walk with Jesus
• Listen to Jesus teach
• Give generously

 

August 25, 2008 – Newsletter

Plans for Fall

èStewardship:  The Stewardship Committee has organized a program for October called Walk with Jesus.  The first three Sundays will carry a focus on one of three words: Walk, Listen, Give.  The fourth Sunday, Reformation, will include an opportunity for people to consider and offer a pledge of support to the life and ministry of St. John’s in 2009 in terms of : Time, Talent, and Treasures.

èPrayer Board:  As a support to the Walk with Jesus stewardship program, the Stewardship Committee is organizing a prayer emphasis during fall worship.  People will be invited to write out their prayer requests.  As people enter worship this fall, they’ll be invited to pick up somebody’s prayer request, thinking about that person and praying for them throughout the service.  Such prayerful and mutual support can strengthen individuals and St. John’s sense of Community.

èSunday School:  Younger children will be excused during worship (around 9:20) for Sunday School classes that will conclude at 10:15.  Different this year is that “Family Church Sundays” are regularly scheduled in which families are asked to worship with the congregation for the whole worship service.  Children will likely be involved in the worship service in some way during Family Church Sundays.  Classes begin September 14; registration is the week before (September 7.)  Family Church Sundays will be: Oct. 12 & 26, Nov. 23, and Dec. 21 & 28.

èWednesday Evenings:  Several programs will occur at 6:00 PM on Wednesday evenings, including a combination of Confirmation with a Bible study on Galatians.  People of all ages are invited to participate in this class; those planning to be confirmed on Reformation Sunday are expected to participate.  The Galatians class begins on Wednesday, September 17.

The Recent Special Congregational Meeting

Planning and work will continue in all three areas addressed during the August 24 special meeting of the congregation.  These were the three items that were adopted: obtain specific costs and possibilities for renovation elements (for congregational consideration and decision), replace and relocate of the organ console, and manage the expenses relative to recent water backup in the basement. 

      I thank everyone who has been a part of any Sunday, Tuesday, or Wednesday evening building discussions; I thank everyone who attended the August congregational meeting.  I appreciated that the congregation had the capacity to make such decisions by calm verbal vote, and that people were able to define their positions to one another in this way.  This brings clarity and direction to the three issues for the present time.  More information will be forthcoming as plans unfold and continue developing.

Regular Worship – Crucially Important

I’ve said this before… the best thing that members of St. John’s can do right now to support one another and the congregation’s life is to worship regularly on Sunday… every week if possible.  I can’t stress how much of a positive impact it has on the congregation to have lots of people in worship together each week.  Make this a part of your life this fall!