Post date: Oct 30, 2013 9:12:02 PM
Dear Bethel Members,
The Council is upbeat about our worship services since Pastor Anderson’s arrival. We have a choir of 18 and a bell choir of 9 adding their music to our Sunday services. We are sharing our members’ works of service during the two-minute blessing each week, thanks to Sean Kilmartin’s leadership. We, as Lutherans, have been humble and tacit about our acts of grace but Council members believe it is important to recognize these works as part of our life of faith. Even with 52 Sundays, we couldn’t possibly name all of the gifts of time, money and items you provide to the greater community, including our Sunday School students who are raising money to buy a cow for our adopted child’s family in Africa. I have to admit that the idea of Milkshake Sunday is one of the best ideas I have seen. Thank you to Diane, Chris and Tom for their help with this activity.
While the Council is upbeat about worship, we are still dealing with some difficult issues facing our Lutheran Community. The Council has spent a great deal of time discussing the Together In Mission (TIM) group’s work. We greatly appreciate the time and dedication Chris and Paul have given to, not only attending these meetings and offering their insights, but also taking time to bring the information to Council meetings. After our September and October meetings, the Council decided to present the TIM report to the congregation in October. Following this presentation, we felt it was essential to hear from our members regarding the options offered during the presentation to give us guidance in our discussions of Bethel’s future. Bethel is fortunate to have Pastor Anderson as our Intentional Interim Pastor to help us through this process. The Council hopes to develop recommendations to be presented at the congregational meeting in January. If you need a copy of the TIM presentation or the survey, they are available on the church website, in the church office or at the back of the sanctuary. We hope to have all of the surveys returned by this publication, but it is more important to hear from every confirmed member of Bethel. If you have any questions regarding the TIM presentation or the survey, please call any Council member or Paul Gutzmer.
Beginning in November, the Council will be working with Pastor Anderson to develop a Congregational Covenant. This is a process that will help us as Council members to optimize our effectiveness as church leaders, build trust and encourage open dialogue. We are looking forward to this process, as this is part of Pastor Anderson’s training as an Intentional Interim Pastor. It is hard to believe he is in his third month as our pastor. The Council also agreed to return the pulpit to the front of sanctuary.
In other business, Cal Cederquist provided a Finance Committee report and you will note that there is a financial update included and will be an ongoing inclusion in the newsletter. Two groups requested an opportunity to present to our members, Thrivent Financial Services and Hospice of Chautauqua County. These will be scheduled at future coffee hours. A special thank you is given to the Outreach Committee for our wonderful Harvest Dinner and the shoebox ministries. Angel and Mitten Trees are on their way. As always, the Council thanks our church members for your support, prayers, input and your stewardship. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! :)
Respectfully yours,
Gregg Davis- President