April 2021
Council Corner
Two council meetings have occurred since I last wrote this column approximately two weeks ago. Fortunately, it has been a relatively low-key time around our church.
On February 28, 2021, the council held its regular reorganization meeting as is common for the first gathering taking place after our annual meeting. The following members were elected to the executive council positions: Lance Kupka, president; Sharon Rantala, vice president; and Liisa Lamppa, secretary. We also welcomed a new member, Charisse Salo, to the fold.
The annual meeting for Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry (VLM) was held in February. I was scheduled to attend but was not sent a Zoom link. Fortunately, Pastor Birk was able to attend on behalf of Hope Lutheran. He reported some very good news. While many businesses/organizations have suffered greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic, VLM saw a surge in financial support during this time. In fact, they ended up $25,000 ahead in their budget due to donations from area churches and individuals in addition to money earned from the renting of facilities to the U.S. Forest Service.
At our March 14, 2021, meeting, the council talked about our Easter services taking place on April 4. We will give our congregation members two options. First, HLC will offer limited in-person seating for those who wish to come inside the church. Second, HLC will offer radio services in the parking lot for those who wish to celebrate within the confines of their vehicles. This will also be offered as an overflow option just in case we face a surge in attendance that taxes our ability to abide by state social distancing guidelines.
Pastor Birk talked about the Habitat 500 fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. Multiple bicyclists will take to the road between now and the end of the summer to raise money for a great cause. For the second year in a row, this will be done virtually with individual bikers or groups of bikers hitting the road on their own time to meet the goal of biking 500 miles. Babbitt Evangelical Lutheran Church and Hope Lutheran agreed to split the registration fee for Pastor Birk. In addition, the council agreed to pay the registration fee for any Confirmands from our church who may be interested in joining this trek. They will also get to count any miles biked toward their service hours.
Finally, I would like to thank Sonja Hartline for lending her amazing singing voice to the musical portion of our Sunday services. It is so nice to hear actual songs being sung instead of listening to them being spoken. At the very least, it brings a sense of normalcy to my life and lets me know that we can see the light at the end of this pandemic. Thank you, Sonja!
May God grant you peace until we meet again next month…….
In God’s Name,
Lance Kupka
Council President
Hope Lutheran Church of Embarrass