June 2021
Council Corner
It was a rather light agenda for our meeting on May 23. The first item that we discussed was a review of our current COVID-19 Health Safety Plan. It seems as of late that we are becoming bombarded with data related to the coronavirus. Each day brings us myriad changes in our attempt to get back to the new “normal.” Because of this, the council felt that it would be a good idea to look at our plan again. Debate mainly centered around the topic of wearing a mask or not wearing a mask. In the end, it was decided to keep our current plan with the mask mandate in place. We will continue to review our plan as new data is presented. I would like to thank the council for the respectful tone of the debate even though we did not always share the same opinions. Our church and life, in general, will eventually get back to normal. We just have to be patient.
The council also talked about the possibility of placing a single hymnal into each row of our seating area for use by families. This issue apparently was discussed at the 2021 Northeast Minnesota Synod Assembly earlier this month. People are getting anxious to get back to normal. We also thought that it would be a good way to save on a sizeable amount of paper. However, since we did not have access to the exact language regarding this issue, the council decided to table it until next month. It is hoped that we will have the necessary information to make a concrete decision at this time.
In closing, I would like to take a moment to congratulate the high school graduates from our church: Niisa Honkola, Kyle Erickson, and AnnMarie Kupka. This school year presented many unforeseen issues to our students throughout the world. I want to give the seniors of Hope Lutheran a huge pat on the back for persevering and overcoming so much adversity. I hope that you look back on this moment in twenty years and realize just how big an accomplishment this represented. Good look as you all take that next step forward in your lives.
May God grant you peace until we meet again next month…….
In God’s Name,
Lance Kupka
Council President
Hope Lutheran Church of Embarrass