May 2022
Council Corner
We talked about a lot of issues during our most recent council meeting. Members were updated regarding the call process. The first joint meeting with Deacon Tibbetts, the Babbitt Evangelical Lutheran Church (BELC) call committee, and our call committee will take place on Tuesday, April 12. Please pray for the entire call committee as they begin this ever-important process.
Related to the call committee process, the council talked about our mission as a church. Several years ago when I first became a member of HLC, we worried about our level of solvency. Our life expectancy did not appear to be all that long. Fortunately, the members of Hope Lutheran found a way to survive to the point where we have achieved at least a semblance of financial stability.
While financial stability is important, any church, big or small, should stand for so much more. In this light, Tana Johnson visited our council meeting and offered us some very useful advice on HLC’s vision for the future. She possesses a great deal of experience in crafting and implementing strategic plans. Tana described the process of crafting these plans, laid out a timeline, and offered her services to the church. The council decided that this would be a good path to follow. Hope Lutheran has a lot to offer Embarrass and the surrounding communities. This hopefully represents the first is spreading our good word.
Coffee n’ will start on the Sunday after Easter in a modified form. Janet and Stan did not find too many people interested in joining the list of potential servers. Our congregation, like many of those around us, is aging. Putting together a variety of food, preparing it for our members downstairs, and then engaging in clean-up afterward is a demanding process in many respects. Subsequently, the council decided to go in a different direction. Once a month, HLC will host a potluck lunch after services. We thought that this would be easier on our members physically and financially. I am looking forward to the fellowship time that we will soon get to engage in once again after a two-year absence.
HLC also received an update on some of our basement issues. Bill Krueth, with the help of his mother, fixed the loose tiles on the floor. Meanwhile, we also dealt with our minor rodent issue. A search of our cupboards revealed traces of mouse excrement. To fix this, we had an expert look at our issue free of charge and devise a plan. What he found was good news. Hope Lutheran does not have a major issue with rodents. We were advised to set up some sticky pads in some strategic areas. Additionally, a group of congregation members will be meeting at 10 a.m. on April 22 to give the basement a thorough cleaning.
Confirmation will take place on May 22 during church services. At this time, we will have two members celebrating this transformative process. Please join us in the church that day for this wonderful event. I want to give a big “thank you” to Lora Langowski for leading our young people to the completion of this journey.
Finally, vacation bible school was on the docket. After two years of a modified version of vacation bible school taking place, we are proud to announce that we are fully open for services this summer for our young people. The Youth and Family Committee will be meeting sometime soon to solidify plans for this event. Please feel free to lend a hand.
May God grant you peace until we meet again next month…….
In God’s Name,
Lance Kupka
Council President
Hope Lutheran Church of Embarrass