connecting individuals to Jesus
As Pastor Hetzner attended his final BOD meeting (Pastor Corbett attending for orientation), the following steps were outlined: 1) The call committee will be conducting interviews of candidates on Thursday (1/19). 2) Pastor Corbett will be installed as Vacancy Pastor during the morning service on Sunday, February 12 (and begin his serving on February 20).
The call committee (Fred Bauss – chair, Deb Closurdo, Tom Dawda, Dale Edwards, John Hupp, Tim Kruse, Mark Matheson, and Heather Miller) is working through the list of 10 names received from the Michigan District, with the goal of which candidates they wish to contact regarding follow-up interviews.
While October saw STL make some gain on the budget deficit, we are still behind. The major concern at this time is that we are 1-2 months behind on the mortgage payment. On the good news side, STL General Fund has received a $2,828.56 bequest from the estate of Kenneth Holley, who served a summer vicarage at STL in 1961. This will be included in the November income statements.
After the first quarter of our new fiscal year STL is $15,000.00 under the budget projection. Until this situation is remedied, the BOD has set aside its standing motion to disperse $1,000 from the General Fund to pay off debt to the Restricted Account. That debt will remain at $6,263.27 for the indefinite future.
As we say “thank you” for all of the support given for MCREST, we turn our attention to S.A.S.S. which is just around the corner on October 15. On that Saturday we will be serving pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw, chili, hotdogs, and with other items to the people of our community. We anticipate a crowd of about 200.
The BOD has approved a request of Rev. Deitrick Gladden, the pastor at Charity and Mount Calvary, Detroit whom we have been assisting, to rent a little office space from STL for Gladden Ministries, which supports places of hope in Africa and other foreign countries, providing Lutheran support to orphanages in the Congo and Haiti.
The June meeting started with a review of the guiding principles (mission, core values, goals, etc.) for the year ahead. Those serving on the Board include:
STL will have reduced office hours from June 20 through August 14. The Church Office will be open 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 P.M., Monday through Thursday. The office will be closed Fridays, starting May 27 and continuing through August 15. This will allow staff to get their vacation time in and also to work throughout the building without being concerned about answering the phone or opening the door.
NOMINATING FORMS will be available in the narthex and by contacting the church office starting February 27. If you would like to nominate someone to be placed on the ballot for the Voters’ Assembly on May 24 as a candidate for a congregational office or Board, all you need do is simply complete the form and return it to the church office.
The Board of Elders is looking back over the faithfulness of our God throughout the many years of STL’s history and how the Mission of God (Missio Dei) continues. Questions like, “Who has been a member of our staff the longest?”, “When and How did the Men’s Wednesday morning FHL get started?”, and “When was the ‘new’ front wing built?” are being asked. Answers – along with key times/events that you wish to add – will help us to remember the joys and the challenges God has led us through over the years. Keep your eyes open – this will eventually become a narthex display.