Pastor

Where do you fit in at Christ the Lord? To each has been given a gift and from each we are called to serve in God’s kingdom. All of us are gifted and have a purpose in this world. Our congregation is moving in a new direction. We are improving our efforts to help each other find their place and do our best in serving God. We are evaluating every ministry to answer a simple question, “How are we a caring people caring for people?

If you have been at church recently, you have seen the changes to our facility. There are more on the way. We hope to create an environment that is welcoming to all, but especially to our newcomer. Beyond the cleaning and painting, we will be adding signage to help people navigate the facility. People have been donating money and lending us a hand at getting all of this done. Even as we make changes, we are emphasizing our calling to be a caring people caring for people.

Did you know that approximately 80 percent of the people who enter our church have already seen us on the website? This too is being redeveloped to be not just informative but inviting to everyone to be part of our ministry that is striving to be caring people caring for people.

But church is more than just about the physical building and websites. It is about people. We are moving our attention away from quarterly new member luncheons, to having weekly greeters on Sunday mornings welcoming everyone to church. If Moe’s feels so strongly about welcoming you to their restaurant, how much more excited should we be about welcoming people to join us in worshipping and serving Jesus?

On August 22 we will unveil more of our changes. You will see our new logo and slogan, if you haven’t figured it out by now. It is my hope and prayer along with many leaders who have dialogued about the direction of the church, that you will find a place to serve God at Christ the Lord. We desire to be a caring people caring for people. We hope that we can help you find that place.

In addition to our own participation in God’s kingdom, I am having conversations with neighboring pastors to come as one and serve this community together. While churches may not agree on every theological issue, we agree that we have been called to serve others in God’s name. I feel confident we will doing more joint ventures with our neighbors in the future.

Finally, not everyone has a strong religious conviction but a lot of our neighbors and friends want to make a difference in the world. We welcome them. Working side by side, we have the time to share, in a casual way, what moves us to care for others. What God does with that is God’s work.

And so I pray and pray earnestly that you will join me in finding your place at Christ the Lord. Do not wait to be asked. Jump in. Tell us what you want to do. Describe to us what you want to do. These are the challenges that force us as your leaders to help you find your place. We welcome those challenges because foremost in our minds is our desire to be a caring people caring for people.

Every once in awhile, you are offered an opportunity that is hard to pass up. Recently that happened to me.

For some time, I have been making plans to hike with my son, Camden, at a Boy Scout camp in New Mexico called Philmont. We will do 65 miles with elevations from 6,500 to 11,600 feet above sea level. I have been planning for this trip for three years; when the Scouts finally put together the plans, it was going to require three Sundays away in a row even though it was only 14 days. It starts on a Sunday and ends on a Sunday. I haven’t been away more that two Sundays at a time in all my years here at Christ the Lord. I finally decided that it was important for my son and me, so I made the plans.

Immediately I spoke to my staff and the Church Council executive members seeking their input. Everyone was encouraging and had some wonderful ideas. Pastor Julie agreed to preach two of the Sundays and give up teaching two sessions of her youth Sunday school class in the summer. Another pastor will fill in for me. A hymn fest and celebration will be held on July 4.

I then had some things to coordinate on the home front. This was only three weeks but four Sundays. I still worried about the time away.

Three weeks will seem forever and four Sundays will seem like an eternity. By the time you read this it will almost be over. I hope you will understand that these were two opportunities that I could not dare pass up.

My dream as a pastor is becoming more real everyday. The church IS God’s people.

I want to thank you for three weeks and four Sundays that I will have with my wife and my son. These experiences will carry me a long way. The older I am getting I realize more and more how precious my family are to me. I also realize how wonderful my church family is to me the longer I work here. When I sit and ponder, I realize what a great experience God has given us in the family of God.

Acts is a New Testament book that tells about the exciting times of the early Christian church. It is full of ship wrecks, church leaders at odds with one another, cultural conflicts, and travels to foreign lands. While this year is nowhere near to that, this has been an exciting year. We have more people visiting, participating, and joining than we have had in three years. We are experiencing growth in many areas of the church. We are connecting to the community in different ways. Therefore, we want to continue to improve our welcoming skills and make our place of prayer warm and inviting.

As an outgrowth of our leadership retreat and work of our implementation committee, we are developing a master plan to give a facelift to the interior and exterior of our church. This is something long over due. We will be painting, cleaning, planting, and generally improving the looks of our entire church and church grounds. Our plan is to have it completed by the end of summer.

To have the financial resources to start this project so that we can get started on the work the Church Council has approved a $2,500 loan from our savings to be repaid by donations from members and supporters of the church. Thus, we are establishing a Refurbish Fund that you can contribute to and support our efforts. Simply earmark your check “Refurbish Fund,” and the money will go directly to this job.

In addition to financial resources, we are recruiting volunteers to help us with this work. Many hands make light work. We will need people for small, medium, and large tasks. We will need people who can work inside and outside the church property. This is a great way for members to get to know one another better, and a great way to demonstrate your faith by making our church an inviting place to visitors.

Finally, it is very important during these times for all of us to make a special effort to reach out to our neighbors and tell them about our growing ministry and to reach out to each other within the church and get to know each other better. This may take a little extra effort, but the impact you make upon the church is enormous.

These are exciting times. It may not be like the exciting times of the early church, but for this post modern age, it’s a renewal of the spirit that we haven’t seen in years. God is Good!

May is the month of Pentecost. Pentecost was a Jewish festival celebrating Moses giving the Ten Commandments 50 days after the exodus from Egypt. Later on in history, the early Christian church celebrated it as the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the church and it marks the birth of the church. Pentecost is so named because it falls 50 days after Easter. At our church, we confirm the graduating confirmation class of 2010. We celebrate our youth becoming full voting members of the congregation. No matter what tradition you follow, it is a day of blessings.

This year we will confirm 20 of our youth. The service we use is called the Affirmation of Faith. Youth affirm the faith that their parents baptized them into as infants. This is not so much a graduation party for the ending of something. It is more of a graduating up into something that carries more responsibilities.

During the service, we pray as a congregation that the youth will be filled with the Holy Spirit to continue in the faith. Someone recognized long ago that without the help of the Holy Spirit, a person could easily wander away from the faith, especially at such a young age.

At Christ the Lord, our interest as adults is mentoring our youth to play bigger roles in the life of the church. Recently they led us in worship. Many of you commented on how mature and wonderful they were. This is most certainly true. The youth of our church are mentored from the cradle all the way up to high school graduation.

I mention all of this because if you are an adult, please use this month to recognize any of our youth in our church and compliment them in any way that you can. Youth love to be noticed and included. The more they feel they are part of the church; the greater chance they will stay involved as older adults.

We have six youth giving serious thought to becoming deacons and pastors in the church. This is a large number for a church. I think a part of this desire comes from adults who work with our youth and strengthen them in their faith. But you do not necessarily have to work directly with the youth. Noticing them wherever you see them and giving them a positive comment goes a long way.

But beyond the youth who become professional leaders in the church, many, many more go on to be strong church leaders and participants in the church. These youth are just as important to the future of our church.

What does it mean to be the church? This is a question I ponder quite often. I think about it because as a pastor I believe it is important for me to keep a focus on where we are going. That may sound like a lame thought. But, truly, the church always has an option to do many things in the world. As a pastor of a local congregation, I must always ask what are those things that reflect who we are. Who are we? Whose are we? These two questions help me with leading the church.

This may sound like a control freak. That could not be farther from the truth. I truly believe and practice that God acts through God’s people. Or put another way, we as God’s people are thinking through where God is leading us. That is why the questions are phrased the way they are. Who are WE? Whose are WE? As a leader in the church, I am constantly trying to listen to God in the conversations I have with the congregation.

In addition to those many voices, I listen as well to the scriptures that we all hear on Sunday morning and in my private reading. I read, pray, and ponder what God has to say to our situation.

Recently our church had a leadership retreat. As part of that retreat, I had the church survey to look at as well. (I have another article in this month’s newsletter that addresses some of the discussion points that were developed out of the survey.) It is an inspiration to watch and observe God acting through His followers. At the retreat in dialogue with each other, God helped us begin to see our place within God’s greater kingdom. An implementation committee has been established to further the work of this retreat. We are discovering what it means for us to be God’s people in this time and place.

Last Sunday, we had the privilege of being led in worship by our youth worship team. We were lead by their praise band, their scripts, their videos of community service, their songs, and their story about Jesus’ story of sacrifice. The response of the congregation was the best that I have heard about anything in a long time. We means we. We are all God’s children and God speaks through all of us.

In the last couple of weeks, lay people have been developing and carrying ministries on their own to help others. The Dinner Club raised $1,500 for Habitat for Humanity. The Hunger Walk, organized by a lay person, raised $1000 to help the hungry. Lay people helped distribute 35 boxes of food from Angel Food Ministry. The list of other ministries of our church can be found on our website. Or because of the handiwork of Blake Robinson, you can connect to us through Facebook.

I can’t tell you definitively where God is leading us. I am but listening and following. But I am seeing a pattern of service to others and worship that is growing stronger everyday. This is not about me, but what God is doing through us.

Easter will be here soon. What we do on Easter is important. We celebrate the Risen Christ. We do a lot as a congregation. But why we do it is most important. We serve others and worship God because that is what Jesus has freed us to do. We don’t do this work begrudgingly. We serve with happy hearts.

We are coming to know ourselves better as a congregation. We are learning who we are and whose we are. We are being led by Jesus. We are striving to be the church God has called US to be. We are living our eternal life one day at a time. My prayer is that we are always asking ourselves, “What does it mean to be the church?” Where is God leading us? Where is God calling YOU?

He is Risen. He has Risen, Indeed. I know that those words are reserved for the celebration on Easter morning. But even during these more somber days of Lent, I want to scream them out to the world. Why? Because Christ is rising up in this congregation everywhere I turn. Life more often than not comes in spits and spurts. I don’t know if this is a spit or a spurt. All I know is there is a spirit of God blowing through us like I haven’t seen in awhile.

What am I talking about? I am talking about the expanding ministries that are touching the lives of our members and people beyond our walls. Lend me your ears for a moment, if you would, so that I can share with you what is running through my throbbing heart.

This year we have already received five new families, and we have other family thinking seriously about us. Our attendance is stronger and steadier that it has been for a few years. While our giving had a slow start, it is certainly gathering steam. This excites me but it isn’t the entire story.

I want to tell you about the Dinner Club helping the Habitat Team build a home. They hoping to serve over 80 people on March 13 to help us meet our $1,200 pledge which is being raised by the Lutheran churches in Gwinnett. Workdays of the Habitat team are April 17 and May 8.

I want to tell you about the new ministry called, Angel Food Ministries. This is a co-op of hundreds of churches that has a buying power to cut the cost of your food bill in half. You can order your meals on-line and pick them up at church. You can also volunteer to help the dispense the boxes each month. This I a ministry that is catching on fire. (To see it, go to our website, christthelordlutheran.org and scroll down on the left hand panel. Check it out.)

I want to tell you about Christ the Lord and Home on the Range Ministries, which are working together to raise money for the mission team and orphanage where they will be working. Under the direction of Martha Sosebee, a musical presentation will be given at the church on May 1 to support both causes.

I want to tell you about our church walkers who will fill the streets of Atlanta along with thousands of other walkers to help raise money for the hungry. It’s called the Atlanta Hunger Walk and together we make a big impact on supporting organizations that help alleviate the hunger in our metro area.

I want to tell you about a bunch of youth who will gather March 5 to participate in a 30-hour famine to raise awareness of the world’s hunger.

I want to tell about two servant camps this summer. For our 8th graders to seniors, there will be a camp June 14 to 18 from 5 to 9 p.m. For our preteens, we will have a servant camp from June 21to 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We expect this to fill up fast.

I want to tell you about a group of 30 plus who will be traveling to Honduras this summer to help build orphanages.

I want to tell you that Christ the Lord was fourth out of 44 congregations supporting the Lawrenceville Co-Op. We followed 12 Stone church, Lawrenceville Methodist Church, and McKendree Methodist Church. Per capita we have been first.

I know it is Lent, but I just wanted to let you know that Christ is changing lives as we speak. This Lent let us pray, worship, fast and reflect on Christ’s life and allow His life to change ours.

In my last article I alerted my readers that we are refining our operations at the church with some simple questions: Who are we? Where are we going? and How do we get there? Since that last article I have been reflecting and listening intently to the people of the church. What I have discovered was most helpful in narrowing down the type of people we are and where we seem to be heading.

Every congregation has a personality. No two are alike. Discovering where a congregation’s gift, talent and desires are helps the people operate better as one and communicate clearly to the community who they are. It also helps us understand where we play a part in the work of God’s kingdom.

Clearly, Christ the Lord Lutheran has many different ministries. I have always thought that every congregation had a variety of ministries for a person to live out their individual faith, yet be part of the whole. But at a funeral last week one of our members who has moved away but returned for the funeral said that his church had very, very little to do other than Sunday morning worship. I was quite surprised, but it told me something about us. Our many ministries are one of our strengths.

But by the same token, a visitor once asked me, “Where do I start at this place?” A place that offers much needs to be sure that there are clear directions to find the many ministries available when we don’t have a yellow brick road to follow. That clearly told me that we need to be very intentional about helping people better enter the community of faith. I happened upon a church that did and am in the process of using their method to improve our ministry.

While we may do a lot, what is it that draws all of this under one heading? That has been one of my hardest questions. Being a bit scattered brained and laissez-faire in my operations, I am a piece with many puzzle parts lying on the table. But that isn’t helpful to others. So I had to search harder for this answer.

Finally, a person shared with me that it seemed that everyone had a heart to serve no matter what group they were a part of. I took some time to study that thought. The more I thought; the more I thought the person was on to something. It does appear true. From Bible study groups to fellowship groups everyone has an interest in serving others. We do not like to sit and just think. We want to move forward doing something.

This is where my thoughts are leading me. In February, the Church Council, church staff and key leaders will be coming together to flesh out these ideas even further. But it seems that we are on to something. We are servants of God in all that we do. We are Christ the Lord and we are here to serve.

I must say that not every congregation is that way. I know of congregations who are more reflective, some take interest in many forms of worship, and some are just shallow entertainment for the masses. Our congregation seems to enjoy getting our hands dirty and trying the best we can to help others however we can.

I would love to hear what you have to say about this, because this is about you. This is about us. You can e-mail me at pastorbob@christthelordlutheran.org , you can give me a call or drop off a note.

I can assure you of one thing, we will soon have a better understanding of who we are and where we are going. And when we are done, I plan to tell the community about us in a clear and loud voice.

Welcome to 2010! I am not sure how many people read this column, but to those who do, you have a very important job. What you read here, you must tell others in the church. This is authorized gossip. What I am about to tell is very important. Do not take it lightly. If you love your church, and I know that you do, this is imperative. WE ARE CHRIST THE LORD LUTHERAN.

Never before in our history has those words been so important. It is time for us to come together as a team. It is time for us to claim our ministry that we share together and take it to the streets. It is time that we understand that everyone who participates in this ministry is very important. Every person you walk by on Sunday morning is of great value and your willingness to work with each other will determine our future.

We are a strong church. We have taken our share of pain along with the rest of the world in the last couple of years. For a while we staggered around trying to find our footing. But during the last part of 2009, we started to regroup and began to make advancements in several areas of our ministry.

During this same time, our Church Council and some leaders began to gather information about ourselves and our community. We tried to discern who we were and where God was calling us in the world. That work is not yet complete. We are still gathering data and digesting it. But the pieces to the puzzle are making more and more sense as it comes together.

As I write this letter, we are looking at the calendar to determine when to have a church leadership retreat. The purpose of the meeting will be quite simple. We will answer the questions: Who are we?; Where are we going?; and How do we get there? I am especially interested in hearing from members who are new to our church as well as those who are not involved in Sunday morning worship. I can assure you that you will learn a great deal about your church and feel a closer connection to it.

We have some wonderful things happening at our church. I must confess that we do not always broadcast them as well as we should. We are so Lutheran! But that day has passed. We have something to share with the community and when people come to visit over 90 percent become a part of it. With that statistic, we should be telling others and inviting others to Christ the Lord.

The Good News of Jesus Christ lived out during the early church is still good news. In worship, service and fellowship, we ground ourselves in the promises of God. In simple terms, we say “yes” there is a God and God matters. So, what are you to you? Since you have read this column, I am asking you to begin to see one another as a team, as a body of Christ who has been called to share this Good News. It will begin with you. WE ARE CHRIST THE LORD LUTHERAN CHURCH! And we are here to serve. When asked who you are, “WE ARE CHRIST THE LORD LUTHERAN CHURCH.”

He was just a baby. It was just a temporary stay. People looked forwarded to his arrival. He knew better. History was not on his side. Folks traditionally didn’t like his type. Some were sure he’d be different. But he didn’t turn out as hoped. His close friends tried to warn him and some went so far as to scold him for his behavior. But he was his own person; had a mind of his own and an uncompromising plan. Aren’t we lucky? He looks so different now that he followed his path. Now we want to hold him and cuddle him and celebrate him. What a difference resurrection does? Right, Jesus?

It’s that time of year when we don’t know what to do with ourselves. Money is tight. What’s going to give? No travel this year? Fewer gifts? Maybe a ham from the grocery that is not quite the same as last year’s. We don’t get the same adrenaline push from buying. Where’s our joy going to come from? What’s the swaddling baby mean now?

She arrives at my door. She has an infant in her hand. The mother’s teeth show decay. “Can you help me?” she asks. Can you just help me with my child? All the angel tree gifts have been handed out. Any extra money has been split 28 different ways and diluted now to nothing. But its Christmas Eve and I’ve got to preach the blessed birth of the Christ child tonight.

It’s a Wonderful Life always ended on a cheery note. The brother comes home from battle. Mr. Potter doesn’t monopolize the real estate market and small town bankers win. The angel gets his wings and Jimmy Stewart shows us again that the little man matters.

What’s with this puzzle that I’m trying to put together? The pieces don’t fit together and for the love of me I can’t force it. What’s missing? Macy’s tells me to be happy. God help me if I am not. I’ll be out of step. Why should I be happy this time of year? For the television tells me so.

I ponder this every year: The faces of the needy; the pressures of the season on families. Was this His intent? What was his plan? What has he saved me from?

He knew it would be just a short stay. The stories he would tell would upset more than set at ease. The more he told about what he was about; the angrier they became. True prophets had a short life expectancy. His love was boundless, so he crossed all sorts of boundaries. There is only so much you can forgive before people draw the line in the sand.

Thank you, Baby Jesus, for your courage for not letting the world draw a line in the sand. I wouldn’t be celebrating this night if you had. There are still boundaries that exist, but we have a baby who has shown us a new way. His way may not always be easy or without sadness, but his way leads us to Him. Him is who I am longing to meet. I meet him everyday I cross a boundary and extend His love with the smallest of gifts.

It’s November. Are you making plans for Thanksgiving? My guess is that families are deciding where, when, or if they will be together. And on that day, families will connect in some way in person, by phone, or Facebook, or e-mail. On November 15, our congregation will come together and give thanks. We will give thanks to God for sustaining us this year. Then we will make our plans for next year trusting in the God who has sustained our church and families for 30 years.

For 30 years, our congregation has seen its ups and downs. But every year, we have experienced God’s wondrous love. It is that love which sustains us but more importantly helps us believe and plan for a future. Martin Luther was once asked, “What would you do if you knew the world was going to end tomorrow?” Martin answered, “I would plant a tree.”

Everyday our church is planting a tree when we invest in the future. We live in the hope and belief that God is in our midst even when the darkness wants to overcome us. This past year we have had our challenges with repairs. I wondered how we would pay for them, and then God showed us the talent and skill that God had already placed in our midst. The repairs were all done for free. I believe that God equips us long before our needs arise.

That experience has alerted me again to look around with fresh eyes and see how else God blessed us. I have discovered some great minds, which have met and are completely overhauling our website, which is where most of our visitors first meet us.

Christine Huntzinger had a vision of a courtyard between our educational wings and her vision is becoming a reality. People are helping who we might not ever have imagined. This is tree planting.

Royce Herring had the idea that we could send two mission teams out this next year. One to Mexico at Christmas and one to Honduras in the summer. I wasn’t sure. Eight have already signed up for Christmas.

Our members have been making baptismal prayer shawls for a few years. We now have more than enough baptismal prayer shawls for our needs. This year we have made a connection through a new member who works at Gainesville Hospital who helps new families, with new babies, who are financially strapped. We can transfer those same skills and workers to make them blankets and help others. God is equipping and using us for the work of His kingdom.

Last year was a tough year for us but God has sustained us and even used us in ways we had never imagined. Now I am seeing more clearly how He is working though us and supporting us before we even see it. Visitors are coming almost every week and our church is experiencing new growth at a time when you would least expect it. Trees are being planted.

On November 15, we are all asked to make a financial commitment for 2010. I think it is like planting a tree. It is an act of trust. Some of you will be able to make small increases. Some will not. Some will be new givers. Some may decrease. Some may make big increases. Will the God who has sustained us for 30 years continue to sustain us? I am coming more to believe this everyday that he will. Lord I believe. Lord, help me with my unbelief.

I hope that you will join with me and my family in making that commitment for 2010. We are growing. We are serving. God is sustaining. Last year seemed tough but upon reflection, God was with us all the way. Next year, I am planting a tree.

Today is the day that the schools were shut down because of all the rain. People appear to be sloshing from one day to the next. The weather is starting to wear on us. This morning I looked at the ten day forecast. Surprise! A full day of sun is expected next Monday. Next Monday is a whole week away, but there is hope in our future. There is sunshine around the corner. I can slosh a few more days knowing that sunshine is on the horizon. Life is like that.

Our church is slowly but surely making gains. There was a day when we skidded along like the rest of America but now we are moving along. But movement is good. Movement leads to momentum. We are gaining momentum. Each day we are involving more people in our mission to live out the word both individually and corporately.

Life is as simple as getting up everyday and living in God’s grace. It is claiming the promise of God’s love and affection and drawing strength from it. It is doing the little things that add up to big things, that help us see the abundance of God’s mercy.

During the months of October and November, we will be sharing our stories and witnessing to one another of how God is blessing us along the way. We will share the little things of life that add up to a beautiful witness that lies just below the surface. We celebrate that great love with each other.

Today I think I signed my last form for school. I forget from year to year how many times I must share all my personal information over and over and over. I think that I wrote my last check. No, wait, excuse me, there is tomorrow night. But it is soon to end. Don’t misunderstand me. I realize that it is important for the safety of my children that they have that information and for me to be in touch with the teachers about my children’s progress. But I dream of the day of filling out one form that will serve for everyone. Simple is easier.

The theme of this year’s stewardship campaign is “Make it Simple.” Stewardship has never been that complicated. I have seen some campaigns that make it complicated. At the core of a stewardship campaign is the relationship we all have with God. God blesses each of us, and we as a body of Christ give of our bounty for the work of the kingdom as a thank offering to God. That is simple enough.

This year we will do the same as we always have. I have already asked the committee chairpersons to submit their budgets for 2010. We are striving to live as simply as we can just as we always have. We do not exaggerate our budgets. We do seek what we need to do effective ministry, and we do explore other ways that it could be done. In addition, we are aware that we are part of a great body of Christ, which is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which we support through our benevolence dollars.

This year has been a very difficult year for many. The loss of jobs and income has affected everyone in one way or another. To be good stewards, we have made adjustments and cutbacks as needed. We have also been blessed by you who have stretched yourself to support our extra mission work. We are most grateful for your contributions and your love for the work of God’s church.

Soon we will send you mailings giving you dates to make your pledge for 2010. I hope as we reflect about our ministry and pray together as a community, we will know the importance of these actions and more importantly, understand that the core of this campaign is about our relationship with God. We are sharing with God what he first gave us. That is plenty and simple enough.

Since I last wrote this column, I have walked 63.2 miles on the Appalachian Trail. I have spent a week at the lake. Summer is indeed one of my favorite seasons. The lengthy days make getting up early and staying up late easier. I love the warmth of the sun and the chill of a cold drink. At church, I like to plan for fall and winter. I am more of a dreamer than a detail person. Summer is when I have time to envision what the rest of the year will look like and a chance to see ideas begin to take shape. This summer is no different from the others. We have some wonderful ministries shaping up.

When school begins, vacations end, and people settle into a scheduled autumn. We have some things in store for you.

If I haven’t said it enough, let me say it again. Our new long range learning experiment is taking shape. Sue Schroer has been learning a new software program to make this possible. She has bought equipment to change VHS documents into digital. Laura Bryant has a new laptop computer equipped to make it simple to podcast my sermons on Sunday. Arrangements have been made to make it easy for you to purchase books that Pastor Julie, myself, and others have found helpful and interesting. Professor Bob Kysar and his wife, the Rev. Dr. Myrna Kysar are providing previously taped lectures of his, as well as working on classes they will be teaching at church. I am so excited about this venture. I am sure that it will have a few wrinkles that will need to be ironed out. But with the team we have in place, I am confident that we are on the way to something new and exciting.

Some visions are already emerging. Men’s Ministry is taking us to new places. At last year’s men’s retreat, we discussed having informal fellowship meetings offered to all. We would count heads, but just have fun with all that came. This past spring, Brett Swartz had a gathering of some men at his house to play pool and Wii. This summer Richard Sanders set up an event on August 16 to go see the Gwinnett Braves. Brett has another house party planned. I am sure we will see more parties pop up.

Rumor is that a fall softball team is in the making. We may play against Methodists and Baptists. If you are interested, let us know. Our team took third place this past season. We are beginning to take it up a notch.

I have also heard that Laura Byrant is going to be dipping her toes into the youth band as an advisor. I have watched Laura for many years help people with their latent talents. She works magic. She confirmed that there was nothing latent within me.

Tami Lee is stepping forward as the new Imagination Dancers instructor for our young liturgical dancers. She is very excited about doing this, and we are excited to see all the kids come out and dance their hearts out. This would be a very economical place for your kids to learn dance.

This hasn’t been started yet, but the area between the two educational wings will soon be transformed into a courtyard. Kurt Huntzinger is heading up this renovation. If you would like to help or could contribute in some way, we would love it.

I have been dreaming about a basketball three on three tournament with the neighborhood youth ever since we got the new goals. Now that I know some of the youth and their parents, the idea is taking shape. In addition, I have made friends with Ray at Ray’s Wings and Seafood and one of the new managers at Mr. Clean carwash. They are interested in helping promote it. This could be a blast. More details later. Just as a passing thought, I have no idea how to set up a three on three tournament. I bet someone does.

Diane Thomas is pumped about Friends of Faith. We already have a good gathering of support and kids. This usually means that we will have even more for our Wednesday after-school program of music, learning, play, and (yes) eating. This long established program is well worth its small cost. Parents fall in love with it from the first. Some parents come back after their kids are past the age of acceptance. Check it out if you have a grade school child.

Pastor Julie has an awesome adult education program in the works. We will have classes available almost every day of the week. We hope you will check out the soon-to-be-released brochure that will lay out the program.

I am out of space. But I hate to tell you, I have even more. Come to church on Sunday and learn all that we have been dreaming up for you.

Thank you for the wonderful gift: I was speechless when I was honored and presented with a fly rod and reel and accessories for my 25th anniversary. I usually am very aware of what goes on around here. This took me by complete surprise. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve, and I look forward to continue working with you as we discern where God is calling us. Thank you again. I am very appreciative.

Long Distance Learning in the works: We are bringing together some great minds as we put together our Academy to be unveiled this coming fall. This will accompany upgrades to our website. I believe you will enjoy sharing this with your friends who will also have access. This is just another way we are discovering ways to reach out to our community.

Playground gets facelift: As I write this, materials are being purchased to give a facelift to our playground for the fall. Some great guys put a lot of work into this project to make this possible. We hope the kids enjoy it. Also the grounds have been spruced up. You will notice the new mulch around the church. The mulch was purchased with proceeds from our recycled cans. If you would like to donate or crush cans, please call me. This account is really helping us maintain the landscape.

New Mission Camp looking great: I am excited about our new mission camp for fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. Miss. Diane has put together some awesome opportunities for our kids to enjoy and learn about service. We believe that this camp will grow into bigger ideas next year with room for many more kids.

Our Mission Trip Team has left for Honduras: This is exciting as they venture to a new location after five years of serving in Piedras Negras, Mexico. It was a hard decision, to change locations, but Royce Herring is anxiously waiting to put hands and feet to work, working alongside others in need. The group always comes back with a renewed understanding of life. We wish them safe journey and good weather to assist them in their faith venture.

Our Youth heads to Camps: This summer our youth are heading in all sorts of directions. A group is going to Lutheridge. Others will be attending AFFIRM. Another group is headed to New Orleans for the National Youth Gathering. Before you know it summer will slip into fall. Thanks to so many who gave their support to our youth to go to the gathering.

Our courtyard soon to see changes: The area between our two educational wings will soon see some changes. When it is finished it will serve as an outdoor classroom as well as an extension of the fellowship hall for informal gatherings, or someone may like to share a cup of coffee or read there.

Fall Festival to celebrate 30 years of ministry: The focus of this year’s Fall Festival will be on our 30 years of ministry as a congregation. If you have interest in participating in this, call the church office. If you have pictures or stories to submit feel free to turn them in. The event is scheduled for October 24.

As you can see our congregation is busier than ever serving, learning, and laughing together. I invite you to be part of this exciting ministry. If you ever want to serve in any way let me or a leader know, or use our “high tech” attendance slip to indicate your desire. We will be in touch with you. We are blessed by God in so many ways, and we would love to share the joy with all around.

This morning I watched a movie, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness. The movie is a historical/romance. The 1958 movie starring Ingrid Bergman tells the story about Gladys Ayward who was a Protestant missionary to a remote area of Northern China. Born of a working class family in London during the early 1900s, she longed to be a missionary but was turned down by the missionary board for academic reasons. So she saved all her money for a year and used it to get herself to Yuncheng, Shanxi Province China. She got permission to work under the care of the founding missionary, who died soon afterwards. Gladys stayed anyway. She continued to work as a “foot inspector” for the government and took in orphans in the area. When war broke out between Japan and China she led her 94 children over the mountains to the mission where the people, who had rejected her years earlier because of insufficient academic status, met her. Asked at the beginning of the movie why she wanted to do this, her response was, “I feel God is calling me here.”

This past week, I celebrated 25 years of ministry. During my interview with the call committee of Christ the Lord, I was asked what I want to do at Christ the Lord. I answered, “I want to be the church.” I had no idea how that would manifest itself. I knew that we were to proclaim God’s word, administer the sacraments, and live as God’s people for the world. I learned over the years that God equips His people with all that they will need to do what was needed. Like Gladys in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, all that I really knew was that I had a calling to do ministry.

Over the past 25 years, we have done things together that I could never have imagined. God took us places and provided for our needs to do things I would never have dreamed. All along the way I have s-l-o-w-l-y come to trust in His guidance and presence.

Now we are about to embark upon an adventure that only God could make happen. We are establishing an academy of sorts. With the help of many skilled and professional people, we will unveil in the fall a program that will offer courses about the Bible and theology, on a semester basis, at the church and on the Internet. Upon completion of the courses we will honor people for their achievement. In addition, we will suggest books for your reading list and websites that Pastor Julie and I use to research sermons. I will invite you to purchase a new Bible that has just been published by the Lutheran church. We will podcast sermons. In addition we will begin to have events, as mentioned in last month’s column, which will bring together young and old to celebrate and reflect upon the ministry which we are already doing together.

My hope and prayer is that we will enrich our understanding of God’s word and grow together as a community of faith with a deeper appreciation of God’s love and our call to proclaim and serve.

I am ecstatic to tell you that I have never had a greater response to a new ministry as I have this one. People are coming out the woodwork wanting to help and participate. My dream of being the church to the community and world around us is manifesting itself in ways I could never have dreamed or imagined. It is a joy for me at this 25-year mark to see this happening. It is truly an answer to a prayer.

As I watch the movie this morning, I was moved by this woman’s determination to follow her heart and calling. While I know that Hollywood dressed it up and added some romance, the underlying story is still true.

I believe that God is working in us in a new and exciting way. “In Us” is what excites me. Together we are delving deeper into God’s word where our meaning and mission for life is found. Together we are experiencing God’s spirit moving amongst us. Together we are being the church.

For little over a half a year, I have been working with two organizations: Project Connect and Funds for Theological Education. Both have the purpose of encouraging young people to consider the public ministry as one of their choices of vocation. The reason for these organizations is that the roll of ministers in mainline denominations is aging rapidly. I would be part of that roll. I have learned and remembered lots of information about the discernment process a person goes through when considering a call to public ministry. But what has fascinated me most is the process by which we share our faith with each other in our families and in our congregations. I have hope of planning some events where we can learn more about doing this. I anticipate your participation in these events.

Having time to share our faith and beliefs with each other is not practiced as much today as it was in the past. There are many reasons but one of the reasons that I would like to address is our lack of time and intentionality.

One church that I learned about at the Funds for Theological Education seminar had what they called “The front porch.” The idea was taken from the Andy Griffith show where Andy, the sheriff, sat on the front porch of his house on Sunday afternoons and simply spent the day talking and thinking about life in general. You might call it a lazy afternoon. The church had a time and place set aside where they had casual conversations about their life and faith.

Lazy afternoons aren’t as much a part of our culture. Most of our time is scheduled. Even retired people tell me that they are always busy. There are many reasons why this art of lazy afternoons on the front porch is gone, but I would like to focus on what may have been lost with it.

Whether on the front porch, at a church picnic, or on an evening walk in the neighborhood, casual conversations play an important part in our life. Two of the top 10 areas that challenge young marriages are time and money. Time is important to have for a relationship to develop. When time together is lost the relationship is strained and intimacy (the sharing of each others lives) is gone.

Our relationship with God takes time too. There was time when Sabbath was a sacred time in our culture. The time was set for worship and families. I remember going to my grandmothers many Sunday evenings even when I didn’t want to as a young boy. But “go” we did and I am glad I did. It was on those lazy afternoons that I learned a lot about life in general just by overhearing the adults chatter while making dinner or having a dessert with coffee.

While I am aware that we cannot return to those times, I am not convinced that we cannot be intentional about setting aside time for the purpose of sharing our faith stories as a congregation. The ingredients to a good time together are as simple as they always were. Pick a time and place, throw in something to eat, and spark some conversation.

Our conversations will be focused but hopefully entertaining, relaxed, informative and intergenerational. In the next year, I hope to plan, in various settings, a time to talk about the work that we do together as a people of God with the Lawrenceville Co-Op. There will be a dinner focused on the faith of our parents and grandparents and how it compares to the youth’s experience of today. We will have opportunities for adults to work alongside our young kids in community projects where they will also pray and eat together and casual talk about serving God with the gifts we have been given. A road trip to the Seminary will be pulled together for the kids who would like to go and chatter in the car along the way. These are but a few of our plans for the future at Christ the Lord.

My hope and prayer is that through these conversations we can discover that we are not some disjointed people doing random acts of kindness. I hope and pray that we can deepen our understanding of ourselves as a common called people of God who have been gifted by Him for a purpose in His kingdom. I pray that you will join us, as you are able. I think the time we share will be blessed.

In the Gospel of John just before Jesus was to face his trials and death, He spoke to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let you hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” This peace is given to us by the Holy Spirit. Easter is a time to celebrate this peace and resurrection life. Don’t be fooled by the bunny.

Recently I have done a few funerals and have known several people who have passed away. I guess I am reaching that time in my life when I will see more of this. But the promise of the resurrection given to us by Jesus Christ is also gaining strength at the same time. That promise is powerful and a definite aid during a time of loses. In the darkest of times, God’s light shines brighter.

As the church calendar moves closer to Easter, my heart pounds ever harder. This is truly the pinnacle of the church year. I have a friend who I love dearly, but bunnies are about as deep as his belief system goes. It is so hard to discuss Easter with him when he is pointing out all his bunny decorations for the season. Easter is so much more for me. I am part of a resurrection people who are different and have shaped this moment in history. Everything we are revolves around this moment in history.

But Easter is more than just about the afterlife. During these difficult times, the Easter message is an assurance that God is with us. Holy Week in particular shows the depth of God’s love for his people. When I speak to a person who is unemployed about our faith, I am talking about the God who will walk with them through thick and thin. I am part of a community of faith that draws its strength from this proclamation.

As a congregation, we have had to dig deep within ourselves recently as we have asked each of ourselves what this faith walk means. As we seek to support the work of the church and the greater community, we have been faced with tough decisions. I know personally I have had to ask myself as I have sought to give more of myself in different ways. But the more that each of us give, the stronger in our faith and participation in the church we are becoming. We are literally being drawn together by God’s selfless love.

I know that many of you will be celebrating Easter in different locations since Holy Week falls on the same week as spring break for our schools. But no matter where you are you can know that we are part of something so much greater than ourselves. Wherever you are singing, we will be singing and praising as one people of God. All of Christendom will be one despite all our many differences.

As we make our way through this year continuing to challenge ourselves to be God’s people, might we remember this great day of Easter. I will have given my PEEPS candy to Laura and she will have eaten them. The bunnies and chocolate will have moved off the shelves for the next seasonal items. But deep in our souls, there will be faith growing daily, gaining strength from the proclamation of the word and sharing of the sacraments. God’s people will move forward like a deep running river singing in the most difficult times, “God has risen; God will rise again.”

For the first time today, I met with our new group of parishioners who are networking and looking for jobs. On the one hand, we could view this as a sign of the times. On the other hand, it is the beautiful life of the church. People of faith are sharing their up’s and down’s of life with each other. The group will not be made up entirely of persons seeking work, but also people who can assist. The group will meet every Tuesday at 12 p.m. for an hour followed by a small worship service of scripture readings and prayer. There is the possibility that someone may come at 1 p.m. to pray alongside them. Know that you are welcome.

Our community of faith is so important to our lives. At a seminar last week, I was reminded of how important it was. Vickie Davis, Jen Bowers, and I were asked how do we Notice, Name, and Nurture youth in our church. Through a variety of modules and discussion groups, we discovered how important it was for ourselves to be Noticed, Named and Nurtured as youth. To Notice, Name, and Nurture a person is to recognize them and invite them into the life of the church. The church is a place to try new things and feel safe if you make a mistake. It is like an incubator where we learn from each other the ways and language of the faith.

Pastor Julie teaches and nurtures a group of caregivers in our congregation. It is a great example of how we live out community. People discover various ways to be friends to another person when they are unable to be alongside us in the pew.

During Lent we will explore the Lord’s Prayer as a way of praying together as a community of Christ. In prayer, we are invited into the presence of God where we do not just look to each other for help, but come in touch with One who is the origin of all things good. In His presence, we discover our oneness, our communal neediness, our redeemer, and our reason of living.

We are living in tough times, but during these times, we are discovering a wonderful gift that we might have overlooked during better financial times. We are living out community in a way that we have not done for a long time. We are noticing, naming, and nurturing each other as we take time to get to know one another. We are learning more about each other. We are making space for the Holy One to be amongst us whose presence is greater than the sum of the parts. We are living our being the Body of Christ.

During this Lenten season, I ask that you explore your life of faith in our community of faith. Make worship a weekly discipline. Come and learn more about prayer. Support others around you that may be in need. Make some space for God in your life. Discover the beauty of the Body of Christ.

The beginning of a new year is always an unknown. We look forward to a new year sometimes because we would like to forget the past year. That is no guarantee that the next will be better. We hope as a nation that this year will be better, and I personally hope that it becomes a reality. At our church, we began to lay the foundation for 2009 as early as November of last year. Good planning and adjustments appear to be making this year look somewhat better.

Last November, the Church Council was working on a budget that was reduced from last year’s numbers. At the same time, we were discussing how to raise our giving a bit to make up the shortfalls that we were experiencing. With the first three weeks of January, we are seeing some good signs. This statement is relative because January is normally a very tough month with people paying off Christmas debt. I am not saying that we are banking thousands; I am just saying we are meeting expenses. In my world, that is a good January. Thank you, faithful believers. Please remain faithful.

What makes me even more excited is the activity during these early months. I am glad to announce that FROGS (Families Relying On God and Socializing), our church program for preschool age kids, is gaining strength in numbers and activity. Last year we started preparing the ground for this group since the previous one had dissolved. The groundwork must have been good, because we have some great things coming for this age group, including a refurbished playground. If you have a younger child, I am glad to say that you will have some great days ahead for your child in the church.

We are working real hard on pulling together a couple’s retreat. This would be new. Our challenge at this point is finding affordable housing for a weekend. If you have ideas, please let us know. This could be a great new adventure.

The men’s retreat is on the calendar. You will see information on this by the time you have read this. As always, this is a great event. Last year the retreat grew to its largest size, primarily because guys told other guys what a great time they had the year before. I invite any man to join us as we retreat from the pressures of the world.

We will have a pre-teen service week this year on the same week as AFFIRM. Diane Thomas read about this, and we are applying for a grant to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to support a week of service. This would be a great thing for the younger kids. They would serve in the community for a half a day then have fun together for the rest of the day. It would be very affordable and a great opportunity for your youth.

We are also putting more effort into our programs for high school to college age youth. We have five young adults planning to make church work a career. Because we received a $20,000 gift to support them and others who choose a career in the church, we have also been chosen to attend a conference in Peachtree City with nine other churches to explore how we can do this better and share what we have learned with others. We may receive a grant to do this as well.

Of course you will hear about our youth attending the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans and our fifth year of serving in Mexico. Both of these could use your support, and I think it is a great way for our youth to grow into and demonstrate their faith.

Yes, I am excited about the new year. We have a lot more things than I mentioned. God is blessing us. You are getting involved in ways we have not seen. You are a blessing. Together we are growing in faith and in service to one another and the community. We may not know the future, but right now it is looking up!

We Say “Yes” is gaining momentum. When I think about this campaign, I think of all the ways you say “YES” as a congregation. This weekend was a great example of what you are doing. Diane Thomas challenged the congregation to bring in 500 rolls of toilet paper for the Lawrenceville Co-Op. By the end of the day, 1,820 rolls were donated. People who had forgotten went to the store and brought it back. Yes is the nature of who we are.

As another example, we have a member, who is handicapped and unable to make it to church except in her electric wheelchair, which she did one Sunday. But that wasn’t good enough. Barbara Couillard made contact with the person who lives around the corner and made arrangements to get her to church. That is a say “Yes’ attitude.

Saying, “YES” is when our Youth Worship Team decided that leading worship for the youth once a month was not enough. They saw service attached to worship. So they have decided as part of their offering, youth are invited to do a service project each month. For the October event, 20 youth and 8 adults went to a Catholic Church in Atlanta and helped feed 600 hungry people. The youth were very moved by the event.

YES is when Laura Bryant shopped for months to finds a recording device that could be used in worship so that we could make CDs for our shut-ins. This Sunday was our first time to use it and it sounded awesome.

YES is when Paige Havens, managing partner of Spitfire Media Group, stepped forward and helped us design a new slogan and logo for our congregation. Work of this type could cost thousands of dollars. Soon you will see it all around, including our website and e-mail.

YES is when a member of our congregation, who has a heart for the church in particular its seminary students, steps up and gives $20,000 to set up an endowment fund. Now our four up and coming students and others that will follow will have an easier row to hoe when it comes to student loans.

YES is when my 13-year-old daughter asks me if she can bring a friend to church and then brings two.

Yes is all around us. You don’t have to look far. YESES are growing in momentum. The examples that I have shared with you do not even touch the surface. People have a heart and strong desire to share the love of God with our world.

This November 23, our congregation will have a chance to say “YES” with their financial commitments. Already the pledge cards are coming in. I have no doubt that the number of commitments this year will exceed last year’s. We are growing in numbers in our congregation. Families and individuals are visiting every week. The joy of having God in our everyday life is contagious.

Join me and come celebrate November 23 with a dessert and a pledge card and say YES to God for 2009.

During the month of October, our congregation will have several activities sharing in fellowship, education, and worship. But there is one thing in particular that I would like to speak with you about that supports all that we do. That one thing is stewardship. This year’s emphasis is called, “We Say, YES.”

Before I go any further, I want to thank you for all the ways you say “YES” to God in your daily life and through your activity in this congregation. In my conversations with you, I am always amazed to learn how you live your lives. The stories often take my breath away and leave me grateful to God for having been able to cross paths with such beautiful people.

Saying “YES” to God is nothing new to us. This year alone you have responded over and above to the call of Lutheridge, the call of our Co-Op, the call of our Mexico Mission Team, and to the call of other needs in our community. You have given of yourself – your time and your money. This is not foreign to you. We are a called people of God, and we know what it means to respond to God’s call.

This year as we explore how we will say “YES” to God again it is important, as always, to immerse ourselves in God’s word. In God’s word, we find over and over and over and over how God has faithfully said, “YES” in his covenant to us. We are truly blessed. Our commitment to God is directly related to his faithfulness to us.

I know that this time of thoughtful discernment is important to you and that you will give it your serious attention. Your giving this year has sustained us. If the past patterns hold true, whatever shortfalls we have now, they will be wiped away by the end of the year. We are a giving people.

During the month of November, we will commit ourselves to next year’s mission, but not until we have done the important work of studying, praying, and reflecting. It is important that God guide our minds and hearts.

With God leading us in our discernment, there is only one possible answer to his call to follow, and that answer is “YES.” Please join me in reading and reflecting on God’s constant “YES” to us in his covenant and our joyous opportunity to say “YES” to him with thankful hearts.

This morning I got to the office and as part of my Monday morning routine, I looked at the attendance and giving for yesterday. WOW, I have waited on this day all summer. The attendance had climbed to 390. We can easily climb back to 400. But that is not the whole story.

Something is happening again at Christ the Lord. Week after week we are slowly growing again. We had gone through a lull, but now there appears to be a change like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. There is a shift taking place.

Over the summer as I mentioned in my last newsletter, that our feet were peddling faster at the office like a deep river that looks smooth on top but underneath churns at great depths. Slowly we have been adding new dimensions to our ministry and slowly people have become excited about them.

Last spring money was donated for a new youth room. Planning and work have gone into this project for weeks. Soon we will unveil the youth room for high school youth. Last spring new basketball goals were donated. This week at Friends of Faith, their rims will be hot. Pastor Julie has started her CARE Team classes and has been visiting our shut-ins. Soon we will have the new care teams. Diane has been putting together a new class for two to three year olds. That will start with the beginning of Sunday school. Ruth Olson is inviting adults to be part of a handbell group that would like to learn from scratch.

But just like when you clean a house, you find more places to clean. We are in search of more people who would like to assist the pastors in leading worship. We are looking for readers and ushers. Diane could really use some people to help with Sunday school. Our traditional choir could use some more voices. The youth service is looking for a guitar player. We need electricians to check out and repair all our outlets. There are other things I am sure.

The excitement comes from all the activity. We need each other at Christ the Lord just like the different parts of the body need each other, as mentioned in scripture. When I indicate bring up a need on Sunday morning I am serious. We have a story to tell and a message to live out. It is important. Together we can make that difference.

If you can help us fill any need, please let us know. We are growing again, and we need each other and every one of you to keep our ministry strong.

Summer is an excellent time to make adjustments, do repairs, and get things in order for the fall. That being the goal we have had an excellent summer.

Laura Bryant has been working hard and feverishly at putting together our new worship book. We will have both services together in one binder. The real benefit will go to the traditional service that will enjoy simply flipping page to page instead of back and forth. It will be a welcome sight to see.

I am pleased to announce that Reagan and Paige Havens have said that they would be glad to organize our Couples’ Retreat. This is a first and while no specific plans are in place as yet, I am confident that this couple will do an outstanding job

Diane Thomas has been seeking material for a new two- and three -year-old Sunday school class at 9 a.m. This is great. The number of babies is growing, and we are excited about offering them classes and time for the parents to share their stories.

When the senior youth gather together in the fall they will experience a new youth room and new basketball goals. Pastor Julie and Diane are creating an awesome place for our high school youth. Vickie Davis has some retreats scheduled, which the kid’s just love, and the forms for the National Youth Gathering of 2009 are ready to be filled out. Jeff Davis has installed the new basketball goals. It should be a great fall.

Pastor Julie is training Care Team members. She has been trained in this and will be sharing her knowledge with the members in August. This is a welcomed improvement as our number of people in hospitals and shut-ins increase.

This article could never cover all that is happening at Christ the Lord, but there is an event that is a blast and an outstanding way to get to know the programs and people of our church better. The Discovery Fair is August 24, and I recommend it highly. Come and browse. Bring a friend. People have joined the church after seeing this event.

It is a little quieter during the summer months, but behind the scenes our feet are paddling faster. We look forward to seeing a full slate of members in August when summer vacations are over. Don’t forget to send in you offerings if you plan to be absent and we will have the lights on when you return.

Louis Tillman, a senior at Collins Hill High School, was elected by the Southeastern Synod delegates to represent the synod in Minneapolis, Minnesota, next year at the national assembly. This is a big honor for all but a few are chosen for this position. Congratulations to Louis for this major accomplishment.

For seventeen years, Darlene has served as the Administrative Assistant to the Bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Synod. She was honored with a reception and a very long round of applause. She is retiring, and we are glad to have her as a member of our congregation.

A couple recently gave $10,000 to be used for members of our congregation who attend seminary. It is their wish and the desires of the Church Council that this fund will grow with contributions from others. Presently we have four persons discerning or preparing for seminary. They are Keith James, Christa Price, Louis Tillman, and Shari Trotter. More information about this fund will be available by the end of summer.

The sharp ears of Richard Burgess helped secure basketball goals for our congregation. These goals are in the range of $1,500 to $2,000 each. When his neighborhood wanted to have them removed, he asked if our congregation could have them. They were quite generous. Soon our kids will have goals to play on when at the church.

Diane Thomas directed another great year of VBS, and with the help of all the kids, collected 3,919 items for the Lawrenceville C0-Op. In a month the Co-Op gives away 30,000 cans. Thanks to Bill and Alvera Christensen, Marvel Kent, Ron King, Jim Randhan, Mark Swartz, Diane Thomas, and Emma Thomas for helping get it to the Co-Op and to Hajnal Holt for organizing and boxing the food during the week.

Laura Bryant is quietly and feverishly working toward completing the new service pages for the 8:00 and 11:00 worship services. Soon we will no longer be flipping from page 94 to 142 to 206 in the new ELW. We will just turn to the next pages. Thank you Jim Wilson for getting this started and Laura Bryant for putting it together.

As you can see, we are very busy. Continue to send in your cards, letters, and checks over the summer season. Fall is shaping up to be a very strong and festive time.

Today it’s raining, there are five more days of school, and Sunday will be a full day of activity. But summer is just around the corner. Summer is a time to do something different. If you are a stay at home parent, you may not be as excited, but even you like something different. At Christ the Lord, we will honor the joy of doing something different.

VBS: VBS is always a blast. Diane has been working hard for weeks getting ready. She could use some more help if you would give her a call. We expect a good group kids this year. And with the help of the Men’s Retreat Excess Funds, Thrivent, and Children’s Ministry, we will have a new basketball goal. Let the fun and games begin June 9 to June 13.

FRED is BACK: Prepare yourself for some children’s sermons as Fred returns to tell us what he has been doing and how he is learning more about God everyday. Keith and Pastor Julie will probably get to tell you about Fred (or another character) as well.

Pastor Julie’s Awesome Classes: Pastor Julie will be having classes on Sunday mornings for our older youth and offering a class on Thursdays for anyone who would like to drop by. She gets very high marks for her classes and I look forward to hearing how excited people are about attending her classes.

AFFIRM: As always we have a strong showing of well over 30 kids attending AFFIRM this summer June 15 through 20. I have heard that they are accepting applications past the registration date if you would still like to attend.

Mexico Mission Trip: Our team of missionaries is preparing for their trip to Mexico July 19 through 26. They will be seeking our support up to the last week before they leave. They have another strong team of representatives traveling with other churches from our area. Please support them and remember them in your prayers.

Lutheroad: Our summer day camp that is staffed by counselors from Lutheridge is filling up fast. It is a whole week of pure education and energy. It is July 21 through 25. It is for children 5 years old to fifth grade. If you hurry there might be a space left.

Money: I would be delinquent in my duties if I did not mention this. Summer is a time that giving to the church can drop off. With the budget being tighter than normal, your faithful giving can make a great difference. So if you are going away, drop off your offering or mail it in. We’ll have the lights on when you return.

I hope you will get to do something different this summer and enjoy God’s creation under the sun.

May is a month that we do a great deal of rushing here and there. Rushing to school for end-of-year programs with cameras in hand. Rushing to tournaments and playoffs. Rushing to make plans for the summer and line up kids for summer camps. In the rush, we forget about time and when the rush is over we raise our heads and exclaim, “Where did all our time go” or “My, how times flies.” Somewhere along the line, we look back and remember and see time from a different perspective. This month I dedicate this newsletter to Emilie Bean who turns 100 on May 26. She has seen a great deal in her time.

I researched to see what happened the year Emilie was born. Here are some of the facts. It was the first year we celebrated Mother’s Day. The first credit union was established. It was the first time a ball was dropped on New Year’s Eve in Times Square. The first passenger flight on an airplane occurred. The first horror show was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The F.B.I. was established. The Model T was introduced. And last but not least, the 16th amendment to the constitution was ratified permitting the United States government to collect income tax.

Emile has seen and lived through a great deal in her life. This article does not have the space to record all that she has seen and lived through. But suffice it to say that she has observed and lived through more than we can even remember. I believe two world wars and a depression would have been enough.

But longevity is not what makes Emile so special. Emile is most loved and remembered for her faithfulness to God and neighbor, not to mention her lovely smile and pleasant disposition. And her greatest gift is her cards and letters in her beautiful handwriting that she still sends out. E-mail has not corrupted her.

As I celebrated 24 years at Christ the Lord, and Christ the Lord celebrates 29 years, I am mindful that neither the church nor myself would be here without faithful believers like Emilie Bean. “I thank my God every time I remember you” Philippians. 1:3.

In honor of this wonderful woman, I want to invite you to join with me in sending her a card on her special day, May 26. She deserves only the best on this special day. Thank God for allowing us to have her for so long.

Lent came early this year. An e-mail has been going around telling of how this will be the earliest we will ever see it in our lifetime. The dates are set based on the Hebrew lunar calendar. You must be 95 to have seen it this early ever before (Emilie Bean who turns 100 this year is the only person in our church who might have remembered). And it will not happen again for over a century. An early Lent is tough on us ecclesiastical types. We would like a little more time to recover from Christmas. But the good news is Easter comes earlier too.

At our church, Lent did come early. If you view Lent as an introspective time, then we have had our share of looking at ourselves. You may not know it, but your church leaders and staff have been asking themselves what is happening around here. Giving and attendance have dropped. I certainly had my share of sleepless nights. Just when I thought I had God all figured out, he reminded me of how he works well outside the box that I made for Him.

I have been looking under every nook and cranny to make sense of this shaking of the foundations. Much of what I found out wasn’t bad news; it was just THE news. Long time members had moved out of state. We were in transition. Here today and gone tomorrow. I wondered what we would do. But I wondered in the wrong direction. I looked everywhere, but the answer was right under my nose. There right in front of me God had placed a blessing, but I had overlooked it. I spent all my time depressed, wringing my hands and planning for the worst. But God would not let go. God said look here. What I saw was you.

I decided to tell the congregation. I decided to tell you of the change. I shared with you this unsettling news. I had been here before and believed we would get through it, but was coming up empty for ideas as to where this would all lead. I was your Pastor. Shouldn’t I have all the answers? I was a failure. But for all my mistakes, I made one good decision; I shared it with God’s people, the congregation.

What has happened since then is the Good News we share every Sunday. God works through God’s people. No pastor is worth his bread and butter that doesn’t know that. God may have spoken to Moses, but the message was to be told to the wandering Hebrews. God would work through them.

God has worked through you. We have seen some wonderful change. Our giving is growing and new people are stepping forward and helping with various ministries. God continues to bless us with new members, and God is helping us help them find a place. I do love this work. I just wished I could stop trying to out think God. God led the Israelites with a fire by night and clouds by day. He leads me the best way he knows how. Thank God he is patient.

I love the thought that Easter came early. We have a lot to tell our neighbors and friends. God is alive and well. We have an urgent message to get out to the world. We have a strong need to involve everyone within our ranks to help us do this work. God is equipping us everyday. Ours is to seize the moment and press forward together.

As we, as a congregation, celebrate this Easter season. Let us renew our love and devotion to God. We have so much to thank Him for. Let’s invite, and welcome and involve everyone that we can at working in God’s kingdom. Let’s tell a story to the world that is needed more today than ever. God lives and cares dearly about us. Christ has risen and is far from dead.

Church is a messy activity. Lent is messy too. They are both messy because they involve people. People are messy. I don’t think this is an article to impose my framework of life upon the world. I honestly think it is a reflection of my experience with people. Messy sometimes makes me long for perfect and organized and stable. I imagine it to be better – a place of tranquility. But the more I think about it, I wouldn’t be part of it. I hate to say it, I’m not certain anybody would show up.

Lent makes me think about messy. Lent is a time and period of self-reflection. Everyday of my life is a juggling act. But I am not alone. I happen to know many of you who are in the same boat. You will be glad to know there have been some other prominent people in this same vessel. They were the twelve disciples.

I don’t think it is sacrilege to say that the twelve disciples were a half-baked dozen. If you read the Gospels closely, they were confused about what to do and where they were headed most of the time. Jesus constantly had to instruct them on what to do. Peter jumps out of a boat into high waves on a lake. James and John argue about their place in heaven and mama puts her two cents in for them. After seeing Jesus do a number of miracles, they are confused on where the food will come from for the 5,000. Don’t get me wrong; they were devoted. They dropped everything to follow him. They love him and just about gave up everything for him.

One could conclude that we are in good company. We are! As long as we are able to see that all of us come broken and in need of Christ, we will continue to be a blessed messed up gathering of God’s disciples. If we can avoid thinking that we are better than the other messed up character, we are in a good place. What we have in common is that we all have discovered that God heals. He has helped us and we want to keep coming to Him.

The beauty of this mess is that when Jesus chose his disciples he wasn’t looking for people who were perfect. Tax collectors and rough-hewn, rough talking fisherman aren’t what you think of when starting a worldwide organization. Jesus didn’t want to start a business. He was in the business of healing the hurting. That’s messy business. I’m glad he found me, and I’m glad to stand beside you to praise and say “thank you” to Him on Sunday Morning.

As I drop off my kids at their friends’ houses and look at the neighborhood, I’ve noticed that people are still putting away the final remnants of Christmas. Already you can buy Cadbury creamed-filled chocolate Easter eggs at the check-out lines of the drug stores. Epiphany will be a flash in the pan. Ash Wednesday is February 6. Lent is upon us along with a whole list of activities that are filling the calendar. The church is busy as a bee with activity and you could miss it if you blink. Let’s look at it before is passes us by.

Before I forget this, first communion classes have been scheduled for April 20 and 27. First communion Sunday will be May 4. These dates were chosen because of the early arrival of Easter and the positioning of spring break. If you have a child who is 10 years old or in the fifth grade and have not received a letter please be sure to give me a call.

Planning for the men’s retreat is under way. We could use your help. The retreat is from April 25 to 27. If you’re new to the church, this is a growing event that the men flock to. I highly recommend this weekend as a way to get away, get to know the men in the church better, to have time to express your faith in a safe environment, and just have a blast together.

The FROGS have the Easter egg hunt planned for March 22. The egg hunt is a growing event again. We are baptizing more babies lately than we have in a long time. Young families are getting together. We are working at getting e-mail addresses to send out information about events coming up. This exciting ministry is very cutting edge.

Adult Education is full of opportunities these days. Pastor Julie is creating something new and different all the time. I have heard about her Gospel according to Gilligan’s Island. It sounds delightful, and you will definitely learn something between the laughter. If you haven’t taken one of her courses, I highly recommend it.

This year’s musical performance is Smoke on the Mountain. The setting for the musical is a church. The play will be April 27 and May 2 and 3. While the cast is smaller this year, the musical will be delightful. Our own Golden and Silver Fellowship simply loved the production they saw in Gainesville. I am betting that this will get two thumbs up.

Lenten services are quickly being designed, and several people are being asked to help. I don’t usually push these services but this year is different. I truly believe they will be moving and inspiring. They will be on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. beginning February 13.

Why do I devote this column to telling you about things that you will see later in the newsletter? Simple, our congregation is growing again. This growth is happening as people are inviting their friends and family to church events. People are rediscovering the joy of being part of a congregation, a family of faith. I encourage you to tell your friends about us and bring them to church.

Time is moving rapidly this year, but the good news is that this is a leap year. We will get 24 hours catch up. And given how busy this church is becoming, we will use every minute of it.

You will receive this January newsletter in December. It’s a wonderful way to get a jump on the New Year. Every December, I find myself thinking about and making plans for the following year. This year we accomplished quite few things, but next year I have my eyes set on some exciting new ventures.

This year we did accomplish some great things. We redid the landscape, painted a majority of the church inside and outside, and completed a list (a mile long) of general repairs. We called Pastor Julie as a new associate and finally got her office in place. We had the traditional fare of outreach to Mexico and built TWO new Habitat houses. Our second annual Fall Festival grew bigger and demonstrated that we were learning what you like to see at these events. Education, youth, and music programs showed no let up in trying new things and reaching new people. It was a wonderful year to serve God.

Next year will be wonderful too. I have no idea where God will lead us, but have no doubt there be will plenty to accomplish. That is the nature of the church. We are called to serve.

I do have a few things in mind. Much to my surprise eight or nine couples showed interest in a couples’ retreat. I think that will take shape. I have a strong feeling that the FROGS (our young families with preschool kids) will develop in a big way next year. We already know that we have another Habitat House and plans will be made for a Mexico mission trip again. We have lined up our Lutheridge Day Camp for the summer. Men’s and Women’s retreats are secure. Fall Festival is on the calendar. Laura has all but picked out the musical. It may sound far off, but it’s just around the corner

The best and most challenging thing about next year will be the unknowns. God leads; we follow. Where He takes us nobody knows. As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while we are planning it.” These events are quite often what draw us together as a congregation. Much like Hurricane Katrina did.

This year may not be over yet, but I have my eyes on next year and next year is shaping up to be another wonderful year to serve God.

When my children were in kindergarten, they were all taught about “Stop, Drop and Roll.” What do you do when you are on fire? … What do you do when the Christmas rush is building up pressure in your life? Stop, Sit, and Think. What exactly do you want out of these holy days? When January rolls around, what do you want to be left with? I would like to be left with the memory of God’s unbelievable love and the joy of sharing it with others.

During the holiday season, I try not to get the cart before the horse. I ask myself what is this season about? Then I try to work with others (another thing we learn in kindergarten) at creating activities that will cause said results. It sounds a little cold but it sure does work when all the activities are swirling around, traffic at a halt, and stores filled to the brim.

What would you like to remember at the beginning of January? If you want to revisit the story of the Christ Child, I might recommend reading the story from scripture. You might like to pledge yourself to attending worship services or Bible studies as a way of getting you there. Pastor Julie will be offering a daytime and evening time Bible study during Advent. Take an evening and see the children’s Christmas program even if you don’t have small children. Attend the Advent choir program. Do any of these as a family and you can double your fun. Talk about it as a family afterwards, and you can hit the daily jackpot.

Would you like to share a gift of thanksgiving with others? I always like to give to the least of these especially during this season as a reminder to me of how God gave the Christ child to us? Take an angel from the angel tree. Drop some change into the Salvation Army pots (a favorite of mine). Bring some canned goods for the Co-Op. Participate with your child’s classroom or neighborhood or office at helping someone in need. Send a card to someone who you know could use the lift.

There are many things you can do during these holy days. But you can’t do them all. So ask yourself, how do you want to remember this season. Make the plan now. Hitch the horse to the cart and let it lead. Plan with others. You won't have all of it done by the end of the season, but you will have a wonderful memory of all that you did.

Remember, born this day in the city of David is Christ Jesus. No matter what we do. That is plenty. Everything else is extra.

All of us are asked to pledge on November 18, when we will again make some major decisions about the life and direction of our church. I hope that you will join me in continuing the strong and changing mission of Christ the Lord.

For 28 years, Christ the Lord has been perched upon this knoll along highway 120. We have been sharing the message of Jesus Christ with our community in worship and in service to the community. Over the years, our ministry has changed and grown to adapt to the world around us. We have staffed and built to meet the needs of our church.

Our most recent change has been the addition of Pastor Julie whose focus is adult education and senior youth ministry. We have also added a volunteer workroom to our facility. This is a reflection our growing number of senior youth and our growing number of volunteers who help make our ministry strong.

While we may not look as big from the street as other churches, I think that you are aware of our multiple worship services and ministries that take place in this facility. We pack a punch in a smaller package. We place a strong emphasis on ministry over the need for brick and mortar. Sure, we would all like to have a bigger facility, but if decisions have to be made, we value ministry, programming, and staffing over the floor and walls.

As a congregation, together we are touching a lot of lives within and without these walls. We are constantly caring for the shut in, the hospitalized, the hungry, the young and old, the homeless, the troubled marriage, etc. It runs at a rapid clip. God is alive and well here.

We thank God for his presence amongst us in all that we do together. We are blessed to have all that we do and fortunate to be used by God to do his work. We are God’s people.

When we pledge we are saying that this ministry is important to us. We value it. We are saying thank you to God for providing us all that we need. We are saying that we want to continue this ministry together, and we want to share what God has given to us as our thanks to keep it growing strong.

On Nov 18, I hope that you and your family will join my family and me in making our commitment to this ministry. It is good to be here in this time and place on the knoll on Highway 120 as a beacon of God’s love for the world. Let’s keep it strong.

I am always amazed how God helps us accomplish the work of the kingdom of God. When I pray “thy will be done,” I am awakened to the fact that God has called me to participate in helping share in His mission. His mission is that all people would come to discover his love for them and that they would welcome that love and participate in sharing that love. It seems simple and it is, but the notion of reaching out to the whole world can sometimes be overwhelming. Where do I start, where will it lead, how do I get there, and how will it all get done? Where the rubber meets the road is the day-to-day activity. That activity is called church!

The church is an interesting gathering of people. We come from all parts of the world, and various traditions. We come with baggage, preconceived ideas, political views, traditions of all types, etc. Who you meet in the local grocery store or big mall is of the same make up. God calls all of us. How it holds together at all is amazing.

As a young boy, I sang in the church choir. We sat right up front to the right of the lectern. We had a view of everything from our slightly perched position. One Sunday morning I went to the most popular hang out for the kids – the Coke machine. While there I heard a man bad mouthing another member of the church. When I went outside to drink my soda, I overheard the other man talking about the guy at the Coke machine. In church from my unique view of things, I watched the two men come down to the altar and kneel side by side to receive Holy Communion. “Ah!” I said. “That is how it works!” God forgives. God redeems. God makes new.

We are all broken but not broken. Or as one member said, “We are broken but not hopeless.” We limp around in this injured state, but God still makes use of us.

At the church, we are establishing a Lay Ministry room. The purpose of the room is to recognize and support the lay ministry of this church. It will be fully equipped with a computer, Internet access, copier, fax, file cabinets, etc. I could never tell you how much wonderful work in God’s kingdom the members of this church, the whole people of God, and the grocery store people do. You are an answer to a prayer. My prayer is, “How do I get it all done, Lord?” Moses asked the same question of God in the book of Exodus. God showed him how to share the mission with all the Hebrews.

None of us have all the answers for everything that needs to be done in God’s kingdom. But God has called all of us. None of us have a clue as to how it all works out. But we all have a place in his kingdom. How do all these people from common places like grocery stores with all their baggage and traditions work together? They come to an altar all broken and limping and God makes of them a kingdom of servants who serve Him who served us first on the cross.

Thank you, Jesus. “Thank you, Jesus” was what I remembered saying when I was a teenager sitting alone in the front pew of my home church. I can’t remember what I did (honestly) but it was bad enough that I went to church during the week when no one else was there and had some time alone with God. “Thank you, Jesus” was my response. Thank you for forgiving me and accepting me and allowing me to remain in your grace.

This year’s stewardship theme is “Thank you, Jesus.” Oddly enough there is a wonderful person in our church who, after I give her the wafer at communion responds, “Thank You, Jesus.” I think we all have a great deal for which to thank Jesus. A parishioner who heard about another member of church getting into trouble said, “that is what I like about our church.” We all have our baggage. We come here hoping to find help. My hope as pastor is that you discover Jesus’ presence here and realize that He has been there all along and that you are able to say, after coming to this realization, “Thank You, Jesus, for keeping me in your care.”

In managing our lives, we are often overwhelmed, whether it is our family, our work, our neighborhood, or our friends. At these moments, we cling to Jesus and place a lot on His shoulders for we cannot bear it alone. After feeling the relief of having God help us with our lives, we can relax sometimes and say, “Thank You, Jesus.”

As we reflect on our lives this year during the stewardship emphasis, my prayer is that you will come to know and trust Jesus with more of your life. I am convinced that the more we can turn over to Him, the greater our lives become. When we are weak, He is strong. When we place our trust in Him, we find the true strength of our lives.

So keep your eyes and ears open this fall as we as a congregation say as one, “Thank You, Jesus, for all that your are.”

I hope my readership is high this month even though it is an August newsletter. I have some wonderful news to share. So, if you are reading this, please do me a favor and ask other people in the church if their eye caught this article. I would have saved it for another month but as you read, you will recognize some of the info is time sensitive.

First, I wanted to tell you about our latest survey results. A survey, called Natural Development, was completed by 30 of our members. It has been used with well over 4 million people from every denomination all over the world. The survey measures eight characteristics that are found in a strong and effective church no matter what their size or flavor or part of the world. In 2004 we had a very strong score. Our latest score was four points higher. We are by no means perfect. In fact, that is why we do the survey. We want to find our weakest parts and give them attention. One of our regional church leaders saw our results and described them as “very impressive.”

I have two responses to the results. Thanks be to God. It really is my only response. God guides and leads us and as we are obedient to Him then we become more loving and gracious in our ministry. But if I were to add something, I would thank you. You are a very loving and gracious people. While we are not perfect, we are all seeking to serve God better. And working with a group of people like you is and has been a pure pleasure. All that said, we will let you know of the areas where we hope to improve in the next couple of years.

Secondly, I voted along with the Church Council in a unanimous decision to recommend to the congregation to call the Reverend Julie Ehlers-King on August 19 at 5 p.m. as our new assistant minister. Since January she has taught our Adult Education classes and worked with our middle school and senior high youth Sunday school. She has received stellar reviews. We are excited about this new phase in the life of our church.

Pastor Julie’s title will be Assistant Pastor of Adult Education and Senior Youth Ministry. These will be her two primary areas of concerns. On occasions she will preach when I am out of town. She will assist in some areas when special circumstances arise but these unique occasions will be occasional and temporary. I say this so that we all understand the parameters of her call. She will be a great addition to our wonderful staff, and I look forward to working with her.

Whether I work with her depends on you. The August 19 meeting at 5 p.m. is very important. A quorum is needed. Need I say more? I will be sending a separate letter closer to the date explaining the purpose of the meeting and encouraging your attendance. But I wanted to use this format to make the announcement earlier. Mark this on your calendar now.

We have a wonderful congregation. We are seeking to serve God better. Pastor Julie will be a great addition helping us to be better servants of God.

I have read my share of summer newsletters that talk about summer as a time of re-creation. Obviously it is a play on the word recreation, which would include fishing for anyone who cares. Those articles can be educational by helping us see that God allows time for us to do new and different things especially during the summer months when many of us have more leisure time. All that being said, I would rather talk re-birth.

Re-birth is something I can relate to as pastor of this congregation. It is not to say that I want be fishing. It is simply stating that as your pastor I am seeing a re-birth of ministry in our congregation. It is exciting and uplifting, which is to say that I love to come to work more than I used to. I have always loved my job, but now it is even more exciting.

What is happening at our church? New ministries are beginning to emerge. Some are a remake of the past. Some are just new. We have a group of families that have small preschool children that get together, and they are seeking families with small preschool children. It sounds like a personal ad in the paper. But they are interested in sharing ideas, play times, holiday gatherings, etc. You name it. They are excited about building community within our community. While we have had similar groups in the past this is a new group and I am happy for them as they come together. If a group like this excites you, let us know and we will connect you, sort of like a computer dating service.

Lutheridge Day Camp is new. It really is new. We have never had a day camp at Christ the Lord. A strong reason for this is that we have a wonderful member, Kathie Davis, who has helped us bring this to our church. Kathie grew up going to Lutheridge in Arden, North Carolina when she was a child. She loved it so much she is also helping promote Lutheranch, which is a new emerging Lutheran camp in Georgia. The day camp we will have will be July 22 through 27 for children kindergarten through 5th grade. Camp counselors from the main campus in North Carolina come here and run the camp. Our own Keith James, who is a counselor, will be coming here. We still have some openings if you would like to send your child. This is exciting.

New this year is our new Sunday school program. We have three big celebrations planned for the summer. There is one for each month. By the time you receive this, we will have already had one. The old way of doing summer Sunday school was failing. So instead of hitting our heads against the wall for another summer, we decided to go another direction. We have strong support for it, which is usually a sign that it will be successful. I am excited about this new direction.

Rev. Julie Ehlers-King’s class for middle school and high school youth on Sundays at 10 a.m. is new. She had 14 youth her first Sunday when 30 plus of our youth had just left for AFFIRM, a summer church camp. Am I excited? I am super excited about this. We are seeing ministries emerge in new and different ways that we have never seen before. Pastor Julie has some new Bible studies coming up this fall that I think people will love.

Life is changing here at the church. It is new and different and exciting. I hope you have a wonderful summer experiencing recreation. I will be fishing too. But here at the church we are experiencing rebirth and it is……………exciting.

When I walked away from the soccer team party yesterday, I felt like a free man. No practices, games, and tournaments. I know some of you may feel the same way. And to crown this sundae with a cherry, we aren’t doing swim team this summer. But by the time I got to the car, there was Lutheridge, Boy Scout Camp, Band Camp, Summer Jobs, some vacation time and long, hot days. But no matter how busy it will be, it will be summer.

Summer for many people is a relaxing time to do things you don’t normally do during the school months. For some, it is the dreadful thought of summer heat, especially if you work outside. For some of our youth, it will be those last few months home before they venture out to college. For me, it is wonderful sunshine that keeps me from getting the blues like the short, cold days of December. For all of us, it is something different.

At Christ the Lord, we will be exploring a new hymnal at our traditional services. The youth will make their way to AFFIRM, our synod youth camp. Some of our members will make another journey to Piedras Negras, Mexico, to help erect a Lutheran church and clean up from the tornado that occurred a couple months ago. While we will not send an official group, you can call me and I can link you up to do recovery work from Katrina in Mississippi. Fred will be back to deliver our children’s sermon. If you are new to our church and do not know Fred, I will just leave it for you to discover on your own. Vacation Bible School is sure to be another blast as it always has. Come to think of it, we have a lot to do this summer.

Two things I would like to call to your attention are our Lutheridge Day Camp and voting to call the Rev. Julie Ehlers-King as our new associate pastor. This is the first time Lutheridge is offering a day camp at our church. We are pleased to announce that Keith James, our future seminarian and Newberry College student, will be one of the counselors. He is pumped. But this is not the first time for Kathie Davis who has done this twice at her previous congregation. We are very excited about this new venture. If you have a child ages kindergarten through 5th grade who would like to go to a camp closer to home, this is the ticket. Call the church (770 963-4499), and we will get you signed up. There is still space available.

The Church Council has set aside Sunday, August 19, at 5 p.m. to have a special called congregational meeting for the purpose of extending a call to the Rev. Julie Ehlers-King as our new associate. You may have met her if you have participated in our adult education programs or have had the opportunity to hear her preach here once. I am delighted at this prospect, and I have only heard glowing remarks about how well she has been doing. You will hear more about this over the summer. Until then, she will be working with our junior and senior high youth over the summer at the Sunday school hour of 10 a.m. Be sure, if you can, to say hello to her and get to know her better.

This will be a wild and crazy summer, and I look forward to it. I hope when you are not out of town you will find yourself at church celebrating the life God gave us. When you do leave, just drop your pledge in the mail and we’ll have the lights on when you return. Enjoy!!!

Easter Day has come and gone but not the power of the message. The message, as it always has been, will be preached every Sunday and lived out everyday. Christ has delivered us from our own demise and sent us to share the message with everyone else. How is that done?

Obviously sharing your faith can mean witnessing to others in simple conversations, but I would like to focus our attention on the gift of service to others. Many people have come to know God’s love in their life when a Christian has befriended them. I would even suggest that my faith has been boosted by the compassionate act of another Christian. This would lead me to conclude that witnessing is not just to the people who do not participate in the life of the church but also to those within the community of faith.

Service to others isn’t just for the recipient. It is important to the one who is serving. Jesus preached that, “Just as the Father has sent me, so I send you.” By serving in God’s name we immerse ourselves in the life work of God’s kingdom. Under His rule, we realign our desires to His ways. We become closer to the heart of God.

There are many ways in your life you can share God’s love and message in your service at home, work, and play. I would like to point to some ways that you can do it in your church. These areas could use your attention and strengthen our corporate witness to the community.

Vacation Bible School is June 4 through 8 and could use your help. I know Diane is recruiting volunteers. It may be of interest to you that every year we have welcomed a new family to the church through this program.

Habitat for Humanity is in need of 30 people from our church on May 12. Thrivent and the Lutheran Churches in this area have teamed up to build two homes this year. I have never met anyone who has participated in a Habitat House that has come away feeling bad. They always come away feeling like they have done the right thing.

The Lawrenceville Co-Op could always use some extra hands. Maybe you can’t do it all the time, but maybe you could give a day stocking shelves or learning how to help people with the intention of coming back and helping more later. You can e-mail Sandra Gustavson at sgustavson@terry.uga.edu for more information.

The property committee is always looking for some people to help mow the lawn this time of year. It doesn’t seem like a service to others but you might be amazed at how people view the church by how the church grounds are kept.

You might see things that need your help that I do not see. That would not be new. And if you do, I invite you to take up your cross and be about your work. If I have learned anything in life it is that God is far ahead of me directing people into the places where He needs their service. Go in peace. Serve the Lord.

How do you know that God lives? Easter is upon us and we will celebrate and proclaim the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We will proudly proclaim that because Jesus has died and risen, we too will die and rise to Christ. While we live in a country that defends our rights to hold to these beliefs, this same country defends everyone’s right to believe as they choose. While you may not know it, there are fewer and fewer people in America who are members of a church. They believe in God in a general sense but find the institution to be only in the business of collecting money or simply inconvenient. So how does one live out their faith in a world that isn’t against us, for the most part, or for us?

Every so often someone tells me a story about having an argument with a brother or sister, or friend who believes differently from how they believe. On occasions that other person is not affiliated with any type of church. I, myself, have friends and family who have little or no interest in religion and sometimes go as far as making smart remarks about what I do believe. What am you or I to do in these situations?

Alleluia, He is Risen; He is Risen, Indeed. The long journey of Lent holds some of that answer. During Lent we learned the self-sacrificing life of Jesus Christ. We read and observed how Jesus spent his life living for others. The devil tempted Him in the desert with all sorts of possibilities. But Jesus remained true to His father in heaven. Jesus did not allow the distractions that went on around him to keep him from his calling.

Just as Jesus focused on serving his father in Heaven, he called us to do the same. Where is God calling you? In Luther’s small catechism, which we studied during Lent, we learned in Luther’s teachings of the Ten Commandments that we not hold hard feelings toward our neighbor or friends but assist them in any way that we can. We are called to serve others.

What I have learned is that you can’t make anyone agree with how we believe. You can share what you believe and leave the rest to God. True, people may reject your thinking. Relatives and friends may have strong feelings about how you believe, but arguing about it seldom, if ever, resolves the situation. But serving others, lifting up others, and caring for others is our calling and we do this because God is risen; his is risen indeed.

As God’s people at Christ the Lord, we have seen the risen Christ. How do we know Christ has risen? I along with you see it in each other’s actions and attitudes. Soon you will have opportunity to demonstrate your faith through the congregation by helping to build a Habitat House April 14 and 21 and May 12. You can still attend the Mexico Mission trip – let us know soon. You can help with Vacation Bible School. You can continue helping us fix up and repair the church. You can be a caregiver to a shut-in. You can love someone in a caring and loving way just as He loved us in a caring and self-sacrificing way. What a wonderful way to spend our lives.

Is observing the season of Lent a part of your life? Do even know what it is? Some of you will flinch at that question. While others of you will say no. Some might even say yes. For those of you who do, this may not be of interest to you. For those of you who forgot Lent or you who chose not to do it this year, or you who have no clue as to what it is, give me a couple of minutes.

To make a long story short, Lent is 40 days of intentional observance of Jesus’ sacrificial life. It is not mandatory. The church created Lent years ago for new converts. After forty days of education and reflection, converts were baptized into the faith on Easter.

Today, it is used as period of intentional or intense, for some, refection upon our lives in Christ. Accompanying this planned reflection, some have chosen to fast or deny themselves something of strong desire like sweets, television, fill in the blank. It is a small way of trying to connect with what Jesus did when he denied himself things for the sake of the world.

Another option that some have chosen is doing something for someone else. It kills two birds with one stone. You deny yourself and help another.

Finally, you may choose to do these -- read scripture, reflect, and serve others. As you can see the possibilities are numerous.

Why would you want to do this? I would like to suggest to you that God could be lost or forgotten in the shuffle of life or daily routine. Have you ever felt like you and your significant other have wandered apart? Do you sometimes wish that you had more time to share with the kids? Have you had friends that you have lost contact with and wanted to reconnect? Lent is a time to reconnect with God.

I think that the connection is extremely important. I need to know that God cares. Do you ever feel like you don’t know where your life is leading? Do the demands of life exceed your where-with-all? Do you wonder what God has in stall for your life? These are questions that I have asked and many, many, others have too. Knowing that God is living alongside me, sometimes toting me on his back, is the reason that I get out of bed some days. God carries me until I can walk again. Lent is a time to discover that God cares. Lent is a time to care for others in a Godly fashion.

So how does one go about this? Here are some ideas you might consider? Memorize and recite the 23rd Psalm everyday. Read one of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Be a secret servant to someone. Turn off the excess noise for 13 minutes a day. List your blessings for 40 days. Talk to someone who is dying. Look up at the sky. Look in the mirror and LOL. Hug somebody. Take someone to lunch who is down on their luck. Send a note to an old friend. Pray for someone.

The big picture of life is not always clear. What is certain is that God longs to be near you, to walk beside you, or lift you upon his back. When we let that happen, one day at a time, we can rediscover our purpose through his love. Forty days of Lent might just turn into a lifetime of love. Not a bad plan.

There are so many things happening at Christ the Lord that have my head spinning. I want to take this space to share some information about some of them.

Who is our new assistant? Officially we do not have a new assistant minister. We have hired the Rev. Julie Ehlers-King to teach one of our adult Sunday school classes. This summer she will be meeting with our Jr. and Sr. Youth during the Sunday school hour. We will be speaking with her during this time. Until then, she is great to have with us and as things change we will keep you informed.

What is Lutheridge day camp? Lutheridge is a 160-acre Lutheran camp located in Arden, NC. It has been around as long as I can remember, and that’s a long time. In the last few years, Lutheridge has been sending camp counselors out to local congregations to have camp at church sites. Christ the Lord will be offering this camp this summer at our church in July. We will have room for 25 to 30 kids kindergarten through 5th grade. The cost will be approximately $125. As more details are finalized, we will let you know.

Why more Handbells? If you have heard our handbell choir, you know why. They are wonderful and more people want to be part of it. We do not have enough bells. We have raised $2,400 so far and need $3,400 for the next octave. Your donations are appreciated, and I can’t wait to hear the new bells. (As of print time, we have raised all necessary funds!)

Tell me more about the Landscape project? Ruth Olson, a landscape architect has drawn up a plan for our property. Karl Lee with the help of Tim Thomas are gathering the troops to implement the plan in four stages. The cost is roughly $2,000. We will gather funds in stages. In our location, drive-by traffic is so important to how people meet us. We want to look our best.

What about Habitat for Humanity? Last year Lutheran churches in Gwinnett along with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised a home in Norcross. This year we have plans for two houses in (Lilburn and Sugar Hill). Already a $5,000 gift has been given to this project. As details of building take shape, we will be in touch.

The Mexico Trip set for July 15 -- The Council approved the trip for our congregation to participate with McKendree United Methodist in mission work in Piedras Negras, Mexico. We are in preliminary discussions with the National Lutheran Church to possibly build a Lutheran church with the help of Hands and Feet Ministries.

What about Lent? This year for Lent we will be exploring Luther’s small catechism. On Wednesday evenings, we will brush up on the Ten Commandments and on Sunday mornings we will introduce parts of the Small Catechism during worship. I think you will find it very interesting.

There is more, but I am running out of space. If you are not involved in the church, let me know. We have many things to offer.

By the time you receive this, Christmas will be over or very close to over; and we will be in that lull (for most folks) just before the New Year. As we look forward to 2007, there will be some obvious changes at Christ the Lord, but one thing will not have changed, we will still have a calling by God to go and serve. And that I believe will prove to be as exciting as it always has since Old Testament times.

If you have not heard by now (I assume you all have read your mail or heard in the church or through the grapevine) that Pastor Terri will be taking a pastoral call to a Lutheran church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. She will certainly be missed, but I wish her the best as she takes on her first role as a solo pastor. I have no doubt about her abilities and skills. She will perform superbly in her new role.

At Christ the Lord, we still have a strong mission and calling to continue. The Church Council has done an excellent job at responding to the adjustments. I have met with key leaders especially with those who reported to Pastor Terri. I have reassured them that we will draw on support from ministers in the area to help us, as we take the time to determine our new staffing arrangements. At the congregational meeting on January 28, the Church Council hopes to present their ideas for your approval.

To address some of the changes now, we have contacted The Rev. Julie Ehlers-King who now lives in Braselton. She has agreed to assist us in our adult education ministry. She graduated from seminary five years ago. Her husband’s name is Joshua, and they have two small children, Ethan and Eli. So if you are one of our members who enjoy the pastor’s class on Sunday morning, I am sure you will find Pastor Ehlers-King a stimulating teacher with much enthusiasm.

In the area of outreach, we were delighted to receive a gift of $5,000 at Thanksgiving to be used for a Habitat House. Thrivent will match that money, and we will be seeking your support sometime during the New Year. We have been told that one of the two houses, being built by the Lutheran Churches of Gwinnett and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, will be in Lawrenceville. We hope to have strong support for this project.

We will be introducing the new worship book for traditional services during the summer months. It is burgundy, has ten worship settings, and a number of new hymns. While we will be collecting money to buy these new books, we are delighted to announce that over $3,000 has already been given towards their purchase.

This is a sampling of some of the new and exciting things we will do next year. As God’s people we will be blessed as we submit ourselves to his leadership. I look forward to working with you.

Would someone tell me which end is up? That might be a fair question this time of year. One could ask it just because they are overwhelmed with things to do. Trying to live out an Advent season during a Christmas rush might confuse others of us, who give attention to the church calendar. I am certain that Joseph and Mary had a few concerns of their own before and after the birth of the child. As our congregation ends one year and tries to make plans for the new fiscal year we can feel pulled in all sorts of directions too. So what did Joseph and Mary do from which we could learn?

Listen! That is what they taught us. They taught us to listen. The young couple at the beginning of a new relationship, all giddy at getting to know one another, gets slapped with the news that Mary is pregnant. Joseph is told what to call this child that he has no idea from where he came. Pick up and move says the government. Get yourself to your birthplace to be counted. Everyone has something to tell them. But Mary’s ears are attuned to God.

We have had a strong ministry this year. We have reached out and served in ways that we could have never dreamed. All the planning in the world, and there was plenty of it, could not have forewarned us of all that we would do. Listening to God was the plumb line for our affairs. It helped us keep a clear eye on what to do and how to proceed. God called, provided for our needs and sent us into service, which is exactly what God did for Joseph and Mary.

What will 2007 look like? It is hard to say. I know that the Church Council, church staff, and church leaders are beginning to lay out a game plan. But life is what happens when you are making your plans according to John Lennon. That may not be biblical but it sure smacks of the truth. Just when we think we have everything in order, God invites us to take another direction.

The people of the Old Testament, particularly the Israelites, tugged and fought with God. God called them in one direction but they went in another. But God would tame them, and they would return to his voice like a sheep listens to the call of the shepherd. Home they would go in the direction that God had first called them to go. They would rejoice in the newfound relationship.

Joseph and Mary teach us the importance of listening. There are many and varied voices that want our attention. They call us in all directions. But where is our plumb line? The compass of our life is soon to be celebrated. He will grow up and call us to places we could never have imagined. But if we are smart, faithful, and trusting, we will lend our ears in His direction, for the shepherd cares for His sheep.

Which end is up? Where are we? What do we do in this Advent waiting/Christmas rush that pulls us in all directions? We listen. Now is the time to listen. We listen and trust that God knows our needs and will lead us as well as provide for us on our journey.

As you and your family prepare for and celebrate the Christmas season, I hope you and your loved ones will make the time to pause and to listen to the beautiful voice of God and discover where He is leading you.

The time has come to make our pledge for 2007. By the time you receive this newsletter, many of you may have already done so. But if you have not, let me take this time to encourage you to do so.

At our last Church Council meeting, I discussed with the group the need to give some attention to our facilities during the coming year. This will be an important emphasis for 2007. Already, we have a master plan for our landscape, which was done by Ruth Olson, a member and landscape architect. She has been very careful to design something that is low maintenance and uses the plants and trees that we already have in place. I know you will enjoy the change.

Concerning the facilities, I have asked Victoria Leech to do an assessment of our church building. She used to oversee the entire building and grounds of Turner Field. With her eyes and the experience of Ron King, our Property chairperson, we hope to do some upgrades around the church and keep our church functioning and welcoming. The painting of the narthex is one of the top items. Did I hear cheers in the background?

At that same Council meeting, we approved the installation of a new heat pump for the staff offices. For the last two years, we have been using space heaters and felt that it was time to make the change. Thanks to Roland Couillard, we were able to save $3,000 because of his resourcefulness at finding a scratch and dent model and volunteering all his time and talent for its installation.

Our copy machine is due to be upgraded after running it into the ground. Technology has changed so much over the last seven years. But Julie Gulley has done thorough research and has a machine to meet our needs. That will be a part of the new budget.

Carl Ceneskie has become a hero around the office by building shelves and storage space. He is a great mister fix-it man. Let me not forget the many fix-it jobs done by Ron King. And do you remember the piles of mulch that lay alongside our property parallel to McKendree Church Road? It was spread by Glen Cormier earlier this summer and most recently the job was finished by Jim Randhan.

I guess all my ramblings can be shortened to this – Your gifts to God help keep the church facilities up and running. And without a facility, it is hard to minister to the world.

If you have not pledged, please do so soon so that we can make our plans for 2007. All your gifts are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to serving God together for another year.

October 2006

I have sat with many people this year in their homes and hospital rooms. I have spoken to people on the phone and answered their e-mails. The people that I am talking about are everyday people who go to work, raise a family, and seek to find joy in their existence. The one characteristic that most of them share is that they are part of this congregation. At some particular time in their lives, they have had a set-back of one kind or another. They have had to reach out for advice, assistance, or just a caring ear. Most of them, if not all, found in due time what they needed for that particular hurtle. And after living through that faith-challenging moment, they concluded, how could anyone live without a caring community like our church.

One strength of our congregation is its desire to reach out and help both within and beyond our walls. I have discovered that our members love to assist in any way that they can. Assisting others should not be imagined as some simple formula as discovering a need and giving a response. If it were, we probably would have less interest in God. But as it is, caring for one another is a faith walk, which means we pull our minds together and bow our heads in prayer and wait as patiently as we can for God to lead us in the right direction. Discerning God’s guidance and remaining patient is messier than we would want to believe. Be that as it may, we press on.

Pressing on is a form of faith. It is waking up each morning, putting one foot in front of another, wondering if this will be the day that whatever is heavy on our minds for that day will come to some conclusion and the muscles in our neck can relax again. Then we sing again that joyous song from the Broadway hit, Oklahoma, “O What a Beautiful Morning.” Afterwards, we can relate to our many friends and neighbors why we are singing such a song with our dreadful voices. We can say to them, “God has been good to me and I am so grateful.”

This year the stewardship committee of two has decided unanimously, at our over-the-phone meeting, to use as our theme for stewardship celebrating and being thankful for what God has done for us. We will not be singing “O What a Beautiful Morning” from the Broadway hit Oklahoma. However, before we do hear from the many witnesses at worship telling of how God has been good to them, we will sing “Praise God from Whom Blessing Flow,” no matter how we sound.

Whether by mail, phone call, e-mail, fax, or during worship, we will present our pledge for the year 2007. The money we contribute is important. When we make that pledge, we are stating how valuable this community of faith is to us. We will give our all so that the church’s work can be continued. And because of the inflationary index we will seek to give more to help to keep up with inflation as well as expand the ministries that we have.

On a deeper more, serious level we will be giving thanks to God. While there is no way we can ever drop him a note big enough for creating us and helping us find our way around this sphere called Earth, we want God to know what a pleasure it is. And because we have listened intently to all of Pastor Bob’s sermons, we will remember that Jesus asked us to follow his example of giving totally of ourselves to the caring of others. And while our minds may have unknowingly wandered during one of pastor’s greatest sermons, we can surely never forget the more profound words of Jesus of giving even to the least of these.

I would agree with those of you who have said, “What would I have done without this community of faith?” I do love this church. And because I love this church and because I know how fortunate I am, and because God clearly directs me to give to the community of faith, I will be making and increasing my pledge for 2007. I hope and pray you will join with me in doing the same and sing with me, no matter how we sound, Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.

It’s that time of year when I make contact with our stewardship chairperson and talk about setting up our stewardship drive for the fall. We discuss schedules and the best methodology of communicating the story of God’s message, the needs of the church, and collecting the pledges. We review what the purpose of stewardship is and discuss the broader understanding beyond just money and remind ourselves that all of our life is a gift of God. Then the calendars are pulled out and a plan is put in place. This year my ponderings have taken me somewhere else.

I was talking to a woman in the parking lot. What I picked up in our conversation was more than just the information we were sharing. I realized, as this person told me about the task she was doing for the church, that it was more than just a good deed for the week. It was as natural to her as walking to her car. It was part of her. She lived and breathed her faith or her relationship with God just like she ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not to think about God and her relationship with Him would have been more than wrong. It would have been like being ill.

What is it about some people who simply convey God’s presence by standing around and talking about their lives? What is it in their body language or speech that makes you feel at ease as they discuss God and their life? And to be sure, these people are not clergy or church professionals.

I have observed that they are often gentle in nature. Their thoughts are seldom upon them, but revolve more around caring in some way for others. Their time and energy is spent thinking about or caring for others. They reference God’s love or presence in all that they do, but are not threatening or overbearing to the listener. Most of all, they are at peace with themselves and their life. They are content with what they have, but not accepting of less for others. Their quietness, honesty, and unassuming nature is refreshing and uplifting and leave you thinking better of the human race. They simply inspire.

I wouldn’t want everyone to be the same. I wouldn’t want everyone to be like the person I described. No, I would hope and pray that everyone could be just what God made him or her to be. They could be loud or athletic or musical or technical or whatever. But let us all be humble before God. Help us, Lord, to see our place in the world in relationship to You and to one another. To me that is a big part of stewardship.

What is stewardship? It is a lot of things, but for me it is as simple as seeing myself in relationship to God and the world around me. I am connected to the rest of the world, and what I do matters. And as overwhelming as it may sound, it all matters. Whatever happens to anyone else matters to me. Too overwhelming? Yes. Can I solve the world’s problems? No. But they still matter and because they matter and are greater than myself, I am humbled before God and seek His grace in everything that I do hoping it will make some difference and throwing myself at His feet seeking His mercy for all the rest that fall so short of God’s glory.

God’s promise given to us by Jesus Christ is that He does have mercy. He is and will be forgiving. And living in that promise, I can find peace by letting go of attempting to work out my own salvation, the inspiration to focus my attention on others, and the assurance of God’s almighty providence that he will give me all that I need so that I can share a portion of what I have with others.

In short, it’s turning our lives over to God and letting Him lead. Not easy? No. I resist like everyone else. The story of scripture repeats that theme over and over and over. God leads and we run in the other direction. But this is that time of year to attempt again to let go a little more of ourselves and to trust in the mercy of Almighty God. May God bless you, really bless you, this year as you think and ponder about how you will surrender yourself to God’s care and share a portion of what you have for the work of God’s kingdom.

I’ve been cleaning and organizing my house lately. Today I took a few minutes to throw away a few things from my desk. You would never know it. What is happening to this pack rat? I am nesting. No, Melanie is not pregnant, but school is soon to start. When school starts, summer ends, church is back to full throttle and my hair (Ha, Ha) is blowing in the wind. When that happens, I have to be ready or else. I feel the need to have things in order. Here is a little of what is coming our way.

On August 12, our sixth graders will go on their annual tubing trip in Helen, Ga. That event marks the beginning on my calendar. On August 14, school begins. On August 16, the church choirs start up. Last year Laura lost a dozen or more singers to job transfers and youth starting college. If you like music, you will love our choirs. Make this your year to get on board. There is an empty chair and a new friend to welcome you. Soccer Practice for Dacula Soccer starts up the week of August 21. On August 23, Friends of Faith starts. If you have grade school kids, I highly recommend you check out this Wednesday after-school, fun-filled program for your kids. The middle school youth have their weekend church retreat from August 26 to 27. And to end the month, Discovery Fair will be August 27.

As a side note, the Discovery Fair is an opportunity for both long time and new members to look over what is happening at Christ the Lord. It is a living example of what I am explaining in this article. It is held Sunday morning and I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes and browse through the fellowship hall and discover all the many ministries this church supports.

Back to the calendar. On September 9, we will have a Fall Festival. The details of the events are written up in this newsletter. But let me add a personal note. Some of the best barbecue and Brunswick stew will be served up by our own “award winning” Chuck Reeve also known to his friends as Che’ Chuck. It is mouth watering!!! In addition, an Appalachian storyteller and comedian will be there that is out of this world. We have invited everyone we know and hope you will bring your friends and neighbors.

On with the show, September 10, we shift into high gear with Sunday school for all ages, including adults, at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. and youth group for Junior High (5:30 p.m.) and Senior High(4 p.m) Youth. Oops! Did I fail to tell you, “What do Lutheran’s Believe” will be offered for three Wednesday nights beginning September 6. This is a great refresher course for anyone.

This isn’t everything we do. We have fellowship groups, Bible studies, work-days, outreach events, and more. But it shows you what happens in a few short weeks as people return from vacations and go back to more scheduled lives.

If you step back from all the things I listed above, you will see a community of over 1,400 people who live out their faith as members of Christ the Lord. The majority come from a radius of roughly 25 miles, and gather together at various times and places during each week to worship, learn, and serve. During the course of the year, they touch people literally around the world, either face to face or by gifts and donations. We are God’s people, and I am glad to be part of you and look forward to being in full swing again. See you at church!!

July 2006

Summer for me is less structured than the rest of the year. I look forward to it. I have since I was a child. I enjoy the freedom of doing something different and less routine. It appeals to the creative side of my mind. It’s my “out-of-box” season. What happens during these long days of summer is so refreshing to my soul. It clears my mind and helps me see life differently. Here’s what I have noticed lately.

During this summer season, I take time to reflect upon the life of the church. I look for trends and ponder where God is leading us. Below are some observations. You may have some of your own.

Our congregation has been changing. Members of Christ the Lord have always leaned towards doing hands-on projects, whether it was around the church or in the greater community. But recently our desires have taken a step up. We used to schedule one service project in the summer. We would put our all into doing this one thing well. Now we have multiple options, of which some go year round. Some are close by and some are far away. And everyone seems to have a particular one they enjoy. Serving God with our hands and feet is growing. Where or how far it will go is hard to know. But what a joy it has been to be a part of.

Secondly, lay leaders are growing in numbers and responsibilities. Since I began my ministry at Christ the Lord, my heart’s desire has been to work alongside God’s people. One of the first staffing positions at the church was the Director of Lay Ministry. I have always been happy about that decision. It has cultivated an environment of teamwork and discipleship. Today, lay people are leading large projects, using some of the same skills that they use in their occupations.

Thirdly, we are becoming more diverse. We come from all over the world. But when we gather together we are all one in Jesus Christ. It is as if the barriers that separate people in the world are dissolved when we seek to serve God together. It’s a Pentecostal experience to see people of different means, origins, and language worship and work together in peace and harmony. In a broken and divided world, it’s wonderful to see us discover Christ in each other.

Finally (we’re not there yet), kids always want to know on vacation if we are there yet. I am coming to discover in the life of the church we are never there. We are there but not complete. We have experienced God’s love, but we have not reached the day when it is all in all. So life is in the journey. Being the people of God is always wondering where God will lead us next. The joy of life is watching him disclose himself to us and to surprise us everyday with a new experience. The joy for me is watching and being part of God’s wonderful work.

I know summer will come to an end, but I am peddling harder everyday hoping to get one more experience in before the sun goes down. I enjoy every morsel of unstructured time with no school or extracurricular activity. My mind is wide open, and what I am observing during this reflective time is pure joy.

Recently I went to Bob and Myrna Kysar’s house on Lake Lanier. I went there to fish, but the winds were strong and temperatures were below average and so was my fishing. So, I wandered back up to Bob and Myrna’s and ended up having a wonderful conversation with Dr. Kysar. Bob is an authority on the Book of John, but that wasn’t the topic of the day. But we did get to talk about Post Modernism.

Trust me, I know just enough about Post Modernism to get me in deep trouble, but as we chatted I was able to pick up a morsel or two that I found helpful. The morsel that satisfied my hunger most was that church is different today from when I started 22 years ago. Obviously, I knew that. But Bob confirmed for me what I had been experiencing for some time.

When I graduated from seminary most of the study of theology focused on some major and well known theologians from Germany. My systematics teacher did introduce us to some new and emerging theologians from Latin America and North America, which included women and emerging ethic groups. We also spent some time studying new and emerging Catholic theologians who were radical for their day. All in all, it was pretty basic.

During this same time of my schooling, the church culture was changing. I grew up knowing Catholic and mainline Protestant denominations. They dominated the landscape of America. But something new was happening. Non-denominational churches were popping up everywhere and experiencing explosive growth. New ideas about organizing a congregation were in big flux. I refused to read the books about church organization written in the 50s that our professor had assigned us our senior year and instead chose books just published in the early 80s. I got a letter grade cut but came out way ahead when I became a pastor.

The one nugget of post modernism that I grasp is this. Information and organization and authority are all over the map. When I asked a class of confirmands recently where do you learn about God, one kid answered, ASK.COM. The Internet plays a large role in these changes.

Where does this all lead? In this age of many choices, it has made me reaffirm whom I am and whom we are as a congregation without discrediting where everybody else is. Given all the choices today, I have concluded, I am a Lutheran. That isn’t the only option on the charts by a long shot, but it is where I feel most comfortable. Being Lutheran, I look to scripture for direction, but more importantly I pray directly to Christ for strength, hope and guidance and find assurance of His love especially in the sacrament of Holy Communion. I think there is a balance of authority in the local, synodical, and national church. But most of my passion and interest are on the local level.

There are a lot of places in this Post Modern Age where people seek spiritual guidance. The self-help books and popular novels have filled this void for some people and caused other a great deal of discomfort. I read the Da Vinci Code and found it entertaining, but my daughter saw the movie and said that it was a bomb compared to the book. The book wasn’t a threat to me, because I never looked to it as a spiritual authority. I looked to it for entertainment. I didn’t like the Left Behind series because it wasn’t entertaining and I do not consider it even the least bit theologically correct. But I never read it for theological education. I never saw the movie. Now, Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler is educational and I enjoyed it, but it isn’t the Bible. And what about Harry Potter? My son loved it. He knows the difference between fiction and faith.

There are millions of options in this world. This is what I have chosen. Christ the Lord Lutheran Church is a gathering of Christians who are called by the Holy Spirit. We gather to study God’s word, worship Him, and serve the world around us. We nurture and care for one another as well as challenge each other. We don’t have all the answers, and we are far from perfect. But “In Christ” we are able to accomplish some beautiful deeds to His glory. We don’t know what the future holds, but we believe that the future is in God’s hands. And in this Post Modern Age of many choices, I am glad to be part of you. Everyday, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I am learning more about God, the world around me, and about myself.

No, that wasn’t a grammatical error in the last sentence. He IS risen. What does “Is” mean? It means that in each of us, he rises daily, redeeming us from ourselves.

Easter was a wonderful Sunday. There were large crowds, beautiful hymns of celebration, and a long line of people coming to his altar. It was a grand day.

But as I reported the results to the Church Council, I told them that what impressed me most is changed hearts and lives. For all the grandness of the day, my heart leaps even higher for those ordinary Sundays and ordinary days when the light of God shines through and transforms God’s faithful. There are no glorious choirs or packed parking lots at those times, but the angels in heaven sing, Alleluia.

My attention is drawn past the Easter moment to what is to follow in the next few months. How has the Lenten season helped us draw closer to God? How has God changed our old habits into new ones? How has God’s word become more in our everyday? How will we respond to the message of the resurrection? Better yet, how will we carry the news of the resurrection to our community and neighborhoods? In particular, what will you be doing out of gratitude to God? Or, was it just a fun day?

There are people who come to church on occasions, two occasions, Christmas and Easter and enjoy the celebration of the church calendar. They avoid the dark, self-reflecting days of Lent and opt for the less challenging and transforming days of Easter. I am glad that they come to hear the Good News. Every church has the responsibility and privilege of announcing the Good News to the world. But I also invite them to receive that light and allow it to touch the darker parts of their souls and be transformed.

They miss the richness of the faith that makes my heart and other’s hearts leap everyday. They partake in the dessert but miss the main course of the faith. Living in the faith is not always fun, exciting or full of merry-making because God makes us look at a deeper, sometimes, darker part of our soul. The light enters our darkness where we are moved to new ways of life and more reflective ways of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the down and dirty of the faith journey.

In the next few months, there will be ample opportunities to hear again and again the Good News of Jesus Christ and welcome His light into our hearts that they may be changed. We are here every Sunday. But to enjoy the sharing of this great news, there will be ample opportunities to be God’s arms and legs to the world. We will not just sit in the light of God, but God’s light will actually work in and through us as we walk intimately with God.

Here are just a few of the activities our congregation will be doing out of thankfulness to God. We will be planning to work at a Habitat House, rebuild the Gulf Coast, and serve orphans in Mexico. You can attend faith education classes such as Men’s Bible Study, Life Keys, Lutheran Worship, and Sunday school. Be part of a care team to shut-ins, volunteer for Relay for Life, or support Ed Head in Iraq. You can teach at Vacation Bible School, teach at Summer Sunday School, or donate to help our youth to go to San Antonio. You can support our Co-Op, mow the church lawn, help at worship. You can share your faith with a friend or read the scripture daily. This is just the tip of the faith.

The greatest things that will happen to you is that will come to know deeper the God we showed so much love on Easter. He is an awesome God who is worth knowing everyday. I invite to get to know Him better.

“Once I was a slave to sin, now I am free in Jesus Christ to serve God.” That was the thought that ran through my mind during the Lenten season. That thought is best expressed in Romans 6 and similar thoughts are expressed throughout the New Testament. It is a remake of the Passover meal put in place after the Hebrews were taken out of Egypt by Moses. Once we were slaves but now we are free people.

The season of Lent was exceptionally good this year as we focused our attention on the marks of discipleship. As we reflected on prayer, study, service, giving, and inviting, I was reminded of all the things in my life that enslave me from being obedient to God. At times it made me feel entrapped, but what the scriptures reminded me of is that in Christ Jesus we can be set free from the things that bound us.

Easter will soon be celebrated. What makes Easter so powerful for me is celebrating with Christ the breaking of these shackles that keep me from being in full communion with Him. During Lent I have been released from some of them with the help of the Holy Spirit. I am no longer enslaved to these sins, now I am free.

A lady in a check-out lane asked me when Easter was. I told her it was the third Sunday in April. She said that made her feel better. She thought it was earlier, and she was not ready. “What do you need to get done?” I asked. “I need to prepare meals and buy clothes and dye eggs or my family will be greatly disappointed.” I hate that she missed the point of Easter. There is so much more to be had.

Sitting at a meeting of the Lawrenceville Co-Op Vision Team, a woman told her story of coming to the Co-Op every Tuesday night in our effort to offer worship, or prayer, or Bible study. Nobody came one Tuesday. She, and another woman who was there to lead the gathering, knelt down on their knees and asked God if this is where God wanted them. After praying together, the women decided to come back the next Tuesday out of “obedience to God.” “I had to come back, even though I have two small kids. I had to be obedient to the calling that God was placing upon my heart.” I listened to her story in total awe. She was driven totally by a desire to serve and please God and God alone.

I have had the great pleasure of observing you as you have taken steps to be more obedient to God. It was not always pleasant as we sought to change our old habits that enslaved us; but with our focus upon God and his word of hope and promise, you found strength in Jesus Christ to be free from old ways and free to serve God in new ways.

Our lives go on. This is but a small portion of our days upon this earth. They were good days. Maybe they were days that will make the rest of our days even better as we deepen our relationship with God.

There is much to be done. But as we have learned during our Lenten experience, all things are possible in Christ Jesus. I hope for you this Easter season, you will continue your walk with God. That God will make you into the beautiful children, which he envisioned. That you will come to know and experience more and more what it means to be free from sin and a servant of Jesus Christ.

WOW! I’m not sure if that is the correct term for how I feel, but with this writer’s block I have, it’s the best I can muster. I looked in the thesaurus for another option, and it wasn’t helpful. Here I am at the beginning of 2006 and am already overwhelmed at the ministry that is happening at our church. I thought if I closed my eyes for a while my head would stop spinning and I would have a clearer understanding of everything going on. But I am still in a fog. This is Epiphany, and a fog would be a good description of following Christ.

We will soon celebrate the transfiguration of Jesus at the height of the season of Epiphany. You will recall that Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to the top of the mountain. While they are there, Jesus turns bright white, and the disciples are in a daze. Then Moses and Elijah appear. Peter suggested that the disciples make three booths for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, but instead Jesus leads them back down the mountain and continues with His ministry.

I sit here behind my computer surrounded by an enormous group of people who are growing deeper in their faith and ministering more than ever. It would be great to stop the clock and just stay here and wallow in our past achievements, but I am quite sure that God is not done with us and is calling us to follow.

I did say that this was the season of Epiphany didn’t I? How will God reveal Himself to us this year? We do know that we will be helping a Seminarian, Jackie Utley, along this year. I believe that this will be a good experience for us to see what a student of our seminary does. Our eyes will be opened to how God is at work calling new leaders of the church. And because we have two college students leaning in this direction, we will be prepared for the day they enter seminary.

Did I say it was Epiphany? Yes, it is also the beginning of a new year. As our church grows we will be exploring new ways to organize our caring ministry. It’s not that we are not caring but we are aware that the needs will increase. Last year we topped 1,400 members. We want to remain caring to each other. To do so, we will need to be even more intentional to be sure no one gets overlooked.

Sometime during the year, the National Church will prepare us for the introduction of a new worship hymnal. It will be Burgundy. I’m color blind to reds. I’ll let you know what I see. But never the less, we will move forward as a church at large in new directions.

We will have mission trips to Mexico and Mississippi this year. We will send our youth to the National Youth Gathering in July. There will be men’s and women’s retreats. We will give support to the new mission in Braselton. WOW! That may seem like plenty, but if history repeats itself, I bet God will give us more.

Following Jesus takes faith, trusting that He will provide for us our needs all along the way. And if history repeats itself, God will provide us with all that we will need.

Yea, it would be great to sit here and wallow in our past achievements. But God is calling us. There is more to do. I doubt there will ever be a day that there will not be something to do, if history repeats itself. So I can be assured that every day of life will be a joyous day. It will be a day to serve God. God bless us in this adventure this year.

Welcome to the New Year 2006. I’m more sensitive now to the marching of time. Time seems more like a commodity than when I was younger. My high school and college days are as fresh in my memory as ever, but when telling them to my children, I feel like I am giving a history lesson. But with each passing year, I am starting to see a pattern to life, if there is such a thing. I would not categorize these thoughts as wisdom but more along the lines of observations.

In the Greek, what little I remember, there are two words for time. There is time, with which you and I are more familiar. It is called Kronos. It is where we get our English words like chronology. It refers to time as marked by a calendar or watch.

The other term is Kairos. This is God’s approach to time. There is no beginning or ending. Time belongs to God, and He will act in his own due time. What he does with His time is clearer to Him than us.

After celebrating my 48th birthday, I relate more to the first definition. I am old crony. This is the type of time that eats at us. The people that I knew as adults when I was a child are starting to die just about the right expected time. But there are others who have passed on “before their time” as we say. There is a time and place for everything and an early death just doesn’t seem to fit the logic of life.

Time and time again, I wonder about this life. I ask questions. I ponder my existence. When I think about God and all the time He has had to watch this world spin on it's axis, I find comfort. I relax knowing that time as I think of it is only man-made, artificial. It makes for a good football or basketball game at the buzzer but not for the game of life.

If you really want to have the time of your life, embrace the time of God as your measuring stick. Using God’s time as your way of looking at time helps you see things as endless. True, this will not eliminate the deadlines and commitments of your life, but you won’t have to think of your overall life as one chance and one chance only. Life will be more like a moment in time – a long time.

As I have watched our church change over the years, with people coming and going, my perspective has changed also. I once worked under the notion that everything had to happen now or never. I thought that people would remain around forever for our sake. But Rome wasn’t built in a day and using the Lord’s understanding of time, things are changing day to day.

I guess I am beginning to enjoy life as I let go and let God guide my life day by day. As I rest more comfortably in the grace of God, I am less anxious about tomorrow and more excited about what tomorrow will offer. I wonder in the morning on the way into work where will God use me. And with the understanding that this life is not limited by a final endnote, but is part of a greater piece of music, I see endless days of joy and singing to come.

So what will we do this year at Christ the Lord? We will do as we have always done. We will look at our present situation and ask ourselves how can we better serve God this year. We will put together a list of ideas. Some will be implemented immediately, some will take a whole year, and some will take longer than we can imagine. Then there will be the unplanned events like Katrina and war and disease, and whatever. We will respond as we are able and as God so chooses. We will seek to serve and please God every day as we have for years. We will count each day as a blessing and worship each Sunday the great giver of life and time. And when the year is over we will do it again.

Time marches on. And if we see ourselves as God sees us, today is just another day to live in His endless grace. So I invite you this year to have the time of your life living in Christ.

The temperature today is predicted to reach 75 degrees. On Wednesday Bill Christensen and I will be trout fishing in the Chattahoochee River. My son mowed the yard this last weekend and I sealed the deck and cleaned windowsills. You might think it is summer, but the truth is turkey day is only a couple of weeks away. And because this is for the December newsletter, the theme should reflect something about Christmas.

I have not seen the holiday decorations and Christmas ads as early this year as I have in the past. Did I miss something? Maybe I need to get out more. From where I sit, I am hearing more about people in need. It’s not at all unusual that I hear about people in need from my office, but usually there is a little more anticipation of the Holy Days in the air by this time.

It seems that our eyes and attention are not as focused this year. While we make plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas, somewhere alongside these thoughts are soldiers in Iraq, Katrina recovery, rising or lowering gas prices and whatever else happens to occur.

Back in the 30’s Macy’s changed our way of thinking about Christmas. They discovered in New York City if they had Christmas displays in their windows, holiday sales increased. It was so successful that pictures by Currier and Ives became the standard of what type of holiday experience we wanted. Later, Bing Crosby would give words to our expectations with “White Christmas.” I actually bought the CD along with the Chipmunks last year to play in the car.

That marketing worked so well that now we have Black Friday. Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving when many companies move out of the red and into the black.

It’s a long cry from the days as told about on Walton’s Mountain when John Boy got a writing tablet and pencil for Christmas. He was overjoyed. It is light years, to use a modern term, from the days when Christmas was birth in a barn.

The joy that baby brought was hope of forgiveness. To be certain, not everyone liked his style of spreading the Good News. They would have warmed up better to something more along the ideas of what Macy’s might have conjured up. Where was Madison Avenue when you needed them?

But fortunately the Savior’s style won out and rose up to bring new life to the world. This year we might find it a little more welcoming. I know that Katrina, war, gas prices and whatever else happens in your life can be a drain. This year’s Elmo can’t fix it. But there is something that can really change things. He won’t be found on aisle 9. He is closer and more convenient. He is in your heart.

God comes to you this Christmas just as he has done everyday of your life. He comes bearing gifts. He comes to help you out of your mess and assist you to be at peace with yourself and the world where He always wanted you to be. And, yes, He also calls you to join hands with Him and assist others in their efforts to find this same peace.

Surely this year we will have lots of opportunity to experience God’s peace and hope for us as we link arms together and bring peace to the hurting all around us. And if it snows, it will just be icing on the cake. May you know God’s peace this season at His altar and in service along side Him.

Yesterday Pastor Terri and I received e-mail from a staff person at the ELCA-Southeastern Synod office. Our synod and four others had been chosen by the national church to be studied for their interpretation of the church’s vision. Within our synod, Pastor Terri and I had been asked to participate because we had been thought of as a congregation that did this well. I have had some time to think about this and here are my thoughts.

In the past few years “vision” has been a hot word. A few years ago I received all sorts of mailings wanting to help me develop a vision for my congregation. The invitations were printed on paper that I could never afford. The speakers were all renowned preachers. Some I didn’t know, but I surmised that they had big congregations. I could sit in their presence for a mere $700 plus travel expense. I had a vision every time I got that mail of what else I could do with that money to help the hurting.

In the Books of Acts, it states that in the last days young men will have visions and old men will dream dreams. Either this is not the latter days or I am old. I think that I know the answer to that question. But being an older kid on the playground I have seen a lot of the ways ministry has been done. They say hindsight is 20/20. What I see from where I stand is that ministry is an everyday response to God’s word and promise.

For more and more people in our nation, Sunday morning worship can’t stack up to the other exciting options in their life. I think, maybe, that is why more and more people in our nation don’t choose church as their Sunday morning option.

This morning I heard on the radio that I could raise my confidence if I used a product to increase my hair growth. I really didn’t have a confidence problem until they suggested it. I am happy with my head. But that did not come to me from a seminar or a bottle of hair tonic. I learned that from reading God’s word. My vision of God is that he loves all His creation, and I count myself as one of his by-products. I’m pretty excited about that because I just saved $99.

That excitement doesn’t match the things that I see go on day after day in the church. These aren’t visions. These are real. Trucks filled to the brim with supplies going to desperate people in Mississippi. That brings a tear of joy. Handing a prayer shawl to a hurting member of our congregation and saying that this is a symbol of our congregation wrapping you in prayer. That’ll get you. Getting a call from a member wanting to take communion to another member. That’ll make you sing.

In November we celebrate All Saints’ Sunday. We’ve said goodbye to some wonderful saints this year. We will probably say goodbye to some more. It wasn’t a vision to see and appreciate all that they have done to serve God. They were real images and living sacrifices to God. They were a free gift of God. I am glad to have known them and am quite aware of how rich I am for having been their friend.

I may or may not go to the meeting at the synod office. It’s nothing against them. I am sure that it is worthwhile in some form or fashion, but I am not sure that we are on the same page. Maybe we are. But visions aren’t all that important to me. Everyday I see all that I need. I read the scriptures and see in my mind’s eye God alive in the world. I see him everyday in this congregation. While it may not stack up for others in terms of knee slapping fun, it sure has kept my heart running over with joy for years. I am glad to have shared this life with others who share my same everyday passion for serving God and who have since left this place. I have a lot of old man dreams to remember and to savor.

Well, the Tuesday morning women have gathered to study scripture, I have a meeting to attend, a hospital visit, a prayer shawl to deliver, a call to arrange help for a family, a sermon to prepare, an e-mail to retrieve, a paint chip to get. My, my, it doesn’t get any better than that.

Hurricane Katrina has been a challenge that has brought out the best in the members of Christ the Lord. People have been asked to give of themselves by donating goods, supplying transportation, and most recently investing sweat equity. But this is not unfamiliar to our congregation. The Church Council, staff, and key leaders have always sought to bring out the best in us. When I was asked this year by the Stewardship Committee what should we emphasis in our stewardship campaign, I was overwhelmed by the strength of all our ministries this year and the goodness of God. So, I concluded that we should recognize that all of our ministries matter.

Last year a group of our members participated in a study of our congregation. This same study had been used internationally involving over 4.3 million participants. The researchers used the data to identify the eight characteristics of a healthy church. Christ the Lord had one the highest scores in our synod. But finding out our ranking was not our purpose. Discovering our weakness was our concern. We discovered that the leak in the levee for us was not having enough small groups for people of the church to become more familiar with each other. With that challenge we began this year.

Since then, we have added numerous new groups. We now have four dinner clubs, two new music groups, a men’s night out, a knitting group, outreach mission teams, and two more Bible studies. If I have forgotten you, please forgive me. Our established groups like Golden and Silver Fellowship have continued to grow during this same time. It is not enough to be good. We always want to be better.

What drives this desire to improve? I would argue strongly that God is moving through this congregation helping all of us find our place in His kingdom. We are discovering our personal mission in the world and responding with gracious hearts. No one thing stands out above the rest. It all matters because all of it has to do with serving and pleasing God.

This year when you are asked again to pledge to the life of this congregation, do not just jot down a figure on a form, but think more seriously about where God is leading you. When each of us puts forth our best at serving God, the results of the whole are enormous.

A congregation in the Atlanta area recently had an emphasis to say “yes” to the ministries of its church. It has been contagious in that vibrant and explosive congregation. Everyone writing articles in their newsletter is full of enthusiasm. I am asking you to do the same thing. Help us say, “yes” to God’s call to serve our community and world.

Soon you will be receiving mailings, seeing Power Point presentations, witnessing the expressions of faith by some of our members. These informative pieces will be used to give you examples of how others have responded to God’s call. But after all that is said and done, nothing matters until you give your response. How is God blessing you and using you to help further the beautiful life of the kingdom here on earth? That one question and response will be the most important response of our campaign.

1,400, that is a number you will see a lot of soon. What is significant about 1,400? That is our membership. Actually, it is a bit higher, but this year we broke 1,400 in membership. Why is that so important? It is important because it shows that we are continuing to grow and develop. We are sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed and the community around us is joining in.

Discovery Sunday is a case study in how it is happening. How is this growth continuing? On Discovery Sunday, Jenny Lanning and Traci Herring organized an absolutely spectacular day when hard working lay people told the story of how they were using their gifts to serve God. Pastor Terri said it well when she said, “Today is not so much about learning more about the church as it is learning about how God is working in you.” That is exactly right. All of us are being called by God to serve and some of us have a common call.

A case in point is our new knitting group. I had a meeting with Juanita Hood about knitting prayer shawls. I had no idea what she was going to present to me. I didn’t know if you prayed while you knitted or what. She shared with me how in her previous church that men and women knitted throws. Some prayed while they knit. Some took them to a shut-in or hospitalized person and prayed with them. Others saw the covers as a symbol of how our church is surrounding them in prayer. But however you see it, on Discovery Fair Sunday, nine people signed up to help. This small group of people will be praying and producing a symbol of care for members of our congregation. This is what I call a “God Thing” It came out of nowhere. Actually it came from the people of God.

What does this have to do with 1,400? As people are finding each other in common calls of ministry, friendships are being formed and fellowship and outreach are being developed. Another case in point is the dinner club. Maria Nielsen and her family had a desire to meet more people in the church. Pastor Terri and Maria spoke and developed a dinner club. The desire by over 24 other people (my number could be low) was the same. New friends will be formed and a new ministry will emerge.

A former bishop of the Southeastern Synod had a campaign one year called Each One Reach One. I thought it was an excellent idea. Later, a financial firm used the same idea talking about one client at a time. The gospel is about one person making a contact with another person.

The heart and sole of our congregation is the passion each of us has for serving God. God is using each of us in different ways. No one person is above another. All are called to specific areas according to their gifts.

This year the stewardship committee will not be talking about any one ministry of the church, but all the ministries of the church. The reason is plain as day. That is exactly what is happening. As older ministries such as Golden and Silver Fellowship continue to expand (the 55 member plus group had five more people sign up to participate) new groups like our Wednesday evening Bible study are emerging. There is no limit to what God will do with us.

The list of possibilities is mind-boggling. Where will you find yourself in this maze of opportunities? Where is God calling you? Check out our Tool Kit at www.christthelordlutheran.org and discover for yourself in the comfort of your own home. It is easy and simple. But most of all, it is a joy to find others like yourself who are being called in the same direction. You will find someone who understands those unusual tugs of the heart that make no sense to anyone else except that one person who is called in the same direction. Where will all this lead? Well one person will lead to another and another and another until, well, we will be talking about 1,500.

This is my annual state of the church address. I have never done this before so you could call it the first annual, but I am not sure that I will remember to do it again next year. The only reason I wanted to write a state of the church address is that we have been changing so rapidly recently. Summer has been explosive. I know that many of you will be attending regularly again come August 7 when school begins. So I thought it might be nice to come together with all of us on the same page. Here goes.

We’re seeing lots of new faces amongst us. Don’t be shocked come August if you see people you don’t know. Probably I don’t know their names either. Of course, the Toelle’s dropped by today to tell me that they were moving back to Minnesota. I never did learn their names. We had a lot of conversations. We laughed and cut up together, but I never got her name down. She wore a necklace with her name on it when they came to tell me of their move. We laughed about that. I forget what it was. But I will miss them. Knowing someone isn’t a prerequisite to being friendly and welcoming. So this August talk to anybody and everybody that you see in church. So you can’t call them by name, you can call them friend.

If you would like to get to know people better, we do have some new offerings and some old faithfuls. The men are making strides and bonding. Men’s Night Out, (a new offering) is going to be a quarterly affair. The first one will be at Dave and Busters. I’ve signed up. I can’t think of a better way to have a fun evening.

There is a rumor that a couple wants to start a dinner club. I am trying to get the word out for them. It’s a casual thing where eight couples go to each other’s house for a meal every other month. These are great because you’re amongst friends. Who cares which fork you use to eat your salad. And if you are one of those men who spill food in your beard, they’ll tell you. So if this is a way you would like to get to know others, call me and I will pass your name on.

Laura is helping people on Monday night to learn how to form a rock band. I think they have a topic each time they meet. Some of them are reliving their childhood. I haven’t heard of anyone playing the guitar with his or her teeth. That is a later seminar. But I do hear they are learning some things they never knew. But more importantly, they are having fun. I am not sure if they know each other’s names or not.

We do have a new evening Bible study starting this fall. Roy and Juanita Hood will be leading that. They have been leading Bible studies for years. The neat thing about this group is that no one is expected to come with prior knowledge. Everyone will start on the same page. Roy and Juanita don’t claim to know all the answers either, but they do enjoy exploring together with a group what the scripture has to say. It’s a wonderful way to meet a new friend and come to know God better too.

We have more things but this column doesn’t offer me the space to tell it all. The President of the United States takes about an hour. Maybe you can drop by my office during the week, and I can tell it all to you. But if that doesn’t work, come to the Discovery Fair this year. Everyone will be showing off their wares. It is a great time to meet someone you don’t know. It’s a chance to see what new is happening. I hope to see you there. If I don’t remember your name, just know that my name is Bob. I’ll be the one practicing my state of the church address on everyone I meet.

I do love summer. Every spring my heart longs for summer. The days are s-o-o-o long. I have visions of vacations on the water. I also think about my childhood when summer was slow and relaxing. But slow and relaxing isn’t what it used to be. Now, it’s fast and furious.

I thought the change of pace might have had something to do with adulthood. Not that I act like a grown adult, but maybe it was different because one has more responsibilities. I do have more, but this year is far different. It’s fast and furious.

In 1984, when I came to Christ the Lord, you could be gone for an entire day in the summer and no one missed you. No one called or came by the office. No one even left a message for you. Now that I think about it we didn’t have an answering machine.

Today, the office was full of activity. Julie was packing up donated laser toner cartridges as she answered e-mails, worked on the computer, and assisted people coming to the door. Jeannie was working on letters, answering phones, making calls, writing letters. Down the hall, Laura was bangin’ away on the ole piano and hunting me down to plan a special worship service. Diane had her kids helping her organize materials to get ready for fall and studying bulletin boards and taking phone calls. Jenny was scurrying about putting together articles like this and thinking about bulletin boards. Vickie was away at a meeting. Pastor Terri is on vacation. Brandi is at AFFIRM. Me? I am here with phone calls and e-mails and articles to write. There is no slipping away. Things are fast and furious.

What happened? God is tugging at the heart of many people. The vineyards are full and there is need for workers. What we do in the office reflects the congregation. The faster your little feet go; the faster we peddle. It’s a little quieter around the office now. But it’s just a lull before the storm. Tomorrow, I will awake and get peddling.

At one time, I might have missed the lazy days of summer, but Jesus told a crowd of followers one time, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life…” Serving God has its privileges. It gives our lives meaning and direction. I have found this summer a most interesting one. I am seeing God year round. I feed upon this ministry and it is quite satisfying.

There is a magazine on my desk that talks about ways to keep your church active in the summer. I guess that I won’t be reading that tonight. I have a meeting to attend. God is tugging at all of us at Christ the Lord, and we are going in all directions. We are feeding on food that does not perish. It is fast and furious. The vineyard is full and there is work to be done. See you in the fields.

If you haven’t heard yet, I have taken up the sport of fishing. Actually, I have been at it a couple of years but I am just getting brave enough to come out and talk about it. Some might say that I just have some big fish tales to tell.

My first fishing adventure could have won millions on America’s Funniest Videos. It actually started at Bass Pro Shop. A novice at this store looks like a novice. There are so many lures, worms, baits, hooks, and sprays, etc. that to the unlearned eye can be baffling. But they had videos to show you how they worked and what you catch. I bought one of each. I was a little slow as to why they greeted me so warmly and sent me a letter naming me as a top one hundred customer of the month.

Fully equipped I hit the lake. I tried out every lure casting it as far out from the dock as as I could. I spent the whole day – catching nothing. My neighbor enjoyed every moment of it watching from his deck!

Two years later I have learned a lot about the depth and temperature of water, types of fish, phases of the moon, choices of weights, size of spinners, color of water, color of worm, etc. I have more days of catching fish than not.

So I know it all? NOT! This spring I bought a spinner that worked wonders for a week. It was so great that I kept using it and using and using it. But after that week I caught nothing week after week after week. I had forgotten to change according to the fish you want to catch and the surrounding conditions. Last night I used a pumpkin green at sundown with slow retrieve. I caught my biggest fish from the lake.

Change – the correct, thoughtful change – is important. It’s also important for a church. Same ol’, same ol’, same ol’ makes Johnny and Judy dull in the spirit. So at Christ the Lord we have new things that are on the horizon. We will be offering a new evening Bible Study beginning in the fall. Laura is pulling together a recorder group to play occasionally and a bell choir that practices during the day. Vickie is exploring new material for confirmation. Friends of Faith is getting a face-lift. Morning Star worship is getting reworked. You’ll begin to see the landscape change. Men keep your eyes open for a Men’s Night Out. It’s as fun as having a whole new set of lures.

Summer is a time to slip away for week or two. We look forward to seeing you the rest of the weeks.

At the end of 2004, the Church Council and church leaders pondered and studied hard at figuring out what 2005 would be like. We were trying to determine new budgets and develop new ministries. We deliberated right to the end. We set some goals for the next three years and put some controls on spending. It wasn’t necessarily a depressing time but it was a discerning time. At the end, we felt good about our decisions and prayed for God’s guidance.

Here it is May. We are busier than ever. The church calendar is filled with activities and ministries for every day of the week. The financials are better than expected, but we still have things to achieve. Summer will soon be upon us. This is usually a slower season, but this summer will be different. A mission team will go to Mexico, Brandi Jandt will be doing a summer internship with us, and some special worship services will be offered in July. Also, the Church Council has just approved Danny Mills, who is working towards his Eagle Scout, to install a chain link fence along the back of the property near the playground where there is a very long and steep drop into the Yellow River. He will also refurbish the playground. We will have vacation Bible school and some of our youth group will attend AFFIRM

Not to jump too far ahead, this fall the landscape committee will move into full force. They delayed some more noticeable changes until fall when planting is better. Nevertheless, this year we will have moved forward in many areas.

One important thing helps keep this going – your financial gifts. On May 21, the church is having a bazaar. This was planned at those meetings at the end of 2004. The purpose of the bazaar is to support the ministry of this church. Shannon Lambert is heading up this task. Tables are being rented for $30 to vendors or anyone wanting to sell stuff from their home. The church will have some items of its own for sale. We already have several vendors but more would be great. The church bus is being sold. We will serve food and drinks. The purpose is to support the growing ministry of Christ the Lord. Would you lend a hand? Let us know.

Not long ago we wondered where God would lead us. We pondered and wondered a lot. Now, we are going places we have never seen or experienced before. We are discovering where God is leading us. Trusting in Him is reinforced once again. To nearly 40 new members who have joined us since then, we welcome you and are glad that you can join us in discovering God’s Grace in our lives.

If Lent is a season to look inside us, then Easter is a season to look outside ourselves. Easter literally calls us to come and see the empty tomb. In disbelief of the good news in dark of morning, Jesus reassures us, HE IS RISEN.

HE IS RISEN. It is hard to believe, especially as you live your life. You always come upon a big hurdle or challenge, and you wonder where is God. You turn on the news or read the paper and ask yourself where is God. We ask just like the people who walked by the cross. If you are God, why don’t you do something?

Easter as told in the scriptures was seen through a close-up lens. No more than a handful of people realized with the help of Jesus what happened that day. The rest of the world (quite large) was still going about its business. I am sure the early believers had a hard time at trying to share this wonderful news about Jesus Christ. As far as a majority of the people was concerned, a troublemaker had been put to death and life was back to normal.

Life is much different today. After many years of spreading the good news, the word has gotten out. Christ Is Risen. But the world still has a hard time believing this miracle and gift from God. So what is the church (people of God) to do.

We have the risen Christ for our answer. When the disciples found the open grave, they could not understand. But Jesus helped them by appearing to them. He came to them and listened to them and cared for them, and then they came to believe.

That act of compassion on the part of Christ is the same way the church should seek to share the good news with others. We reach a doubtful audience best by being a caring and compassionate church. Given that all of us have our doubts about our faith and God at times, it would be good for all to hear and to experience this good news regularly.

On a regular basis I hear people tell me that they have had their faith in God rekindled by the care and compassion of a friend. The Easter message for us is to share care and compassion with people all around us. As we do so, more and more people who will worship beside us will surround us. We will have our faith renewed in worship as we listen to others profess their faith in the living God, Jesus Christ.

Christ is Risen. This is great news. But it is even greater news as others, even ourselves, come to hear it for the first time or again and again. The message of Easter is come and see. The message the church takes to the world today is let us show you Jesus through care and compassion that you might come and see.

Soon the season of Lent will come to an end. Our personal journeys or walks with God will take on a brighter note. But before we are finished, I would like to relish the moment.

The cold and wet days of winter can be frustrating and down right depressing. Sometimes getting up and weathering the elements is more than one can bear. The day starts out with struggle, and there is very little enthusiasm to take on any more. But once the day dawns there is always something else. There is a need at work or home or school. You try your best to manage your affairs, but what little steps forward you make are not enough to release endorphins into your body and excite you to plow through the rest of your challenges. Days come and go. Days go and come.

Here comes another day. It is winter and it is the season of Lent. You hear and see and read about the suffering and struggling of our Lord. At your better moments, you turn your attention away from your own concerns and wonder how he did all that he did. But not for long. You leave worship or stop reading a devotion, or leave your moment of prayer and get back to the daily grind. But little by little – very little, you begin to identify with Jesus’ pain. Your own suffering and self-denial takes on a different meaning.

Here comes another day. What is different about this day. This day is not like the rest. The thought of Christ’s sufferings are more intermingled with my own thoughts. Just when I think about what I need to do, I think about what He did. Then I think about why He did it. Did He do it to help me in my struggles?

Here comes another day. I can’t seem to fix it all. I can’t keep the plates spinning. Where is God when I need him? Then I think about a cross. I can’t get it all together. Then I think about a tomb. I am such a failure. Then I think about an empty tomb? Who could love or like me? Then I think about the upper room. Jesus said to the disciples, “ Peace be with you.” Then I remember “God did not send His son into the world to condemn it, but to save the world through him.”

The days of winter are long and dark. But the light has shined into my world and darkness cannot overcome it. It’s good to know to that spring is coming and that the days will be longer. It’s good to know Easter is close at hand. But until then, here comes another day for me and God to share together whatever may come.

A few days ago we had our leadership retreat. The questions, ideas, and energy that were generated from a two-hour and three-hour session were phenomenal. God is working through the people at Christ the Lord. The season of Epiphany has been exciting as we have focused on how God is revealed through His followers. Lent is coming.

On February 9, we will begin the Lenten season with Ash Wednesday. We move our attention to the life and suffering of our Lord. We will discover what He did and gave to make our life in Christ possible. It can be a very heavy season of the church.

It is difficult to imagine what Jesus went through. It is also tough to watch us in the actions of His followers. The oh-so-brave disciples become frightened and hidden away at the end. How often we start out strong and end up back peddling.

So why do we do this? Why do we focus 40 days on this excruciating experience? One answer to that question is to delve into our own shortcomings at the same time we discover the mysterious love God had for us. So it is not all gloom and doom. Hardly, it is a season full of hope at its deepest level. Quite frankly it can be the most moving of experiences if we would but allow God to heal our darker sides with His holy compassion.

This year our church is renewing its tradition of midweek evening services. I hope you will join me in exploring this season and its many gifts it has to offer. Consider this a time to renew your understanding of scripture by simply reading one of the Gospels. I found my own book to read yesterday.

We are full of energy as a congregation; and if we can channel that energy into our spiritual growth and journey, I cannot imagine how strong a people for God we will be at the end of Lent. Let Go and Let God lead you this Lenten Season

Happy New Year!!! Happy Epiphany!! I know neither one of these sound correct when you get the January Newsletter in December, but it is just around the corner. In fact, Happy Epiphany won’t sound right when we finally get there. Nevertheless, this will be a good new year. We will be celebrating the ministries of the congregation.

During the season of Epiphany, we will be celebrating the light of the world. God came into the world. He was a light to our darkness. Today we are God’s light in the world. God shines through us and everyday the beam of light grows stronger as we are touching the world around us.

On January 21 and 22, leaders of the congregation will be meeting to make plans for the new year and begin forming some long range plans for the congregation. From a recent survey, we know that we will be working hard to increase the number of small groups our congregation has. The more a church reaches out and receives new people into the church it is important to help them have a place that they can call home, and 70 percent of new folks like to join something new.

On January 30, we will have a congregational meeting to vote on the 2005 budget, new Church Council members, and routine by-law changes passed down from the last synod meeting. At that meeting, I hope to share with you a more detailed picture of what we hope to accomplish.

I can be sure of one thing. If we continue to maintain our structure and expand at the same time doing as well as we did this year, we will have a very exciting 2005. For those of you who may not be linked up to the church in any ministry beyond worshipping on Sunday morning, I invite you to visit our website and explore our Tool Kit. This is a great new tool for our congregation, and we will be using it quite a bit in 2005. We want to match the gifts and skills of people to the ministries of our church. We want you to be able to live out your faith at Christ the Lord.

For years now I have said that we are Disciples Making Disciples. Our purpose as a people is to share the good news of Jesus Christ. During Epiphany we will hold up this purpose that has been given to us by our Savior. We will pray for and celebrate with the many ministries of our church. We will seek God’s guidance and wisdom as we plan for another year of living in God’s grace.

After years of traveling through deserts, living in and out faithful relationships with God, longing for a day when they could be at peace with God, the Israelites were gifted with a child called Emmanuel, God with us.

Jesus would grow up amongst the Jews, but they would not fully understand who he was until he was 30-years-old. Some called him the Messiah, the one anointed by God to redeem Israel. Others called him blasphemous, an instrument of the devil. No matter what Jesus said or did he divided more than united.

Not only did his own people struggle with his identity, but also the Roman government seized upon the moment. With any means possible they would assure Pax Romana. Peace through power above all things. The commotion caused by Jesus’ followers attracted the eyes of this government, and peace prevailed. The situation was harnessed and brought to an end.

Hail, King of the Jews, was his title. The powerful king that Israel hoped for had not faired well as Emanuel, God with Us. The welcomed mat was pulled from underneath his feet and he was left for dead.

Sitting in a food kitchen on Christmas morning in the middle of Atlanta in the 21st century, a man into his third month on the streets listens to the Christmas music played in the background. “Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel” fills the empty void. A job counselor and community worker sit across from him and explore ways for him to lead a meaningful life. Depression gives way to hope and possibility.

At the same time, a woman in the ‘burbs sits in her home, with nothing under the tree and divorce papers on the kitchen table. There is only silence and loneliness. There is a knock at the door; a friend drops by with a plate of hot food and a small gift. They bow their heads and say “grace” before they eat. They raise their heads with tears on their faces and hugs and blessings. Rejection gives way to acceptance.

Across town and into the rural area beyond the suburbs, sits an elderly woman at her breakfast table. The room is chilled as she files through her variety of medicines deciding which one to take, and which one she can put off a day. The stillness is broken by the sound of a car in the driveway with loud sounds of children pouring from inside the vehicle. Piles of packages are carried from the trunk. The doors in the house explode open, “Grandma we’re here.” The children embrace her wherever they can reach. Isolation succumbs to love.

They put him away years ago for as good as dead. He failed them and disgusted them. He was no king. But centuries later the child lives in the hearts of billions. Billions of believers from around the world of every race and nation. Emmanuel, God is with Us.

This Christmas share the gentle love of the Christ child with someone else. Let him rule your heart and be king of this season. Know the joy that nations have longed to know. The joy that is God IS with us. He is our EMMANUEL.

It’s early in the morning. I just took a moment to peruse through our website. I do this occasionally to see what is happening. I invite you to do the same. Sue Schroer does such a wonderful job at keeping maintaining this site. What struck me this last time was the unbelievable amount of ministry that pours out of this congregation. Sometimes when you stand in the middle of the forest, you can’t see the trees.

We have grown up so much in the last couple of years. Our outreach programs and youth programs are a cut above. Our fellowship groups and adult education events are multiplying. Our worship attendance continues to climb. It is a real witness to the life we share in Christ.

But behind the beautiful images are some facts that are not listed. Our giving per family is decreasing. For the last three years, while our membership has increased, our giving per family has dropped. This year we are beginning to see the effects of that trend. On top of that, we are receiving more money than ever for outreach events and special projects, but giving to the operating fund (mortgage, staff, supplies) has remained flat. Please note that once you designate money to a certain cause we are obligated by law to use it as such and we honor that, but this is putting a strain on our ability to operate.

This is the time of year we make plans for 2005. Last night at Church Council we discussed these very issues. As you think about your giving patterns for 2005 be mindful that we do not want to stop any of the great programs that are evolving. At the same time we need to be good managers of our gifts and realize that the day-to-day operations are central to the overall plan.

What does this mean to you? It means that your financial gifts to the church should lean in the direction of operations at this time. Sometimes during the holidays people give special gifts to the church. If you do that, please consider a gift that is not designated but can be used for the general operation of the church. In your pledging for 2005, keep in mind that operations are a priority and your extra gifts are over and beyond. This will help us keep a healthy balance as we seek to remain faithful to our calling of serving Christ in the world.

Let me be clear, this is a wonderful church. We are the fourth largest Lutheran congregation out of 173 congregations in the four-state area. While 75 percent of the Lutheran churches in America are stagnant or dying, we have continued to grow for 25 years. We are in the top 5 percent of all Lutheran churches in America. We are strong and getting stronger. We are disciples making disciples. We have a clear understanding of our calling.

The challenge before us is to prioritize our giving. We can surely do this with your help and make the right decisions for the future of our congregation. I personally thank you for reading this and taking the time to think through these important matters. Remember give generously in 2005 as we continue to touch the world literally at Christ the Lord.

Why such a strange address? You are gracious in many ways. You take time out of your life and work for others. You take money out of your pocket and share it with others. You take your greatest gifts from God and put them to use for His glory.

This year our congregation has spread its wings when it comes to giving. What a great year it has been. This is a sure sign that we are growing in our trust of God to provide and a willingness to let go of what we have for the greater good of all.

October is the month we emphasize our faithful giving as a congregation. The leaders of the congregation work earnestly in setting budgets for the next year. We are always seeking ways to reach out and at the same time be good stewards of all that we give.

During this same time, we ask you to do a self- exam of your faithfulness to God. It may sound like a medical check-up but it is more like a day at the candy store. Tallying up at the end of the day how much God has given to me makes me feel darn fortunate. If you live in the United States, it is over abundant. God simply asks us to share a portion of those blessings with others. Not the same, but a percentage - 10 percent to be exact.

During worship on Sunday mornings, we will be hearing from different people witness to us how God has been active in their lives. It’s good to hear the good news through the voices of our fellow friends. It lifts us up and inspires us to take account of our gracious lives.

When people ask me how I feel, I am glad to say that I am alive. Another day to play and work on this planet is absolutely wonderful. I have had my share of ups and downs, which could bring me down, but the more I think about them, the more aware I am of how fortunate and lucky I am.

Sharing something with others is a pleasure. It is almost a natural reaction to counting my blessings. It’s like driving down the highway after a wonderful day with the radio on and I am smiling at everyone that I see. I just want everyone to have the same experience.

From the perspective of the church, happiness is knowing that your money is helping people all over the globe. Are you aware that you were there during the hurricane relief through the Lutheran Church? Were you aware that you were there in the Sudan feeding desperately hungry families? Were you aware you helped send a seminarian to school to preach the Gospel? Did you know that today you supported missionaries in many parts of the world? Did someone point out that you helped a struggling congregation trying to get back on its feet? YOU were there when you gave money to the church. You can be proud of that.

From the perspective of the church, you helped a child know God today. You helped a young confirmand grow in his or her faith. You allowed a Boy Scout or Girl Scout have a place to gather. You helped a troubled soul looking for help sitting in a pew on Sunday. You helped a hungry family trying to put bread on the table at the end of the day. When you put an offering in the plate on Sunday, you did just that.

The Lord said, “When you do it unto the least of these, my brother, you have done it unto me.” This year let us be generous in our giving for God has certainly overfilled our platters. We are most fortunate to be His chosen, His called, His children. Let us show him our gratitude and do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

I’m sitting here quietly in my office. Everyone is gone. I can’t even hear time pass since my watch makes no sound. But I know this day will soon end along with the silence. Soon this church will be full throttle like the opening of a Rich’s one-day sale. We are only a couple of weeks away, as I ponder, from the time when every committee and group in the church will be fully active again.

We have done all we could this summer to prepare for this moment, but just as soon as those doors open, new things will arise. New faces will bring new ideas.

I have watched some of the Olympics. Athletes who have trained all their lives for a few minutes of action that will be reward with gold, silver, bronze or the satisfaction that they competed. That time just before the gun sounds at the beginning of a race is how I feel now.

Just behind the scenes here at church are e-mails racing back and forth discussing and planning new ministries to be added to this fall schedule of events. Last minute changes are being added here and there.

I can’t wait to hear the hustle and bustle again. It is like music to my ears. It is the sound of God’s people at work. This is ministry! It is made up of Sunday school classrooms, youth group meetings, committee meetings, refugee resettlement, divorce recovery, art classes, choirs of all types, neighborhood gatherings, work days, Girl Scouts, pack meetings and so much more.

There is a place for all of God’s children in the church, a place to serve Him. It is a busy place of moving and bumping, of listening and speaking, of lifting up and being carried, of bowed heads and raised voices. It is a broken people for so many reasons finding hope in the One who was most broken by this world. It is loud and busy and I love its sound. It is the sound of God’s love streaming through God’s people. I can hear you coming in my mind and I look forward to seeing you back.

St. Paul writes: “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

All of us have been equipped for ministry, endowed with particular gifts, talents, and skills that are an important part of the body of Christ. These are the tools we use to bring glory to God. All tools are important. All tools work together. All tools are needed to build up the body of Christ. And when we use these God-given tools correctly, we are being good stewards of our lives – just as God called us to be.

This fall, THE TOOL KIT will be introduced! THE TOOL KIT is a resource to help you use the spiritual tools of your life. In both on-line and paper versions, The Tool Kit will work in two ways.

First, THE TOOL KIT helps you take advantage of the tools Christ the Lord offers you to grow in your faith. Each church member will be asked to commit to at least one avenue for spiritual growth in the coming year. Tools for growth include things like attending a class joining a fellowship group, reading Scripture daily, or attending Advent/Lenten worship services.

Secondly, THE TOOL KIT will help you use your spiritual gifts to the glory of God. Each church member will be asked to commit to at least one act of service within the church (you certainly can do more!) Tools for services include things like ushering or offering counting, teaching or assisting with the refugee project.

Paper versions of THE TOOL KIT will be available at church for you to complete, and for your convenience, the on-line version will be available through the website on your home/work computer and at a kiosk computer in the narthex in October and November. All on-line entries for THE TOOL KIT will go directly into a database that will be forwarded to the coordinators of each ministry area. (Many thanks to the gifted lay people who are writing this database to accomplish this task!)

God has truly equipped each of us to be an important part of the body of Christ. And through the gifts of others, each of us can be inspired to grow in faith and service. THE TOOL KIT is just one tool to connect people with projects, interests with groups.

God gave a variety of gifts to equip the saints for ministry to build up the body of Christ. That includes you! We look forward to your use of THE TOOL KIT!

Often during the school year I find myself thinking, “I’ll get to that during the summer when things have slowed down a bit.” Well, I’m not too sure those “summer” projects will get done, because ministry at Christ the Lord is NOT slowing down. Here are just a few of the ministry events that are getting into gear!

Stained Glass Windows: We’ve placed our order for three windows to adorn our sanctuary! Linda Marcy, a professional stained glass artist will oversee the making of the windows, with our church volunteers serving as her assistants. The first three drawings have been finalized, and we hope to have them installed by Christmas! If you’d like to help work on the glass or build the frames for installation, please contact Bill Beeman via the church office.

Refugee Resettlement: A sign of a healthy congregation is a balance between “in-reach” (such as stained glass) and outreach. The Council of Christ the Lord exhibited its “health” by voting to sponsor a new refugee family this fall. Not only will financial and in-kind contributions be needed, but also your hands on support, prayers and hard work will be called forth. The advisory team is being formed now. If you’d like to be on it, please contact Betsy Jagels or Donna Anderson via the church office to volunteer. Additional opportunities to serve will be coming!

Stepping Stones: Plans are coming together to implement this new program, which involves the congregation and family in the Christian upbringing of children, celebrating major milestones from birth through graduation. Through worship, education and supportive means, this program empowers the Christian home in its ministry for passing on the faith to children and youth.

The Tool Kit: Being developed by members of Christ the Lord, “The Tool Kit” will enable you to make spiritual commitments to the ministry of the congregation and to your own spiritual growth. Presented in both on-line and paper forms, this tool will further equip the saints for ministry! More to come!

Fall Planning: The staff is hard at work putting fall plans into place. Look for updated presentations in Confirmation (including Power Point presentations), new adult education curriculum and groups, exciting and meaningful worship and music and a wonderful new year with our precious children.

Long Range Planning: Using an assessment tool called Natural Church Development, we are pursuing the development of a Long Range Plan, which will guide our future work. Impacting staffing, facility planning and ministry development, this plan is critical in discerning God’s call as we continue to minister in this community. Just as God has blessed us in the past, God will certainly empower an exciting future!

Yes – things are hopping around here. We might all slip a vacation in here or there, but please remember your congregation and church staff during these summer months. Christ the Lord (the person and the congregation) is alive and well – thanks be to God!

Now that we have 25 years of ministry under our belt, where to from here? Just as the first members (who met in a cafeteria) did not know exactly where they were going, neither do we. But we do know what our mission is. We are disciples making disciples. That can take many shapes and forms just as the past has taught us. But adhering to the central message of the scriptures, that Christ made perfect in his death and resurrection, is our guidepost. We are and will continue to be led by the Holy Spirit to live and proclaim the goods news of Jesus Christ.

Going forward, there is much that our congregation will be doing this summer in addition to finding a moment to pause and refresh in the warm summer sun. Below is a list of those activities that I invite you and your family to support and enjoy.

Vacation Bible School - June 7 to 11
Caring for the Lawn - As long as the grass grows
Summer Sunday School
Sunday Morning Worship - Children Sermons Return, Pick your own Hymns and a Historic July 4^th Service.
AFFIRM - A 35-year-old church camp for 7 th thru 12 graders.
Missionary Work - Support Ashley Davis as she represents us in Guatemala.
Repairing the Parking Lot - Give generously to the Parking Lot Fund to make repairs.
Stained Glass Project - Work will begin on the stained glass and continue for sometime.
More Missionaries - Jeniffer and Christa will go to Mexico.
Men’s Bible Study - A great time to participate when life is slower for some.
Craft Club - A great way to spend a summer evening as the sun goes down.
Neighborhood Groups - Raft with the Young Adults or hang with any of our many groups.

This fall you can look forward to participating in some new things that are in the hopper. Consider these ideas below:

Marriage Enrichment Workshop (September 24 to 25, lead by Drs. Morgan and Sylvia Kyle)

When you look back at the long history of the church, people of the faith have always found a way. God has led them. Scripture refers to a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night as he led the Israelites to the Promised Land. That same God still leads us. Where he will lead us, we are not certain. We are certain that he will always provide for us for all our days and nights.

Lent is over. Easter is here. Trees and bushes are in full bloom. School is nearing an end and summer is far away. This is one of the most beautiful times of the year as well as one of the busiest times.

Little league is at full throttle. Tests are wrapping up the school agenda. Soccer comes to an end and swim teams test their ability to swim in cold water. There are dances at school and long awaited graduations. Spring cleaning may be slipped in on the home front and vacations are trying to be figured out between summer camps and family visits. It is an extremely exciting and busy time of year.

The church is no different. We will have a senior dinner, the Relay for Life, Godspell, the 25 th Anniversary, Mother’s Day, the synod assembly, confirmation banquets and whatever else we can fit in the calendar. It is an extremely busy time in all parts of our lives including church.

But no matter how busy it is this time of year, it is also exciting and uplifting. So much of what we do is celebrate the completion of a task or school year.

Deep winter with the theme of Lent can get me down at times. The long period of reflection and introspection leaves me longing to hear the Alleluias of Easter. This year was especially strong. Lent was a very deep and dark moment for me followed by some extremely high and lighter moments of Easter.

I cannot really imagine what the women experienced at the tomb when they saw it empty; but I know with a few moments to ponder, they quickly jumped to their feet and went to tell everyone they found that Christ had risen. I am not sure that they had connected the dots about what that moment meant to their own future, but with some future reflection, they quickly hit the streets and synagogues telling the good news of Jesus Christ. Because Christ has risen, we shall live beyond the darkness of death also.

After Lent, I want to jump to my feet and the rest of the world does too if the calendar means anything. We are not just jumping up to have fun. We are celebrating life. Life is a gift and one to be enjoyed and shared with all. There is a season for many different things and this is the season to sing loudly either off note like me or on pitch like Pastor Terri and Laura.

So lets hit the streets and praise God in our churches like the early apostles. Let’s be about celebrating the life we have in Christ. Let’s offer ourselves in service to others and relish all that he has given us. I think this is called being a new a creation in Christ. We are no longer dead to the law, but we are alive in Christ. If you can’t remember what to do or don’t have anything to do, refer to the list above. I am sure they would welcome your help.

The season of Lent will soon come to an end, and the alleluias will pick back up with Easter. The end of the disciplines of Lent is a relief most of the time. Like the disciples who could not stay awake in the Garden of Gethsemane, we struggle to get through the intensity of a 40-day season of the church year. Aren’t you glad it is over? But is it?

This past week I spoke to the catechism class about Baptism. The class material for Baptism is broken up into three categories: the beginning of Baptism, our daily Baptism and the final promise of Baptism. I was talking about our daily Baptism. Everyday we die and rise in Christ. This is why Martin Luther describes us as saints and sinners at the same time. We participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ every waking and sleeping moment of our lives.

On the one hand, Luther taught that we should end each day in prayer acknowledging our shortcomings for the day and thanking God for his promise of forgiveness, which he won upon the cross and passed on to us in our Baptism. But on the other hand, we can also start each day with the promise of the resurrection, rising from our bed, much like rising from our grave, and setting out on our day’s journey with the assurance that God will use us to fulfill his desire to redeem the world.

Where will you use me today, Lord? This is the question that all Easter people of the promise can ask themselves each day. It is a question for every person, no matter what age they are, to ask themselves. We go into the world everyday as servants of God. The intensity of Lent may not be kept, but a daily discipline can be followed.

The difference of this daily discipline from a discipline like exercise or dietary restrictions is that it is filled with promise and hope. A person can know before you step out of your house that you probably will fail at times. But this should not discourage you in your efforts to be faithful to God. God is not and never has sought perfection. God is seeking faithful followers and has forgiven them of their shortcomings before they have ever begun.

How will you use me today, God? This is the question every Christian should ask them self and be on alert and looking for when that moment occurs. And don’t be surprised if you don’t see everything, for some of our best witnessing is unknown to us.

We are a resurrection people. We live within the hope and promise of Easter passed onto us in our Baptism. Lent may be ending, but Easter, Pentecost, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany and Lent lay ahead. This long journey should not overwhelm us. Instead, we can approach it with joy. For everyday of the journey, God will be underneath, beside, behind, overhead and within in us as protection and strength for the expedition.

So let us rise out of bed, make ready for the day and proclaim to the world in our examples and conversations that Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again.

In His service,
Pastor Mitchell

In the early church during the apostolic age when the apostles were carrying the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world, they developed a discipline of having new converts spend 40 days in study and reflection before they were baptized on Easter. This discipline would later develop into the season of Lent. Today Lent is the 40 days beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending with Easter. This period excludes Sundays, which are celebrations of the resurrection.

At an early age, Lent was a very powerful and moving season for me. I remember vividly attending the midweek evening services and sitting in the dark church and hearing the stories about Jesus' agonizing last weeks and final death. On Good Friday, our congregation was always moved by a soloist singing, "Were You There." It was the most moving and darkest moment of the season.

Today I am still driven by the focus of this part of the liturgical year. What moves me most is the time of deep reflection. I grow more spiritually during this time of the year than any other. I am moved by the unbelievable love of Jesus Christ.

I know that people observe Lent in different ways. Some give up things like dietary restrictions that can be self-gratifying. I want to take a bold step in this letter and invite you to consider doing something this year you may or may not have done in the past. There are actually two things.

First I would love for you to invest yourself in the scriptures. Lots of people claim to be Christian these days but few are familiar with the Holy Scriptures. This is a great time to become familiar with them. Here are some options as to how to do that. One, you might pick one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) and read them in their entirety. Two, you may read the passion of Jesus Christ in all four Gospels. This is the section that marks the last week of his life. Three, you might see Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." But before you go, please read a review of the movie that is available at the church. Four, go to our website, www.christthelordlutheran.org and go to the section where a daily devotional is available. Read that devotion. Fifth, attend church every Sunday. That may sound strange but people do miss a Sunday here and there. Finally, read your own choice of the Bible or devotion.

Second, I want you to do something for someone else in the world. Jesus Christ spent his life living for others. This is part of the puzzle that should not be excluded. It is one thing to engage the head. It is another thing to engage the heart. But this is a connection of the head and the heart. It is engaging your entire self in the emersion experience of Lent.

Lent was actually based upon Jesus' forty days in the desert. During this time, Satan tempted Jesus. The devil always tempted him with using scripture. Jesus was not misled in the devil's misuse of scripture. But it wasn't just an intellectual debate. It was also a stress upon the body. Stress is not a 21 st century phenomenon. This temptation in the desert would be lived out during the next three years of Jesus' ministry. Jesus would both teach and give of himself completely to others.

When I invite you to do something for others, it does not have to be known to the other person. It does not have to be for one person. It could be a random act of kindness everyday. Most important is that you engage yourself in reaching out and caring.

I believe the early apostle's understood something important about immersing themselves in Christ. Christ himself understood the need to struggle and determine what he was about. For me, it has always helped in my life-long journey of being a disciple of Christ. I now invite you to enrich your life during Lent and grow closer to Christ.

As we celebrate the season of Epiphany and move into Lent, we remember and reflect upon the life of Jesus Christ. One particular thing that I would like to focus upon is how Jesus Christ reached out to others. When we look at the followers of Jesus, both the 12 apostles and the extended group of disciples, they were made up out of a diverse population of folks. These early beginnings of the church are a model for us as we live out our faith today, in particular, the involvement of all disciples in the spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ.

I received an e-mail the other day from a faithful member of the congregation. She was responding to a sermon that I preached, in which I said that everyone was gifted by the Spirit with various talents that are applicable to the life of the church. I preached with an extra ounce of enthusiasm because of the excitement I have for this subject. I mentioned how our church was growing while 80 percent of the congregations in our synod are stagnate or dying.

This enthusiasm spilt over and she remarked that my leadership and style of preaching had played a big part in why we have grown. She said that she tells her friends about our church and speaks fondly of its relaxed, upbeat and welcoming atmosphere. I thanked her for the compliment but pointed out that the most important thing she had written to me was how with her own enthusiasm she shares the story of our church with friends and neighbors.

Christ the Lord has a wonderful story to tell the world. Jesus Christ had lived, died and risen that we might have life and a life full of meaning and hope.

That story since the early beginnings of the church has been told by billions of people in their own way and fashion. Everyone has their own way of sharing the good news and everyone is gifted in a way to help deliver that story to others.

This morning I met with a person who has had a thought weighing heavy upon his heart for a long time. He took the idea to the youth board meeting. At the meeting, the group wanted to have a big event for the fall to kick off the youth group. He shared with the group the idea that has been weighing heavy upon his heart for months. The group was overjoyed.

The interesting thing about this is that this is a middle-aged man who sells real estate and is an accountant. Who would have guessed that God would use him to reach our youth with the good news of Jesus Christ?

This year at Christ the Lord we are going to intentionally seek ways to help people discover how God is working through them. Trust me, God works through everyone. What God is doing through you is something you may not even know.

The woman who sent me that e-mail may have been correct. Maybe God has given me certain gifts that have helped our church. But the greater truth is that God has given everyone at Christ the Lord a gift to help build up His church on earth. I hope that I can, along with my staff and leaders, help all of you see how God has blessed you and how you can be a great help in building up the kingdom of God by sharing your talents with each other.

I am just as excited as I type this as I was when I preached that sermon. God is definitely working hard in our church and I thank and praise Him for all that He is doing and will do.

Where were you in 1979? I know where the Reverend Bill Quail was. Bill was knocking on doors in a sleepy little, not-yetdeveloped town of Lawrenceville. The Gwinnett Place Mall was not in existence. There was little on either side of Highway 316 between 1-85 and Athens. Jimmy Carter Boulevard (called Norcross-Tucker Road back in 1979) was the closest places to pick up many household items. Bill knocked on over 2,000 doors with the idea that he might establish a Lutheran Church in this place. Rumor and predictions were that this area was going to grow.

It is now 25 years later. I don't need to paint you a picture of the landscape of where we live. What began as a door-to-door canvassing is now one of the largest Lutheran churches in the Southeastern Synod. We are a far cry from the days when they first met in the cafeteria of Central Gwinnett High School.

Whenever you joined us, you knew that over the years we have had our challenges and our moments of unbelievable grace. I cannot look into the past without seeing the graceful and powerful hand of God at work. He has blessed us with so much during our ministry as a congregation.

This year we will remember, give thanks and celebrate our history and our future. Donna Kurdelmeier has graciously agreed to head up our celebration event. Our new stained glass project will be introduced as a commemorative addition to the church. Long Range Planning will craft a new plan and vision for the near future. I am sure more will happen between now and May, the month we will have the celebrations.

One of the most important things we can do during this year is reflect on how we will be remembered in history. Will we be judged as being faithful to God? Are we all that we can be? How is God blessing us now and where is God leading us?