Council Corner

Calvary’s 2008 Council Members & where they may be reached.


Council Chair – Marc Johnson,        679-4218       Council Vice Chair– Sharon Endicott,      679-1107       
Council Member –  Angie Mann,    679-6885        Council Secretary –  Karen Schafer,        679-1984    
 Council Member –   Karen Larson, 679-3593       Council Member – John Dalsveen,  320- 629-6616
Council Member – John Mattson,    679-3236       Council Member – Janet Johnson,            679-3044

 
Greetings:

Fall is upon us and many of us are back into the routines of church, school, work, and family. While not as many of us are directly affected by the agrarian calendar as was once the case, we still look at Fall as a time to celebrate the harvest and think about the blessings that God has bestowed upon us. It is no coincidence that this time of the year tends to be the primary time for congregations to undertake their stewardship campaigns. It is an easy time to talk about stewardship of the land, sharing the harvest, and using our talents to serve in the many ministries of the church. In the stewardship messages that you see and hear around the church in the month of October, you will have an opportunity to learn about these many important aspects of stewardship, and, you will hear about the financial part as well.

All one needs to do is take a look around the church to see that stewardship is alive and well at Calvary. For example, in the most recent bulletin, The Care for the Creation task force provided tips for saving energy around the house and being a good "Earth Keeper"; members are sharing their talents in choirs, musical groups and through participation in one or both of the Sunday services; Sunday School, confirmation and bible studies have begun again, donations have been provided for the basement renovation and for needed office equipment, and so much more. It is exciting to see the energy returning to the church. We are blessed to be part of a committed, compassionate, community of believers at Calvary.

Certainly, we also face challenges. Will we be able to support the second Sunday service with enough people to lead and support worship? Can we complete the basement renovation that has been started? Will we be able to meet our budget and sustain the youth and family ministry programs that were added last year? As a council, we say, Yes! - and we hope that the congregation will join us. It will take a continuation of the hard work and giving (of all types) that has exemplified this congregation in the past, and we are challenged to do just that. In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 8, Paul provides a call to generous giving, in this case, financially, but it certainly applies to all aspects of stewardship. He challenges us to give enthusiastically, to fulfill our commitments and to give in response to Christ. It can be tough to do that in difficult times, but if we all respond as we are able, we will do wonderful things. Financially, we have made it through the toughest part of the year and we have paid all of our bills. However, the general fund giving has not kept up with expenses and we are using reserve funds. We need more musicians in our choirs and volunteers to fill the service positions during the worship services. There continue to be unmet needs in our community.

Take a moment to review the list of upcoming stewardship activities in Pastor Oelfke's newsletter message and think about how you can answer the stewardship call. Maybe it involves reducing your carbon footprint on the Earth or recycling. Perhaps you can volunteer to teach Sunday School, lead a bible study or teach a communiversity class. Take a step toward tithing. Join a choir or music group. Quilt. Whatever you chose to do, do it enthusiastically and for Christ.

God Bless,
Marc Johnson