? ! * ! ? * & ! ? * ! ? & * ! ? * &
Have questions? Want answers? Have answers? Want questions? This and That! Where and What? How and Why? Dos and Don’ts?
Thus is Life! And it seems as a congregation we are thinking or hearing these words a lot lately? My friends, there is a lot of “going on’s” inside and outside of our building. There are meetings and gatherings about this and that, with lots of questions and few answers, sometimes there are answers with no questions. My advice: Please remember that as a member of the congregation you are able to attend any meeting or gathering of the congregation. Yes, there are some rules about voting, but all present are allowed to speak and ask questions and there are times when confidentiality issues may arise and you are asked to exit for a short time period. However, if any of the phrases above ring true to you, I encourage you to attend and to listen and to share when appropriate. If attending is difficult, call a Board member, or talk to them another time. Give me a call or drop by for a visit. It is only a secret if you choose not to find out!
“Remember, that whatever you do or wherever you go, I love you!”
Love always
Mark
JOYS
- Congratulations to Katie Anderson & John Lynch, who were married Saturday, June 30th on the
beach ofPrior Lake
CONCERNS
§ Keep in our prayers Todd Hall who is dealing with some medical issues.
§ Kendall Harding has requested prayers for his friend, Charlyn Warman, who has been diagnosed with cancer.
§ Keep in our prayers the friends and family of Sully Myott, who has just passed away due to colon cancer.
Women’s Ministries
Reminder that the meeting to plan next year’s calendar will be this coming Saturday, July 7th, at
Book Group
July’s book is Dandelion Wine, by Ray Bradbury. Our meeting will be at Karen Westphal’s home, Thursday, July 26th at
Seekers
The Next Seekers meeting is September 10th…..have a great summer!
Shakespeare & Company
Our own Deb Murphy does the costume design for this “classic repertory theatre” performing at the Outdoor Theatre complex at
Grande Sale
From It’s All Too Much by Peter Walsh… “Some of us are afraid of the mysteries that the future holds...You can’t be too prepared. You can’t throw away that collection of empty shoeboxes. Your daughter might need them for a school project! You can’t get rid of those skinny jeans. You might lose 20 pounds! Those old, funky clothes might be good for Halloween or a costume party, not to mention the piles of ticket stubs for a scrapbook you might find time to make someday and the broken toys you have every intention of repairing. This is ‘I might need it one day’ clutter.”
The Grande Sale needs your rummage. OK, don’t bring in empty shoeboxes, broken toys, or ticket stubs…but bring in clean items in good repair! We need them for the sale! Bring items to the West Wing hallway; you may leave them outside the rummage sale store room. (4th door on the right) Thanks!
Green Team
The Green Team is a newly formed support network for those within the church making “green” changes in their lives, i.e. eating healthy, shopping local, reducing/re-using/recycling, ect. Our next meeting is here at the church, Tuesday, July 31st,
To the congregation at First Christian,
I would like to share some of my personal thoughts with you because I am greatly concerned about the future of this congregation. We are a group of dedicated, caring, try-to-be-good Christians that have been together for a long time. But now we are forced with a crisis, I believe.
There are two possibilities- stay in this building, or move. Move? Yes, that is a possibility. If we stay, what do we have? We have an aging building that has been neglected in some areas- the heating system, leaking walls and windows, for instance. We have more floor space and outdoor area than can possibly be cared for by one custodian. If we stay and share the building, we need someone to oversee and manage those who use the building. We would need to do some remodeling.
If we move, what do we have? The unknown- a frightening thought! Do we rent a smaller space, join another congregation, or share the building with another congregation? We’d be the tenant, they’d be the landlord.
My thought is that we need to put the building up for sale and concentrate on how we proceed with plans to relocate. Financially, we can’t afford to do anything else. If you think I’m wrong, please talk to me and set me straight.
-Mary Lou Cain
Ministry Task Force Appointed
As the Chair of First Chrstian’s Board, I have appointed a Ministy task force to assess our overall needs for pastoral leadership in light of Alison’s departure from the co-ministry team. The Task Force membership consists of Martha Harris, Luella Griffin, Jay Hillestad, Garry Hesser (chair) and myself.
The charge to the task force is to meet with Mark and explore fully the implications of Alison’s resignation. The task force will focus it’s attention on the scope and priorities of the ministry at FCC and on Mark’s role in First Christian’s future. In light of the fact that Mark and Alison were called as a co-pastor team, the work of the task force is essential both for Mark and the congregation as we plan and move forward in the future.
You and other members are encouraged to communicate your thoughts and suggestions to myself or any member of the task force, including communication in writing as soon as is convienent for you to do so. The task force began its meeting on July 3rd and will continue to meet throughout the summer as needed.
Martha Harris 763-593-0814
Lu
Jay Hillestad 952-949-0492
Garry Hesser 612-721-4905
Ev Hall 952-831-4313
Please keep Mark and the task force members in your thoughts and prayers.
-Ev Hall, Chair, FCC Board