A "Not-so-slow" Summer

Summer is typically a slower time here at the church but that hasn’t been the case this summer. We have not been idle. Here is some of what has been, and is, happening.

The first is the Missional Assessment Profile Summit on Tuesday, August 14th at 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. The Missional Assessment Profile (or MAP) is the survey that many of you took in July. The intention of the survey was to hear from a wide cross-section of the congregation about where we believe the Holy Spirit is leading us in the next three to five years. Tim Johnson, our Kairos consultant, will lead this Summit and report back to us on the results of the survey and give us a better sense of how the Holy Spirit is moving among us. Everyone in the congregation is encouraged to attend so please put this on your calendar.

The second is the work of our two Search Committees: both our Children, Youth, and Family Search Committee and our Music Director Search Committee. The Children, Youth and Family Search Committee is comprised of Rachel Bash, Amber Becker, Nick Egly, Annette McClelland (chair), Erin Green, Ryan Green, Shannon Durick, Laura Jaunich, Dan Langner, Vicki Noetzelman, and me. The Committee received twelve resumes and chose to interview three candidates. The first candidate withdrew her name and the other two are still possible selections.

The Music Director Search Committee is made up of Laurie Brown, Michelle Bunker, Steve Crosby, Sue Fink, Bridget Hanson, Marcus Hanson, JoMarie Williamson, and me. The Committee has received two resumes. Only one of the candidates was qualified and so we are scheduling an interview with this candidate. Please keep both of these searches in your prayers.

The third is the Godspeed and Farewell for Rachel Bash on Sunday morning, August 12th. We will bid Rachel Godspeed and farewell on the 12th in our worship service, and then host a reception for her following the service. In addition, we will also hear back from the youth and adults who participated in the Mission Trip to Atlanta in June in worship that day. So it promises to be a full morning with both laughter and tears.

The fourth is the launch of our new website. The new website is now “live” and we trust that it will be an excellent tool for our mission and ministry. Please check it out and if you encounter any “glitches,” please let us know through the church office. I want to extend a heart-felt “thank you” to the members of the Website Task Force: Cheri Ashfeld (chair), Rachel Bash, Billie Chock, Ryan Green, Paul Ludwig, and Brad Pappas. They have done great work.