Pastor Ed's Message

 

IN THIS POST-EASTER TIME we continue to live in the reality of the joy filled greeting Christians have used for centuries, “Christ is Risen! He is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!” In fact, not only is this our greeting during worship, it is our mission day-to-day to proclaim those words of truth. The central truth of our life and faith as followers of Christ is named in those words of celebration. The fact that “Christ is Risen” is the motivation for us to be not only followers of Jesus, but also ones sent in Jesus’ name to show Jesus to those around us.

We live in a time when the world needs to see and experience the resurrected Christ. I believe “the world” as St. Paul said it, the ones who don’t yet believe Christ is their Savior, live with a basic need left unsatisfied: knowing that Jesus is Lord and Savior is missing from many lives. So our mission statement as St. Philip’s Lutheran Church: to build and nurture a community of faith, praise and service, centered on Jesus Christ is more relevant to this world than ever before. For me as Senior Pastor this means that we use our resources in the most effective way possible to proclaim Christ as savior.

Translating that last sentence into ministry is the challenge your elected leadership and staff live with from week-to-week. Three years ago as a result of the 2003 Strategic Plan we initiated a Wednesday evening worship service. It was designed to fill a perceived gap in the mid-week schedule of people who bring their children to Wednesday church school, but don’t attend worship on Sundays. After three years of working with this concept, we are now at the point of making a decision about offering this worship time during the summer months. In the summer of 2007 attendance was very low on Wednesday evenings as was the case in the previous two summers On one occasion in the summer of 2007 3 people were in attendance and average attendance was from 12-13 people.

As a result of the low summer attendance the Music and Worship Committee introduced at the March Church Council meeting a recommendation for discussion and vote at the April meeting. The recommendation is for the council to consider offering a worship and fellowship event once a month on Wednesday evenings in June, July and August in the place of every week Wednesday evening worship. The once-a-month events would be in the spirit of the August Praise Picnic done the past two summers. The FOCUS praise band would be invited to play for worship on agreed upon Sunday mornings through the summer as the band is available.

The work of ministry is, I believe, a Holy experiment. I mean that in the most accountable, respectable way. The early church, some two-thousand years ago, offered the message of the Gospel in numerous ways while beginning some methods and ending others as dictated by the effectiveness of their efforts on Christ’s behalf. Today this same way of nurturing and building the Christian Community, I believe, is based on one thing which never changes, Jesus is Lord. Keeping that in sight will make it possible to faithfully carry out Christ’s commission to “go and make disciples.”

May we continue to be Christ’s witnesses,

                                                                        Pastor Ed