Moving Forward into 2020

In the Gospel of Mark there is scene in chapter two that is outstanding; Jesus is hanging out with the most recent disciple he has called and the religious leaders ask a very challenging question. They ask, "Why is Jesus eating with all those sinners?" Three observation about this challenge: 1. Jesus calls sinners to be his disciples. 2. Eating together is an important part of Jesus ministry. 3. Ministry often will take us in directions that those in power will be intimidated by.

Our annual meeting was held this past Sunday,  January 26. Us sinners gathered, ate a meal together and we leaned fully into our ministry for those on the margins. We are a ministry of Jesus in the world. A place where all of God's people are welcome and challenged to love creation more than profits. Our lives are changed when we encounter Jesus, just as Levi's life was changed. Thanks be to God.

At this meeting we witnessed Kaaren Hatlen passing on the duties of president to Paul Ehe. What a great sign of our health that our leadership is being passed from one incredible person of faith to another. We give thanks for our new council members as well: Roger Wolter (2nd term), Christy Freriks (1st term), Holly Batstone (1st term) and Randall Wampler (1st term). These people will add amazing new voices to our Vision 2025 process.

All of this is a sign of our relationship with God, with our ministry and with each other. I hope that we can continue to build healthy relationships so that we can live fully into the future that God is calling us into. 

If you have any questions please reach out to your council leadership team or your congregation staff. We want to make sure that we all feel confident in this good work.