Grace and peace to you St. John’s Family,


I sincerely hope your holidays were full of joy and love ! I also hope this new year will be fruitful and happy ! Wow ! Where did the year go ? Just seems the older I get the faster time goes. Last year was a busy one here at St. John’s and this year looks to be just as busy for sure. We have a new look with the Altar Remodel, changes in the Narthex ongoing, remodeling the old Library to a great Forum room with many proclaiming God’s Grace other opportunities for meetings. We moved the old Library upstairs in the old Sunday School Office ongoing, and moved the Sunday School Office downstairs nearer the Classrooms too. We have a new Choir Director, thanks Becky; with many new voices along with our 180 Group creating awesome worship experiences. Many charities were help with our generous giving congregation. Our Quilting Circle created many beautiful blankets to send overseas, We had good fellowship at the Fireside in Fort Atkinson featuring great food great friends and great entertainment by the Triumphant Quartet. Totally amazing! Very inspiring. Thanks to Diana Winger and the Mary Circle. Our Youth attended a Gathering in Texas with kids and chaperones from all over the United States and we also elected and had a visit from our new Bishop and so much more. So much happening! We’ve also lost a number of esteemed members of our family that will be dearly missed. God bless them all!

Times change and continue to do so. Hopefully we will continue to grow and change along with them. As we move forward in this new year we look to some changes in our Church Constitution with revisions to create a more understandable idea and terms toward making our community better and more effective, more committed, more inviting, and especially more loving stronger congregation. Inviting, equipping, and encouraging each other to become more involved to create an even better church community.

Our NCD Team has worked long and hard to make our community stronger, more informed, more loving, more inviting, and more spiritually committed in our faith journey. These revisions to our constitution help to better understand and carry out our mission as Jesus Witnesses Proclaiming God’s Grace ! Streamlining our Structures to be more fruitful and effective. The Congregation Council will be smaller with a more involved, more devoted, and dedicated group of leaders that will help guide our body of Christ move forward. Our Planning Groups will be more effective as smaller Ministry Groups that won’t require long term commitment and hopefully generate more interest and enthusiasm accomplishing our goals and interests needed to continue to grow. Hopefully more of our members will express their ideas and passions and share their gifts and talents to serve God and help us grow in our faith and love for God. We will hold Quarterly Meetings in hopes of attaining better Fellowship by keeping our congregation more informed and equipped to accomplish the goals and improvements needed. These meetings can be used to discuss and generate conversations on new and old events making us stronger and more involved. These meetings will help to equip, involve, mentor, encourage, strengthen, and love one another as God loves us. I hope you have or will read through or have someone explain these new revisions and understand that times change and these revisions can help us change and continue to grow in God’s grace. Our NCD Team has given temple talks for the past and next couple weeks to help you understand and to inform everyone what we hope to accomplish. January 13th is our date needed to hold a vote on the Revisions and I sincerely hope many or all of our members will be present to ask questions or express concerns and to vote on approval of these revisions. Please check it out and plan to attend the meeting ! We have always done many of the things expressed in the NCD practices or principles but we can always get better and grow in our spirituality and faith and love for God.


Yours in Christ,

 

Ron

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