Successful Middle School Youth event
Last Sunday, about 13 youth and 7 adults gathered for a few hours of games, fellowship and food. A scavenger hunt sending youth out (with adults in tow) to various locations on and around main street to find various items and photograph them. More games were played back at the church and the group enjoyed a pizza and other goodies. Thanks to Confirmation youth parents who planned and carried out the event. Several of the youth brought friends with them. Well done, everyone!
New Mailchimp account
This past week I opened a Mailchimp account to help us manage our email list and to send out future mass or targeted emails. I entered all the email addresses that are currently in our Breeze (our current church management software) account (a total of 94 addresses), and then drafted and sent a "Welcome" email, which you all should have received. The advantages of using an email service as opposed to "group addressed" emails using your email client/program are as follows:
- Provides for easy management of your email list
- Links with Breeze -- any changes in email addresses entered into Breeze are automatically uploaded to Mailchimp, eliminating the need to update them in both databases
- Mailchimp will indicate which addresses are bounced (undeliverable -- 8 addresses from first email bounced)
- Mailchimp will indicate how many have opened the emails sent from your account. So far, 45% have opened the first email sent
We will certainly need more St. John's members to provide us with their email addresses. Our plan is to end the distribution of the newsletter by bulk mail through the USPS, saving copying and postage expenses, and move to posting a PDF of the Newsletter online, make a limited number of hard copies available for pick-up at church, and a mail hard copies to shut-ins.
Lunch with St.Nick and Mad River Holiday Train
The Bellevue Ministerial Association is once again sponsoring the Lunch with St. Nick event at the Bellevue Recreation Center from 11am - 1pm on Saturday, December 6. Another community holiday event is the Mad River Holiday Train. You can view flyers with more info, linked below:
Ministry Site Profile
Review of the Ministry Site Profile made a long Council meeting Tuesday evening a bit longer, but Council approved the profile as presented. The financial numbers that I received from Shaun back in September had not been added yet, but I was able to locate those, forward them to James, who will insert the numbers. Then all he has to do is hit the "submit" button, and St. John's and the Call Committee are off and running.
Confirmation lesson
We spent a second session on the 8th commandment, as there is much in this commandment to learn and discuss. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor is the commandment. Luther's explanation reminds us that it means that we should explain our neighbors actions in the kindest way.
Bishop Daniel's weekly email
You can read it here.
Delivered audit info to Jacob at synod
After Mark and Lindsey presented the audit info at Council, it was noted that they need info from synod regarding the format of the audit. I took Mark's contact info and gave it to Jacob, synod administrator. Jacob will call Mark to answer Mark's question.
Interim Pastors Meeting
On Thursday I traveled to Findlay to attend the monthly synod pastors meeting. There were just six of us this time, including former Bishop Marcus Lohrmann, who is coming to the end of his interim at Memorial Lutheran in Toledo, who will soon be voting to call the candidate the call committee has settled on.
Thanksgiving worship
Just a reminder that St. John's offers a Thanksgiving Eve service, Wednesday, November 27, 7:00 pm. What better way to observe Thanksgiving than with worship of the one who has given it all to us.
Ruth George Memorial dedication
On December 1, we will dedicate new worship furnishings -- a cross, candleholders, and vases. They will be brought forward along with the offering, along with a dedication prayer. Shaun will will provide a temple talk to speak about Ruth and her marvelous gift to the congregation. Many thanks to Dennis B. for his hard word in shopping for and ordering the new furnishings. I have seen them, and they are very beautiful. We will need to find a home for the items we will be retiring.
Narthex Announcements Screen
The new 50" LCD announcements screen seems to be working out well -- only little problem is that the android box which displays the image goes to screen saver after two hours (which has happened just before service ends) -- all it takes is a click from the remote to turn it back on again, and Heather says she'll keep an eye and keep it running. If you have an announcement you'd like to put up, let me, Kristen, or Heather know and we'll type it in.
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