Interim Update for April 30, 2021

Final Issue of Interim Update

Welcome to the final issue of St. John's Interim Update. I hope this has been helpful -- for me it's become a discipline to sit down on Friday and think about the week that has passed, what happened, and what was accomplished. This blog will remain as archive of the past 34 months. Each post is linked in the Blog Archive in the right column -- all 144 of them. To view and read, all you have to do is type https://stjohnsbellevue.blogspot.com into your browser. If you are searching for something specific, you can use the small search window in the upper left corner.

Final Weekend Update "From Pastor Mark" Message

I have penned a final "From Pastor Mark" message that has normally appeared as the first item in the Weekend Update emails that became a regular Saturday thing in 2020. The purpose of these messages was to keep the congregation better informed about what was happening, and to provide a pastoral message regarding significant national news, or a reflection on the scripture readings for the coming Sunday. Now, this final one provides some thoughts as my time as your interim pastor comes to an end. It will appear in Saturday's Weekend Update, and you can read it then, or if you prefer, you can also read it now HERE.

Post-Worship Plans for Sunday

I have been informed that the Fellowship Team is planning a parking lot event after worship on Sunday as a way for me to visit with St. John's people on my last Sunday with you. Light refreshments will be provided. The Meteorologist is forecasting a nice day - in the 70's and no rain, so thank you, Lord! I will also be advertising a "drive-through" hello/goodbye opportunity from 12:00 - 12:30, as I'm assuming that there are still some who are still uncomfortable about being out and about, or those for whom standing is difficult.

Letter sent to Non-email Group

We still have about 27 households in our database that don't have email, and for whom the church office has been sending out snail mail updates. Our most recent update was send Wednesday with my "From Pastor Mark" message, and information regarding Confirmation and my last Sunday on May 2.

Computer/Internet/Breeze Transitions

Heather and I have been working on transitioning internet accounts that have used my log-in information to accounts that will be accessible to Heather, Pastor Bob, as well as others. Today we made necessary changes to Zoom, Mail Chimp, and on Sunday we will do YouTube. I have added Pastor Bob to the St. John's Files folder in Dropbox, and got him set up with a user account in Breeze (congregation database).

Five Things to Do Post-Pandemic

Speeaking of Breeze, we receive monthly blog posts from the Breeze staff on congregation management. The most recent post speaks of five things congregations should do post-pandemic. You can read the post HERE.

Interim Update for April 23, 2021

Exit Interview on Tuesday

An exit interview for St. John's and me was held on Tuesday, April 20. The interview was led by our Call Process Facilitator, Mary Boals, and our new Eastern Conference Dean, Pr. Stacy Lauer of St. John's Union Corners. This was a chance to reflect on the progress that the congregation has made during the interim time, including things that went well, as well as challenges still facing the congregation. There were about nine members of St. John's that attended this Zoom metting, in addition to Mary, Pr. Stacy and I. Mary will be completing a report of the meeting and will share it with us when it is ready, and then I turn will share it with you. Thanks to all who took the time to participate in this meeting -- it was very helpful!

Confirmation will Include Baptism

Earlier this year we resumed our Confirmation learning sessions, focusing on the Means of Grace -- the Word and the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. One of our confirmaton youth, Sam Doster, invited his friend Jonny to join us for some of those sessions. As we talked about Holy Baptism, it must have sparked something in Jonny as he expressed an interest in being baptized. I contacted his mom and let her know that if Jonny wanted to be baptized, he could join his friends and be baptized on the same day that they would affirm their faith on April 25.

Jonny and his parents took us up on this offer, and our worship on Sunday will not only feature seven of our 8th and 9th graders (our 9th grader is Kaden Miller, who would have been the lone confirmand last year) affirmaing their baptismal faith, but also Jonny receiving the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. I was able to combine the baptism and confirmation services so that this will all happen at the same time.

We did rehearsal on Wednesday evening, with Heather and Cindy Mira assisting. Heather, Sherri and Rebecca (Christian Ed) have been working hard on the details such as flowers, a breakfast on Sunday morning for the youth, gifts for the confirmands, emails to the parents with logistic details, and getting estimates of number of family members and assigning them to pews. Cindy will present the candidates. We are expecting attendance of at least 80 representing confirmands and baptismal families, so we will be very near capacity for our pandemic seating of every other pew. If you are concerned about coronavirus exposure, you may choose to worship via YouTube, which will be streamed in its normal time slot beginning at 8:30 am and on demand after that.

Confirmation youth will be introduced at the beginning of the YouTube service, so congregation members not attending in person will be able to see those affirming their faith, and will also be able to meet Jonny. All will be highlighted with brief bios in Saturday's Weekend Update.

Jonny No Stranger to St. John's

Jonny (Jonathan) Zilch, son of David and Deana Zilch, is our baptimal candidate. An 8th grader at Bellevue Middle School along with other members of the Confirmation Class, Jonny has spent time at St. John's in the past. He is a proud graduate of St. John's Christian Preschool. He also has family connections at St. John's -- Jonny's mother is a twin sister of Dana Beier, which makes Jonny a first cousin to Brooke and Brock. Another touching connection is that two of the confirmands, Cora and Lauren, were acolyting one Sunday last year (pre-pandemic) on a Sunday that Dana and Brooke were present for worship. Cora and Lauren wondered if there was something that the confirmaton class could do to help Brooke and Dana, and as it turned out, there was. Brooke needed a new personal hygiene chair. Cora and Loren's concern led to a fundraiser to help Dana purchase the chair.

Trinity Connection

Trinity Connection is a quarterly newsletter from Trinity Seminary in Columbus. You can read the spring issue HERE.

From the Stewardship Team

Our program emphasis for stewardship this year is Saints Alive! Living Generously.

Generous giving involves more than giving financially. With a cheerful heart, we desire to give all glory to God for the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. We desire to center our thoughts on the needs of others, no matter the cost to us, for God's Word reminds us that "God is able to make all grace abound.....in every good work."

And none of these acts of service are about being acknowledged as the giver, but rather the giving will overflow with many thanksgivings to God.

Our acts of giving reflect in a small way the greatest gift of salvation by grace given to us in Christ. May our hearts be filled with generosity for others and may we discover opportunities where we can reveal His love, compassion and servanthood. Turning our hearts and minds toward His plans for us, we cheerfully first offer ourselves to His service and then submit to HIm whatever additional harvest is needed. Understanding the price He paid for us is nearly impossible, but loving sacrificially in return is possible.

Give generously through Him, Love sacrificially for Him.

Stewardship Ministry,
Linda Bollenbacher
Aleta Sieger
Emma K. Wagner

Drive-Through Holy Communion Suspended

Drive-Through Holy Communion will be suspended until further notice. With the next two Sundays of Confirmation and my last Sunday on May 2, there will just not be time to do this. I have certainly enjoyed this "Eucharistic Ministry," using the basic order for Celebrating Holy Communion in Special Circumstances.

ELCA Worship News

You can read the latest issue HERE.

Interim Update for April 16, 2021

Executive Team Meeting with Pastor Robert Ohrstedt

On Thursday afternoon, the Executive Team met with and completed an agreement with Pr. Robert Ohrstedt, who will be the bridge pastor for St. John's until the arrival of the newly called pastor. Pastor Bob's home is in Columbus, and he will be commuting to Bellevue several times a week, as well as working remotely from home. Starting date will be May 3, and his assignment is full time. Most recently, Pastor Bob completed an interim at St. Paul's in Waldo, where Pastor Sarah Schaaf served for a number of years until she was called to the Synod staff as Director of Community Engagement. Pastor Bob was also able to visit briefly with Heather regarding our YouTube service, and she learned that Pastor Bob has a computer that can be used until a new laptop arrives (see next story).

New Laptop Computer on the Way

A new laptop computer has been ordered and is on the way, although it won't arrive until mid May. This purchase was necessary, as we have been using my personal computer to stream our Sunday morning and special services on YouTube. We are using a rebate from Perry ProTech for our new copier to fund this purchase.

Congregation Annual Reports Meeting

Our Congregation Annual Reports Meeting, postponed from February, is ready to go this Sunday, April 18, immediately following the 10:00 in-person worship. You can view the agenda, along with the printed reports HERE. Attendance via Zoom will be an option, but in order to participate online you will need to complete a form so Heather will know what addresses to send the Zoom invitation. View and complete the form HERE.

Exit Interview

In last week's Update I included information about an exit interview which will give us an opportunty to reflect on this interim time with these thoughts in mind:

• to take a final look at "how have things gone;"
• to bring meaningful closure prior to departure;
• to enhance future ministry and congregational life.

The date and time for this interview will be Tuesday, April 20, at 6:00 pm. It will last form 1.5 to 2 hours, and will be offered exclusively via Zoom. The meeting will be led by Conference Deans Steve Bauerle and Stacy Lauer. You can view an outline of the interview HERE. I hope that many of you will be able to participate in this meeting. I will send the Zoom link on Tuesday, so watch for it then.

Imagining Renewal Microgrants

Last year, our Synod raised money for, promoted, and granted funding for new ministry projects in our synod congregations. St. John's donated $3,000 last fall from our Mission Endowmenet Fund to this special fund. Last year, $23,375 was awarded to fund 23 projects throughout the synod.The synod is now announcing another round of grants. From a recent synod email:

Spurred on by a generous donation, and in conjunction with 2021: the Year of Generosity, we are now offering a 2nd Round of Imagining Renewal Microgrants. The Northwestern Ohio Synod Council has designated up to $30,000 in microgrant funding to offer support and resources to individuals, congregations, and organizations who have a desire to engage in a new and original community-based project that uniquely meets a community need, encourages community engagement, and furthers the good news of Jesus.

This round of microgrants will focus on 4 Categories of Care: Discipleship, Generosity, Care for Creation, and Community Regeneration. Take a moment today to imagine how God might do a new thing through you!

For more information about these grants, and for a link the to the synod Imagining Renewal Microgrants website, go HERE.

Last Confirmation Learning Session

Our final learning session for Confirmation was on Wednesday, during which we reviewed a resource called "Ready to Affirm." We talked about what it means for youth to affirm their faith, and the promises that they will be making. We also talked about their final essays, along with possible topics and thought starters for writing. These will be due this coming Wednesday at 6:30 at which we will also rehearse the Rite of Confirmation and get youth fitted with their gowns. Education Team is handling other details, such as flowers, gifts, and a take home "Confirmation Muffin," since we will not be able to offer a more traditonal reception.

Kristen's schedule next week

Kristen wll be out of the office some next week, including Monday afternoon when she has a doctor appointment for her ankle, and all day Wednesday to be with her husband Chuck who is having surgery. She may take part or all of Thursday depending on how things go for Chuck.

First Communion

Four of our congregation kids will begin communing on Sunday. I have met with kids and parents on the past two Wednesdays during which time we learned about the meaning of Holy Communion and its Biblical basis. Kids and families will come forward during worship to be introduced, and we'll offer a special prayer for them.

Installation of Council

I will do a brief service of installation during worship on Sunday for Council Members who are present. I will not ask anyone to come forward, just to stand where you are for this service.

Interim Update for April 9, 2021

40 Days of Giving -- Thank You!

We added to our Lenten journey this year a challenge to live those 40 days learning, thinking about, and doing something about people in our world who lack the most basic need of food. People who are hungry. In week 1 we were challenged to think more about "we" than "I". Week 2 challenged us to be honest listening to the cries of pain, exploitation, injustice and violence that contribute to world hunger. Week 3 encouraged us to to pay attention to issues of justice. Week 4 continued this theme by stressing the importance of investment in creating a just world where all are fed. Week 5 called us to act on what we have learned to help end hunger.

At St. John's one of our "actions" was to give $1, $2, $3 a day for the 40 days of Lent, or any amount to the ELCA Hunger program. We set an initial goal of $1,000, which we met. We set a second goal of $1,500 which we met. We moved the goalposts to $2,000, and I'm happy to report that current total is $1, 985! Thank you for your generosity! And the ELCA Hunger Program also thanks you. I encourage you to read that thank you HERE.

Exit Interview

On Thursday I received an email from Sherry Krieger (NWOS Director of Leadership Development for Congregational Care) asking if I would like to do an exit interview. I said yes, as I have done this once before when I left First in Galion in 2018. I found it to be a helpful process for me, and the congregation leaders at First who participated also expressed appreciation for this conversation. The purpose is to reflect on this interim time with these thoughts in mind:

• to take a final look at "how have things gone;"
• to bring meaningful closure prior to departure;
• to enhance future ministry and congregational life.

This interview will be hosted by Mary Satterfield, the chair of our synod team of Call Process Facilitators (one for each of the six conferences). Also participating will be our new Eastern Conference Dean, Pr. Stacy Lauer. The date has not yet been determined -- Mary is working at find a date that will work for the key participants - right now it looks like either Tuesday, April 20, or Thursday April 22 at 6pm. It will last for 1.5-2 hours, and will happen on Zoom. Once the date is determined, I will let you know so you can determine your availability.

Update on Bridge Pastor

I learned from Sherry Krieger on Thursday that the recently retired pastor she had originally indicated to me as the one who would be the bridge pastor between me and the new called pastor has withdrawn his name from consideration. However, Sherry has found another pastor that is available for this assignment. Marc has received his contact info and will be contacting him soon to begin a conversation hopefully leading to an agreement for him to serve in this bridge capacity. He recently completed an interim in the SE Conference, and is willing to be full-time.

Youth Ministry returns to Parking Lot

The excellent weather we had this week was conducive to doing our children and youth activities outside:

• At 5pm on Wednesday, I did the first of two sessions with our grade school kids who are learning about Holy Communion in preparation to begin receiving the sacrament. We did some activity in the parking lot, and moved to the lawn in the shade for our lesson time. We have one more learning session next week, and first communion Sunday will be April 18.
• At 6:30 middle school youth met for their final confirmation session. For a bit of end of season fun, I set up a darball court in a parking space, and we used beanbags as darts. The boys eeked out a 7 inning victory over the girls. I posted some pics on the St. John's Facebook page, which you can view HERE. We ended with a pizza snack from Marco's, served up by employees Gunnar and Mason. This was the last session for 6th and 7th graders, and 8th graders plus Kaden will use the next two Wednesday sessions to learn about what it means to affirm their faith.

Interim Update for April 2, 2021

Second Pfizer shot

Received Pfizer #2 this morning at Huron County Fairgrounds Expo center, organized and staffed by Fisher Titus. Some were saying that the second is harder on you than the first. For me, the opposite was true. No side effects, and just mildly sore at the injection site.

Preschool Update

Mrs. Lilly reports a total profit of $2,152 from their annual Easter Candy Sale. "Thank you to everyone who helped with the fundraiser by making candy, selling candy, purchasing candy :), and/or praying for our ministry. " Preschool has been on spring break this week. Kudos always due our excellent Preschool and all who make it that way. Over the past pandemic year they have shown resiliency, flexibility, innovation, and always, dedication to their call to serve Bellevue preschoolers and their families.

40 Days of Giving Goal Shattered Again!

When we began the season of Lent with our 40 Days of Giving thorugh the ELCA World Hunger program, we set a goal of $1,000. Well, that goal was met, and we set another goal of $1,500. Well, that goal was surpassed recently, and our total giving now stands at $1,785. We plan to keep the fund open for at least a week post Easter, so if you'd like to help reach another goal ($2,000?) you can do so HERE. Or give via mail or Sunday morning offering, and mark your gift "40 Days of Giving."

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

These Three Days services were livestreamed beginning at noon on Thursday and Friday. I did Maundy Thursday solo, and in the message completed the sixth and final piece of "The Puzzle of the Cross" with the theme "Salvation." For the good Friday service I was assisted by Worship and Music team members Jan and Cathy, who were also able to help with stripping the altar, and then decorating for Easter worship, which made it possible to move directly to.....

Recording and Uploading Easter Worship

Our 8:30 Easter Sunday service made it necessary to record and upload Easter worship. The service will go live at 6:00 am on Easter morning, and be available on demand after that. Thanks to Cindy and Evelyn who assisted this service with piano, guitar and vocals. YouTube decided to flag our music when it uploaded, even though we chose hymns in the public domain. Wasn't sure what I should do when I got the notices -- gave the option of editing the music out or silencing it -- I did neither and clicked "Next" and the video was published anyway.

First Communion Class set

I'll be leading a First Communion class on Wednesdays April 7 and 14 at 5:00 pm. I have four kids who will be participating, including a child of a first time visitor last Sunday, who is actually a fifth grader this year, but his mom said she would bring him. So I will have one 2nd grader, two third graders (from last year) and one fifth grader. Will plan to do First Communion Sunday on April 18.

Registration for Easter worship

Our registration form for Easter worship has been getting some decent traffic. There are 50 registered for 10:00 service and 14 for 8:30. Have you registered yet? If not, click or tap HERE.

Bishop Eaton's Easter Message

You can view and listen to Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton's 2021 Easter Message HERE.

Interim Update for March 26, 2021

An Unexpected Trip to Missouri

On Wednesday, Marcy asked if I would accompany her to Missouri to visit her mother, Martha, who is in the process of moving out of her home where she has lived for the past 20 years with her husband, Philip. Philip, age 97, has recently moved to a care facility for rehab care following a recent illness. Martha, age 89, also has health issues which make it impossible to live by herself in a large house out in the country. Martha will be moving in with Philip at the care center until they can move into a new assisted living facility in the nearest town, Fayette. Marcy and I drove to Martha's house on Thursday (about 11 hours) and today (Friday) Marcy, along with her sister Peggy, who flew in from Pittsburgh, and Peggy's daughter Diana, who flew in from Rapid City, are assisting their mom/grandma with personal items in her home so the house can be ready for one of Philip's grandsons to move in. Marcy and I will return to Ohio on Saturday.

Confirmation Details Meeting

On Wednesday, I invited parents of Confirmation Youth to join our Zoom meeting at 7:15 following our 6:30 session to discuss details of Confirmation. These detais included such things as final class sessions for confirmands on April 14 and 21, suggestions for final faith essays and confirmation verses, photos (Doug Klein will do, flowers, robes, etc. Kaden Miller will join the 8th graders, as he was scheduled to affirm his faith last year, but did not do so because of the pandemic. There will be seven St. John's youth who wil affirm their faith on April 25.

Luther's Small Catechism Link

To help confirmands review the Catechism that we have studied over the past two years, a prepared and published an online version. If you'd like to take a look to read and review, you can do so HERE.

Ready to go for Palm Sunday

Executive met last Sunday after YouTube worship to finalize the plans for our return to in-person worship on Palm Sunday. A few minor changes have been made since our previous period of in-person worship. A reminder that our previous protocols regarding masks, distancing, limited speaking/singing will continue to be observed.

Help Needed for Return to In-Person Worship and Beyond

This is a repeat from last week. Worship Helpers for In-Person worship beginning Palm Sunday are needed. For a list and description of the helpers we need, along with an online form to sign up, please click or tap HERE. Executive Committee will meet at 9:30 Sunday Morning to finalize plans for Palm Sunday.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

Holy Week Services of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday will be offered as YouTube livestreams only, which can also be viewed later on demand. Both services will go live at noon. YouTube links will be emailed and text messaged shortly before noon on Thursday and Friday.

Two Services on Easter Sunday!

There will be two services on Easter Sunday, at 8:30 am and 10:00 am. We would prefer that attendance at each service not exceed 100, and are asking that you use the online form linked below to register your intention, or call the church office at 419-483-5442.

Online Registration Form for Easter Sunday

Interim Update for March 19, 2021

Thrivent Choice Dollars Deadline

I know that most of you don't own Thrivent products, and even if you do, not all of them generate Choice Dollars. These are the funds that the company must disperse to the community to keep their non-profit status as a fraternal insurance company. Policy owners can disberse the accumulated funds to the non-profit of their choice. St. John's Lutheran Church and St. John's Christian Preschool are both on the list. The deadline for designating your funds is March 31.

Funeral for Paul Wott

The funeral for Paul Wott will be Saturday, March 20, 10:00 am at St. Johns. Rest eternal grant him, O Lord! We extend our sympathy to Paul's family, and thank God for Paul's faithfulness and service. You can read Paul's obituary HERE.

Council met on Tuesday

Council held its March meeting on Tuesday at 7:00pm, with some attending in-person and others attend via Zoom. Toni has posted the draft (unofficial) of the minutes, which you can read HERE.

New Copier Ordered

An item of business at the meeting was the purchase of a new copier. Our Ricoh is no longer supported by our vendor, MT Business Systems. We decidedd to purchase a new Richoh color copier, which will cost of less money than our current monochrome copier. Our new vendor is Perry Pro Tech out of Perrysburg. The sales rep met with Shaun on Thursday afternoon, and completed the sales contract.

Congregation Notified of Pastor Mark's last Sunday

A message from me regarding my last Sunday at St. John's was sent out on MailChip on Wednesday, and linked by text message. A snail mail letter was sent to our non-email members on Thursday. In case you missed it, you can read it HERE.

The Puzzle of the Cross and 40 Days of Giving

Our theme this week was Savior, and we move on to the "Sacrifice" piece on March 24, "Sacrifice" and "Salvation" on April 1, Maundy Thursday.

Keep monitoring the St. John's Facebook page for information and resouces for our 40 Days of Giving theme, which is sponsored by the ELCA Hunger Program. We set a goal of raising $1,000 for this program, which helps fight hunger around the world, and have suggested a gift of $1, $2, or $3 a day for 40 days of Lent. So far we have received $1,260!! Let's set a new goal of $1,500! I've pledged at the $3 rate, or $120. You can give directly to a special St. John's fund through our online giving portal HERE, or mark your gift "40 Days of Giving."

Help Needed for Return to In-Person Worship and Beyond

Worship Helpers for In-Person worship beginning Palm Sunday are needed. For a list and description of the helpers we need, along with an online form to sign up, please click or tap HERE. Executive Committee will meet at 9:30 Sunday Morning to finalize plans for Palm Sunday.

First Communion Class scheduled

I have two third-graders and one second grader who will participate in a first communion learning program. We will meet via Zoom at 5:00 pm on Wednesdays, Apri 7 and 14. Possibly a First Communion Sunday on April 18.

Confirmation Parents Meeting Scheduled

I have asked parents of those who will be affirming their faith (five 8th graders and one ninth grader) to join the Confirmation Zoom at the end of our session at 7:15 so we can discuss details regarding confirmation on April 25. I've sent a message to Cindy Klein to see if she could do the class photo to add to the St. John's hallway gallery.

Preschool Kids Sing Some Songs

On Wednesday morning and afternoon, I grabbed my guitar, dusted off my vocal chords, and led some songs for the preschool classes. I sang and played from the hallway (mask on) and the kids sang along. Repeated the process on Thursday for that day's classes.

Interim Update for March 12, 2021

First Covid-19 Vaccination

I received the first dose this morning in the program sponsored and staffed by Fisher Titus in Norwalk. The event was staged at the Expo Center at the Huron County Fairgrounds, and there were 8 vaccination stations. Hundreds in attendance getting their vaccine -- waiting for their number to be called, then sitting for 15 minutes post vaccine before exiting. Members from St. Peter in Norwalk were on hand to direct traffic in the parking lot, and the St. Peter church bus was available for those who needed a ride from the lot to the door. It was all an impressive display of organization and execution. I go back in three weeks for the second dose. Pfizer.

AA and Huron County Quilters Have Called

Representative of two groups that have met at St. John's called this week to ask about possible return to their previous schedules. We will need to make a decision about this at Tuesday's Council Meeting.

The Puzzle of the Cross and 40 Days of Giving

We had some technical difficulties for our Midweek Lenten Worship on our YouTube channel on Wednesday. The internet was running very slow -- it took forever to get the email sent and the link posted to Facebook, and things didn't get any better when I finally got things together at about 12:15 pm. Got word that the YouTube stream ended at about 11 miniutes, in the middle of the sermon. Fortunately, I had an audio recording that I made to upload to the "Dial-a-sermon" service, and was able to send out another email with that file linked for listening.

Our theme last week was Sin, and we move on to the "Savior" piece on March 17, "Sacrifice" on March 24, and "Salvation" on April 1, Maundy Thursday.

Keep monitoring the St. John's Facebook page for information and resouces for our 40 Days of Giving theme, which is sponsored by the ELCA Hunger Program. We set a goal of raising $1,000 for this program, which helps fight hunger around the world, and have suggested a gift of $1, $2, or $3 a day for 40 days of Lent. So far we have received $1,260!! Let's set a new goal of $1,500! I've pledged at the $3 rate, or $120. You can give directly to a special St. John's fund through our online giving portal HERE, or mark your gift "40 Days of Giving."

Serve Bellevue - Bellevue Ministerial Association Project

Although I have not attnded BMA meetings recently, I have received their emails of what's happening and being planned. An upcoming event is called Serve Bellevue, and is scheduled for Saturday, April 24, from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm. If you know of a project that needs the help of others, or would be willing to volunteer that morning, either way there are ways to sign up. I will not be available to participate, but if anyone would be, here are some informatonal items.

Unite together with Bellevue churches to show the love of Jesus by serving our neighbors with practical acts of service and kindness. Suggest a project for Serve Bellevue that will perhaps help a widow, single parent, or elderly person in your neighborhood. The project submission deadline is April 12. For more information and to sign-up to volunteer in Serve Bellevue or suggest a project, go HERE.

• Serve Bellevue Information Sheet
• Serve Bellevue Promotional Video

Proposal for New Copier

We have received a proposal for leasing or purchasing a new copier. Why? Well, let me try to explain. Our current copier is a Ricoh, sold and serviced by MT Business Technologies. This company was sold, and no longer sells or services Ricoh copiers. We have received an offer from PerryProTech out of Perrysburg, who is a certified Ricoh dealer, to lease or purchase a new Ricoh copier for less money than what we are paying for the current machine. In addition, the new copier will do color. Shaun has been taking a close look at the offer, which he was able to discuss with the sales associate, as both were present in the office this morning. We are considering a purchase rather than a lease, as this would cost less money that leasing over the course of the lease period. If you want to look at the proposal, I've linked it HERE.

Update from Shaun: The quote that pastor linked in the paragraph is no longer accurate. After meeting with the rep he rewrote a new quote that better reflected our situation and usage. Its not drastically different than what you can see but if anyone has any questions, just let me know.

Still Time to Order Candy!

The St. John's Preschool is still taking orders for its 2021 Easter Candy Sale. The deadline for orders is Thursday, March 18. Delivery will be Palm sunday, March 28, from 11:00 - 11:30 in the church parking lot. For more information and for ways to order and pay, go HERE.

A New Dean for Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference Rostered Leaders met on Thursday morning in a Zoom meeting led by Bishop Daniel. One of the main reasons for his presence with us was to install Pr. Stacy Lauer (St. John's Union Corners) as the new Dean of the Eastern Conference. This position was previously held by Pr. Jody Rice (Gace Femont) but has been vacant since Pr. Jody retired last November. The Dean serves as the liasion between the conferences and the Bishop, and meet with him on a regular basis. The Deans also participate in the call process, meeting with synod staff, conference Call Process Facilitator (that would be Henry Seibert for our Eastern Conference) in interviewing candidates and recommending them to congregations in the call process. It's a big job for which there is no extra compensation, so thank you, Pr. Stacy for your willingness to serve!

Synod Transitional Leaders meet via Zoom

Thursday afternoon I joined the synod transitional leaders group. It's always good to hear what's happening with other congregations in the synod that are in transition.

Interim Update for March 5, 2021

Council Decision on In-Person Worship

Countil met in a special meeting on Tuesday, March 2, to consider returning to in-person worship. Decision was to return to in-person worship beginning Palm Sunday, March 28. The Executive Team revised the Plan for Return that guided our return to in-person worship on June 7. I reported this to the congregation in an email that was sent Thursday. Most of you would have seen and read it, but ICYMI, you can also read it HERE.

The Puzzle of the Cross and 40 Days of Giving

Last week, the first piece of our puzzle was "God," and on Wednesday we considered the second piece "Humanity." Our remaining pieces are:

• March 10 - "Sin"
• March 17 - "Savior"
• March 24 - "Sacrifice"
• April 1 - "Salvation" (Maundy Thursday)

Be sure to monitor the St. John's Facebook page for information and resouces for our 40 Days of Giving theme, which is sponsored by the ELCA Hunger Program. We have set a goal of raising $1,000 for this program, which helps fight hunger around the world. We are suggesting a gift of $1, $2, or $3 a day for 40 days of Lent. I've pledged at the $3 rate, or $120. You can give directly to a special St. John's fund through our online giving portal HERE, or mark your gift "40 Days of Giving."

Buckeyes, Turtles, and Pretzel Rods!!

The Preschool is doing their annual spring candy sale, although they've scaled it down a bit and will only fill advance orders for the items in this paragraph title. If you want to get a piece of this sweet action, you'll have to put in your order. I sent out a separate email today that included both online and pdf order forms. In consultation with Shaun, I also set up a special account in Breeze, so that members (and preschool families as well) can order and pay online. For more information and to place your order, go HERE.

LInks for You

• ELCA Advocacy
• ELCA Global Mission Links
• Bishop Daniel's weekly email

Online Worship Metrics

I reported in a previous Update that we (I, Shaun, Kristen) had completed the ELCA Parochial Report and submitted it. I noted that the attendance stats included estimates of worship attendance based of YouTube views, stating that I used a metric of 1.5 attendees per view. Interestingly enought, I came across a blog post on precisely this issue. My estimate is very close to the metrics suggested in this post, which you can read HERE.

ACC Visit

I reported previously that the a new staff person from Advanced Computer Connections (ACC) paid us a visit to introduce himself. He wanted to know if we had any problems that needed addressed, and I told him that wifi in the loung was weak, as it failed me several times while doing confirmation lessons in that room. He made some adjustments to the router, so we will see if that helps. If not, we may need to add a separate access point in that room, which would be at our expense of several hundred $$.

Confirmation Youth learn Baptism

We started the first of two lessons on Holy Baptism, and learned from the first question and answer on Baptism in Luther's Small Catechism:

What is Baptism?

Baptism is not water only, but it is water used together with God's Word and by his command.

What is this Word?

In Matthew 28 our Lord Jesus Christ says: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Interim Update for February 26, 2021

Lent is in full swing

Our midweek Lenten series got underway on with the first (after an initial sharing of the wrong YouTube link -- sorry about that!) in our Wednesday messages on the theme "The Puzzle of the Cross." The first piece of the puzzle is "God", and our remaining pieces are:

• March 3 - "Humanity"
• March 10 - "Sin"
• March 17 - "Savior"
• March 24 - "Sacrifice"
• April 1 - "Salvation" (Maundy Thursday)

These services will all be livestreamed on our YouTube channel beginning at noon, and be available vor viewing then, or on demand at your convenience.

We are also participating in the ELCA Hunger Lenten Program "40 Days of Giving", This emphasis will enable us to participate more fully in this life giving ministry. To do this, I have suggested that we do the following:

• Commit to giving $1, $2, $3 or more a day for 40 days of Lent. I suggested $1,000 as a realistic goal. I know that we are already at least 1/3 of the way there. I have pledged at the $3 a day ($120) rate. You can give directly to this fund on through our online portal (your gift will automatically be deposited and your giving statement updated) HERE.
• Dowload and use the 40 Days of Giving Lenten Calendar for inspirational ideas for daily reflection and action, as well as prayers and relevant Bible passages. You can download the calendar HERE.
• Dive even deeper into our inspiring 40 Days of Giving content by subscribing to our weekly Lenten email series. You can find the subscription form HERE.
• Weekly videos, stories and information will explain about how our gifts to ELCA World Hunger are at work in the world. Links to these videos will be posted on our Facebook page.
• Kristen will also post daily prayers, scripture passages, and links to resources on our Facebook page.

Preschool Candy Sale

Mrs. Lilly has announced the 2021 St. John's Preschool Candy Sale, which will feature homemade buckeyes, turtles and pretzel rods. Once the order form for congregation members has been prepared, we will get that out the congregation. The order form will provide prices, order deadline, and pickup directions, which will be Palm Sunday, March 28.

Copier salesman

Today a representative from PERRY proTECHj, David Archer, visited the church office to introduce himself and the possible services he could provide. Part of his pitch was that MT Business Technologies, who we currently have a service contract with, no longer is an authorized service provided for Richoh, which is the brand of our copier. MT could still service our machine, but they would not longer have access to official service bulletins and official parts and supplies. He said that PERRY would be willing to buy out our lease if we want to get a new machine. Something to consider, I suppose.

Special Council Meeting

A reminder that Council will meet in a special meeting on Tuesday, March 2, to consider a proposal to return to in-person worship. A target date of Palm Sunday, March 28, was set at the February meeting. Executive Team will meet on Sunday at 9:30 to review and possibly revise our Plan for Return that was developed last May for a June 7, 2020 return to in-person worship.

Osterholm Update: Covid-19

I have been a relentless promoter of this informative and inspirational podcast hosted by leading epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm, founder and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. In the February 25 episode, entitled "Watchful Waiting,"Dr. Osterholm and host Chris Dall discuss why COVID-19 is declining in many areas of the US, where we're at with the variants, the latest CIDRAP Viewpoint report on strategic deployment of vaccines, and living with the virus after vaccination. This episode is available for listening HERE.

Confirmation Class

Our Confirmation youth continue to meet on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Our meetings have been lasting 45-50 minutes. We began an new unit of the Catechism this week - the unit on the Means of Grace, which for us as Lutherans includes the Word and the Sacraments. The Word, first and formemost, is Jesus Christ, proclaimed in scripture and preached and lived by pastors and all Christians. The key text for this lesson was not from Luther's Small Catechism, but from the Augsburg Confession, Article V, which reads thusly:

To obtain such faith God instituted the office of the ministry, that is, provided the Gospel and the sacraments. Through these, as through means, he gives the Holy Spirit, who works faith, when and where he pleases, in those who hear the Gospel.

We'll begin next week a closer look at the Sacrament of Baptism, after that Sacrament of Holy Communion.

The Downward Ascent

The Downward Ascent is a small, 92 page book that's been in my library for decades, and one that I read occasionally during the season of Lent. It was written by Edna Hong, who was a recognized translator of the works Danish philosopher and theologian Soren Kirkegaard. She was married to Howard Hong, for many years a philosophy professor at St. Olaf College, and also a translator or Kirkegaard.

In a January synod leaders Zoom meeting that focused on preparations for Lent, Caroline Guy asked if anyh of us had resources to share. I mentioned The Downward Ascent, and it appeared as a link to the book in Amazon in a subsequent email from the synod summarizing the Zoom meeting. Problem was, sellers wanted $28-$35 for a used. So I wrote to get permission to make copies and offer to send them to NWOS colleagues. I received permission for 20 copies, and five requested one, which I have made and sent. So I have permission for 15 more. If anyone reading this would be interested, let me know. The pdf is linked HERE and you can read a few pages to decide if it's something you might want a hard copy of, and if so, let me know and I'll make you one.

ELCA Rostered Leader Deaths

The March issue of Living Lutheran arrived today, and as I usually do, I check the "Deaths" page, which lists recent deaths of pastors, deacons, and other significant ELCA leaders. This issue had more than the usual number of names of persons who I have known. In this months list were:

• Charles Boomhower, 74. I got to know Chuck in recent years at synod interim pastors meetings.
• Oliver Dewald, 85. Pastor at a neighboring congregation in North Dakota
• Terence Fretheim, 84. For decades, a professor at Luther Seminary. One of the leading voices and writers in the US on the Old Testament. Never had any classes from him, but heard him speak many times on other occasions.
• Owen Gaasedelen, 92. Pastor at a neighboring congregation in North Dakota.
• Kermit Lauterbach, 86. Got to know Kert at conference pastors meeting in 2012 when, serving my first interim, I was in the Northeastern Ohio Synod.
• Herman Muus, 91. Never knew him personally, but he was a legendary leader, especially in the area of Lutheran Outdoor Ministries.
• Philip Quanbeck, 93. Dr. Quanbeck was a long time religion professor at Augsburg College. I didn't have any traditional classes with him, but I did attend the 1974 January interim trip he led to Israel.

Interim Update for February 19, 2021

Death of former Bishop James Rave

We received word this week of the death of Bishop James Rave -- he was the first Bishop of our Northwestern Ohio Synod, and served from 1987-1998. He was my bishop for the first three years I was in Ohio. You can read more about Bishop Rave here.

Tuesday's Council Meeting

With snow piled high outside, the February Council meeting was mostly on Zoom. Marc, Shaun and Tonya braved the city streets to come to the church for the meeting. Some highlights of the meeting (wtih thanks to Toni for meeting notes):

• MISSION ENDOWMENT FUND:
  Dennis Bauer reported that the Mission Endowment Committee is recommending the distribution of $18,000 in proceeds from the Mission Endowment Fund to the following entities:
  1. Flat Rock Care Center - $3,000
  2. Homeless Shelter in Bellevue - $3,000
  3. Luther Home of Mercy - $2,000
  4. Salem Lutheran Church in Toledo - $2,000
  5. Charlotte Goetz family (Norwalk, Ohio) - $2,000
  6. Bellevue Recovery and Support Services (BRASS)- $2,000 (This is a repeat grant)
  7. St. Jude's - $2,000
  8. ACT (Answering the Call Together) - $2,000
  Council approved these proposed distributions, which will be submitted to the Congregation Report Annual Meeting in April for final approval.
• DISCUSSION REGARDING RESUMPTION OF IN-PERSON WORSHIP:
  For the time being Sunday services will remain the same but this will be reviewed in two weeks when the Executive Council will meet. Guidelines need to be reviewed and revised where needed and implemented when services do begin. More volunteers are needed to make sure guidelines are properly followed. It was suggested that the Ushers escort members of the congregation to their seats and at the end of the service; the Ushers will stand by the pews to dismiss people in order to keep social distancing. Attendance and prayer request stations in the Narthex and entranceway are a must which means more volunteers are needed to ensure a smooth and social distancing service. Hopefully more information will be available when the Council meets in two weeks as to the status of COVID in our area. As it stands right now, Huron County is still considered RED, as are many other counties. Those people that are involved with the opening of the Church to regular services will be notified that there is a possibility that in person services could begin by Palm Sunday. But again, this possibility will be under review and a decision made according to the situation at the time. There will be an Executive Council Meeting on February 28, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. Also a Special Council meeting on March 2, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
• PROPERTY:
  Repair on the boilers and toilets are done. Snow removal is being done on a “per time” basis this year. CB Excavating has been doing the snow removal so far this year. (2 times). Will be discussing a seasonal contract for next year.

Lent at St. John's

Lent officially began on February 17, with Ash Wednesday Worship. We registered 34 views, which for a midweek service is pretty good. We are also planning the following Lenten Season activities (this is mostly a repeat of last week's post):

• Midweek Lenten Worship
  These services will be offered on Wednesday beginning at noon on YouTube, and available for your viewing any time after that. Our theme this year will be "The Puzzle of the Cross", and focus on the meaning of the central symbol of our faith, the cross of Jesus Christ. Our themes for each of the five weeks will be:
  • February 24 - "God"
  • March 3 - "Humanity"
  • March 10 - "Sin"
  • March 17 - "Savior"
  • March 24 - "Sacrifice"
  • April 1 - "Salvation" (Maundy Thursday)
• Participation in the ELCA Hunger Lenten Program "40 Days of Giving"
  The ELCA has provided millions of dollars in support of programs around the world to alleviate world huinger. This emphasis will enable us to participate more fully in this life giving ministry. To do this, I suggest that we do the following:
  • Commit to giving $1, $2, $3 or more a day for 40 days of Lent. Is a goal of $1,000 realistic? I think so!
  • Dowload and use the 40 Days of Giving Lenten Calendar for inspirational ideas for daily reflection and action, as well as prayers and relevant Bible passages. You can download the calendar HERE.
  • Dive even deeper into our inspiring 40 Days of Giving content by subscribing to our weekly Lenten email series. You can find the subscription form HERE.
  • Weekly videos, stories and information will explain about how our gifts to ELCA World Hunger are at work in the world.
  • Kristen will post daily prayers, scripture passages, and links to resources on our Facebook page.

Education Team meeting

The Education Team met Wednesday evening via Zoom, which I joined following Confirmation. Topics of discussion included possibilities for Vacation Bible School, plans for Confirmation Sunday on April 25, and what our Sunday School program might look like in the fall.

Links for You

• Bishop Daniel's Ash Wednesday message
• Seeds Monthly (Resources for Congregations)
• ELCA Worship Notes

Interim Update for February 12, 2021

Liquor Permit for Benchwarmers

This week two members of the Ohio Liquor Control board brought a petition to the church office giving St. John's the option of objecting to a liquor license for the new Benchwarmers sports bar and restaurant. The owner of the new business also stopped by a bit later and asked that, if possible, we could submit the "no objections" form sooner rather than later. ICS had already given the OK. I called Mrs. Lilly, and she said no objection from the Preschool. So I checked "no objection" and Kristen mailed it to Liquor control. For those of you looking forward to a new place to eat in Bellevue, you can learn more about the coming business in a Sandusky Register article which you can find here.

Pastor Paul Bailie Installation

Received this announcement from the Synod Office

We are pleased to announce that on Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. Rev. Paul A. Bailie will be installed as Pastor of The Lift Parish. The parking lot service will be at:
St. John's Lutheran Church
212 N. Clover St.
Fremont, OH 43420
Due to Covid-19 the service is only open to the congregation and family. Please keep this ministry in your prayers.

Pastor Bailie replaces Pastor Scott in the LIFT ministry, who served you fruitfully for a number of months before I arrived. For more information abouat LIFT, you can go HERE.

Completed Report to Bishop

Every February, roster leaders such as pastors and deacons, submit a report to their synodical bishop. In the report, we respond to questions such as:

• As you relfect on the past year, what were the three (3) most significant developments, events or accomplishments in your personal and professional life?
• As you look forward to this year, what will be the top three (3) emphases of your ministry?
• How are you growing as a disciple and are you discipling others?

We are also asked to report on what we have done for continuing education and what our primary learnings have been. We report our compensation and benefits from the previous and current year. There are are other questions too numerous to mention, but as much as a burden it seems to be, it is a good way to get us to think and reflect on the past and prepare to engage the future.

Don and Marti Miller Thank You

We received a very nice note from Marti and Don. It is reproduced below:

Dear Pastor Mark and Members of St. John's,
Don and I thank you all so very much for the prayers, cards and phone calls --- God does answer prayers. Don is getting stronger a little day at a a time. He is in quarantine l6 months because his immune system is zero. Again, from the bottom of our hearts, Thank You -- adn God Bless you all.
Marti and Don Miller

Lent at St. John's

Lent officially begins on Wednesday, February 17, with Ash Wednesday Worship. This worship will be via our YouTube channel, which I will livestream beginning at noon, and will be available for your participation then or at a later or more convenenient time. I am also planning the following Lenten Season activities:

• Midweek Lenten Worship
  These services will be offered on Wednesday beginning at noon on YouTube, and available for your viewing any time after that. Our theme this year will be "The Puzzle of the Cross", and focus on the meaning of the central symbol of our faith, the cross of Jesus Christ. Our themes for each of the five weeks will be:

  • February 24 - "God"
  • March 3 - "Humanity"
  • March 10 - "Sin"
  • March 17 - "Sacrifice"
  • March 24 - "Salvation"

• Participation in the ELCA Hunger Lenten Program "40 Days of Giving"
  The ELCA has provided millions of dollars in support of programs around the world to alleviate world huinger. This emphasis will enable us to participate more fully in this life giving ministry. To do this, I suggest that we do the following:

  • Commit to giving $1, $2, $3 or more a day for 40 days of Lent. Is a goal of $1,000 realistic? I think so!
  • Dowload and use the 40 Days of Giving Lenten Calendar for inspirational ideas for daily reflection and action, as well as prayers and relevant Bible passages. You can download the calendar HERE.
  • Dive even deeper into our inspiring 40 Days of Giving content by subscribing to our weekly Lenten email series. You can find the subscription form HERE.
  • Weekly videos, stories and information will explain about how our gifts to ELCA World Hunger are at work in the world.

Elevator Inspector here today

The trusty Elevator Inspector stopped by for the 6-month inspection. I found the key for the out outside entrance to the elevator mechanicals. He came back to report that everything checked out A-OK, and that the inspection interval has been extended to 9 months instead of 6. So he'll be back in 9. I didn't have to sign anything, and we should receive a copy of his report in the mail.

Confirmation Zoom

After a two month + hiatus, I resumed learning sessions with Confirmation youth on Wednesday evening in a 6:30 Zoom meeting. We had spent fall weeks, mostly in the parking lot, learning about the Apostles Creed. We had only gotten through the first two Articles, so we picked up where we left off with the Third Article --- I believe in the Holy Spirit. What does this mean? Let's review what the Catechism says:

I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him.

But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith.

In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.

In this Christian church day after day he fully forgives my sins and the sins of all believers.

On the last day he will raise me and all the dead and give me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.

Zoom Meetings Continue

Thursday afternoon I joined the Synod "Transitional Leaders" Zoom from 3:00 to 4:30 pm.

Interim Update for February 5, 2020

Funeral for Hazel Orwig

The funeral for Hazel was on Tuesday at 10:00 am at the church. I heard many stories of the faithfulness and caring of Al and Hazel. Paul played the organ. There were about 20 present, almost all family.

Snow Removal

We had a bit of a challenge to get the parking lot cleared of snow for the the funeral on Tuesday. Preschool was closed so that was not an issue, but we really did need the job done for the funeral at 10:00, with funeral home arriving by about 8:30. Lenny had called Perry's but they were slammed with work, and since we're not contracted with them, they had other clients to do first. Lenny was able to find another plower at about 11:00 pm Monday evening, who got the job done early Tuesday morning. Thanks, Lenny! Also Chris Miller is runs the snowblower, and he as here Tuesday morning, so thanks Chris!

Synod Leaders Zoom Meeting

NWOS Synod Leaders met on Tuessday afternoon via Zoom at 4pm. Bishop Daniel arranged for Rev. Dr. Michael Beck, a United Methodist pastor who has worked extensively on creative ministry in the digital age. Bishop Daniel also briefly introduced his 2021 Bible study entitled Jerusalem offering, which ties in with the year's theme of generosity.

Death of Pastor Richard Moe

We learned this week of the death of Pastor Richard Moe, who served as pastor for 20 years at Trinity Lutheran Church (Kingsway), Fremont, Ohio, while also serving as chaplain at St. Francis Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Hospital in Green Springs, Ohio. From the obit: "Despite a serious physical handicap, Rich led a full and productive life, with the encouragement of supportive family and friends and good old Norwegian stubbornness." I can relate to that Norwegian comment. Rich was an inspiration. His physical handap required his waking hours be spent primarily in a wheelchair.

New Date for 2021 Synod Assembly

This message arrived today from NWOS:

During their January meeting, the Northwestern Ohio Synod Council voted to move the 2021 Synod Assembly to September 24-25, 2021 (originally June 11-12, 2021).

As vaccines continue to be dispersed and facilities explore what gatherings look like under Covid-19 protocols, we pray this date change will allow us to gather in person safely and confidently. However, synod staff will make contingency plans including (but not limited to) planning for a hybrid in-person/ remote assembly. We do not anticipate any further delay to the assembly date.

We are constantly monitoring and re-evaluating the situation, so stay tuned for the latest updates and information (including a location if applicable) for our 2021 Synod Assembly!

Confirmation Meeting

I met with confirmation and high school youth and parents in a Zoom meeting on Wednesday evening. We decided that confirmation youth would meet on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm in a Zoom meetin beginning next Wednesday, February 10. Meetings will continue throug February, March and April, with the Rite of Confirmation on the April 25th.

We also discussed reviving the plans to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering in Minneapolis. Originally scheduled for summer 2020, the Gathering was rescheduled to July 24-28, 2022. Want to know more about what happens at an ELCA Gathering? You can view an infomational video here.

Parochial Report

it is that time of year when it is necessary to complete What's called the congregational report which is sent to the Synod and then is shared with ELCA Churchwide. The report includes changes in membership numbers such as deaths baptisms, confirmations oh, and also Financial figures such as income and expenses and amounts sent in for Mission support.

The report was different in the attendance category in that it asked for both in-person attendance and online attendance. Ushers have always recorded in-person attendance in a spiral notebook kept in the church Lobby. So those figures have always been easy to gather. But how did you determine online attendance? YouTube tells you how many views you have for each live stream or upload, but then you have to take into consideration if there are more than one person's who are apart of each view. I did some research on the web, and determined that many congregations have estimated that each view equals 1.5 viewers, so that's the multiplier that I used to determine online attendance.

I put all these figures into a spreadsheet, which you can view HERE, and is summarized below.

• Attendance for 2020
• Average in-person attendance - 38
• Average online attendance - 89
• Total average attendance - 127
• 2019 average attendance: 115

Changes in Drive-Through Holy Communion

Those who participate in drive-thru Holy Communion will see a minor change in the procedure. I ask Kristen to replace the very small wafer on the top of the juice cup with a full size communion wafer inside the small plastic bag that we have been using to distribute the elements. I noticed that many people were struggling to find the small cellophane tab to pull up to uncover the wafer that is provided.

Coronavirus Vaccination

I have registered for a Covid-19 vaccination at fisher-titus. They called me back saying that they had received my application and will contact me as soon as do horses become available. Fisher-titus seemed like the best bet for me because that's where my primary care physician and all my medical records are. I could have registered at Erie County Health Department, but they seem to want too much personal information and put in my SS number.

Interim Update for January 29, 2021

Rostered Ministers Gathering

Every year, Rostered Ministers (pastors, deacons) in the three synods of Ohio meet near the end of January for three days of learning, fellowship and worship. As with so many other events of this nature, this year's gathering was conducted via Zoom. About 150 leaders attended from our own NWOS, as well as Northeastern Ohio and Southern Ohio Synods.

We had two speakers for our gathering; Rev. Dr. Laura Barbins, the newly elected NEOS bishop, who led us in Bible study, and Rev. Mike Ward, an associate with GSB Fundraising. You may remember that we partnered with GSB and our synod for our stewardship campaign last fall.

Mike's presentations on stewardship are always inspiring and challenging. He encourages us as congregation leaders to constantly tell two different kinds of stories - outcome stories and generosity stories. Outcome stories are stories that describe how our ministry as a congregation makes a difference in people's lives. Generosity stories are simply that, stories of people being generous. Ruth George, for example, but there are so many more. Too often we approach stewardship from a perspective of scarcity (we're out of money) and of institutional survival (give, or else we'll have to close the doors). Mike, and so many others, challenge us to consider why we have our doors open in the first place.

One of the things that I took away from Mike's presentations was to consider going the next step with GSB with their program "Stewardship for All Seasons (SAS). St. John's has the best Stewardship Team that I have ever had as a called or interim pastor. SAS would be a great resource for them to continue to develop stewardship at St. John's.

St. John's Oldest Member Dies

For a number of years, Hazel Orwig held the honor of being St. John's oldest member, less than a year older than Ruth Paul. On Tuesday, Hazel relinquished that honor to take on a greater one, a member of the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) who is now cheering us on to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Funeral services for Hazel will be next week Tuesday, at 10:00 am. at the church. You can read the obituary for Hazel here.

Confirmation Meeting

I have scheduled a Zoom meeting of Confirmation and High School Youth and parents for next Wednesday, February 3, beginning at 6:30 pm. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss how we will finish out the Confirmation season including Day of Confirmation, and to renew our discussion and plans to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering, which has been rescheduled for July 24-28, 2022 in Minneapolis. Registration will begin in September, which is a bit more than seven months away.

Preschool Virtual Open House

Our St. John's Preschool forges on with its school year, having made many adjustments to normal operation. Kudos and thanks to Mrs. Lilly, our teachers, support staff and board members for everything they do to ensure a quality preschool experiece for the kids under our care during school hours.

One of the things I have missed is interaction with the kids, which I have done in the past primarily through temple talks in the chapel. This enabled the kids to recognize me when they'd see me in and outside the church building.

Board meetings and other preschool activities have gone either hybrid or entirely virtual. The annual open house, which is held at this time in the school year, has gone virtual, with a PowerPoint of the teachers and the school activity areas. You can view a pdf version of the PowerPoint HERE.

Return to the Mission

One of the perks of our subscription to Breeze, our church management software, is occasional blog posts from Breeze staff that help congregations focus on their mission. Their most recent post is titled "Now is the Time for Your Church to Return to the Mission." The post reflects on where we are at in the pandemic ("end of the middle," according to the post), and what we need to be thinking about now. I encourage you to read the post, and the posts that are linked to in that post are also worth reading.

Reading the New Testament Chronologically

Here is the next group of links in our chronological read of the New Testament 2021, a project which Bishop Daniel has challenged us to undertake. The year-long reading guide is also linked below.

PDF Reading Guide

• January 28 First Corinthians 9
• January 29 First Corinthians 10
• January 30 First Corinthians 11
• January 31 First Corinthians 12
• February 1 First Corinthians 13
• February 2 First Corinthians 14
• February 3 First Corinthians 15
• February 4 First Corinthians 16
• February 5 Second Corinthians 1
• February 6 Second Corinthians 2

Links for You

• ELCA Advocacy
• ELCA Worship News
• Trinity's New Beginnings

Interim Update for January 22, 2021

Council Extends In-Person Worship Suspension

Council voted at their monthly meeting Tuesday evening to extend the suspension of in-person worship until at least February 14. A Mailchimp message was sent on Wednesday to inform the congregation. In case you missed it, you can also view it HERE.

Welcome back Mike!

You may remember that Mike Berger completed his term as Congregation President and did not run for further office. You may also remember that there was no one on the ballot for Vice-President. Mike has kindly offered to serve as Vice-President for the balance of the year (if necessary) but will willingly step aside if another candidate steps forward. Council officially appointed Mike as VP with a unanimous vote.

Hardcopy Newsletter Sent

Kristen and I have been sending out a hard copy version of the newsletter to those who do not have an email address in the system. Using the "active" and "friend" filters in the status field of the data base, this is currently generating 28 addressees.

Lent and Easter Reimagined

On Wednesday afternoon I attended a Zoom meeting led by Bishop Daniel which included several presentations with ideas for observing and clebrating Lent and Easter. Ideas included home based versions of Ash Wednesday, and a Palm Sunday procession through the neighborhood. Ash Wednesday is four weeks from next Wednesday on February 17. Palm Sunday is March 28 and Easter April 4.

ELCA Resources

• Seeds Monthly
• Worship News

Healthy Congregations Leadership Series

I have mentioned this before, so this is just a refresher. Since September I have been participating in the Healthy Congregations Leadership Series. This is my primary continuing education event for 2020-2021. It consists of eight full-day seminars, one a month from September to May minus December. The monthly seminars cover conceptual learning in the morning, and group discussion in the afternoon. The sessions seek to teach and apply Bowen Family Systems theory as it applies to congregations and their leaders.

Today was was our January session, which focused on "Polarities," or opposite sides of an idea or process, which are necessary to manage for balance for healthy congregational functioning. Here are some examples of polarities to manage in congregations

• Tradition AND Innovation
• Spiritual Health AND Institutional Health
• Management AND Leadership
• Strong Clergy Leadership AND Strong Lay Leadership
• Inreach AND Outreach
• Nurture AND Transformation
• Making Disciples: Easy Process AND Challenging Process
• Call AND Duty

This was one of the better programs in this series. I also attended the series in the 2016-17 season.

St. John's Preschool sets Trike-a-Thon record!

Reported by Mrs. Lilly
Our preschoolers joined St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® in the fight against childhood cancer by participating in a St. Jude Trike-A-Thon the week of January 11-14. This week-long event teaches our children that they have the power to help others. They also learned trike safety through fun lessons. They prayed for all of the children, their families, and staff at St. Jude. Every dollar that was raised helps St. Jude ensure that families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food - because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. I am happy to share with you that our preschool families raised $7,337 for St. Jude! This is the highest amount raised in our past 13 years of participating! And this was done with only 65 children enrolled this school year compared to 90+ all other years. Nice work, preschool families!!!

Reading the New Testament Chronologically

Here is the next group of links in our chronological read of the New Testament 2021, a project which Bishop Daniel has challenged us to undertake. The year-long reading guide is also linked below.

PDF Reading Guide

• January 21 1 Corinthians 2
• January 22 1 Corinthians 3
• January 23 1 Corinthians 4
• January 24 First Corinthians 5
• January 25 First Corinthians 6
• January 26 First Corinthians 7
• January 27 First Corinthians 8
• January 28 First Corinthians 9
• January 29 First Corinthians 10
• January 30 First Corinthians 11

Interim Update for January 15, 2021

Council next Tuesday

Our January meeting is Tuesday at 7:00 pm. I'll send out the Zoom invitation before the meeting for those attending remotely.

Funeral for Vera

The funeral for Vera Beiler was held on Tuesday at 1:00 pm. There was a one-hour period of visitation prior to the service. There were many more people in attendance than I was expecting -- an approximate count was 90. My personal feeling is that this was too many for the current coronavirus environment -- another problem was that so many people were gathered in the narthex at the same time. That so many came was a very nice tribute to Vera, but I'm wondering if, until things get better, we should limit attendance for possible future funerals. Let's talk about this at Council Tuesday night.

https://www.1517.org/articles/hold-on-loosely-to-your-politics?fbclid=IwAR2MfYcqvm7IL0z48LGmNg7zKdQi3S48SGzJMJdrJKGslAd0g8IDmwf44

Updating Quickbooks

Shaun worked four long days this week, so was available to come to the office to do Treasurer stuff. One of the items on his list was to renew our QuickBooks license/software, which is done every three years. Shaun will not be able to do the end of the month payroll until this is done. The last time it was renewed was when Terri was still on the job, who was able to renew by creating a new "subfolder." What Shaun needs this time to renew is to do so using the original name on the account, which is David Wietelman.

I was able to find Pastor David's phone number and give him a call, and as he had just sat down for lunch and the phone number in the caller-id was vaguely familiar, we were in luck, so Shaun and I were able to do a quick conversation with Pastor David to see how he could help us. He gave us his current email, which Shaun will use to send Dave any documentation he needs to transfer ownership of the account to Shaun at stjohnstres44811.

Shepherd's Fund

Carol Stout, as a member of the Evangelism/Outreach Team, has been diligently working on some administrative items for the congregation's Shepherd's Fund. This fund is technically disbursed at the discretion of the pastor, but what Carol is doing is developing a list of guidelines that the pastor can use in administering the fund, along with an application form for those requesting help to complete, and a form for recording and tracking help. Carol will also look into purchasing such items as vouchers for gas, and making arrangements with local grocery stores for food purchases. When we get things finalized, we'll share the documents with Council. Thanks, Carol, for your hard work on this!

Wednesday Night Zoom Meeting

Six of us were present on Zoom Wednesday evening to discuss the events of the January 6 and its aftermath. Our conversation lasted about 45 minutes, and we closed with prayer for our nation, its leaders, those injured, the families of those who were killed, those affected by Covid-19, and the vaccination rollout.

Interim pastors meeting

Synod transitional leaders met via Zoom on Thursday afternoon. Sherry Krieger was rather blunt in her assessment that Northwestern Ohio Synod is not getting many interviews from candidates outside our synod because so few parishes in our synod are able to compensate at a rate necessary to attract those persons to come.

Offering Statements

End of Year Offering Statements did not get sent this week but the Stewardship Team will be here on Tuesday to fold, stuff and apply postage to the statements. You should receive yours soon after that. Again and always, thank you for your generosity!

Reading the New Testament Chronologically

Here is the next group of links in our chronological read of the New Testament 2021, a project which Bishop Daniel has challenged us to undertake. The year-long reading guide is also linked below.

PDF Reading Guide

• January 14 Galatians 1
• January 15 Galatians 2
• January 16 Galatians 3
• January 17 Galatians 4
• January 18 Galatians 5
• January 19 Galatians 6
• January 20 1 Corinthians 1
• January 21 1 Corinthians 2
• January 22 1 Corinthians 3
• January 23 1 Corinthians 4

Worth the read

One of my Facebook friends shared this, and I'm passing it on to you.
Hold on Loosely to Your Politics

Interim Update for January 8, 2021

A Sad and Tragic Week for our Country

We have all been shocked and saddened by the events of the past week as an armed, pro-Trump mob stormed Congress Wednesday and violently disrupted the proceedings certifying the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next President and Vice President. Five people have now died from this attack, including a member of the Capitol Police force who was clubbed by a protester with a fire extinguisher, and one of the protesters, who was shot by a member of the Captitol police as she tried to force her way to the House Chamber.

So many questions remain unanswered, including how the crowd was able to gain access to the Capitol, and once once at the front door, how they were able to get in and go pretty much anywhere they pleased.

Many have condemned these events and their causes with words more eloquent than I can put together, including four former presidents and Republican Senator Mitt Romney.

A question for us as Lutheran Christians is this: what do we do? Corporately, as a congregation, synod and national church body, we committ ourselves "to defend human dignity, to stand with poor and powerless people, to advocate justice, to work for peace, and to care for the earth in the processes and structures of contemporary society. (ELCA Social Statement "Church in Society).

Individually, we live out our Baptism by dying to sin and rising with Christ in our ordinary lives as family members, friends, citizens, workers, and participants in voluntary associations. Since “daily life [is] the primary setting for the exercise of [the] Christian calling,” (Constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA 4.01.e.) it is in that setting that we as Christians are to serve God and neighbor.

On Sunday we observe the Baptism of Our Lord, and I'm hoping to shed some more light on this subject as we remember and reflect our own baptism and what that means for us.

Death of Vera Beiler

We received word today from her daughter Julie, that Vera Beiler died this morning. I will be meeting with the family tomorrow (Saturday) to make arrangements for the funeral, which most likely will be at the church.

Annual Reports Meeting

The St. John's Constitution directs that the Annual Reports Meetting of the Congregation shall be held during the month of February. The date is to be set by the Congregation Council. We will do that at our January 19 meeting. The following is copy/pasted from the St. John's Constitution:

The agenda of the Annual Reports Meeting shall include:
Written reports from all committees and organizations of the Congregation, including full financial reports for the previous year. Such reports, including financial reports shall be submitted to the Congregation Office Manager at least four weeks prior to the annual meeting for printing. All proposals, including the budget proposals, shall be published and distributed to all voting members of the congregation at least two weeks in advance of the meeting. The following agenda items may be included at either annual meeting:

• Opportunity to vote on any proposals submitted by the Congregation Council.
• Opportunity to vote on any proposals submitted by at least 20 voting members.

Endowment Trust Fund

The Endowment Trust Fund committee will be meeting soon to prepare for possible grant proposals for the February Congregation Annual Reports Meeting. As before, the Committee will receive suggestions on possible grantees through a grant application form. You can download and print the forem HERE. Return completed forms to the church office. As of this writing, I do not have a deadline, other than that the Committee will be meeting soon.

Offering Statements

End of Year Offering Statements will be prepared and mailed by Kristen early next week. You should receive yours soon after that. Again, thank you for youre generosity!

Reading the New Testament Chronologically

A reminder that Bishop Daniel is challenging us to do a "Chronological" reading of the New Testament in 2021. This means that the New Testament books which were written first are the first ones to read. A year-long reading guide is linked below, as are a week's worth of linked readings for your convenience:Two daily reading guides have been provided:

PDF Reading Guide

• January 9 First Thessalonians 4
• January 10 First Thessalonians 5
• January 11 Second Thessalonians 1
• January 12 Second Thessalonians 2
• January 13 Second Thessalonians 3
• January 14 Galatians 1
• January 15 Galatians 2
• January 16 Galatians 3
• January 17 Galatians 4

Interim Update for January 1, 2021

The Year of Generosity

Bishop Daniel has designated 2021 the Year of Generosity, which will center around the following questions, which consider generosity in its many forms:

• What does it mean to be generous with your time?
• What does it mean to be generous with your gifts and talents?
• What does it mean to be generous with your resources?

Our theme verse for this year will be Matthew 6:21, where Jesus speaks these words, which are a part of his Sermon on the Mount: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (NRSV) For other translations of this verse, you can go here.

Bishop Daniel is challenging us to do a "Chronological" reading of the New Testament in 2021. This means that the New Testament books which were written first are the first ones to read. Two daily reading guides have been provided:

• PDF Reading Guide
• DOCX Reading Guide

For your convenience, I have linked the first week of readings:

• January 1 James 1
• January 2 James 2
• January 3 James 3
• January 4 James 4
• January 5 James 5
• January 6 First Thessalonians 1
• January 7 First Thessalonians 2

ELCA Youth Gathering

One of the many events disrupted by the pandemic was the ELCA Youth Gathering, which normally meets every three years. After the 2018 Gathering in Houston, the Gathering Team scheduled the 2021 Gathering to be held in Minneapolis. After much prayer and consideration, the Team decided to postpone the Gathering to 2022. The Gathering will be held July 24-28, same place, with the same planned theme: “boundless: God beyond measure,” based on Ephesians 3:19 CEV: “I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.”

Registration normally begins in September prior to the Gathering, so by the fall, youth from St. John's will be eligible to register. Our current group of youth and parents had met early in 2020 and decided to plan to attend, and scheduled the first fundraiser, a casserole sale at the end of March. Of course, that never happened, as that was the begining of in-person worship suspension. This is an excellent goal for 2021, to register a group of youth and adults to attend the Gathering in 2022. For more information you can go HERE.

Sunday Morning Social!

I've scheduled a Zoom meeting for every Sunday morning beginning at 10:00 am. I'm calling this meeting "Sunday Morning Social!", as that's what it'll be -- just a time to check-in with each other and stay in touch. I've scheduled the meeting for 45 minutes, but will advertise it as a half-hour gathering. If it goes longer, that's fine with me. I just need to be ready for drive-through communion at 11:00. Here's the invite info, which I will also publish in tomorrow's Weekend Update email, and will stay the same each week:

• Join Zoom Meeting Sunday mornings at 10:00 am
• Meeting ID: 830 6507 5274
• Passcode: 098677
• Join by phone: +1 646 558 8656

End-of-the-year Giving

I'm guessing you received my Tuesday email regarding end-of-the-year giving. I'm happy to report that that the email generated two gifts through the St. John's online giving portal: one for $200 and another for $300. Also, several brought their offerings to the church office in the waning days of the calendar/tax year. Thank you ALL for your generosity!