|
Congregation to Meet on Call to New Senior Pastor
Upon the recommendation of the Senior Pastor Call Committee, the Luther Memorial Council has called a special congregational meeting
on Sunday, September 7, at 11:45 a.m. in the Great Room. The sole purpose of this meeting is to vote on a call and compensation
package for a new senior pastor of Luther Memorial.
After a nationwide search, the Call Committee has identified a candidate who seems to most closely meet the congregation's needs. The congregation met the candidate, whose name is confidential until a call is accepted, at 9:15 a.m. Sunday, August 17.
Thirty-five candidates were identified by either members of the congregation, the Bishop’s office, or the Call Committee. The Call Committee mailed an introductory letter, stewardship brochure, and personal note to the candidates. Thirteen candidates expressed interest and were interviewed by videoconference.
 Apartments Being Built Behind Church
Stevens Construction Company is building a 14-story, 162-unit apartment building at the corner of Mills and Johnson Streets near Luther Memorial.
A large crane towers over the site. The lower levels of the building are under construction.
Under an agreement between the church and Stevens, the church sold its parking lot on the corner for $850,000 in cash and 25 underground parking spaces valued at $20,000 each, for a total value of $1,350,000.
The church bought the property in the early 1970s for about $75,000. The 25 underground parking stalls for Luther Memorial will be on the north end of the building and provide convenient access to the church.
Other parking options are available; bicycling, carpooling, and bus riding are encouraged.
Stevens expects to complete construction by August 2009.
The construction site with the Lutheran Campuc Center and
Luther Memorial Church in the background, August 12.
Planning Groups Make Recommendations
Two planning work groups—Worship and Kids and Outreach—have made recommendations to the Luther Memorial Council.
The Worship and Kids Work Group said its near-term recommendations are intended to excite and enhance the worship experience and better integrate you in worship and congregational life:
- Consolidate Wednesday and Sunday evening activities to Sundays —youth, children's, and training choir rehearsals, dinner, vesper and compline services, youth group, confirmation, adult study/social time, etc.
- Match ages with the curriculum, including adding a sixth grade class
- Integrate youth in worship by offering opportunities for youth to learn about the duties of ushers, sacristans, sound system operator, choir director, and others.
- Strongly connect Sunday School and the congregation.
The outreach work group listed as its top three ideas:
- Expand support and care for aging/elderly/homebound people and their caregivers.
- Improve outreach to the University of Wisconsin population.
- Reach out to new war veterans and their families.
Other ideas from the outreach group are:
- Partner to strengthen ties with the community and share resources.
- Expand outreach to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
- Carry forward the LM Preschool's momentum.
- Music and education events.
The third work group, dealing with communication, will continue meeting. Its two major goals so far are tellig the Luther Memorial story and improving the church Web site.
Members of the Strategic Planning Team are Sue Bangert, Joyce Bisbee, Gary Brown, Barb Hughes, Jessie Nelson, Matt Sundell, Pastor Brad Pohlman, and Suelyn Swiggum.
Visiting Musician Praises LM and Bruce Bengtson
David Cherwien, cantor at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis and artistic director of the National Lutheran Choir, visited Luther Memorial on Palm Sunday as part of his sabbatical tour, and wrote about it in his blog, Cherwien's Sabbatical Musings. "They have 'held on' and do liturgy well with high quality music," he wrote. "The choir does an enormous amount of good literature, all in the context of the liturgy. The people own what happens, and I felt a very healthy atmosphere there. It clearly wasn't about them - it was about God, and what the people were there to do: worship God. No insider/outsider atmosphere, no 'visitor' hunt for new membership meat. Very refreshing."
Candlelight Procession Pictures
Luther Memorial member Doug Swiggum captured part of the candlelight procession at the church's March 22 Easter Vigil in some time-lapse photos that he wove together into a video. It begins in total darkness, shows the candlelight moving around the nave, and ends with worshipers in the pews with their candles.
September Door Online
Luther Memorial's monthly publication, The Door, is online in PDF format. The September [1.2 mb] issue has information about fall plans, activities and services, lessons and hymns for Sunday services, the monthly calendar, and more. There's also a new adult education flyer [PDF, 900 kb]
Starting with this issue, the Door is in 8.5-by-11-inch format. Not only is this size more convenient for online users to print at home, but it also allows the print version to be processed more quickly and reliably by the post office.
Comments and suggestions
are welcome and should be addressed to Natalie Oliver, (608) 258-3160.
Back issues are available, too. |
