Message from Pastor Stanton for Feb. 2023
Regarding financial stewardship and meeting ministry goals at First Lutheran, 2022 was the best of times and the worst of times. Compared to 2021, our congregation increased giving to the general fund by more than 5%. This allowed us to not only meet our obligations, like keeping the lights on, paying staff and clearing snow from the parking lot, but also two of our dreams. We cut a $10,000 check to the Hunger Task Force and another $10,000 check to REACH as they know how to address homelessness in our communities.
To those who shared in our church’s vision to provide a meaningful gift to these efforts, I can’t say thank you enough. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart shall go,” and by devoting significant treasure to these local institutions, we will develop even greater concern and compassion for both those who suffer and those who seek to serve the suffering. This is what Faith Alive! looks like.
In my November newsletter, I asked you to…
“pray for our Call Committee, pastors and staff to provide a clear faithful picture of what life in Onalaska is like and that our church is trying to grow in every way. I want this candidate to see what God is up to among us as we seek to offer wider welcome and deeper love inside our fellowship and beyond our walls. Pray with me that their time with us in November will provide an irresistible opportunity to answer God’s call to serve our church for years to come. Or, another way to pray this prayer is what I’ve been saying since May 2021, “Thy will be done…”
Thank you for your prayers! Our interview process went extremely well and negotiations went forward in earnest. We found a great match. The candidate, our staff and Pastor Karyn & I were excited about the prospects.
And then, reality struck. Sadly, as much as our giving increased in 2022, so did our expenses, along with a couple additional circumstances we couldn’t know about until the end of the year. Add it all together and as we looked into 2023’s budget and beyond, it became very clear that First Lutheran has not, in fact, grown the capacity to financially support a third pastor at this time.
There are two things I want to say about this reality. First of all, it’s frustrating. With three kids of my own, my family is among the many who know how much potential there is for a youth and family minister to do great work here. As your Senior Pastor, I know both Pastor Karyn and I have the potential to grow into fruitful new chapters of our ministry with another colleague. So, initially, this was hard to admit… AND it was also a relief. I was relieved to recognize our true financial status before issuing a call and long before someone got hurt in this process.
So… now what? The excellent work of our Call Committee shaped a job description for a third pastor and will continue to inform how Pastor Karyn and I function into the next chapter of our ministry at First Lutheran. We have spent many months now identifying ministry opportunities, from a childrens’ choir to puppet ministry, young youth and middle school youth events, Peer Ministry projects, college visits to see members abroad, a young couple ministry, singles’ ministry, more men’s ministries, an increased online presence, more visitation to our elders and more. Some of these ideas are lower hanging fruit than others and all these opportunities will linger, while our staff size remains the same.
But our membership is changing. Look for invitations to lead a piece of our community! Many hands make light work and whether Pastor Karyn or I ask you to serve as a confirmation guide, organize a one-time gathering in your home or lead a Lenten Bible study, our core value “We Build Community” will become more and more true every time members of our community step up to host, engage or lead. Our model for ministry has been clarified a bit through this process. We will not be moving further into a staff led model. We will need to pursue a model where lay people have the confidence, competence and faithfulness to offer new and wonderful parts of themselves and I am excited about that! Thanks again for your prayers as we’ve navigated a call process that has resulted in calling our membership into greater leadership roles for the sake of every age and stage at First!