Newsletter Article Jason Stanton Newsletter Article Jason Stanton

Staff Update

One of the primary functions of the senior pastor at First Lutheran is to address staffing needs. Like many other workplaces, the church is facing different challenges and opportunities today than it did even 10 years ago. Our staff is built to reflect those evolving needs. In 2014 our Strategic Plan cast a vision for what our staff will look by 2019. It was then that we forecasted changes in job descriptions for the senior and associate pastors as well as the director of hospitality. We also named new positions we hoped to add for the sake of providing programs and services that had become expected or needed by our members. The plan led us to create a position for a director of small groups ministry. Bridget Crave was hired in 2015. We also recognized we needed to hire a full-time youth director. So we hired Tina Nelson in 2015. As much as our high schoolers need a youth director, we saw our adults need an ‘adult director’, too. We hoped to add this position by 2016. We hoped to hire a stewardship consultant who led some financial education by 2016 as well. And by 2019 we dreamed of hiring a director of worship & arts. Further descriptions of these roles, by the way, can be found in the 2014 Strategic Plan, which is available in the church office.

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Newsletter Article, God's Hands & Feet Andrew Stutesman Newsletter Article, God's Hands & Feet Andrew Stutesman

Listening Hospitality

I was bagging up my groceries the other day, when I overheard a conversation between a mom and her son. The son kept asking “why?” with every answer the mom gave. Parents have all been in that situation. I tried to encourage her and let her know that it is exhausting answering all their questions and trying to come up with answers that the child can understand. I hope that she knew I was sympathetic toward her and that just knowing someone had listened and understood what she was going through was helpful.

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