President’s Report
Fall 2022 Report from Church Council President (Kathy Boyer)
Dear Congregation,
During the last 6 months, CLC has continued to evolve and change as we attempt to function as “normally” as possible during the pandemic that changed everything.
In May Pastor Eric and I attended Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn what is happening at the synod level, and network with leaders from other congregations. There were many opportunities to reimagine what church can look like. The “Church Becoming” plenary was an interactive discussion about the “Classic Church” of the past and what church might become in the future. The highlight of Assembly for me was the “Normalizing the Unexpected” panel discussion, which included stories from members of historically excluded communities. It was a celebration of the beauty of the diversity of God’s creation, and also a reminder that the world, and many churches, can be cruel to those who are viewed as different. That is why it is imperative that we, as ELCA Lutherans, be more than welcoming and accepting, but be inclusive and celebratory of all of God’s children. The video of the discussion can be found here https://vimeo.com/712264167/47461a07cd. All Assembly videos can be found here https://www.rmselca.org/2022-synod-assembly-videos-and-resources.
In June, a Church Administrator was hired to take on volunteer coordination, maintenance coordination, and administrative duties, to name just a few. Desiree has been a welcome addition to staff, and her hard work has allowed other staff to focus on their passions and the reasons they were called here.
In 2021, Pastor Eric was due a 3-month sabbatical. It was an uncertain and transitional time at CLC (and everywhere) and a less than ideal time for the lead pastor to be away. Pastor Eric chose to forgo the sabbatical that year. Instead he took a Relief and Renewal Leave of 1 month this summer. The cost was covered completely by grants, and Pastor Eric returned with a renewed spirit, ready to lead CLC into the future.
The unified single Sunday morning service has been in place for about 6 months. Total weekend attendance has remained steady, and the desired result of improved fellowship and conserving staff and volunteer resources has been achieved. We are now in the process of recruiting volunteers to be greeters, ushers, and acolytes, so that some pre-pandemic elements can be added back into worship each week.
I recently attended a townhall led by Bishop Gonia called “Worry to Wonder.”
In addition to the common worry among metro area congregations about lack of people and lack of money, Bishop Gonia indicated that there is a shortage of pastors, and several congregations that are searching. He urged us all to turn our worry into purpose and reframe the way we think about the mission of the Church and how it will be accomplished in the future. As I mentioned above, the church of the future will not look like the church of the past. We have an opportunity and an invitation to make it something different and better than what it used to be.
This year we’ve been blessed with many opportunities for fellowship and service, including wine and chocolate tasting, salsa tasting, a band concert and barbecue, Day of Service, and most recently BOBtoberfest, where we celebrated being voted Best of the Best Place of Worship and Preschool in Highlands Ranch. A special thank you to the Fun Committee for planning and executing these events.
At BOBtoberfest, Council provided comment cards where attendees could write down what they love about CLC, and how they will support CLC. We received a variety of responses about what people love – the message of love and inclusivity, the music, the donuts. There was no shortage of praise for CLC and our staff. However, the number of responses as to how you will support CLC were noticeably fewer.
CLC is full of generous people. We had many hands at the Day of Service, and we had many people contribute to Oktoberfest. When asked for something specific, like money to refurbish the handbells, your generosity never fails.
In order to continue to maintain our building and pay our staff, and live into our mission every day, we need that spirit of generosity every month, every week. Because you are so great at giving your time, talents, and money for specific purposes, my specific request of you at this time is that you make arrangements to give of your time and money each and every month for the purpose of continuing our mission and allowing us to continue to receive the inspirational message every week.
It is stewardship season. We are in the process of switching to a new online platform that will streamline giving, volunteering, and organizing. It is a perfect opportunity to set up or increase your online giving and sign up for a recurring volunteer role. It is going to take every one of us to move CLC into the future.
1 Corinthians 12: 4-7
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good
Blessings, Kathy Boyer, President