M A K I N G O U R M A R K J

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Alexander Park
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M A K I N G O U R M A R K J u n e 2 0 1 8 S p e c i a l p o i n t s

Missionary of Education Birthdays COMING UP: JUNE 10 ANNUAL MEETING

1 M A K I N G O U R M A R K J u n e S p e c i a l p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t : Pastor Walt s Message Calendar Welcome Missionary of Education Birthdays COMING UP: JUNE 10 ANNUAL MEETING Meeting Pastor John Keller Message from the Interim Leadership Team Photos

2 M A K I N G O U R M A R K Page 2 Dear Friends, My retirement date is fast approaching and I want to share with you again my heartfelt gratitude, love and support for Saint Mark. This congregation has been a home for me and my family for these past 36 years and I could not have dreamed or asked for a more supportive or engaging place. These past weeks I have been meeting and in conversation with many of you. I have also been meeting with our council and our Bishop s team to review my time here and as well to download information that is stored in my head! July 1 st will be my last Sunday here at Saint Mark. Raija and I will not be moving from our home here in Saint Paul. Many of you have asked about my relationship with Saint Mark after June 30th. To be clear, I will no longer be your pastor and I will not be available for pastoral ministry (including baptisms, weddings and funerals). This is for your sake as well as my own. I know I need time to reconfigure my identity as not a pastor of Saint Mark. It is a good thing to do and so I ask for your understanding. I have great confidence in the leadership of our congregation. I have high hopes and prayers for the work of the interim and call committees and Interim Pastor John Keller. As well, I am pleased to announce Nicole Kroschel is going to be our new Missionary of Education starting this next week. We have creative and caring leadership which is deeply appreciated. I am so thankful knowing that Saint Mark is truly here for good and will continue to keep on keeping on centered in worship and engaged in parish life filled with education and doing good. I also trust that each of you will be faithful in your stewardship of regular giving and being actively involved. And indeed, Special Commitments of time and talent will be called for, by helping in any way you can with Loaves and Fishes, visiting the sick and shut-in, grounds and property upkeep (3B2), helping with our youth, opportunities arising from our Shared Ministries with Saint Luke, as well as Joseph s Temple Remember friendships are really a by-product of working, studying and worshiping together. (continued)

3 J u n e Page 3 So God bless and keep you. All will be ok/all will be well with our souls as God continues to speak the Gospel affirming that Saint Mark Lutheran Church is - in this place, in this City, in this World for good (staying put and active) to do good for God! Your friend, Pr. Walt June Usher Reader Fellowship 3 open Marty Brueggemann open 10 open Myra Larson open 17 open Dianne Testa open 24 open Eric Michelson open St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church A Congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Pastor Walter A. Wietzke 550 West Seventh St. St. Paul, Minnesota (651) secretary@saintmark.info Sunday Worship 9:30 am Executive Committee President Eric Michelson Secretary Mary Miller Treasurer Nancy Redlin Cong Liaison Candy Petersen Committee Chairs Property Nate Arnold Evang/Mission Worship Larry Raasch Church Staff Bonnie Jellinek Organist Holy Communion is celebrated the 1st Sunday of each month Fellowship / Education Hour after service Julia Jackson Martin Brueggemann Carol Gall & Janet Blair Bookkeeper Choir Director Custodians

M A K I N G O U R M A R K W e l c o m e N i c o l e K r o s h e l!

6/22 Elizabeth Bremer 6/28 Jan Bloom 6/30 Laura McGuire Page 4 - our Missionary of Education, who will be our Sunday School

She has wonderful experience with working with youth and she even won an Emmy!

4 M A K I N G O U R M A R K W e l c o m e N i c o l e K r o s h e l! J u n e B i r t h d a y s 6/2 Fayanna Bolden 6/4 Paul Ryan 6/6 Dennis DeMike 6/12 June Turtness 6/16 John Mena Ann Schroeder 6/22 Elizabeth Bremer 6/28 Jan Bloom 6/30 Laura McGuire Page 4 - our Missionary of Education, who will be our Sunday School leader. Nicole is a member of St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi. She has wonderful experience with working with youth and she even won an Emmy! Our support team includes Sharon Johnson, Carrie Arnold and Karen Larson. Saint Mark loves having children in worship and involved with education and missions. We're even planning for VBS. If you would like to help in anyway, please contact Sharon, Carrie, Karen, Pastor Walt and now Nicole!

5 J u n e Page 5 K I V A M i c r o l e n d i n g U p d a t e We have been receiving payments from 22 of our 28 loans. Scheduled repayments continue to come in. P h o t o s

6 M A K I N G O U R M A R K Page 6 S U N M O N T U E 3 9:30am Communion Svc 10:30am Fellowship 12:00pm J.T. Service 4 6:30-9pm Square Dancing 5 6:00pm AA 7:15 Men s Group 10 Annual Meeting 9:30am Service 10:30am Fellowship & ANNUAL MEETING 12:00pm J.T. Service 17 9:30am Service 10:30am Fellowship 12:00pm J.T. Service 11 6:30-9pm Square Dancing 18 6:30-9pm Square Dancing 7pm Special Meeting 12 6:00pm AA 7:15 Men s Group 19 6:00pm AA 7:15 Men s Group 24 9:30am Service 10:30am Fellowship Pastor s Luncheon 12:00pm J.T. Service 25 6:30-9pm Square Dancing 26 6:00pm AA 7:15 Men s Group

7 J u n e Page 7 W E D T H U FRI S A T :30 Altar Guild 6 8:30am Bible Study 6:30pm Council Mtg 7pm AA OMD am 3B (Brooms, Brunch & Benevolence) 8:30am Bible Study 7pm AA OMD :30am Bible Study 7pm AA OMD 27 8:30am Bible Study 7pm AA OMD

8 M A K I N G O U R M A R K Page 8 F r o m t h e I n t e r i m L e a d e r s h i p Te a m On July 1, 2018 Pastor John Keller will fulfill the role of our interim pastor. This full time position will allow him to serve both the congregation of Saint Mark and the congregation of Saint Luke. This interim position is initially set to last for six months (7/1/ /31/2018). The filling of this position is part of the natural transition for any congregation in the ELCA, prior to calling a regular pastor. The first Sunday in which Pastor John will preach is Sunday July 8 th. Pastor Walt s last Sunday with us is July 1 st. During this interim period we will have the opportunity to be served by Pastor John and we will partner in a shared ministry with Saint Luke s. On Saturday November 3 rd we will convene a joint congregational meeting (to be held at Saint Luke from 9-11 AM) to talk about how this shared ministry is going and determine our next steps so PLEASE put this date on your 2018 calendars!! As we will be sharing a pastor with another congregation, changes from time filled by a fulltime pastor are to be expected. We will need to remain flexible not only for the initial changes we will start experiencing after 7/1 but also as we address any changes that Pastor Keller believes must be made during this interim period. The points below reflect the initial changes. Starting on Sunday July 8 th, our time of worship will change from 9:30 to 10:30. We are essentially swapping our coffee hour time with our worship time. Pastor John will deliver the same service at Saint Luke at 9:00 AM. If you prefer the earlier worship time, St. Luke welcomes you to their service just as any St. Luke members who prefer the later service are welcome to join our service. We will celebrate communion on the first, third and fifth Sundays of each month, rather than just on the first Sunday. In those months in which a fifth Sunday does occur, we will continue to worship jointly with Saint Luke. The next opportunity for this is on 7/29 and that service will be held at Saint Mark.

9 J u n e Page 9 Pastor John will divide his time with regard to office hours. Initially, he will be in the office at Saint Luke on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9-4 and at Saint Mark on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-4. He may make changes to this schedule if need be and the hours will be posted and left on our voice mail. We are in the process of discussing activities that the pastor typically leads or attends that could be shared between the two churches. These include Bible Study and Vacation Bible School. On Sunday June 10 th, during our annual meeting, a recap of these and other details will be shared. There will be time for questions as well as a time for you to express any areas that you would like to assist with the planning. We will also make ourselves available to answer questions on the following Sunday, 6/17 following Worship (in the conference room). Please plan to come with your questions to either or both of those meetings. We all realize that this time of transition is huge for all of us, but together and with the Grace of God we will continue to be in the City for Good and for God. Interim Leadership Team: Eric, Nancy, Candy and Jackie 6 2 n d A n n i v e r s a r y C e l e b r a t i o n Thank you to everyone who attended our 62nd Anniversary Celebration on April 22nd at DeGidio s. Thirty-nine attended and enjoyed fellowship, delicious food, enjoyable entertainment by the Mellow Fellows and lots of raffle prizes. Our profit for the Capital Campaign Fund was $ The Capital Campaign fund is used for unanticipated projects not funded by the general fund. Gertens Spring Plant and Plant Card Sale Thanks to everyone who purchased plants and gift cards during our 3rd annual Gertens Spring Plant and Gift Card Sale. Our profit is around $ This money supplements the general fund. We will continue to sell plant gift cards all year long. For every $25 in plant cards sold, the church earns $3.75. If you wish to purchase plant cards, please see Bonnie Jellinek.

M A K I N G O U R M A R K P a s t o r J o h n K e l l e r Page 10 I am a Minnesotan by birth and was baptized at First Lutheran in Little Falls, Minnesota in May, 1954.

10 M A K I N G O U R M A R K P a s t o r J o h n K e l l e r Page 10 I am a Minnesotan by birth and was baptized at First Lutheran in Little Falls, Minnesota in May, When I was a year old my family moved to Washington State. I was confirmed at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Bremerton Washington. While in Washington State I discovered the joy of backpacking in the mountains. The call to explore God s creation has often been a strong part of my call to ministry. Though I was always active in my Lutheran congregation, I also was moved by the charismatic renewal of the 1970's. While attending a Quaker college I participated in a variety of non-lutheran local congregations and youth summer Bible camps. Yet when I finished college, I knew that I was still a Lutheran at heart and so decided to attend Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul. I graduated from Luther Seminary in 1984 and then served St. Andrew s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi. As a parish pastor, I worked in a variety of capacities: evangelism and church growth, congregational care and senior ministry, adult education and spiritual development. I was a key leader in the congregation s development of senior housing, St. Andrew s Village, and in the transition of senior leadership in 2005 to In 2010 I was called to be lead pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Woodbury. I helped the congregation grow in mission outreach and in stewardship. In 2015 the Holy Spirit led me to consider Intentional Interim ministry and I completed the ELCA training in spring of I recently served a thirteen month interim at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lindstrom, MN, a four month interim at Christ the Servant in Vadnais Heights and a ten month interim at Zion Lutheran Church in Chisago City.

11 J u n e Page 11 Throughout my pastoral ministry I focused on three things: 1. The Lord is a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving the iniquity and transgression of sin. (Exodus 34:6-7) In a word: Grace Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. (I John 14:11). In a word: Love. 3. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him. (Psalm 37:7) In a word: Prayer My wife, Carolyn, served four years as a Lutheran pastor at Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church in NE Minneapolis, but chose to be home as our children grew up. In more recent years, she wrote a Bible study for the Women of the ELCA and love gardening at home. We live in Shoreview. Our three children are now young adults. Jonathan is married, has four children and is the CEO of a small company called Life Floor. Suzanne graduated from college in 2005 and works with her brother at Life Floor. Both live in Minneapolis. Christina is a Montessori Grade 1-3 teacher in Austin, Texas. Since 1999, I have participated in a weekly running group at St. Andrew s, but the group has shifted to bicycling in recent years. I continue to enjoy backpacking in the mountains and exploring new trails of adventure. You can read more about my adventures on my blog: pastorjohnkeller.org. I look forward to helping St. Mark and St. Luke grow in mission and spirit as together we explore Shared Ministry. May God strengthen and guide us during the interim process.

12 S A I N T M A R K L U T H E R A N C H U R C H 550 West 7th St. St. Paul, MN Phone:

M A K I N G O U R M A R K J

M A K I N G O U R M A R K J u n e 2 0 1 7 S p e c i a l p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t : Council Highlights Calendar Sunday Service Volunteers Financials Bible Studies Missions Update Birthdays RISE UP