A Mighty Fortress. Newsletter 8/22/2018 Edition II, Volume 5. Service of Ordination for Pastor Molly Markley Kuekes

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1 Service of Ordination for Pastor Molly Markley Kuekes The Ordination service for Pastor Molly was held on Sunday, August 19, 2018, at St. Mark s Lutheran Church in Mooresville, NC. Lutheran Church 8200 McClure Circle Charlotte, NC Page 1

2 Pastor s Note Wow!! I am still a bit speechless after my Ordination service. It was a very, very humbling experience. It was exciting to see people from all different areas of my life gather together to support me on that special day. My campus ministry friends, seminary colleagues, old Sunday school teachers, members from my internship congregation in Raleigh, many of you from A Mighty Fortress, and other communities that have impacted my call story. So many people have helped me discern my call to ministry and it was amazing to have so many of them present for my Ordination. I will never forget the laying on of hands. I felt empowered by all the clergy who stood around me, weighing me down by their palms. The weight was from hands that have written hundreds of sermons, distributed bread countless times, held hands with the dying, and sprinkled water over too many babies to count. It was a comforting feeling, knowing that I have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding and supporting me through my journey of ministry. Eden s commissioning was also very special to me. I have learned so much about pastoral care through her; she truly understands the value of the ministry of presence and offers unconditional love visit after visit without any hesitation. She is a great partner in ministry and I cannot wait to see how she continues to teach me to care for God s people. Thank you,, for calling me to be your pastor. Bishop Tim Smith said as part of the Rite of Ordination, together, we bear God s creative and redeeming love to the world. I look forward to bearing God s love to the world with you as your pastor. God s Peace, Pastor Molly pastormolly@amflc.org Lutheran Church 8200 McClure Circle Charlotte, NC Page 2

3 Council Meeting Update Council Meeting August Council Meeting was focused in two areas: 1. Supporting Pastor Molly through the creation of a pastor support committee to be led by Rick Rozzelle. 2. Preparing a draft budget for January July Financial Report: Received in July $12,726 Expenses in July * $8,889 Budgeted for July $13,712 Received January thru July $82,631 Expenses January thru July $77,179 Budgeted January thru July $82,275 * We all are encouraged to remember that, as we welcome a new pastor, we are also accepting the responsibility to continue to fully fund the mission and ministries of. Next Council Meeting is scheduled for September 9 th after worship all are welcome to attend. Save the Date! God s work. Our hands. Sunday will be Sunday, September 9, This day is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. The event has quickly become an anticipated way to be church together and church for the sake of the world. Whether our congregation prepares and delivers meals to people who are homeless, cleans parks Lutheran Church 8200 McClure Circle Charlotte, NC Page 3

4 and beaches or writes thank you notes to emergency responders, your service activities offer an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans This year, we will make sandwiches and deliver them to the Urban Ministry or some other like organization. Joyce Ohlson The Gathering Group The Gathering Group will meet on Monday, September 10, 2018, at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Bring your own lunch and we will provide dessert. Terry Saunders will show pictures from his trip last fall to Chili and Argentina. Please let JoAnn Dimmer ( / pjoannd@aol.com) know if you will be attending so will know how many table settings to set up. Your Participation is Needed The 40 th annual Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk is fast approaching. It is October 13, 2018 a SATURDAY!!! Mark your calendar now. Plan now to be a part of this important movement. Be a fighter! Help fight hunger and poverty in Charlotte and around the world by walking, supporting and giving. Sharon Johnson sadj@bellsouth.net Lutheran Church 8200 McClure Circle Charlotte, NC Page 4

5 Adopt A Room Progress Thanks to all who have devoted their time and resources to painting, cleaning, and de cluttering a number of AMF spaces and rooms. We are happy to report that Pastor Mollyʹs office recently received a fresh coat of paint and new blinds. Welcome to AMF Pastor Molly! In addition to the Pastorʹs office, the following rooms have been adopted and worked on: The Toddler Room, Conference Room, Tutoring Room, Library and a section of the Main Hallway. Also, the Fellowship Building basement was cleaned out by the Montagnard Mission folks. While much has been done, there are several spaces that could use some TLC. The spaces in need are: Choir Room, the remainder of Main Hallway, Worship Prep Room and the Small Bathroom near the Sanctuary. If you are interested in helping, please contact Doug Wells ( ) NOTICE TO: AMF Parents and Grandparents. If you have youth between the ages of 8 to 14 years who like video games, this is for them! On Saturday, September 15, from 10am 12 noon, Officer Ryan and his partner, from the North Division of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, will be sponsoring a video gaming tournament in the Fellowship Hall of AMF. The AMF Outreach Team Ministry is hosting this event. There will be prizes for winners and snacks for everyone. Our goal is to help the youth to see and feel the care, camaraderie, and concern both AMF and the CMPD have for them. Lutheran Church 8200 McClure Circle Charlotte, NC Page 5

6 FROM YOUR MISSION INTERPRETER (better known as SYNOD STORYTELLER ) God s blessings to all! I had the honor of being selected by our NC ELCA Synod to attend the 25 th Mission Interpreter Conference held at our church wide offices in Chicago, IL. The conference ran from August 16 19, But so what? You are probably wondering what is a Mission Interpreter and how does that relate to us at Lutheran Church? Mission Interpretation is: Telling stories about how God is changing lives through the giving of our time, talents, and resources Sharing the mission and ministry of the congregation, our synods, and church wide with people in the pew and in the community Thanking people for their faithfulness and generosity which make these ministries possible Declaring how God is at work in the world today Mission Interpretation Ministry shares with people how God is at work in the world and through our church. We declare how miracles and ministries take place through the gifts and offerings we give through our congregations. What I found, while at this conference, is that many of us really do not understand how the portion of our offerings going to Mission Support is used across the church and across the world. My goal as your Mission Interpreter is to share with you the rich stories of vital congregations, such as ours, across our fellow congregations; stories from our 65 synods; and how the financial gifts of all of us are used across the church and around the world. Understanding the many expressions of the ELCA, people build a deeper understanding of how we are a church that shares a living, daring confidence in God s grace. And, we thank God for the many people who make this work possible! So, stay tuned. You will be hearing more stories in the weeks to come. Beverly Foster, Mission Interpreter Page 6 Lutheran Church 8200 McClure Circle Charlotte, NC 28216

7 September 16 th is Rally Day We will be celebrating the 55 th Anniversary of Lutheran Church with a cook out. Lutheran Men in Mission will be leading our worship service that day. Lutheran Men in Mission will next meet on Saturday, September 8 th for their regular breakfast meeting. All men willing to practice with Penny after service on Sept 2 and Sept 9 will be practicing the song Rise Up Men of God which will be sung during worship on September 16. Please plan on staying for a cook out after worship donations accepted to cover costs. Food and beverage provided by Lutheran Men in Mission and WELCA. WELCA will begin their regular dinner meetings on September 11, 6pm for chair yoga and dinner meeting beginning at 6:30pm. For additional information contact Joyce Ohlson ( / karmagma@gmail.com) or Pastor Mary Lautensleger (pastormary@carolina.rr.com). WELCA is supporting a special Food Drive for the neighborhood food pantry at Thrift United Methodist Church. Special red shopping bags with printed on them are available at the church along with a special shopping list for the pantry. Our hope is that you will take a grocery bag and proudly shop for pantry items and then bring your bag back on Rally Day, September 16 th. Let s see how many food items we can donate for our hungry neighbors. Bags and lists were purchased for AMF through a Thrivent Action Team grant. Questions? See Libby Holman ( ) or any WELCA member Lutheran Church 8200 McClure Circle Charlotte, NC Page 7