2013 Annual Report. Transforming lives through God s grace for authentic Christian living.

Transcription

1 2013 Annual Report Transforming lives through God s grace for authentic Christian living.

2 1

3 2013 PASTOR S REPORT By Pastor Pam Stofferahn Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; Come into his presence with singing. (Psalm 100:1-2) The Psalmist s words capture my feelings about this year at Redeemer. In 2013, our worship has overflowed with a sense of joy and gladness that carries me through the week with foottapping energy and a sense of eager anticipation for what we ll be up to next. Engaging Worship I am deeply grateful for the leadership of Tim Gabriel and the Worship and Music Ministry team members and youth choir directors, Deb Gardner and Mary Gregory, who devote such energy and care to worship planning. There are many indicators of the investment our congregation is making in developing engaging worship for all ages: the amazing work of Rejoice and the choirs, along with the first appearance of Redeemer s very own boy band; the well-acted courtroom drama, The People vs. Jesus, during Lent; the summer Making Sense of Scripture series and our move to the narrative lectionary in September with the Telling Our Story: Creation to Christianity series; the inventive Advent worship services; and the comical I Remember Christmas pageant that included many generations in the fun. Wonderful worship involves lots of wonderful people! We don t have pages enough to give thanks to all who have brought our worship to life this year. The year-end news of our great success in raising the necessary funds for a new organ is further evidence of our congregation s commitment to excellent worship will be a wonderful year of celebration as we commission a new organ for service for the next generation of Redeemer worshippers. Relational Outreach It s been exciting to see how our Redeemer Days of Serving have helped more and more people explore serving opportunities in our local community and strengthened our bond with mission partners like Open Hands Midway, the White Bear Food Shelf, Willow Lane Elementary, and Solid Ground (formerly East Metro Women s Council). One of the most exciting outcomes of those efforts has been the launching of a Boys Club at Solid Ground, staffed with Redeemer men who care deeply about investing in the lives of youngsters who could use a little extra adult attention in their lives. Many thanks to Brian Adams leadership in that initiative. Many other Redeemer events, like the Ice Block party in February, The Holiday Fair in November, and the Bruentrup Farm worship in December provided opportunities for us to invite friends and community members to get to know us. The new Redeemer sweatshirts will also bring some new name recognition to Redeemer as they are spotted out and about in the community on our members. Thanks to Pam Huntley and the Communications Team for making that possible. 2

4 2013 PASTOR S REPORT (cont d.) By Pastor Pam Stofferahn This year, our Stewardship team helped us to reach outside our local community with the ELCA Good Gifts Program, providing Redeemer families the opportunity to give lasting gifts, like livestock, to help eradicate poverty in third world places. Spiritual Growth Our whole congregation has been on a journey of spiritual growth with Telling Our Story: Creation to Christianity, traveling through the biblical narrative from the beginning, starting with the book of Genesis in September. Sunday school children are following along with a new narrative curriculum from Spirit and Truth Publishing that Redeemer is piloting. Sunday school teachers will be providing feedback to the publisher to help improve this narrative lectionary based curriculum for future users. The addition of a Sunday morning Bible study related to the narrative lectionary has provided a new learning opportunity for many, helping them go deeper in the biblical story each week with two of our retired pastors, Dan Brumm and Roger Schwarze. Our Spiritual Growth Team continues to seek ways to provide learning opportunities that are convenient for busy adults. Nurturing Community One of our visitors recently said that the one thing that was outstanding about Redeemer was the friendliness of the people. She said that of all the churches she visited, Redeemer was, by far, the most friendly and welcoming. That sense of welcome and inclusivity is truly a gift that our community has to offer to everyone. Divine Dining an opportunity for groups of eight to gather for shared meals each fall and spring has given us a means for deepening our friendships and building relationships beyond our Sunday morning connections. If you haven t experienced a Divine Dining group yet, I encourage you to sign up the next time groups are forming. Many thanks to Myrna Carlson for organizing the groups and providing the delicious menus for our meals. Two new support groups, TLC for Caregivers and Losses, Laments and Learning, started this year to nurture members and friends who are shouldering heavy burdens. Our Congregational Care Ministers continue to provide loving support to our homebound members and others needing a little extra nurture and care. And our Prayer Shawl ministry is going strong under the new leadership of Lorlie Erickson, along with our Prayer ministry under the direction of Jan Johnson. The Second Half Ministry team is working to expand networking for our empty nesters and baby boomers who are nearing retirement or newly retired. And many small groups also continue to provide wonderful support for people of all ages, gathered around similar interests to learn and grow together. At the close of the year, I find myself feeling blessed and grateful for the wonderful community of Redeemer and our dedicated staff and volunteers who make our congregation so vibrant and welcoming. It has truly been a year of ministry growth and I look forward to what God will be up to here in the New Year. God s blessings and my thanks for making Redeemer such a warm and wonderful place. Pastor Pam 3

5 2013 ASSOCIATE PASTOR S REPORT By Nate Toso The apostle Paul introduces many of his letters by giving thanks to God for the members of the churches receiving those letters. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderfully faithful people including members of our incredible staff, dedicated volunteers, and Spirit-filled congregation members, so I too want to begin this report by thanking God for you, the people of Redeemer! As I reflect upon this past year, I am particularly thankful for the leadership that has grown in the two ministry teams with which I am most involved the Children, Youth, and Family team and the Outreach team. Our Children, Youth, and Family team put together a wonderful calendar of events for the year and their commitment to those events helped make this year a great success. The events that I want to lift up include: fourteen students and three adults who made the journey to Christikon Lutheran Bible Camp in Montana to experience God s amazing creation and to grow in relationship with each other and with God, dozens of students who again participated in the summer camps provided by Camp Wapogasset, a wonderful week and magnificent performance by the Camp Allegro/VBS students, an incredibly successful RNO Roundup event that drew a large number of families from LADC and Solid Ground, 60+ members of our congregation who agreed to pray for the children and youth of our congregation by serving as prayer partners, seven students who were confirmed in October, twenty confirmation students who spent the night building relationships with hundreds of other middle school Christians at the fall Moonlight Midnight Madness event, a wonderfully memorable Christmas program that included intergenerational interaction and the sharing of Christmas stories, two dozen students who took part in our annual Progressive dinner, and three committed volunteers Mike Semonick, Pete Mauch and Sadie Lundgren who began a new ministry for our high school students on Wednesday evenings. I am indebted to Kathy Sjursen who is not only our Sunday School Coordinator and Sunday School teacher, but is also the Council Representative for our Children, Youth, and Family team. Her skill at leading and dedication to the children of Redeemer is an incredible blessing to our congregation! I am also indebted to Lynda Anderson who is our RNO Children s Program Coordinator and who does an immeasurable amount of work preparing lessons and providing materials for our RNO teachers. Our Outreach Team continues to support the work of those who regularly demonstrate love for our neighbors whether that be by providing food for the hungry through the White Bear Lake Area Emergency Food Shelf, Panera Bread donations, Open Hands Food Rescue, or participation at Feed My Starving Children; giving gifts to those in need at Solid Ground, Open Hands Clothing initiative, making First Aid Kits, or by working at Dorothy Day; or by building relationships and mentoring through the Boys Club at Solid Ground or through the Willow Lane Reading Buddies program. We had several dozen people venture out in to the community to serve our neighbor at the spring Day of Serving event, we had more than 100 volunteers take part in our first ever Redeemer Night Really Out event, and we had men from our congregation who went to Doulos Discovery School in the Dominican Republic to help build new classrooms and furniture so that school can continue to prepare its young people to serve their country as teachers and community leaders. I am truly excited about the new leadership, new vision, and renewed sense of passion that our Outreach team is exhibiting as we prepare to move in to the New Year! I want to close by thanking you all for your prayers and support as I continue to learn from you and grow in my call to serve as your associate pastor! Yours in Christ, Pastor Nate 4

6 2013 PASTORAL ACTS The following is a list of pastoral acts performed at Redeemer Lutheran Church during 2013: Sunday Services 104 Ecumenical Service: 0 Weekday Worship Services: 19 Confirmation: 1 Baptisms (6 total) February 24 Liam Paul Austin Paula and Jason Austin April 7 Brielle Stolt Shannon Kohlman and Aaron Stolt April 14 Connor Patrick Peloquin Tanya and Christopher Peloquin June 9 Breckin Roger Bowman Tamara and Jonathan Bowman June 16 Perseus Stephen Alexander Moody Natassja Moody and Robert Hudson, Jr. November 10 Liliana Marie Downing Tiffany and Matthew Downing May 4 May 11 June 1 October 12 October 19 Weddings (5 total) Elizabeth Bentley and Micah Olson Rachel Larson and Brian Stafki Lindsey Brix and Allen Gregory Christina Toensing and Chad Keenlyne Catherine Bowman and Matthew Schumann Confirmands (7 total) October 2013 Kelsey Martha Bangert Marina Rae Konold Joseph Heinrich Schultz Anna Elizabeth Danger Casey Alan McCloy Phillip Myers Slack Olivia Rose Johnson Daniel and Dorothy Brumm Linda Dahl, Sally Steiner New Members (9 total) Joel Holstad Aaron Stolt and Shannon Kohlman Samantha Schlomka, Brielle Stolt Funerals (9 total) May 23 Robert Ray Barnoski October 4 Audrey Jean Gustafson July 23 Pamelynn Marie Mattila November 7 Lyle Leroy Winter September 7 Betty Mae Paulson November 23 Donald H. Blocher September 21 George J. Speed November 26 Frank H. Hague September 26 Jean Audrey Watkins Transfers Out (6 total) Robert and Kathy Manke, First Lutheran Church, White Bear Lake, MN Lisa Gutsche Muellerleile, Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Maple Grove, MN Steve and Erica Kennedy, Atonement Lutheran Church, St. Cloud, MN Zita Swenson, First Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, NC Transfers In (4 total) Dan and Dottie Brumm, St. Stephen Lutheran Church, White Bear Lake, MN Linda Dahl and Sallie Steiner, Zion Lutheran Church, Hartford, NY 5

7 2013 PRESIDENT S REPORT By William E. Rust The year has been a most gratifying and fulfilling year for our council due to the congregation and staff support, and the committee members who have spent countless hours executing every imaginable task. Things that become invisible like; repairs to the building, visiting sick members, planning for new banners, coordinating new musical offerings, maintaining sound financial management, and creating a new image for our church are just a few of the spectacular things that make our church the place we have all grown to love. With many churches struggling with membership and trying to reduce costs, we continue to be a bright spot with membership stabilized and operating in the black. We have formed a relationship with other smaller Lutheran Churches in the area (Church Presidents and Vice Presidents Group), in hopes of finding common ways to reduce hard costs, share common knowledge about our churches, and ways we can provide information to all our congregation memberships. This may be critical planning for the future of our churches. The strength of a church lies within its membership, and just because we are operating in the black and contributing to outside sources, does not mean we can just sit back. In order for us to remain a leading congregation, expectations such as evangelism, serving others, promoting, participating, and supporting each other s need to continue. Programs like Day of Service, Open Hands Midway, Solid Ground, Reading Buddies, Food Shelf, and the Senior Citizens Group all show our true Lutheran commitment to serving others. This will be evidenced by greater attendance and a more vibrant church and worship experience. If you have not heard about or felt uncomfortable about joining a group like Devine Dinning or Day of Service I would urge you to take the leap of faith. Groups such as these are ways for you to connect with other fabulous people and share food, talents, and a Christian ethics that will broaden yourself as a person. Working hand in hand with others is a very physically rewarding experience as well. All levels of participation are needed, even if it is just to offer encouragement. If someone asks you to join the group please prayerfully consider. Many of our council leadership team will continue to serve on the council next year, thus maintaining a level of ongoing knowledge about our church. At the same time a few new members will join after the election. It would be most beneficial if we would all be there to support these newly elected members. I would personally like to thank the fabulous council team for for working so hard together; it was truly a most inspiring and gratifying experience for me. Our new President Tom Will also brings his commitment and energy to the new team, and I would wish and pray for all the best for him in the coming year. Thank you for the opportunity to serve Redeemer, and God Be With All as we travel this journey together. God s Peace, William E. Rust 6

8 Open Meeting: Cheryl Isberner Blessing: Pam Stofferahn February 3, 2013 Annual Meeting Minutes Approval of Past Minutes: A motion was made to approve the minutes for the February 6, 2011 Annual Meeting; the August 7, 2011 Congregational Meeting; the February 5, 2012 Annual Meeting; and the May 6, 2012 Congregation Meeting. The motion was seconded and passed. Pastors Report: Pam Stofferahn talked about Redeemer s focus on four strategic levers: Nurturing Community, Engaging Worship, Spiritual Growth, and Meaningful Outreach. She said Meaningful Outreach would be a primary focus consisting of the following items: Increase Communication, Activate Collaboration, and Increase Readiness for Ministry. Outgoing Council members were given certificates of appreciation: Jay Brunner, Margo Decker-Mingo, Cheryl Isberner, Wendy Jenz, Mike Lundberg, and Don Lundgren. Cheryl Isberner was given a gift for her service as Council president. Finance: Jay Brunner presented the building fund summary and 2012 financial statements. The capital appeal for debt reduction raised $350,000. This reduced the mortgage to $911,328 as of December 31, That is approximately half the amount of the original mortgage taken out ten years ago. On the 2012 financial statements our general fund giving increased by 7% over Total revenue in 2012 was $478,263 and total expenses were $455,936 leaving us with a $22,327 surplus. The combined amount of general and capital giving for 2012 was $723,505. Tom Bulger presented a narrative budget with a bar chart showing expenses by dollars and a circle chart showing expenses by percentage. Jay Brunner went over the proposed 2013 budget. Total revenues are budgeted at $488,712 and expenses at $488,673. The budget shows a $39 surplus. He explained any significant differences from the 2012 budget. A motion was made to pass the 2013 proposed budget and it was seconded. There were two questions. The questions were answered and a vote was called. The motion passed. Ballot: The ballot was reviewed: President: Bill Rust Vice President: Tom Will Secretary: Darlene Sigstad Financial Management: Phil Jacobsma CYF: Kathy Sjursen Outreach: Brian Brynell Stewardship: John Walsh Worship & Music: Kathie Nielsen Trust Fund: Marlene Burkel, Marlys Haslow Nominating Committee Members: Kay Kuehn, Bob Leaf A motion was made to pass the ballot as written and vote for the nominees en bloc. It was seconded and the voting was done by paper ballot. Closing Prayer: Nate Toso 7

9 Open Meeting: President Bill Rust Minutes of Special Congregational Meeting on December 22, 2013 to Purchase a Digital Organ Devotions: Pastor Pam Stofferahn opened with a reading of Psalm 150 and prayer. Motion: President Rust asked for a motion from the organ committee so the congregation could vote. Carol Toensing presented the motion I move the congregation to authorize an over budget expenditure of up to $55,000 for purchase of a new digital organ and related equipment upon receipt of the funds needed to cover the expense. Motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Question: President Rust asked for questions and one question was asked on what would become of the organ we now have. The committee stated that it would be removed by the Rogers company prior to installation of the new organ. Funding: Carol Toensing stated that the organ fund has $38,500 in donations already received. Organ Fund envelopes will be made available today so that anyone wishing to can make a donation. President Rust encouraged everyone to participate in the organ campaign and Pastor Pam said that contributions would be accepted into the New Year. The hope is that the full amount needed will be received soon enough to have the organ installed by Easter. President Rust thanked the organ committee (Carol Toensing, Glenn Nelson, Tim Gabriel and Shirley Ruehle) for all their hard work during the process. Additional Business: President Rust informed the congregation that the Redeemer Annual Meeting will be held on February 2, 2014 beginning at 11:30 a.m. with a potluck lunch to follow. Bill also reminded everyone to be sure they planned to attend the Ice Block Party on February 1, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Plans are being finalized to make this a community event. Closing Prayer: Pastor Pam closed the meeting with the singing of hymn When In Our Music God Is Glorified. 8

10 CONGREGATIONAL CARE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT By Susan Johnson Redeemer is known for being a friendly and caring church both within and outside of our walls. This is due in part to the informal and spontaneous acts of caring by many members for those experiencing both long- and short-term difficulties. However, the more formalized programs are also necessary to meet these needs. The leaders of these ministry teams continue to provide dedicated leadership to keep these vital ministries going. We do need members to bring to our attention needs that are not being adequately met and to consider joining one of these groups to provide more hands (and hearts) for this holy work. Of note this past year is that the Second Half Ministry Team is developing cutting edge work as the coming silver tsunami is at our doorstep. Congregational Care has collaborated with the Spiritual Growth committee to provide programming pertaining to planning and making end of life choices. Several members attended a four day long Congregation of Care training over the past four months at the Minnesota Council of Churches. This training provided tools to assess our congregational care programming and also more resources and ideas to strengthen current programming. We know we need to do a better job at making our programs more visible in our congregation while maintaining privacy for those we serve. We have strengthened our outreach/ partnership with Lyngblomsten this past year as many more hours of service were given, including making blankets during the RNO Really Night Out. Fifteen members also attended a 511 Club event that is offered through Lyngblomsten. Anyone in a 511 zip code can participate. 511 Club offers educational and/enriching programs for those over 55. I wish to express my deep appreciation to all the ministry leaders and those who serve with them. These include: Care/Visitation, The Gathering, Grief Team, Prayer Ministry, Prime Time, Second Half Ministry, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Coffee Corner, Funeral, Holiday Fair, and RNO. We are fortunate that Shelly Strauss has continued her able leadership and cooking expertise in providing RNO meals. We are in need for more members to sign up to assist with serving, clean-up or providing treats. If we have more members pitch in to help, it means that no one is being overtaxed. Wilma Skaar continues to provide leadership for funerals and other events that involve serving food. The following are reports submitted by leaders of the various teams that will highlight various activities during Congregational Care Coordinator Anne Marie Gere We are fortunate to have 14 people who are trained Care Ministers at Redeemer who are willing and available to visit and bring Communion to our members who are unable to worship with us on a regular basis. They are also able to offer transportation to appointments, assist with light chores and meals and help those visited feel connected to the church family. Currently there are people receiving care on a regular basis and a few on a short term basis, such as following a hospitalization. It is our goal to make our services known to everyone who may have a need so that we may care for one another in our Redeemer family. Prayer Ministry -Jan Johnson Prayer ministry continues to be a vital part of life at Redeemer. The Prayer Chain, the Prayer Servants, the Men s Tuesday morning prayer group, Prayer Partners with the youth and our Lenten Prayer Vigil are all examples of ongoing prayer ministry activity. All are encouraged to join in one or more. Prayer is about deepening our relationship with our loving, grace filled God. 9

11 CONGREGATIONAL CARE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT (cont d.) Second Half Ministry Team- Jane Schroeher The focus of Second Half Ministry team is to get more baby boomers (Birth years ) involved and active in the church. Many are busy with life issues caring for aging parents, parenting or grand parenting, working or considering retirement. Second Half Ministry Team has been meeting since July Team members include: Michele Brouse, Myrna Carlson, Ann Marie Gere, Sue Johnson, Addie Petersen, Jane Schroeher and Pastor Pam. Patricia Montgomery, Senior Program Coordinator at Lyngblomsten, is also a member of the ministry team and a valuable resource. We are looking for more men to join in the planning team in order to offer programming to meet the interests and needs of all. Ministry highlights from the past year include: February: Boomer Ministry Focus Group event - Nine boomer age Redeemer members (4 men, 5 women) participated, along with members of the Second Half Ministry team. The discussion focused on concerns and needs in retirement, and the role the church can play in this transition. Valuable information was obtained for planning future ministry in areas of Nurturing Relationships, Meaningful/Relational Outreach, Spiritual Growth, and Engaging Worship. June: The decision was made to sponsor a retirement retreat, which will be scheduled in January July: Lyngblomsten Mid-Summer Festival -Thirteen Redeemer members volunteered to work serving food at this festival. The weather was warm but all seemed to enjoy this experience. September: Lyngblomsten Senior Ministry Conference Purposeful Retirement & the Role of the Church. Six members of the Ministry team attended this conference. Pastor Pam was one of the presenters. We learned that Lyngblomsten has established an older adult website resource We discovered that Redeemer is one of a few area churches to have a ministry team focused on baby boomers. October: Lyngblomsten Sunday at Redeemer. Paul Mikelson, recently retired Lyngblomsten CEO, spoke at both worship services on October 20 th. Lyngblomsten supportive resources were handed out at an information booth. November: A mailing was sent to boomer-aged members with an invitation to participate in Living a Meaningful Retirement retreat on January 11, Congregational announcement was made at worship services on November 24 th and retreat brochures were given to members. Grief Team Ministry 2013 Annual Report - Candi Walsh Grief Team Ministry continues to send out letters of support to Redeemer members who have lost a loved one. This year over 40 members received letters and Care Notes letting them know that their church family is thinking of them during this difficult time in their life. We plan to continue to reach out each year to members who have experienced a loss and make them aware of grief resources and /or events in our community. Individuals can look up current grief resources and their links on Redeemer s website. We continue to provide updated Grief Care Notes for all ages in the Welcome Center area. We depend on members to inform us of their loss. 10

12 CONGREGATIONAL CARE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT (cont d.) In 2014, our goal is to explore new ways we can meet the needs of our church families. Grief can result from the loss of a job, a significant friendship, a broken marriage, a loss of health and vitality or fractured family relationships. Pastor Pam will be facilitating a 10 week course called Grief Share. Grief Share features biblical teaching on grief and recovery topics. The sessions will be offered Mondays, 2-4 pm, starting in January and ending just before Easter. More information will come out and letters will be sent to members that have experienced loss of a loved one this past year. The Grief Team will continue to explore and update grief materials in the library for all ages and keep our resource links, handouts and Care Notes up to date. In addition, we continue to invite any Redeemer member to join our ministry team which consists of Linda Dahl, LeeAnn Meyer, Phyllis Storberg, Candi Walsh, Ann Marie Gere, Congregational Care Coordinator, Sue Johnson, Council Representative, and Pastor Pam. Holiday Fair- Heather Lundgren Holiday Fair raised $11,750 this year! It is our goal to split that money 50/50 with the needs inside our church and for outreach. We had many requests and, although we were unable to grant all of them, we feel that the following will help the most. In making disbursement decisions, we try to take care of the necessities for the church and then give where the greatest needs are and to continue to build the relationships that we have with our outreach programs. I so wish we could please everyone and give to all but unfortunately we were unable to do that. Here is the breakdown: Outreach $ Youth trip $500 - LSS $600 - White Bear Food Shelf $ Solid Ground $ Loaves and Fishes $325 - College Ministry $150 - Relay for life $600 - Quilters $6175 total In House $230 - Youth Room $500 - Kitchen $ Sanctuary Laptop $500 - Choir Guests $775 - New Projector (we funded half last year this will complete that request) $270 - Bass Guitar for the youth band $ Congregational Care $300 - Grief Team $ Facilities $5575 total 11

13 CONGREGATIONAL CARE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT (cont d.) The Gathering Myrna Carlson The Gathering began in 2000 and is part of Lyngblomsten s community-based services. The Northeast Consortium of Churches began in Redeemer is a member of the Northeast Consortium, which is made up of 10 churches in the White Bear Area. The Gathering provides a day of renewal for those experiencing early-to mid-stage memory loss, offering them a variety of stimulating activities with a trained group of volunteers to engage their mind and body. In addition, it provides five hours of respite for the caregiver. The Gathering staff from Lyngblomsten meets with the caregiver and loved one experiencing memory loss for an assessment to determine if they are appropriate for the program. Nine volunteers from Redeemer work at the Gathering. Some work directly with the participants, others help prepare the meal, and some do special projects with the participants. The Gathering is appreciated so much by the caregivers of the participants. A large group of dedicated volunteers from the 10 churches and the community working together has made this a very successful program. Primetime- Barb Wojahn Primetime is a very successful program, averaging attendees a month (3 rd Thursday) with activities planned for the Atrium and at least two bussed outings per year. The activities in 2013 included: History Theater play, Nellie ; Therapy Dogs with demonstration; The Last Keeper at Split Rock by Mike Roberts; St. Paul Gangster Tour with lunch at Jimmie s; Container Gardening by Linder s Greenhouse; Serving in Argentina with the ELCA /Brunch by Kjersten Sanden, granddaughter of Gordy and Pat Hanson; Tour of The Museum of Russian Art/lunch at Jimmie s; White Bear s Notorious Gangsters by Sara Markoe Hansen, WBL Historical Society; and lastly, Christmas Presence/Brunch by Pati Kachel. As you can see, the committee tries to plan interesting and varied programs. Thanks to committee members: Wilma Skaar, Jean Taylor, Barb Christensen, Nan Carlson, Tom Johnson, Darlene Sigstad, Jeanne Schwarze, Richard Wahlstrom, Dick Kuehn, Joan Simpson, and Barb Wojahn. The committee served the September and December brunches. Thanks also to all the great volunteers who bring treats and serve for Coffee Plus. The programs are supported by freewill offerings, special gifts from individuals and support of money from the Holiday Fair. Thanks to all for their generosity. Primetime is open to anyone available during the day and we encourage everyone to bring friends. Coffee Corner- Bev Gillespie I have a great and faithful group of about 24 volunteers who help serve coffee on Sunday morning. This means that most serve about once every 2-3 months. On a given Sunday, there are three people serving unless it is a special occasion such as Easter or when we serve a celebration cake. There are a couple of concerns. I have lost several volunteers due to illness or aging. I will be posting a request for more volunteers in the next newsletter. A few hosts are gone during the winter months, which shortens the volunteer list. Please consider volunteering. The donations collected have managed to cover the cost of the food and drink, but costs keep rising and we may need to encourage larger donations in the future. I have been leading this ministry for about ten years now and still really enjoy it. Our treats are faithfully delivered early Sunday mornings by Grandma s Bakery. Lastly, thanks to Nan Carlson who has done a wonderful job with decorating all the tables to fit the season. Prayer Shawl Ministry - Lorlie Erickson - See Outreach Report. 12

14 WORSHIP AND MUSIC 2013 ANNUAL REPORT By Kathie Nielsen A lot of prayer and simple hard work has been done by a lot of people with the primary task of achieving engaging worship. Pastor Pam and Music & Worship Director Tim Gabriel as well as faithful, creative, and committed team and committee members made for a lively and exciting year! Some high-points: Lenten services, both at noon (followed by lunch) for those who were unable to get out in the evening, and in the evening, the Lenten Drama Series The People vs. Jesus. Member and staff contributions made for exceptional Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter worship. This past summer our series of Making Sense of Scripture in preparation for the fall sharing of the Word, successfully moving into The Narrative Lectionary. We continued to serve every-week communion at both services and introduced the offering of the common cup as an alternative on specifically chosen times in the church year for those who find it deepens the sharing of the Sacrament for them. We purchased new green paraments, appropriate for our current sanctuary. All of our "old" banners were given to Living Waters Lutheran Church in Lino Lakes, where 20 of our members saw at Thanksgiving Eve that they were appropriate, needed, and warmly received. Many special music events including Lyra, a Russian quintet, Teen Challenge, our own adult and children's choral groups, and many faithful members sharing their gifts. We seek to especially lift up the gifts of our children and youth. We tried some things new in Advent including: Setting the Table for Advent, Sweaters, Songs and Sweets, and worship at the Bruentrup Barn, all well received. Christmas Memories on December 15, involving not only our children, but also many of our older adults. The Sounds Like Love Chorale-led 8:30 am worship on December 22. After a couple years of listening to some experts and a variety of organs, the Organ Committee made a recommendation that was accepted unanimously at a specially called congregational meeting December 22, 2013 to approve the official beginning of an organ fundraising to purchase the Rodgers Infinity Series Organ, replacing our worn-out 1979 organ. When the money is raised, the organ will be ordered hopefully in time for Easter. The Worship and Music Team wants to thank the many, many volunteers who make worship possible, including acolytes, communion assistants, technology people, ushers, lectors, worship and Welcome Center hosts, including those who schedule such, etc., etc., etc. We give thanks for our pastoral, music and office/custodial staff, without which we could not function. Truly God has been in our midst! 13

15 FACILITIES 2013 ANNUAL REPORT By Gary Eddy Facilities Team - Gary Eddy, Gene Gere, Ray Hostager, Tom Larsen, Dick Lindstrom, Jim Ramberg 2013 was another busy year for the Facilities Team. The following are the highlights: Community room window replaced South entry motion light installed Flat screen TV installed on south Atrium soffit Narthex ramp window replaced Narthex ramp wall painted Nursery furnace motor replaced Elevator emergency light repaired Narthex ramp heater repaired Northeast bathroom painted North classroom painted Sanctuary ramp wall painted North and southeast sanctuary projector bulbs replaced Southwest parking lot drain cleaned and trench lined with rock Parking lot sand removed Playground fence repaired North flower bed foundation hole sealed Youth room projector installed Sanctuary burned out lights replaced Roof caulking over kitchen and mail boxes Work room and custodial storage closet lights installed Sacristy closet hinges replaced Guitar stand hangers installed Nursery faucet replaced Banner storage hanger alteration Maintenance completed - spring/fall cleanup, flower bed weeding, wood chip mulching, compost spreading, leaf hauling to compost site, shrub/tree trimming, plant/shrub replacement, lawn mowing, weed spraying, lawn mower maintenance and snow shoveling. Thank you Facilities Team members and volunteers for your time and talent. It has been a pleasure serving with you. Gary Eddy 14

16 OUTREACH 2013 ANNUAL REPORT By Brian Brynell Matthew 25:40 The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. It has been a busy, exciting and blessed year for the Outreach Ministry Team. People of Redeemer and the greater White Bear community have responded to the work of The Lord. The Outreach Ministry Team has supervised twelve activities of ministry. Some activities are multi-faceted. The Solid Ground ministry (Formerly East Metro Women's Council) is an example. There is a Big Boy program (8 Men from Redeemer run the program), a furniture collection program, school mentoring program and Giving Tree. The Outreach Ministry Team set as one of its goals for 2014 to increase awareness of opportunities for people to serve. We will be using special media, such as: ministry minute at church services, bulletin board/kiosk, brochures, Facebook update, etc., to showcase each area of ministry. In this report, we want to update and tweak your interest in several of the areas of serving at Redeemer. The first one is probably the longest running project. It is the Dorothy Day meal. The project has been called Loaves and Fishes and was started in Redeemer serves six times a year starting with January and then every other month. It is always the 4th Wednesday of the month from 4-6 p.m. The three cooks start about 2 p.m. It requires about twenty servers and dishwashers. They serve about 270 people each night that they serve. The cost is about $600 per evening and paid for by Redeemer. The menu is tuna or chicken ala king, rice, cheese, bread and butter, banana and cookies. Shirley Johnson, the coordinator, calls the crew one to two weeks ahead. It takes 30 to 40 calls to line up a crew. She says we have wonderful volunteers. Loaves & Fishes has eight serving sites in the Twin Cities at which free meals are served to the hungry in our midst. In 2013 Redeemer served a total of 1,579 people at a cost of $3, people participated in the serving, many more than once, including Cheryl Larson, Myrna Carlson, and Jerry Livingston who served all six times. Thank you to all who contributed their time. More volunteers are welcome. Thank you to those who contributed financially, especially Holiday Fair for their generosity. Another Outreach Ministry story: This is the 4th year for the Reading Buddies Program at Willow Lane Elementary school. The first year Redeemer had twenty mentors helping at the school. By the end of the third year there were fifty-one mentors from Redeemer and the community. There are over one hundred students that can use a mentor and that need is expected to be met this year. Other churches are becoming involved and the program has gone city wide. It is a real success story. Go Redeemer! The Redeemer Food Rescue program is well known to the Redeemer congregation because it involves a lot of people. The job is accomplished by a group of 35 Redeemer volunteer families who provide the necessary support when scheduled. The program provides Saturday and Sunday pickup of bakery and produce from the Target store on Lexington and 694 and delivered to Bethlehem Lutheran located in the Midway district of St. Paul. The food pickup is done 6-7 times a month. Many weekends we pick up over a ton of food, according to the coordinator, Bob Leaf. On a given weekend, the food is sorted into what is needed for the meal that is served by the Open Hands Ministry on Monday and the remaining is bagged and given away. Bob says when the volunteers complete their assignment they leave with a "good feeling of providing an important and immediate need" and a "desire to do it again soon. 15

17 OUTREACH 2013 ANNUAL REPORT (cont d.) It was fun reading about the Redeemer Quilter's work this year. Their coordinator, Maureen Dononhoe, said they finished a total of 250 quilts and gave away the same amount. Half were small for babies or lap robes for nursing homes and the other half were full size bed quilts. They gave them to The Karin Refugees, Lyngblomsten Care Center, Ramsey County Public Health Nurses, Tubman Shelter for Women, Solid Ground (East Metro Place), Mary Jo Copeland, Redeemer Graduating Seniors, and Redeemer Baptisms. Maureen says they have a dedicated group of women who meet once a week to prepare and tie quilts and some who take home kits and do the sewing for them. They really appreciate the funds the Holiday Fair gives them. Maureen says the social time and the friendship they form are a fringe benefit of their quilting and they encourage others to join them on any Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. No sewing ability needed. The Prayer Shawl Ministry was started in June of 2004 under the leadership of Barb Wojahn. At the present time they have 19 knitters and crocheters. 156 shawls have been made and only 7 remain in stock. This year they expanded their talents and made cross bookmarks. The third graders and confirmands each received a bookmark with their Bible. Their second project was knitting palm squares. They made 63 for the Holiday Fair and have only 4 left. Lorlie Erickson, current project coordinator, wants to thank all of the knitters and crocheters for their hard work. These are only a few of the activities of Redeemer s Outreach ministry. You will be hearing more from us as the year 2014 moves on. We hope you as a reader want to become more involved in some way that pleases both you and The Lord. 16

18 DOULOS MINISTRIES PARTNER OUTREACH 2013 ANNUAL REPORT By Pam Hallberg Redeemer has maintained it church partnership with the Doulos Discovery School throughout the past year as it has since 2003 which was the first year the school held classes. Redeemer is one of seven current church partners, four of which are located in Minnesota. In this role, as a congregation we provide support to the school and its staff through prayer, personal contact and encouragement to staff and leadership and occasionally through financial donations. Members of Redeemer are encouraged to financially support a student or a grade level at the school, to visit the school on organized mission trips and to support the staff, board of directors and leadership through prayer and encouragement. Located in the small mountain village of Jarabacoa in the Dominican Republic, this Pre- Kindergarten through grade 12 school is changing lives for many as they successfully implement their stated mission which is: To educate and equip servant leaders through Christian discipleship and expeditionary learning to impact the Dominican Republic. Some highlights from this past year of this partnership are: Three men from Redeemer joined the men s group from Prince of Peace of Burnsville on a work trip in February. The group helped to finish the classroom addition which was started in the summer of One of our three work team participants was able to join the group thanks to a member of Redeemer who covered his costs anonymously. Funds in the Doulos account enabled Pastor Nate to be a part of the work team and to visit Doulos for the first time this year. Doulos Sponsorship coordinator, Ruth Cruz, visited Redeemer in May and provided an update on the school. Mike Zweber of Burnsville accepted the position of Doulos Ministries Executive Director, to replace founder, Krista Wallace. Members of Redeemer met Mike at a lunch at Perkins before he moved his family to the Dominican Republic to begin his new position. Members of Redeemer participated in a thank-you reception held at Our Redeemer Lutheran in St. Paul in November for out-going director, Krista Wallace. Krista worked in tandem with Mike until January 1, 2014 when she passed the reins officially to Mike. A big step for Doulos as well as for Chad and Krista Wallace. Pam Hallberg continues to be the sponsorship liaison with Doulos for Redeemer. Approximately 15 families at Redeemer sponsor a Doulos student or a classroom. Redeemer does not currently have a mission trip scheduled to Doulos, although a men s trip is again being planned by Prince of Peace in Burnsville (February 22-March 1). 17

19 SPIRITUAL GROWTH 2013 ANNUAL REPORT by Brian Adams We conducted a focus group in May that helped us better understand our members spiritual needs. Keys to participation for the group were worship, groups (Bible study, adult education, retreats), and service. Relationships: having a friend attend, invitation, and accountability connect us. Life events are also important times in our members faith lives. Making participation easy and accessible were overarching themes. We used this information to influence our ministry objectives and offerings. Thank you to all who participated. Spiritual Growth Ministry objectives are: #1 Encourage RLC members to embrace spiritual growth as a key part of their daily lives #2 Promote a culture of personal invitation #3 Recruit and nurture committee members from all demographics to create and maintain a high level of quality, creativity and energy in committee activities We have strategies to meet each one of these objectives and made progress on each during 2013!! We welcomed two new team members this year, Kevin Maijala and Dan Brumm, who bring great talents, perspectives and ideas to the committee. Nadine Myers, Chuck Wright, Carol Krieger, Pastor Pam and I participated actively. Adult Education programming was spirit filled. January/February: Making Sense of the Cross book study with Roger Schwarze February/March: Lent April 3: Bible Camping for All by Ron Nielsen April 10: Walking Where Jesus Walked by Marian Eisenmann April 17: De-stigmatizing Mental Illness with Candi Walsh and Wendy Waddell April 24: Introducing Solid Ground with Marilyn Wright May 1: Deepen Your Faith through Via de Cristo with Dennis Lashinski May SG meeting: Spiritual Growth Focus Group and SG logo design September 8: Sunday forum with Rolf Jacobson September/October: Making Space for God in Your Life with Marlys Stanga, Richard Wahlstrom, John Walsh, Linda Tucker, and Katie Johnson September/October: Sunday morning Bible study with Roger Schwarze and Dan Brumm October/November: Graceful Journey with Pat Tommet of MN Council of Churches (thank you to Sue Johnson and Member Nurture Care for this programming) December: Personal Invitation month, Advent services Book Sales: Lee Strobel s The Case for Christ (Lent) and The Lutheran Study Bible (September) Women s Ministries 2013: There are currently 3 Bible Studies going on: Bibles & Bagels (Tuesday morning), Disciples in Training (DITS Tuesday Afternoon), and the Beth Moore study, (Wednesday evening). There are two circles which meet once a month: Hope Circle (1 st Tuesday) and Joy/Peace Circle (2 nd Wednesday). Both circles use the Gather Study of the WELCA, a study called In Good Company, Stories of Biblical Women. Offerings from Hope Circle are sent monthly to Loaves and Fishes and to the WELCA. There will be a Triennial Convention in Charlotte, NC in July of this year. Barb Wojahn will be attending and would love to have women of Redeemer with her. A group of women have been doing some dreaming and planning for a Women s Weekend to be held next October a time for rest, relaxation, fellowship, and spiritual renewal. Stay tuned for more information. If Women s Ministries could be one of your passions, Barb Wojahn would love to hear from you. New, fresh ideas are needed and welcomed. 18

20 SPIRITUAL GROWTH 2013 ANNUAL REPORT (cont d.) Via de Cristo Many of the members at Redeemer served on teams to bring the love and grace of Christ to others. We added new members to our Redeemer 4th Day community and we are always looking for others who may want to experience God's overflowing love by attending a weekend. Seven members from Redeemer served on the May/June weekends that were held in Fridley and two more served in West St Paul in October. We added new members to Redeemer's 4th Day community and we are looking forward to adding even more in God has blessed us with His love and grace in Dennis Lashinski Library 2013: The Redeemer library continues to be a favorite meeting place for our groups. Our fall book sale brought in about $300. We also contributed to the Holiday Fair. We would encourage everyone to stop by and see the great collection of books and DVDs that we have. We would love to have you check out something that you find interesting. We also accept suggestions on items to purchase to keep our library current. We appreciate the continued support of our Redeemer members. Nan Carlson Spiritual Wellness: Redeemer hosts Yogadevotion classes from September through July. Class attendance continues to be strong and includes our members as well as others from the community. This supports our health, faith and ability to be welcoming to others. Sue Johnson, Jane Schroeher Thank you to all who participated in and presented this year s programming. What a great way to grow spiritually and share God s love! Brian Adams 19

21 STEWARDSHIP 2013 ANNUAL REPORT By John Walsh The theme of our annual campaign was The Transforming Power of Generosity. II Corinthians 9:6-9. The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written, He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. A characteristic of a healthy congregation is one which looks beyond itself. Redeemer continues to be a blessing to many people in our own family, the community and beyond; and each of you individually is a blessing to many others. Our goal in stewardship ministry is to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus through the use of the time, talents, and finances God has entrusted to you. Our level of giving has increased this year. We have initiated opportunities to contribute to the ELCA Malaria Campaign. We brought before the congregation the ELCA Good Gifts program as a new opportunity to serve God. We have laid plans for a Money Sanity financial management workshop for families with young children, to be held on February 23, 2014, to help families understand and manage money in a more meaningful way in their lives. We pray that we can adopt an attitude of Joyful Giving when we view stewardship simply as returning God s love. A characteristic of Redeemer is generosity - supporting each other, sharing God s love and being a blessing to others. 20

22 CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILY Annual Report 2013 By Kathy Sjursen The vision for the Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Ministry of Redeemer is to nurture faith, build relationships, and serve others, three aspects of our faith which mutually support each other. The CYF Committee understands the importance of providing children, youth, and their families with ongoing opportunities where faith is nurtured, relationships are built, and others are served. It is through these positive and meaningful experiences that the seeds of Christ-centered living are planted and continue to grow throughout our congregation. Over the past year, with the support of a large number of dedicated volunteers, the CYF team has fulfilled our goals in the following ways: Through Faith Formation - Faith education classes are provided for the children and youth of Redeemer on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Redeemer participates in a beta test program through Spirit and Truth Publishing to provide a newly designed Sunday School curriculum that follows the narrative lectionary used in worship. Wednesday night programming uses the SPARK Curriculum from Augsburg Fortress and includes unique confirmation preparation classes for 6 th -8 th graders. Through Service to Others- Feed My Starving Children, Living out Love Day of Service and Redeemer Really Out Night of Service activities, the annual Turkey Trot food collection, Cardboard Box City for Homeless Awareness, as well as a variety of other Service Projects. Through Milestone Ministry- Baptisms, 3 rd grade Presentation of Bibles, Backpack Blessings, First Communion, Confirmation, High School Graduation. Through Community Events and Congregational Partnerships- Ice Block Party, Spring Fling, RNO Round Up, Summer Blast, Activities with Solid Ground. Through Partnerships with LADC- Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, Spring Fling, RNO Roundup, Vacation Bible School. Through Middle School and High School Ministries- Bible Study Groups, Leadership Opportunities, Confirmation Retreat, Snow Tubing, Skiing, Cardboard Box City, Christikon Trip, RNO, Camp Wapo, Progressive Dinner, Fellowship Opportunities, Moonlight Madness. Through College Ministry- College Study Nights, Care Packages, Holiday Messages. Through Family and Intergenerational Activities- Rally Sunday, Family Fun Sunday, FAITH 5 (Faith Acts In The Home), Peeps Diorama Contest, RNO Spring Fling, Family Fun Beach Party, Outlaw Ranch, Family Picnic, RNO Round Up, Shrove Tuesday Talent Show, Multi-Age Activity Sundays, Advent Fair, Intergenerational Christmas Program, Prayer Partnerships, Anniversary of Baptism Celebration. 21

23 LAKE AREA DISCOVERY CENTER (LADC) A Redeemer Lutheran Church Partnership Annual Report 2013 Lake Area Discovery center is in its thirteenth year of partnership with Redeemer and has once again achieved its mission of providing a high quality, Christian-based early childhood experience for children birth to age five. Together, LADC and Redeemer s mission of partnership is to support children and families through a Christian environment that promotes and teaches Christian values, honors diversity, and fosters fellowship within the community. Redeemer s LADC has been Nationally Accredited through the NAEYC since LADC currently has nearly 500 students registered at seven area locations. Of those 500 children, 41 are served at Redeemer s LADC through the following programs: Discovery Classes- One to five day preschool experience for children ages 3, 4, or 5 with morning class options. Kinderstart- One to five day preschool options for the older preschooler that meets in the mornings and afternoons. Lunch Bunch Buddies/Afternoon Adventure Program- Monday through Friday afternoon enrichment program where children stay for lunch and experience curriculum designed to specialize on a theme each day. Extended Care: Before and After School- Children may arrive from 7:30-9:00 a.m. and stay after school from 3:00-5:30 p.m. in addition to their regular school day, to accommodate parent s work schedules. Children are with qualified staff for snack and activities. Summer WOW World of Wonder Camps- Redeemer was host to 12 weeks of Summer Camp programs for 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 year olds during the summer of In addition to the weekly programs, Redeemer and LADC have combined staff and resources for other Redeemer family programs such as Vacation Bible School, The Advent Fair and the Spring Carnival. Laura Carlson is responsible for site director duties at Redeemer. Lisa Swenson is the Office Administrator for the program, maintaining LADC s main office and overseeing Marketing for the whole program. Janet Miller is the Executive Director of LADC. Redeemer has two Church Representatives on the LADC Board of Directors: Nate Toso and Jim Ramberg. 2012/2013 NEWS! LADC is currently in the process of accrediting the St. Jude of the Lake LADC location in Mahtomedi. We expect NAEYC Accreditation team to visit this winter. LADC opened a seventh location at Faith Lutheran Church in Forest Lake, Fall LADC has entered in partnership with CKC Catering, to provide Hot & Cold Lunch Options for all LADC Programs, five days per week. This award winning catering program currently provides 10,000 lunches per day to Twin City schools. Their farm to table made-fresh daily food will be a wonderful addition to LADC s high-quality options for families. Summer WOW full-service summer programs are being planned for First Lutheran Church, White Bear Lake; Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater; Faith Lutheran, Forest Lake. Additional information about Redeemer s Lake Area Discovery Center is available at or by contacting the LADC Main Office at