First St. Paul s Lutheran Church

Transcription

1 Mission: Together we are discovering, sharing, and connecting people to the love and Truth of Jesus Christ. Vision: United, we live God s will. First St. Paul s Lutheran Church Congregational Profile March North Burlington Avenue Hastings, NE Phone: Fax: fspaul@inebraska.com

2 Part 1 Contact Information Call Committee Chair Dale Schultz 1321 Sheridan Drive Hastings, NE dschultz1949@gmail.com Council Chair Dave Stuehrenberg Work phone: Cell phone: d_stuehrenberg@yahoo.com Senior Pastor Joel Remmers Church phone: Cell phone: friartuck64@hotmail.com Part 2 Worship Schedule Average weekend attendance 503 Traditional Worship Saturday 6:00pm Sunday 8:25am Traditional worship is offered with organ, choirs and special music in the sanctuary. Communion is offered the 1 st Sunday of the month. The services generally follow the Lutheran Book of Worship and also use the With One Voice supplement. The 8:25am service is broadcast on a local radio station and is videotaped and played back twice during the week by the local cable TV service. Contemporary Worship Sunday 10:35am Contemporary praise worship is offered with band, lead vocalists and special music in the Celebration Center. Communion is offered the 3 rd Sunday of the month. The contemporary service uses a liturgy that varies with the seasons and is printed on a weekly basis in the bulletin and displayed on projection screens.

3 First St. Paul s is creating an intergenerational consciousness among our members in Christian Education programs. Opportunities are available Sunday morning and Wednesday evening. About 300 people of all ages attend and participate weekly in Ichthus options for education, music, art, exercise and a community supper. Ichthus and Vacation Bible School has been an effective means of reaching those living in an adjacent neighborhood. Our Feed My Sheep (home-delivered meals), Neighborhood Shepherding, and Stephen s Ministry programs give us a chance to care not only for our church family but for any who are in need. Part 2 Educational Programming Sunday Morning Programs include: Adult forum High School forum Spark (7-8 grade) Bible Song (Age 3-6 th grade) Wednesday Evening - Ichthus Neighborly supper for all Adult programming varies, the spring 2014 schedule includes: WNBC (Wednesday Night Book Club) The Law of Love Lessons from the pages of Deuteronomy Bible Study Divorce Care Exercise and Healthy Living Parents in Prayer Chancel Choir Cross Makers Children and youth programming Soul Café & Jesus Hour (Grades 9-12) Confirmation (Grades 7-8) Faith Girls 6 th Grade Electric Eels & Agape Alive Choir (Grades 4-6) Deep Blue Sea & Joyful Noises Choir (Grades 1-3) Minnows & Cherub Choir (Pre K-Kindergarten) Summer Vacation Bible School

4 Outreach Habitat for Humanity Royal Family Kid s Camp (camp for abused and neglected children) Crossroads (facility for the homeless) Open Table (no questions asked lunch program) Hastings Food Pantry (host site) Compassionate Friends Grief Share Community Bible studies Mid-Plains Chapter of the Red Cross Blood Drive Host Boy and Girl Scout meetings MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Foundation provides cash support to non-profit agencies Special Ministry Standing committees for specific projects during the course of the year. God Made Me preschool Stephen s Ministry program Core Values We are committed to working together in an honest and positive way for mutual benefit. We embrace diversity and recognize that different viewpoints are natural and helpful when presented in a fair and constructive manner. We embrace a faith based educational program for families. In fulfilling our mission, we will respectfully consider new ideas, encourage creativity and be open to change. Everything we do will be God-centered. Building Information: Construction date: 1916 Last renovation to building: 2004 (Celebration Center) Current renovations being planned: A new parking lot on the south side of the church will begin spring 2014 and be completed by the summer.

5 Congregation Demographics Primary Language: English Race/Ethnicity: 97% Caucasian Gender Comparison: 54% female 46% male Age Distribution: 3% African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Multi Racial 19 and under Over Current staffing Senior Pastor - Joel Remmers Interim Associate Pastor - Myron Meyer Director of Christian Education Becky Mohling Bookkeeper - DeAnn Kohmetscher Office Staff - Ashley Kort, Manager Megan Wilder-Shuler - Congregational Service Representative Custodial Staff - Mike Haack, Jon Martin, Carlos Santos Music Ministry Interim Music Coordinator Helen Karloff Organists - Helen Karloff, Donna Kerr, Becky Conway Choir Directors o Agape Alive - Travis & Jen Bronson, Joyful Noises Kim Remmers o Cherub Choir Christine Willems o Interim Handbell Barbara Hohlen Nursery Assistant Jessica Hoagland God Made Me Preschool Becky Conway Director Amy Stutesman, Virginia Henderson Preschool Assistants Three events that are important in our history Addition of a Contemporary Worship Service The city council voted to close 5 th street to allow our expansion to include the Celebration Center Wednesday Ichthus programming began 2014 Vote to leave the ELCA and join the LCMC

6 Congregational Trends 2006 to % change AverageWorship Attendance Regular Giving Per Confirmed Communing Member Regular Giving Per Confirmed Communing Member in 2006 dollars Regular Giving by Members Designated Giving by Members Current Operating Expenses % % % 889, , , , , , , , % 41, , ,301 69,563 67, ,087 73,375 37, % 589, , , , , , , , % Payments on Debts 284, , ,307 75,840 67,826 22,922 32,005 30, %

7 Congregation Finances Budget Total budget for the last fiscal year $750,307 Total debt of the congregation at the end of the last fiscal year Total savings, reserves, endowment at the end of the last fiscal year $0.00 Benevolence outside the congregation $118,495 $514,040 First St. Paul s Church Foundation Total giving for $29,040 Youth Scholarships $9, Seminary Student $5,000 Music ministry $2, Local giving $3,200 Regional, State, National and International $9,340 Total investments at the end of the last fiscal year $476,730 Stewardship This is currently under review to look at how stewardship looks within the congregation. Congregation Needs Stronger youth programming Lack of Associate Pastor Higher attendance at children s Sunday morning programs Lack of enough Sunday morning volunteers Diminishing music ministries Congregation Strengths We are God s people led by his word to serve. Many opportunities are available to serve sharing our gifts with others. The church goes beyond our walls to support our members, our community and God s community worldwide. In regards to this, First St. Paul s is a leader within our community. We are grounded in the Scriptures and the Lutheran confessions Wednesday night Ichthus programming for all ages Strong and vital congregation Facilities Opportunities for members to choose different styles of worship Congregational size Community outreach Vacation Bible School First St. Paul s Foundation

8 References Available Upon Request View of the front of the sanctuary Top Five Ministry Tasks Pastoral Care and Visitation Preaching and Worship Leadership Administration Christian Education Youth Ministry Each year the congregation council has a retreat that reinvigorates the members and reviews its ministry and goals.

9 What are we excited about? First St. Paul s has a strong and viable ministry that is well recognized in Hastings and the surrounding communities. We have many ministry opportunities available for all ages on Sunday morning that carries through Wednesday evening. We are looking forward to reinvigorating Sunday morning and youth programming. Our church is also focused on reestablishing our campus ministry. The vacation Bible school continues to grow and is a source of outreach to the community. We also supply a location to the Hastings Food Pantry and support the Open Table ministry which is helping to end hunger. Litany of Purpose We worship and join our hearts in prayer and praise so that as we worship we also have the opportunity to see that Jesus Christ is Lord and show what that means in our lives. Our youth group exists so that young people may join together and explore what it means that Jesus Christ is Lord and discover what that means in our lives. We have choirs and music groups within the church so that people might be inspired to understand that Jesus Christ is Lord and be shown what that means in their lives. We have an endowment so that in an ever-giving way, through what we are able to support and fund, others will find that Jesus Christ is Lord and be led to discover what that means in their lives. We have women s groups, service opportunities, committees, staff, softball teams, a preschool, Stephen s Ministers, shepherding groups, a college ministry; in short everything we do has the purpose of showing people that Jesus Christ is Lord and having them know what that means in their lives. First St. Paul s Lutheran Church Hastings, Nebraska 2011

10 Appendix Forward in Faith Church History 1878 Congregation organized by 18 families and the Rev. Henry Siekmann 1880 Frame church built at Fifth Street and North Burlington Avenue 1889 Frame parsonage build west of the church on the same lot Sunday School room built on side of church 1915 Frame church moved into middle of Fifth Street 1916 Completion and dedication of all brick church on original site 1919 The word German dropped from the church s name; English service added 1924 Reuter pipe organ behind altar replaced reed pump organ Additional lots purchased in original block 1947 Two worship services each Sunday 1951 Parish Education Building built for $59, Brick parsonage built for $39,000 Lengthening of 1916 structure and connecting it with the Parish Education Building for 1956 $147,000. Majestic simplicity keynoted the modern Sanctuary interior Introduction of the red Service Book & Hymnal (SBH) 1965 Möller pipe organ & balcony antiphonal organ installed for $31, th Anniversary with a year of special events each month 1979 Introduction of the green Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) 1982 Third full-time pastor; Saturday evening service added 1983 Parish Education Wing extension completed for $743, German Vicar Intern Program started 1987 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) merger 1990 Yeagley Building remodeled for Youth & Family Ministry Center 1992 Redecorating of the sanctuary ft. 7 inch Steinway grand piano from the Arneda Nelson estate Long-range planning committee, visioning committee, facilities focus committee, building committee plan new addition 1999 Yamaha Clavinova Keyboard; 16 ft. Trompette for pipe organ 2001 Hastings City Council approves closing of one block of 5 th street. Launched Capital Fund Appear with 200 members involved 125 th Anniversary with a year of special events each month. Construction begins on 2003 new addition. Contemporary worship service introduced. Dedication of new addition costing 2004 $3,400, ICHTHUS Wednesday Family Nights started 2007 Introduction of the cranberry Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) 2014 Vote by congregation to leave the ELCA and join the LCMC