Report of Associate Pastor D. Foy Christopherson
Worship and the Arts, Hospitality and Pastoral Care
On August 17, 2008 I was with friends at the new cathedral in Los Angeles when Pastor Rick called with the results of your special congregational meeting to extend a regular call as one of your pastors. After a brief period of transition, and very little learning curve, and no moving expenses your new associate pastor hit the ground running!
And I’m still running. Over 350 volunteers contributed to our worship life and our hospitality life again this year. It is impossible to name names, but new and old members alike, singles and families, youth and seniors shared generously in our life together. Your continued commitment to these very public ministries and your broad involvement keeps our life together exciting, vital, interesting, and full of variety. I am thankful for all of your work.
Worship and the Arts (Worship Life)
Worship Life | Seasonal Pattern Teams | Worship Ministry Teams
We’ve worked this year to put in place a “multiplication of ministries” model in our worship life. A strategic team (WorshipLife) sets direction. Three cross-functional seasonal pattern teams develop the shape of our church year together. The various worship ministry teams put flesh on those pattern bones to make our worship come alive in the many people who serve each week. Thanks to those who serve on these teams: readers, assisting ministers, radio announcers, sacristans, ushers, processional corps, floral guild, communion & baptism ministers, choirs & instrumentalists, pew bags for kids, art & environment. New this year are two music groups: Silver Bells and Männerchor. After experimenting with drama in worship a bit this year a group to develop in the coming year would be a drama group.
I am thankful for the creativity and labor of my partners in ministry, Marissa Sidars, David Molvik, Mark Brodin, Mark Sedio, Jane Lien and our other staff musicians. Cantor Mark’s report is included in this annual packet.
I must also mention the work of Boyd Savage who this year reinvented our Prayer Spirituality and Meditation team and who has concluded his work as team leader. Under that umbrella are the prayer shawl team, and the prayer chain.
Biblical Hospitality (Welcome Life)
Welcome Life | Major Event Teams | Hospitality Ministry Teams
We are also using the “multiplication of ministries” model as we build out a bank of hospitality ministry teams to create and support all our public and in-house events. With strategic direction from a steering team – call it “WelcomeLife” – we now have not one hospitality team, but many. This development is not as far along as in our worship life, but we are making great strides under the leadership of our strategic group. Hospitality teams, all ministries of accompaniment, now include: greeters & hosts, Sunday morning coffee hosts in various configurations, public events, tours & docents, funeral receptions, Sunday receptionists, and kitchen volunteers.
Also under the broad umbrella of ministries of accompaniment are: New Members & Ambasadors teams, Fine Art, and the men’s breakfast group.
Pastoral Care
We have about 120 persons who are homebound and receive regular attention; and on average three people are hospitalized each week; four or five are receiving transitional care; and death comes to someone in our community about every ten days. Pastor Mark Peterson and Pastor Chuck Anderson offer excellent part-time assistance to Pastor Rick, Pastor Kristen, and me as we provide pastoral care for hospitalizations, life passages, and other needs. It falls to me to coordinate the efforts of our five pastors. Central Friends ministry team provides further care to our members who desire a regular lay caller. Pastor Peterson is their advisor. Our website continues to provide many life-passages resources that families need in the midst of baptism, funeral and wedding preparations.
Since our last annual meeting we have attended to nine births, 27 baptisms – 25 infant and two adult; 54 new members; seven confirmations; 16 marriages; 41 deaths.
In the year ahead:
•Hosting ELCA Churchwide assembly guests
•Examining and shaping our worship schedule to further our mission and ministry
•Advancing the columbarium question
•Expanding our hospitality ministries
•Time again for a series of worship and hospitality training workshops
•Implementing a communion-from-the-altar delivery team for Sunday mornings
•Exploring a drama team for worship
•Reviewing our music programs for children
•Continued expansion of the hospitality brochure series
•A prayer/spirituality retreat
•Perhaps an extended learning opportunity about worship and music
I am looking forward to our continued ministry together.
Pastor C
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333 South Twelfth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Infoline: 612-767-9101
Main line: 612-870-4416