Our Mission, Ministry, & Facilities Needs Study kicks off on:

Sunday, September 18, at 11:30am
with a town hall style meeting

This town hall style meeting is open to all our members and will simply consist of a congregational conversation about our future together at Fish Lake Lutheran Church. It will be held in our church basement immediately following our morning time of worship together.

To reiterate, this is a formal, professionally-conducted study of what church members hope for Fish Lake Lutheran’s future, and what we’ll need to achieve those dreams. Dick Wehrs, a church development consultant with Miller Architects & Builders of St. Cloud, MN will be facilitating the study. Wehrs, who is also an ELCA pastor at Faith Lutheran Church, Coon Rapids, MN, is already gathering study data. In addition to leading the conversation at this public event, he will be speaking with our church members in interviews and focus groups in late September and throughout October.

The study also will gather and analyze information about the types, quantities, and uses of our current building’s many individual spaces. An assessment will be made of the ministry “hopes and dreams” of church staff, ministry leaders and church members, and the adequacy of the current facility in meeting the space needs of future programming, particularly as our congregation continues to G.R.O.W.

Evaluations of energy efficiency, ADA compliance and accessibility, and an examination of the appearance and general condition of the building and its systems will also be included in the study.

At the conclusion of the study, Pastor Wehrs will present his final report to the Church Council. This comprehensive report, scheduled to be complete by early November, will provide a comprehensive and prioritized list of current and anticipated facilities needs. Scenarios will be developed for addressing these needs, together with cost estimates, for Council and congregational consideration and possible next steps.

God has been so faithful to our congregation over the past 144 years. And so, by conducting such a study, we are being faithful to that past by paying attention to our future.

A study like this is not nearly as effective or useful without broad membership participation. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending. We want your voice to be heard as we envision our future together. 

You Can’t Teach an Old Building New Tricks

Have you tried to find a place to hold a meeting on a Sunday morning or Wednesday evening at church lately? If not, you’re fortunate, because your options would be limited.

If you’ve noticed, our Sunday School, Confirmation, and Music programs are utilizing basically every available place in our building to meet for class or rehearsal during those times. And it’s not just at those times, but depending on the size of the group it could be anytime. At our last Denver Mission Trip meeting (50 people total) on a Sunday evening, you had to be careful where you walked as we had ten small groups of 4-5 students each, spread throughout the entire church – in the balcony, in the stairwells, in the kitchen, in the library, in the sanctuary and even in the nursery!

This is a problem at times. But it’s a wonderful problem to have! Of course, every group that meets in the church deserves to have an adequate meeting space reserved and prepared for them and shouldn’t have to meet in less than adequate spaces for their purposes. However, in our old church building, which wasn’t designed for such extensive programming, one needs to be creative and resourceful. It’s been said, that “you can’t teach an old church building new tricks” – I beg to differ.

Perhaps our old church building doesn’t adequately meet our everyday ministry needs the way we would prefer, but the people in the building, the people doing the ministry of the church, have found ways to meet our needs in exceptional ways despite the limitations!  And for that, we are grateful! 

It’s also been said, that “if a building can’t minister, than what purpose does it serve?” Obviously the person who originally said that or thought that, did not have a clear understanding of the church building as a tool for ministry. Think about it, just like any other tool – a wrench cannot repair a faucet and a word processor cannot write a book – but in the same way, as tools, they can help the plumber and the writer do their jobs better.

We’ve done well at Fish Lake Lutheran with our faithful old building haven’t we? It has provided space well-suited over the years for the ministries it has provided. It has helped people feel comfortable and welcomed. It has been accessible to the community. But as we continue to G.R.O.W., we, as partners in ministry, will need to be diligent in teaching this old building some new tricks, remembering that the one thing a church building can never do is – to minister. Only people can do that. And the community of faith at Fish Lake Lutheran does that very well. Press on!

Pr. Dale

 

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 A Word About Noise Reduction

In regards to our Long Range Planning it was overwhelmingly clear from members of our congregation that there is a need for acoustical improvement in the basement. This is evident to many of us, whether it is during Sunday school (where sound carries from one class to another), or during fellowship after Sunday services. The church council has explored several options including sound suppressant flooring such as carpet or a rubberized floor, acoustical ceiling or wall tiles, and the additional or improved acoustical partition walls mentioned above.

Given that need, the church council decided on Tuesday, September 7, 2010, to carpet the church basement using high quality commercial grade carpet squares with an anti-microbrial (mold resistant) backing.  Expenses for this project will be paid for using our estate and building funds.  The carpet is scheduled to be laid on Monday, September 13.  We look forward to experiencing a significant reduction in the noise level of our church basement.  We continue to give thanks to God for blessing us with opportunities and provisions to make such improvements at Fish Lake Lutheran.

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Celebrate the Blessings! 

A few questions to ponder…

• How well do you understand the G.R.O.W. at Fish Lake mission statement?
• What specific ministries of our congregation are you most excited or passionate about?
• What does our congregation do well?
• What needs improving within our congregation?
• What are the greatest challenges facing our congregation today?

In order to continue to be a thriving and purposeful congregation in our community, it’s important that we regularly ask ourselves these types of questions. And it’s just as important that they are answered honestly and thoughtfully. Pastor Dale and your church council would love to hear your responses to these, or these types of questions. Please feel free to contact them and share your thoughts.

It’s clear that we’ve been blessed at Fish Lake Lutheran in recent years with significant growth in membership, involvement, engagement, and excitement—all of which are critically positive indicators of a healthy congregation. Although, despite these reasons to celebrate, the comment was recently made, “I really hope Fish Lake Lutheran doesn’t get too big. It’s at such a nice, friendly, family size right now.”

The difficulty with a statement like that however, is that we don’t have control over how big this church gets or doesn’t get, do we? Sure, we could start being un-friendly or un-welcoming, but that would be absurd and contrary to the mission Christ has called us to—and frankly—very difficult for the friendly people of Fish Lake! God is bringing wonderfully talented, gifted and passionate people to Fish Lake Lutheran by incredibly various means and through countless people, events and activities—all for a reason or purpose unknown to most of us! There are so many blessings to be thankful for at Fish Lake Lutheran these days—we can’t even begin to name them. But, by being content and confident in God’s will, it will allow us the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of God’s people who have yet to discover this quaint little country church on the hill that so many already know and love.

Perhaps the more appropriate comment should be, “I really hope Fish Lake Lutheran continues to G.R.O.W.—there are so many people who could be blessed by such a nice, friendly church."

So take seriously your role in the mission and vision of this congregation, get excited and celebrate the amazing work that God is doing in this place, because the church that doesn’t celebrate, will eventually have nothing to celebrate.

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Our "Silver Cup On the Table" 

It took four years for Leonardo da Vinci to paint the fresco,“The Last Supper” in a church in Milan, Italy.   

Again, as our long-range planning process indicated and laid out for us, in order to meet the needs for additional space for children and youth ministries, we have recently completed the expansion of our old library into what now will become a nice large room for sunday school, confirmation, and other youth group events.  A big thank you goes out to all who helped donate time, labor, and materials to make it happen.  Fish Lake Lutheran continues to be creative in how we meet the needs of increased G.R.O.W.th in our congregation.

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We're Here to Stay!

Some of the cemetery board members were on hand to witness the end of an era a couple weeks ago as perhaps the oldest tree in our cemetery was cut down for safety reasons.

This big old tree, estimated to be nearly 100 years old, was rotting from within and was leaning dangerously towards the east end of our church building.  If it were to ever fall it could have done significant damage to our building, our stained glass windows, and Pastor Dale's car!

Watching that big old tree come down was a sight to behold as we imagined the history that it had seen during it's lifetime here next to the beacon on the hillside that we call our church home - which itself, as we know, has seen a bit of history during its lifetime.

Imagine it.  The Civil War had only ended a couple years prior to the establishment of our congregation!  Following the the building of our church, many of the majestic maple trees that surround us with beauty still today, were transplanted from our "back forty" by variouss confirmation classes and other dedicated church members decades ago!

Sure it was sad to see that big old tree come down, but thankfully our cemetery board has been diligent in continuing to transplant brand new maple tree seedlings throughout our cemetery in recent years and months - seedlings which are sure to stand as tall and wide and majestic as our old friend that recently came down in glory - continuting on its tradition of beautifying our church.

Now, if you would, think about our congregation for a moment.
For nearly 143 years, dating all the way back to the end of the Civil War, God's people on this hill have been giving of themselves and sacrificing so that we an be the congregation that we are today.  As we think about vision and mission at Fish Lake, we have a great responsibility don't we?  It is up to us (new seedlings), to continue on the great tradition of spreading God's Word in our community - a Word of hope, love, and forgiveness.  Yes, we're an old church, but we have a new and renewed sense of mission.

Thank you for all you are doing to G.R.O.W. the Body of Christ in this place.
As someone at Fish Lake recently said, "We've been here for 140 years; we're here to stay!"

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G.R.O.W.ing in our Giving

As we’ve made the commitment at Fish Lake to G.R.O.W. in our Giving, it’s important to be reminded of why we made that commitment nearly four years ago now when we adopted our G.R.O.W. at Fish Lake mission statement.

To understand why it’s important that we continually challenge one another to G.R.O.W. in our Giving (financially speaking), I’d like to share this short excerpt from Mark Allan Powell’s book, Giving to God: The Bible’s Good News about Living a Generous Life. Mark writes:

“I know of a man – let’s call him Gary – who says that he once viewed giving to the church as something like tipping in a restaurant. For several years, he regularly put five dollars in the offering plate every Sunday. Then he was asked to serve on the church council and the involvement in congregational leadership opened his eyes to what the church as an institution actually cost to operate. He also discovered that there were many people in the church who gave $200 a month and, without disclosing names, the financial secretary told him that several of these givers were his approximate economic peers. There were people in the church whose income level and life circumstances were about the same as his who regularly gave almost ten times what he did. “Wow!” Gary told me, “I just didn’t know! It seems so obvious now that an organization this size can’t get by on five-dollar tips, but I’d just never given the matter much attention.” There was no way that Gary could increase his giving dramatically overnight but, over a three-year period he was able to adjust his giving pattern to $200 a month. He went from “tipping” to “supporting” his church with contributions appropriate to his means.”

The same could be said of us at Fish Lake Lutheran, or about any congregation for that matter. Usually, there isn’t a realistic or accurate awareness of the varied amounts of Giving that takes place financially among congregational members. And yet, even without that awareness, from year to year, we manage, by the grace of God, and the faithfulness of many, to meet our annual budget needs. But now, as the financial cushion left over from Lent and Easter has diminished, and we are entering into the summer months, it’s important, if we are committed to G.R.O.W.ing in our Giving, that we acknowledge the all too familiar “tipping” mentality, and transition to a much more spiritually rewarding “supporting” mentality. And when we do, it’s likely that we’ll discover what “Giving from the heart” really means.  Imagine how our congregational financial income might look with that kind of new awareness! 

Such rewards are not always tangible, but often, and usually, spiritual. Those who give of their earthly treasure experience the spiritual reward of hearts increasingly drawn into the wondrous love of God. And after all, isn’t that what lives devoted to following Christ are all about?

The bible promises that Giving will be rewarded by God. Paul says, “The one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully…you will be enriched in every way for your great generosity” – 2 Corinthians 9:6, 11

 

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An Update about Space Concerns as it relates to our Long Range Planning Process

Greetings fellow Fish Lake members,

As many of you are aware, the Church Council is in the process of evaluating potential improvements for the Church basement. The need for these improvements has come to light as a direct result of congregational feedback related to the Long Range Planning meetings that were held at several congregational member homes and voted upon on “Dot Sunday.”

In the forefront are two primary items.

First, there is a significant need for additional rooms to accommodate our growing number of youth. The Council has been exploring options to turn the north side of the basement into three to four additional rooms using moveable partition walls and expanding the fixed walls of the former library space. In addition, we are exploring the options for replacing the existing accordion walls on the south side of the basement.

Second, there is a need for acoustical improvement in the basement. This is evident to many of us, whether it is during Sunday school (where sound carries from one class to another), or during fellowship after Sunday services. We as a council have explored several options including sound suppressant flooring such as carpet or a rubberized floor, acoustical ceiling or wall tiles, and the additional or improved acoustical partition walls mentioned above.

Obviously, when trying to plan and budget, these two items directly impact each other, which make final budgeting difficult at this point. Changes in wall layout affect how the flooring would be done and vice versa. We are progressing, and as a Council, we wanted to keep the congregation informed as to where we are in this process as well as solicit any input you would have. Let us know what you think.

Sincerely,
Pete Meagher, Church Council Treasurer

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New Director of Youth & Family Ministries is Hired!
The Executive Committee of our Church Council has completed the interview process, and we are pleased to welcome Carrie Stiles on staff at Fish Lake Lutheran. As most of you know, Carrie is the wife of our very own Pastor Dale and has been serving as Co-Sunday School Superintendent for the last two years. Pastor Dale and Carrie are both very excited to have the opportunity to be in ministry together! Carrie will begin work on Sunday, May 3rd. Be sure to welcome Carrie as the newest member of our staff here at Fish Lake Lutheran!

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Application Deadline and Timeline
The application deadline for applying for the Youth position is Sunday, March 22.  Screening of resumes will then take place the week of March 22. Interviews will take place the week of March 30th, and the position will be offered the week of April 6th. This regular part-time position will begin officially on Sunday, May 3. Please keep the executive committee, the entire church council, and our congregation in your prayers throughout this process. It’s an exciting time for Fish Lake Lutheran!  Contact the church office to apply and submit a resume'.

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Director of Youth and Family Ministries Position Description
The Executive Committee of the Church Council has recently completed the position description for the new Director of Youth and Family Ministry position at Fish Lake.  It was presented and approved at the March 3rd church council meeting.  Applicants are now being sought to fill this regular part-time position beginning on May 1, 2009.  Contact the church office to apply and submit a resume'.

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Position Approved
At our Congregational Annual Meeting that was held on Sunday, January 18th, a proposed annual budget of $165,015 was discussed and approved.  Included in that budget was a salary for 2/3 of 2009 for a part-time youth director.  When our new church council meets for the first time on Tuesday, February 3, a new executive committee will be appointed and that committee will then begin the process of determining/creating a position description for the youth director and a timeline for interviewing and hiring.  As that process unfolds, it will be communicated clearly with the congregation.

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Uncharted Territory
Well, the last few months of 2008 has involved a time of visioning and brainstorming as the church council, other elected leaders, and the congregation as a whole entered into a series of Long Range Planning conversations. Input gathered at all levels of those conversations have led us, at Fish Lake Lutheran, into un-chartered territory – the hiring of an additional part-time staff person in the area of youth and family ministry.

For years, as many of you know, the role of Sunday School Superintendent/Coordinator has been an elected volunteer position, and has worked wonderfully in that way. However, given the recent growth at Fish Lake, particularly in the area of youth and families, it has become apparent that the amount of time and energy needed to provide quality programming to this area of need is beyond a volunteer level.

So, based on input gathered at the Long Range Planning meetings, and information shared at the preliminary budget meeting, the church council is going forward with their recommendation to include a part-time youth director position in the 2009 budget. This position description has yet to be finalized, but in addition to ongoing Sunday School, F5, and VBS responsibilities, it would also now include assisting Pastor Dale in the areas of Summer Stretch, Confirmation, and youth mission trip planning. The potential to add other areas of interest that have already been suggested could include promoting Bible Camp, overseeing a drama ministry, implementing a mid-week fellowship/worship opportunity for people of all ages, and a sr. high ministry leadership team.

The position will formally be considered a regular part-time position consisting of 10 hours a week at approximately a $10,000 annual salary based on 2009 synod compensation guidelines.

In order to allow for the position/budget to be approved at the January 18th annual congregational meeting, a new church council and executive committee to be in place, and the formal process of interviews and hiring to take place, the position would not begin until May 1, 2009. This means that roughly 2/3 of the annual salary would need to be included in the 2009 budget – an amount of $7,213. The additional 1/3 of the salary ($2,787) would be included in the 2010 budget.

As mentioned already, this is uncharted territory for us as a congregation. But with growth and change come new needs and demands if we are to continue to provide solid, consistent, and quality programming to our congregation, and at this time particularly, for our youth and their families. Please pray about what God might be asking of us here at Fish Lake at this time in our journey and for the ability to respond accordingly to God’s will. And as, always, please contact Pastor Dale or any council member for further clarification. 

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Possibilities
Beginning in August of 2008, a series of Long Range Planning Conversations have taken place in various formats at Fish Lake.  These conversations have focused on questions about both the congregation's immediate and long range (5 year) needs.

The consensus of these conversations has been to create a part-time youth ministry position to help focus on and develop this area of obvious growth at Fish Lake.

The hope is that as attention is paid to staffing in this area that further programming will be offered to help meet the needs of many young families with children that we're seeing at Fish Lake.

As programming increases in this area, that will naturally lead to increased membership and member engagement, which will ultimately require us to look at other areas like adding another worship time and future facility usage and expansion.

It will be proposed at our January 2009 Congregational Annual Meeting that we hire a part-time youth minister that will be involved in Pre-School through Sr. High youth ministry with the direction, supervision, and assistance of the Pastor.