It’s been a busy fall for all of us at Holy Trinity. Pastor Luther began his ministry with us in September, we celebrated his installation in early October, and sadly said good bye to several beloved members of the Holy Trinity family in September and October. During that same time, Council members guided by Pastor Luther began to cautiously identify priorities to shape this new ministry. At a recent Adult Forum discussion Pastor Luther shared the basic outline of priorities on which we believe we should focus in these first few months of this new ministry: enhancing worship, family and youth ministry, adult education, caring for others in our congregation, and stewardship and membership. And now, we are taking the next steps. On Friday evening and Saturday, the Council and Pastor Luther will be gathering at Camp Calumet for a retreat intended to develop strategies to make these priorities a reality. We plan to discuss these questions:
- How can we provide ways to enhance our Sunday morning time together to grow our faith, our families, and our community?
- How do we create opportunities for hospitality within the church and for those outside the church?
- What does our vision look like in 6 months? In 12 months?
One day provides only brief amount of time to discuss all the areas we would like to discuss, or answer all the questions that are posed. But it’s a beginning, and we will continue this work for a long time to come. We’ll be writing more about our work in the upcoming Tidings. Please pray for us as we strive to learn God’s pathway for our congregation, that we listen, have compassion, and take bold steps where appropriate.