We just concluded our first congregational meeting of the year last Sunday and appreciate the effort of everyone who attended and shared their opinions. 

In case you missed the meeting, we nominated candidates for the Board of Elders. We will have a second meeting on May 31st to officially elect the new Board of Elders, so you will have another chance to be involved. If you would like to throw your name in the hat as a nominee or just want to find out more about the Board of Elders' functions, please contact Chayenne Hinkle, who is our current Head Elder.

There are a number of maintenance and repairs that are in process around our church campus. These include ongoing plumbing repairs as well as additional maintenance on the stove in the church kitchen. A shout-out to Quint Driscoll, who cleaned the stove vents and exhaust system. We are also continuing ongoing repairs and maintenance to the parsonage, including getting quotes for room mini-split heating/air conditioning units. Currently, there is no A/C in the parsonage, and the only heating is from the fireplace. If you see anything that needs attention around the campus, you can reach out to our Trustee Mark Wickholm or contact Michael Herman through the church office.

At the meeting, we also reviewed the church's financials for the first 3 months of the year and year-to-date; we are about $27,000 short of meeting our expenses. If you have any questions or would like a copy of the financial report, you can get a copy at the church office or reach out to the council treasurer, Rebecca Long.

At the meeting, we also shared that the church received a very nice donation from the Marie Otto estate of over $300,000 that we will initially be investing with Thrivent while we continue to explore other potential investment options.

We also shared at the meeting that after Pastor Dave announced his pending divorce, the Missouri Synod Southwest District has a protocol and is responsible for reviewing the case and evaluating how it may affect the congregation and the pastor. About two weeks ago, President Gibson requested a meeting and met with members of our leadership team to review and discuss how this may affect Pastor Dave and our congregation. President Gibson has 120 days to complete the process and will get back to us when his evaluation has concluded.

Please keep Pastor Dave and Judy in your prayers, and we will share any new developments with you when appropriate. You are welcome to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Please mark your calendar for our next Congregational Meeting on May 31st and plan on attending to stay informed and involved. 

Your brother in Christ,
President Phil