Cultivating Love – 2024
“Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” Ephesians 3:17
The Stewardship Team has chosen “Cultivating Love” for our stewardship emphasis theme, and Ephesians 3:17 as our key verse. Our focus during this fall season is on three aspects of Cultivating Love:
- Cultivating Connections: Listen, share, and invite.
- Cultivating Grace: Lean into and live out the gift of Grace given by God and made real for one and all through God and all of God’s beloved.
- Cultivating Community: Celebrate and give thanks together.
Focus on Nurture – Heather VanArsdale and Sam Rowen
The Nurture Committee for the Lord of Love Council is responsible for fellowship activities and education. They head up teams to provide various activities throughout the year, such as Summer Breakfasts, Wednesday Advent and Lenten suppers, Tai Chi, Game nights, Trunk or Treat, Book Club, and the Easter Egg Hunt. They oversee the Youth activities, such as service projects and mission trips and youth gatherings. The Nurture Team also makes sure that education takes place for kids and adults, and works with Pastor Becky to see that we have learning opportunities throughout the year including Vacation Bible School. Providing such education and fellowship are great ways to nurture our faith and are examples of Cultivating Love within our congregation and beyond. It takes many hands to see that all of the Nurture activities take place. Thanks to all who help and support us in any way, and thanks to all who participate! We love the responses we receive after each event we hold, too! Thanks for allowing us to serve you!
Focus on Worship – Amy Kragnes
I think we all found out during the COVID lockdown that worship could happen in a lot of ways, including by watching it on a TV while in your bathrobe. And it’s true that good private worship can happen when you’re all alone, like looking at a mountain or ocean while singing the Doxology to yourself. But a Swedish proverb says that a shared joy is a double joy. When we worship God together with our fellow Christians we double our joy in praising God.
The last time I was on council I decided to go through the entire list of every group and subcommittee under worship and write a thank you note to each person. It was a real eye-opener to realize how many people are involved in the preparation for our worship services. (I will not be doing that again.) We have the worship planners, altar care, ushers, nursery attendant, communion servers, bell ringers, choir, brass, and bell choir. Then there’s the prep time of the organist, liturgists, and technical directors, and the work of the secretary, handyman, and pastor. It could become a real production. But here’s the thing–worship is not a spectator sport. There are many ways to be involved in worship, and my long list of volunteers proved that, but never forget the most important job is to join with others in worship, to pray and sing together. We cultivate our love for each other by showing up for each other. When you’re not able to be physically present with us here, rest assured that your prayers and praise are also heard by God (even if you’re in your bathrobe), and your prayers are felt by all of us in this community of faith called Lord of Love.
Focus on Financial Step Giving and Tithing – Doug Armitage
Each one must give as we have decided in our heart, not out of compulsion, for the Lord loveth a cheerful giver. Corinthians 9:7 NIV
About a month ago I walked my daughter down the aisle to be married. It is not a great distance down the aisle, but the steps to get there were many. Each of those steps has been a true blessing.
In Step giving, we are asked to step up and give a bit more on a path to hopefully become a tither (giving 10% or more). Each of these steps is important also. It is a way to give back to God what has been given to us, and it helps enable our congregation to do ministry and meet the budget.
In giving, God is asking us to take these steps in giving, and when we do so cheerfully, God gives many blessings.
Karen and I have been tithers for over 20 years. When we made the decision to step up our giving and become tithers, we carefully looked at our budget and knew that it would be tight. A little while after we made that commitment, I was approached at work with an out of the blue pay raise. That had never happened to me before, and hasn’t happened that way since. It was a true sign from God that we were doing the right thing.
We have had many blessing since becoming tithers. I can’t promise you a pay raise if you tithe, but I can promise you that God will bless you!
Focus on Lord of Love Outreach-Loads of Love – Paula Foster
Loads of Love is an outreach ministry that started in 2019 to distribute items not available in food pantries and not allowed for purchase with SNAP (food stamp) money. We provide laundry soap, thus the name Loads of Love, along with toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, hygiene products, and diapers. This ministry has grown significantly –from about 25 families to now approximately 250 families and close to a thousand people at each of the 3 events Lord of Love holds each year.
The word I think of for Loads of Love is gratitude. I am grateful that this congregation believes Loads of Love is an important ministry. So much so,that during COVID, even though we did not meet in person for worship, we knew our neighbors’ need did not stop. So we had “Drive through” Loads of Love, handing out premade sacks of items and distributing diapers.. The cars were backed up for blocks, but people were served. I am so grateful that Lord of Love designates money for this program, and didn’t hesitate to increase monies when the price of items increased. I am grateful when Shawn sends me a text and says she has another Forrester Grant for $2000. I am grateful when people apply for Thrivent Cards and will either go shopping for items or give me the card so I can shop for items. I am grateful when someone comes up to me and says, ” I have a lot of adult diapers from my mom/dad, can you use these?” Or ” thought the kids might like color books so I got some.” BTW, we sure could use more children’s books to hand out to families. My grandchildren have cleaned out their book shelves! I am grateful when people volunteer their time to move the items, set up, and distribute them. I am grateful to my family and friends who volunteer even when they do not belong to Lord of Love church. So, Lord of Love Family, THANK YOU!!! You truly are God’s hands helping our neighbors.
Focus on Quilters
When you spend time creating something to give away, it’s often an act of love for a specific person. But the quilters at Lord of Love, and at many other churches around the country, never know who will receive their gift.
We know some things:
In 2023, 194,983 quilts made by Lutheran women were distributed around the world.
We know that on quilt delivery days, people arrive early and wait for hours to get a quilt. Some of them will be used for a bed. Some will be used as a door or wall in a shelter. We know that Nebraska quilters answered a call from Dana Village to make quilts to give to the young adults aging out of foster care who live there.
We know from someone who was there that the young people were so excited about these quilts that they draped them around their shoulders and wore them, letting these gifts of love hug them. The Lord of Love Quilters provided some of those quilts.
On Reformation Sunday, the sanctuary was adorned with most of the 115 quilts made this past year for Lutheran World Relief. Thanks so much for the marvelous work being done by the Quilters’ hands that touch so many lives so profoundly. Thanks, too, to all who helped fold and package the quilts for shipping. The Quilters are a great example of cultivating love in connecting, showing grace, and benefiting the community. Thanks Be to God!
Focus on Vision and Coordination
Paul Christensen, Congregation Vice President
The Ministry of Vision and Coordination (V&C) – at one time known as the Executive committee – consists of the president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. V&C oversees personnel, finances, and staffing; and includes oversight and coordination with the Council–including sub committees. When we talk about V&C and the Church Council, we need to include the ELCA and specifically our congregation, Lord of Love Lutheran Church.
At the beginning of each calendar year, after the newly elected members are installed, the Council meets to get acquainted and work on annual goals and priorities. We look at our strengths and weaknesses, where and how we are called to serve, and how we can faithfully use the resources God has entrusted to us and are blessed to receive at Lord of Love.
An example from the past of setting our Visions and Goals would be when Lord of Love accepted the challenge to fund and build our own Habitat for Humanity home. We were then, and still are now, a strong supporting congregation of the Habitat for Humanity organization. But as all things grow, evolve, and new opportunities come before us, we reprioritize.
Today we support our community with Loads of Love – giving a much-needed hand-up to folks who need assistance with hygienic products, paper goods, and diapers– offering a little breathing room for families to stretch pay checks. Our Community Garden supplies healthy, fresh garden produce. Aged to Perfection, Tai Chi, Quilters, and our Women and Men’s ministries all benefit not only this congregation but others in the community that we are called to serve.
The Lord of Love Church Council is not just 12 elected committee members, BUT it is YOU and the many individuals and groups under each committee: Worship Planning, Education, Fellowship, Stewardship, Youth ministry, Alter Care, Liturgists, Communion assistants, Greeters, Ushers, funeral lunch workers, coffee makers, coffee cleanup, picking up donuts, counters, Choir singers and Bell ringers, the Brass, communications, video, sound, website, Endowment, Memorial fund, Nominating, Teaching and so much more. You do this when you spend time to Cultivate Love and to be the hands of God. When you give of yourself to pray, call, visit, offer a ride, give a hug, listen, or just be available for someone that needs to feel the love of God—you are God’s hands.
With all the resources and blessings that God has so lovingly given us, I believe that God is asking us to listen. Listen in the stillness for that whisper from God. For when you find yourself thinking, maybe we should try this, or do that, it’s very possible that Gods whisper is asking you to say “Yes God, I hear you. I can do, I can act, I can give, I can be your assistant, helper, and servant.
Lord of Love Lutheran Church is all of us moving together in step, in love, and with prayer, listening to the whispers and shouts that God has placed upon our hearts.
Focus on Resources – Brandon Hansen
Resources at Lord of Love is comprised of three components.
The first component is the church council committee which consists of two people elected by the congregation to focus on Resources. Monthly meetings are attended and updates are given on any projects that were completed. Projects in need of financial support or approval from the church council are also discussed. The committee members work with other members to accomplish identified activities.
The second component is the Property committee. Several people are involved in this committee. They bring different skills to keep the church grounds and building in good condition. These volunteers and other use their time to do different tasks which makes care of our bulding and grounds possible. A few examples of these ongoing tasks include taking care of the sprinkler system, monitoring security/fire alarm notifications, and the keeping the grounds and building clean and safe. The Property committee brings larger tasks require more volunteer help to the congregation. This included a couple wind storms with tree damage over the last few years that took a lot more hands, saws, rakes, trucks, and trailers to make cleanup quicker and easier. The congregation is also invited to help as they are able for our Spring and Fall cleanup days.
The third component of resources is the Stewardship committee. Part of stewardship includes sharing with the congregation about how people are helping the church through volunteering their time and talents. There are many ways for anyone to get involved within the congregation. Resources is only a small part of the council and various support committees that are available.