Well, here we are close to the end of the year, and we have a lot going on as usual. Let me outline some areas of importance for your information:
- Constitution and By-laws: As you know, the Trustees went through both documents and eliminated any reference to the ELCA. We also removed other items that did not seem necessary any longer. We added new items that conform to our new status as an Independent Lutheran Church. After our review, we turned this information over to our attorney for his review and any comments he might have. We then met with him to go through the entire rewrite to make sure we were all on the same page. Once that was done, the Church Council reviewed and approved the rewrite and will now pass it on to the congregation. I am calling a Special Congregation Meeting in December to pass on this rewrite. I can tell you this was quite the process, and I appreciate the Trustees and Church Council for their help.
- Our stewardship drive for this year is in the final phase. We have sent out the last letter to remind members who have not returned a pledge card to please do so. The numbers are not good so far this year. We are at 28 pledges out of 73 mailed for a total of $47,224.00. Last year our final numbers were 33 pledges for a total of $60,036.00. So you can see we are way behind in what our numbers need to be for a realistic budget. I must tell you this is not one of my favorite items to work on, but it is one of the most important in the life of the church. I almost feel that Neal L’Amoureaux, Stewardship Committee Chairperson, and I are begging for money, and that is not the case. If anyone has any ideas how to improve these numbers, please let Neal or I know.
These are some of the major items of importance I wanted to bring to your attention. There are conversations to be had and tough decisions to be made for the wellbeing of our church. On an upbeat note, our Thanksgiving Food Baskets were again successful this year. Thanks to all who donated to this worthy cause. You folks are the best!
Christmas Party…Our Christmas Party will be held on Saturday, December 7, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. This will be a potluck dinner with the church providing chicken and potatoes. Please bring a side dish to share. We will have a gift exchange with a gift limit of $15. We will sing Christmas carols with May Love on piano. We will have additional games during the party. Please sign up on the bulletin board what you are bringing and how many are coming so we can plan accordingly. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
Church Information…Please remember that you can obtain church information from the monthly Lamplighter Newsletter, the Constant Contact emails you receive, on the church website (www.lllc.org), on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Living-Lord-Lutheran-Church-493806727349110/), and postings on the church bulletin board. Church Council Meeting minutes are posted on the bulletin board and sent out via Constant Contact. We would like to see a better “open rate” when we send information to you via Constant Contact so that we know you are being informed of the activities that are occurring at the church. If you have any other suggestions on how best to reach out to our parishioners, please see a Council member.