Dear friends,
It is with great pleasure that I share with you that on Sunday, July 14, 2019 the voters of St. Andrew’s overwhelmingly approved extending a call to Susan Shelhart to serve as our new Pastor. As was discussed at the Call Meeting, Pastor Susan is recovering from knee replacement surgery and we anticipate that she will begin here later in the summer. Pastor Susan brings a unique background and refreshing enthusiasm to St. Andrew’s and we pray that she will be our spiritual leader for many years to come.
In the meantime, Pastor Peeders will continue to serve as our bridge Pastor. I think we are all deeply grateful to Pastor for his steadfast leadership and guidance during this period of transition for St. Andrew’s. What began as a short term stay became a much longer Call and his calm demeanor and words of wisdom were exactly what we needed during this time of change. God truly blessed us with his presence and the St. Andrew’s family will continue to pray for him and Gay.
Lastly, we all owe sincere thanks to Joe Kostecki and the entire Call Committee. Their work was not easy and the process required great patience along the way. Yet the Spirit guided them and they found the individual who will lead St. Andrew’s in the next steps of our spiritual journey. We are all very appreciative to Joe and the committee for all of their hard work.
This is an exciting time for our congregation. May God bless us as we go through this time of transition.
In Peace,
Mark
St. Andrew’s Welcome Statement:
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation. We joyfully welcome all of God's people to worship with us regardless of age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ability, or socio-economic circumstances. Blessed with God's grace and unconditional love, we believe our mission to be to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to all people. We recognize that we are all equal at the foot of the cross and at Christ's table. Therefore, in the name of Jesus Christ, we warmly welcome all to join us in
worship, prayer, fellowship, and service as we advance our mission of bringing Christ's love to the world.
Our Mission:
Worship Witness Learn Serve
We joyfully welcome all of God’s people to share God’s love and be workers together in this mission of the church.
Be it resolved that the congregation of St. Andrew’s approves the five year goals developed at the March 16, 2019 Leader’s Retreat. By 2024 St. Andrew’s will:
be recognized as a vibrant, welcoming church that serves, cares for and supports the community.
be a community committed to providing life-long, faith based learning opportunities.
be a congregation diverse in age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ability, and socioeconomic circumstances with all members actively involved in congregational life.
have demonstrated its ability to respond and adapt to a changing world.
