FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH

1600 PARK STREET

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI 49783

NEW YEAR – NEW IDEA?

A HOLY EXPERIMENT Recently, the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church of the Soo resigned her call. This

not only created a pastoral vacancy at Faith; it also raised questions among the Lutheran pastors left in the EUP and our Bishop,

Katherine Finegan. We met December 10 to think about this:

Given the downward trend of many area congregations; given the corresponding di-minished ability for ministry; and given the

financial struggles faced by some EUP con-gregations:

• How do we follow Jesus today?

Would it be helpful to make changes in how we do congrega-tional ministry?

• What is the best way to provide

congregational leadership so that congregational ministry has a

chance to grow?

• How can we do ministry so that the

current trend of slowly shrinking congregations is acknowledged

and meaningfully addressed?

• What is the best way to provide

congregational leadership so that

pastors and pastors’ families don’t get stretched too thin in terms of ministry or finances?

• Is there an opportunity to band to-

gether as Lutheran congregations in the EUP and do church better?

If so, what would that look like? As we pondered these questions, we won-

dered about the possibility of conducting a holy experiment. Maybe we could try some-

thing different. If it worked, we could do what was necessary to firm it up and sup-port it. If it didn’t work, we would scuttle

the experiment and see what we learned from it.

So this is our initial idea of a holy experi-ment: What if we have the six congregations

of the EUP form a collective ministry group? This group would be served by the three re-maining EUP pastors – Pastor Dave Tielbar,

Pastor Joe Daiker, and Pastor Matt Lamb –

who would form a pastoral leadership team that would provide pastoral leadership to all six EUP congregations. These pastors would

share the duties of worship planning and leadership, teaching, wedding and funeral planning, parish leadership, and pastoral

care during crises.

Obviously, this idea is new. It is very pre-liminary and very much in the formative stage. We don’t know if it would even work.

The purpose of this article is to get your ide-as and questions about this idea, and to col-

lect other ideas you may have for a new way to be church and do ministry in the EUP given all present realities.

So what do you think? What are your ques-tions? What are your ideas? Please let your

pastor know, or talk to your council mem-bers about this.

The plan is to get your ideas and questions by March 1 so that we can talk about them.

Another meeting of the three pastors, Bish-op Finegan, and council leaders is sched-uled for March 12. At that meeting, we’ll

discuss all of this and decide to: 1. Move forward with and develop this

idea further; 2. Proceed with another idea; or 3. Scuttle the whole thing and pro-

ceed as we always have.

Your input is needed and desired. As Christ-followers of all types, your experience and ideas are valid and important. Please think

and pray about this. Talk to your church friends and non-church friends about this. Then tell your pastor, interim pastor, or

council member what you think and what questions you have.

Jesus calls us to seek first the kingdom of God. How would you do that?

Pastors Tielbar, Daiker, and Lamb

Sunday school 9:30 a.m.

Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Wednesdays 6:00 p.m.

From Interim Pastor Matt Lamb

TIME

Time gets top billing this time of year. But what time are we talking about?

We may be talking about 2018 and 2019. As the calendar rolls around to another year to be written on our checks, our homework, our insurance forms and more, we often look back over our shoulder on the time we now call last year, or 2018. Then many of us will turn forward and look to the year ahead, 2019, and make plans for spending its days and months or maybe just ponder what lies out there.

It seems like the change of the calendar is a good time to do that. Many even celebrate this time by staying up until midnight (in our time zone or in one more suited to our bedtime) and ringing in the new year. But, on the other hand, we may be talking about a different kind of time. At this time of year some of us think about making resolutions to change things in our lives for the better. We decide it is time to do that.

These are different kinds of time and we deal with both. One kind of time is what you would give someone if they asked you what time it is. This is called chronos time, which is the time we track with watches and calendars. Then there is the kind of time that you track with your heart or head; it is called kairos time. Kairos time is what you are asking about when you ask questions like this: When is the right time to start exercising, lose weight, change jobs, buy a house, retire, propose, potty train your toddler, or get a dog? Do you see the difference?

Like everything else, God created time, both chronos and kairos, and, like the rest of creation, God called it good (Genesis 1). (We all like a good time, right?) For example, we find both kinds of time in the story of the life of Jesus. In the book of Luke, we are told Jesus was born during the time of the “first registration taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.” (This is chronos time that can be given a certain calendar date.) Then in the book of Mark, who introduces us to the adult Jesus, the first words from the mouth of Jesus are these: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in [this] good news.” Jesus is talking about kairos time, the right time for something to happen. Jesus came to us at the right time (kairos), about 2000 years ago (chronos).

So what time is it in our church? Well, the easy answer is the chronos answer: 2019. Like many congregations, we’ll mark that by having our annual meeting in February, at which time we’ll look back

over our ministry efforts of 2018 and take some measure of how happy we are with them. And then we’ll be faced with the harder answer, the kairos answer. This is harder because the question changes a bit and becomes: For which ministries is this year, 2019, the right time? And, for which ministries is 2019 no longer the right time? We can’t look at our watches or calendars to answer these questions. These questions are going to be harder to answer.

Fortunately, we don’t have to answer these questions by ourselves. Actually, we shouldn’t do that. Because we know that there is more to the church than just us, right? We know that God has made us children of God, living and serving in God’s church. So, knowing that, maybe a better question would be, “What time does God think it is for our church?”

The answer to this question may depend directly on the answer to this question: What time does God think it is for you?

Hope to see you when the time is right, Pastor Lamb

p. 1 “From Interim Pastor...”

Dates at a glance

Office/Pastoral hours

Worship times

p. 2 About

Homebound members

Office notes

p. 3 Important dates

Upcoming events

Special DatesSpecial DatesSpecial Dates

January 1,January 1,January 1, 2018,2018,2018, New Year’s DayNew Year’s DayNew Year’s Day January 21 , 2018January 21 , 2018January 21 , 2018 M L King DayM L King DayM L King Day

Office hours for

Faith Lutheran Church:

Monday through Friday

9AM—1PM

Pastor’s Hours:

Pastor Matt Lamb will be

on call for Pastoral

emergencies and can be

reached at

(717) 805-4210

INSIDE

Page 1

Faith Lutheran Church is a member

congregation of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran

Church in America. Synod website: nglsynod.org

Denomination website: elca.org

If you know someone who doesn’t want the digital version of the Pathfinder and hasn't been receiving the hard copy, just let the office know and we’ll get that taken care of right away.

We are in need of scripture readers and assisting ministers for Sundays. Please, if you are interested, see Sean in the of-fice for more details.

There was no Council meeting in De-cember so this Pathfinder will not in-clude Council Minutes

At Home:

Beverly Tankersley- 2621 Lake Blvd.

SSM, MI 49783 (906)632-3888

Alice Isaacson- Avery Center, Apt. 302

SSM, MI 49783 (906)259-0402

Copper Garrett- 5036 W. Five Mile Rd.

SSM, MI 49783 (906)632-8727

Linda Doran- 590 Three 1/2 Mile Rd.

SSM, MI 49783 (906)632-6483

John Nobliski– 1316 Park street

SSM, MI 49783 (906)635-5613

Eva Mohr– E 5040 State Highway M35

Escanaba 49829 (906)789-0423

Gladys Baxter- (need more information)

At Freighterview:

605 W. Portage Ave.

SSM, MI 49783

Ruth Ronquist- (906)253-2331

Walter Pell- (906) 635-6002

At McKinley Manor:

2023 W 4th Ave. SSM, MI 49783

Diane Borrousch- (906) 632 7250

Our homebound and nursing home members are often so isolated that

your phone call, visit, even a card can mean the difference between lonely ex-istence and continued life in our faith community. What can you do? Please

reach out to those who have been such a vital part of our congregation and

give back.

Page 2

The Pathfinder is the monthly

newsletter of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

community at :

Faith Lutheran Church, 1600 Park Street, Sault Ste. Ma-rie, Michigan. (906) 632-7246

The deadline for the Pathfinder is

the 15th of each month.

Please send articles, comments, news items

c/o Pathfinder Editor, 1600 Park St. Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 or e-mail to faithlc1966@att.net

Interim Pastor: Rev. Matthew Lamb

Church Office Administrator/Editor: Sean Uhrig

Congregation Council: Jack Armstrong,

Dennis Brindley, Dan Kinnear, Sandy Lawson,

Vicki Luoma, Wayne Olsen, Keith Nortch,

and Cathy Tibbett

4th Katherine Kagarise 5th Bill Robinson 8th Erin Bachand 11th Alec Cook 12th Peggy Suriano 15th Garrett Peterman 16th Jonathon Sundstrom 21st Westin Bailey 21st Darryl East 25th Logan Cook 26th Danielle Fike 29th Nancy Bolio

Bernard & Esther Beaulieu

57 years 1/28/62

Elizabeth & John Bunker

54 years 1/16/65

Douglas & Jean Garn

36 years 1/29/83

WELCA

The monthly WELCA meeting will NOT

take place on Wednes-day, January 2nd. It will instead be on Wednes-

day, January 9th.

Will be held immediately following worship on Sunday, Feb-ruary 10, 2019. There will be 3 seats to be filled on the coun-cil this year. If you are interested please get your information

in to the office or to Cathy Tibbett.

JANUARY 21

If you are responsible for a committee which is included in the Annual Report, please get it in to the office as soon as possible when 2018 ends. The deadline is January 31st. Reports can preferably be emailed to

faithlc1966@att.net with the subject “Annual Report” any questions, contact Sean in the office.

Page 3

Jan.Jan. 66 1313 2020 2727

ASSISTING

MINISTERS

Keith Nortch

TBD

Keith Nortch

Lori Strickland

LECTORS Volunteers Volunteers Volunteers Volunteers

CHOIR

DIRECTOR

R.A. Brindley

R.A. Brindley

R.A. Brindley

R.A. Brindley

ORGANIST Lisa Justin Dave Erfourth Lisa Justin Dave Erfourth

ALTAR

WORKERS

Martha Cowan

Joy Lake

Martha Cowan Joy Lake

Martha Cowan

Joy Lake

Martha Cowan

Joy Lake

USHERS Volunteers Volunteers Volunteers Volunteers

OFFERING

COUNTERS

Dan Kinnear

Keith Nortch

Dan Kinnear

Keith Nortch

Dan Kinnear

Keith Nortch

Dan Kinnear

Keith Nortch

NURSERY Flickingers Flickingers Flickingers Flickingers

FROM THE TREASURY

This is an update on our Organ Fund loan from our Edward Jones Investment Ac

count. The monthly earnings and pledges receipts are applied against the loan.

December 31, 2018 Loan Balance Due: $9,982.33

Pledges due $6,351.00

Amount to be paid from Investment Earnings $3,631.33

Pledges expected not to be Paid $2,216.00

We need any help to pay off the Loan as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Wayne Olsen