Interim Grace Notes for September 24, 2021

Trip to Minnesota

My trip to Hendricks, Minnesota last weekend went well -- it was lots of time on the road - Google maps says 861 miles, 14.5 hours, but it was all well worth it. Eleven of my 23 high school Class of 1971 classmates were present at our 50th reunion dinner on Saturday night, along with two teachers and spouses, for a total group of about 20. We met at the Hendricks Golf Club, 9-hole course situated on the Minnesota/South Dakota border a mile west of Hendricks. Arriving a few hours early on Saturday afternoon, I was able to visit with my step-cousin Wanda and her husband Manuel. Wanda is one of the last living family members who has personal memories of my grandfather, Jay Bogen, who died in 1952, a year before I was born.

On my trip back on Sunday I made two stops. The first was in Eagle Lake, Minnesota, where I attended Sunday morning worship at Epiphany Lutheran Church, my 2015 interim assignment. The pastor whom the congregation called at the end of my interim had recently resigned to pursue another career goal. It was good to see and worship with this group of God's people again, including three youth, then in grade school but now in middle and high school.

The second stop was to visit Sue Bogen in Madison, WI. Sue was married to my cousin Jay, who died in 2015. Sue and Jay's adult children and families also came, so was a small Bogen family reunion. After a couple of hours there I got back on the road, and arrived at home in Huron at about 2:00 am Monday morning.

Stewardship Team Continues Plan for Fall Campaign

The Stewardship Team met on Tuesday for the second of six Zoom meetings led by Jennie Wolf, an associate from GSB Fundraising, who we have contracted with to provide coaching, guidance and content for our fall stewardship campaign. This program goes by the title "Building a Culture of Generosity (BCG)," and ecnourages congregation to initiate or enhance practices that inspire rather than inform. I have said in previous posts how we are encouraged to tell "outcome" or "impact" stories, which are more inspiring than simply sharing information and facts about upcoming or past events. In these stories, tellers speak of the impact a congregation activity or ministry has had on their lives. Mike Ward, one of the GSB Partners, describes these stories in a 7-minute video that you can find HERE. Would you be willing to try writing one? We will need some to include in future mailings that will form a part of our campaign. Just email it to me at mark@bogen.org.

In our Zoom meeting this week, we reported on impact stories that we had been challenged to tell. Grace was able to talk about the Thankoffering Service which celebrates the gifts that Grace women create in the form of quilts and health and nursery kits for Lutheran World Relief. We were also able to share the story of a homeless person who joined Grace for worship that day, and received one of those quilts, as well as encouragement from members of Grace.

In the next part of our Zoom meeting, we were encouraged to recruit persons who could give temple talks during one of the Sundays of our Campaign which would be a response to one or more of these prompts:

• What was the most generous thing you ever witnessed?
• Who taught you generosity?
• Describe generosity as a component in your faith journey.

These can also be recorded so that they could be posted on our Facebook page. Would any of you be willing to provide such a talk? About three minutes, no more than five. Let me know if you'd be willing to do this. Email me at mark@bogen.org.

Our campaign will be a combination of direct mail letters which will include brief outcome stories, inspirational pieces, and an Intent Card (Plan for Giving). The campaign will be carried out over six Sundays, using the schedule below:

• October 17—First Sunday/Appeal launch/Insert #1/Pastor shares personal generosity story
• October 24—Second Sunday/Insert #2/mission moment story of generosity
• October 31—Third Sunday/insert #3/mission moment story of generosity
• Novermber 7 —Fourth Sunday/insert #4/mission moment with an example of how to grow in generosity
• November 14 —Intent Sunday
• November 21—2nd intent Sunday and celebration—share results

I hope that you will all follow this campaign closely, and participate to the fullest extent of your ability. The result will be a strong affirmation of the ministry that is carried out through Grace.

I found a blog post from Breeze, a church managment software company that also provides ministry tips, that speaks about stewardship, and includes some of the ideas and methodologies that are being encouraged in our participation with GSB in the Building a Culture of Generosity program. You can read that blogpost HERE.

Visit to Joann with Jan

Jan H. is one of Grace's eucharistic ministers (visits and brings Holy Communion), and one of the persons she visits is Joann H., who lives near Green Springs with her younger sister and nephew. It is my indestanding that Joann's husband Merle was a key leader and worker at Grace until his death several years ago. It was a good visit, and I hope to make more of this kind -- it really helps to have a familiar person accompany visits like this to persons who I have never met. Thanks Jan, for your ministry, and to all who do continue to keep these members of Grace connected to the congregation.

Synod Assembly Tonight

The Northwestern Ohio Synod Assembly meets in Assembly meets tonight via Zoom, beginning at 6:00 pm, and concluding by 8:30 pm. This will primarily be a business meeting, including elections. Grace's very own Heather is a candidate for lay voting member from the Eastern Conference to the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Lay members from Grace are Richard and Nelda B., Maureen, Ed, and Kristen L.

Reminder about our Small Group Meetings

In last week's post I explained the plan the the Transition Team has developed to gather input from the congregation for the Ministry Site Profile. You can review that plan HERE. Review the available options, and be sure to plan to attend one of them. The first meeting will be a week from Wednesday, October 6, at 6:00 pm during Spirit time. Attending this meeting could include a tasty meal and Dinner Church worship beginning at 5:00 pm!

Links for You

• Seeds Monthly - A monthly newletter of resources for congregation leaders. September Issue
• ELCA Worship News - September issue

Latest Osterholm Podcast

Dr. Michael Osterholm, founder and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, continues to deliver solid scientific analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic in his weekly podcasts. In this episode, posted on September 23 and entitled "Corrected Science," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the uncertain future of the pandemic in the U.S. and abroad, the FDA Advisory Committee's new recommendation on booster doses, and vaccinations and cases in children. You can listen to or download this episode HERE.

Interim Grace Notes for September 17, 2021

New Plan for Congregation Input

The Transition Team met Thursday afternoon. We reviewed the results of the Congregational Vitality Survey, which if you haven't seen yet, you can do so HERE. We then moved on to our plans to receive the input from the congregation that is needed to complete the Ministry Site Profile. Initially, and as reported in the September issue of G@T, we were planning an Historical Reflection event for Sunday, October 10 after the 10:00 am worship.

It was the desire of the Team to move more expeditiously with gathering the necessary congregational input, so we have revised our plan to shift the focus from the History theme to a more general one that will seek responses to the following questions in the context of six in-person small group and two Zoom meetings :

• What has Grace meant for you personally? What brought you here, and what keeps you here?
• What do you see are Grace’s strengths, and what are areas where Grace needs to grow or change?
• As Grace looks to the future, what should be our mission priorities?
• Anything else that’s on your mind that you’d like to share with the group?

The following information will be included in the October issue of Grace and Truth:

Transition Team Plans Small Group Meetings

Reported by Pastor Mark

The Transition Team at Grace has been given the task of seeking and gathering the congregation's input as it plans to complete the Ministry Site Profile (MSP), the document that will describe Grace to potential pastoral candidates. The Team had earlier scheduled an event on Sunday, October 10, that would focus on the congregation's history, as reported in the October issue of Grace and Truth.

The Transition Team has changed their plans slightly in order to streamline the process for gathering the congregation's input, with the goal of completing the Ministry Site Profile by the end of November. This will pave the way for the eventual appointment of the Call Committee in early 2022.

During early October, the Transition Team will host six Small Group Meetings, four in-person, and two virtual via Zoom . The purpose of these meetings is for members to share their thoughts and feelings about St. John’s, and your hopes for future ministry at St. John’s. You are encouraged to choose the meeting time and format that best fits your schedule and plan to attend that meeting.

There is no need to pre-register for the in-person meetings (scheduled for the Dining Room) -- just come to the meeting at one of the days and times listed below. However, if you plan to attend one of the Zoom meeting options, you will need to register so that we can email you the link to join.

• In-Person Meetings

  • Wednesday, October 6, 6:00 pm
  • Saturday, October 9, 5:00 pm (following 4:00 pm worship)
  • Sunday, October 10, 9:00 am (following 8:45 am worship)
  • Sunday, October 10, 11:15 am (following 10:00 am worship)

• Zoom Meetings

  • Tuesday, October 12, 10:00 am
  • Thursday, October 14, 7:00 pm

If you are unable to attend any of these meetings, a member of the Transition Team will be available to contact you by phone to receive your input. To request a one-on-one interview with a member of the Transition Team, or to register for one of the Zoom meetings, contact the church office at 419-332-1558 or gracefremont@yahoo.com

Remember, your input is crucial in helping the Transition Team create an accurate and comprehensive description of the ministry of Grace in the Ministry Site Profile and will help in the selection of your next pastor.

Additional plans by Transition Team

The plans for in-person and Zoom meetings and one-to-one phone calls to receive congregational input detailed above include one additional activity -- a survey. There are three items in the Ministry Site Profile that ask for specific choices among a number of listed possibilities:

• Top Five Ministry Tasks The five most critical tasks required in this position
  • Those completing the Profile choose from a list of 40 ministry tasks, such as Administration, Teaching, Preaching/Worship, Pastoral Care and Visitation, to name a few.
• Gifts for Ministry The five gifts essential in this position
  • Some examples from the 25 gifts in this list:
    • Help people develop their spiritual life.
    • Deal effectively with conflict.
    • Help others develop their leadership abilities and skills for ministry.
• Gifts for Ministry The five gifts very helpful in this position
  • The same list of 25 gifts are offered

I have found that the best way for the Transition Team to complete these items in the profile is to simply put them into a survey to the congregation, and then choose those items which receive the highest number of votes to list in the Profile. So we will do this - after the In-Person and Zoom meetings and the personal phone calls have been completed, we will distribute (both via email and hard copy) and ask members to complete and submit (online) or return hard-copy surveys to the survey box or church office. We will also include in this survey the items listed above that were asked during the meetings and interviews, so that those who were unable to have their voices heard in one of the above mentioned ways, they would be able to offer their input on this survey.

Spirit, Week 2

Our numbers for Spirit this week were a bit better than our first session last week. I had a few more for the session that I am leading which is a discussion of the content in the book Healthy Churches Faithful Pastors. We finished Chapter One, which is an enumeration and explanation of 10 Principles for a Vibrant Church Community. If you'd like to join us, you can get caught up real quick with a summary of the Ten Principles that you can read HERE. We will continue this course by examining specific expectations that congregations have of pastors, and that pastors have of congregations.

Visits to shut-ins

Grace has faithful visitors to the congregation's shut-ins, and some of those visits have continued throughout the pandemic. I will be accompanying Jan H. to one of the Grace members that she has visited regularly. It will give me a chance to meet this member and bring Holy Communion. Jan was telling me about her time at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and her senior year roommate who became a pastor. Her father was also a pastor who was in a wheelchair -- which brought back some childhood memories for me -- this pastor preached at my church in Hendricks, Minnesota. It was in our old church, which would have been pre-1963.

Vaccine required for Youth Gathering

The Youth Gathering has issued an update regarding vaccinations for Covid-19 and attendance at the Gathering. Vaccinations, or a negative test within 72 hours of the beginning of the Gathering are going to be required for those attending the Gathering. You can read more about this HERE.

Funeral for Jim Auen

Maureen conducted the funeral for Jim Auen on Wednesday afternoon at 4pm. It was well attended. Jim and Sarah's three children all spoke, and Tom provided special music with a solo rendition of Borning Cry. Keep Sarah and all of Jim's family in your prayers.

Thankoffering Set for this Weekend

The annual Thankoffering Sunday will happen this weekend, with Grace women participating in portions of the service. The sanctuary was made ready by draping completed quilts over the pews, providing a colorful mosaic of the women's handiwork over the past year. Monday will be "Packing day," when Grace women will pack the quilts and other projects (health kits, maternity kits, school kits) into boxes ready for shipment by Lutheran World Relief.

Beds for Kids, a God's Work Our Hands Project

"God's Work Our Hands" is an annual day of service that many congregations in the ELCA particiapte in. This year, my 2013 interim, St. Peter Blackberry and St. Luke's Curtice, a two-point parish in the North Central Conference up North and west of Oak Harbor, did a very impressive project with a "Let's Build Beds" day of building beds for kids in the parking at St. Peter. You can see and read more on the St. Peter/St. Luke's project HERE.

Lift Board

The LIFT Board will meet Sunday at 12:30 at St. John's. I attended the Executive Team meeting on Sunday, and Maureen will represent Grace at the board meeting, as I will be out of town (see below). At the Exec meeting, Pastor Paul announced that Trinity has voted to begin the process that will eventually close the congregation. This process takes several months to complete, so there is nothing specific that needs to happen now, but does signal some eventual changes for LIFT.

Trip to Minnesota

I will be departing at 5pm today (Friday) for a trip to my hometown of Hendricks, Minnesota, to attend the 50th anniversary dinner of my high school class. I plan to travel to the Madison area tonight, and finish the trip tomorrow, and will return Sunday, completing the trip in the post midnight hours of Monday morning. I've been told that half my class will be attending, and two teachers from our school years. There were 24 in my graduating class. The school buildings still stand, you can see them HERE.

Latest Osterholm Podcast

Dr. Michael Osterholm, founder and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, continues to deliver solid scientific analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic in his weekly podcasts. In this episode, posted on September 16 and entitled "A Whole New Ball Game, Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the various mitigation strategies that are being used across the world to fight the Delta variant, President Biden's new vaccine mandate, outbreaks in children and schools, and the potential for a third or "booster" dose. You can listen to or download this episode HERE.

Interim Grace Notes for September 10, 2021

Congregational Vitality Survey Report

The results of the Congregational Vitality Survey that we have solicited responses to for the past month are in, and have been summarized in a full-color, bar graph filled, four-page report which you can view HERE. A total of 58 responses were received, both online and entered from hard-copy surveys delivered to the church office or dropped in the survey boxes. Quoting from the intro to the report results:

This survey measured perceived strengths and challenges of the congregation in three critical areas: the congregation’s connections with God, each other and the world. All items range from 1 (poor) to 5 (great). The target score is 4 or higher. An average vitality score was created by averaging all items together. This report is divided into three sections. The first section tells you who completed the survey. The next section shows the average responses to the 15 questions and the average vitality score, and the last section shows details of how each question was answered.

Some notable results from the survey:

• A full two-thirds of the respondents are age 65 or older; 15% of respondents are from age 35-44. No one younger than 35 submitted a survey.
• Two items scored a 4.0 or above (4.1):
  • Helps deepen relationship with God
  • Helps those in need
• Grace's average vitality score is 3.5. A target score is 4 or higher. This indicates that members of Grace have some concerns going forward. More interpretive information regarding Average Vitality Score is at the bottom of page 2 of the report.

Stewardship Committee Meeting

The Stewardship Committee is participating in a program from BSG Fundraising called "Building a Culture of Generosity," which I explained a bit about HERE. This program includes six Zoom meetings in September, October and November, led by our GSB consultant, Jennie Wolf Smith. GSB provides 75% of the content, as well as coaching on how to best carry out the campaign, which will primarily be by direct mail. In our first Zoom, we listened to Mike Ward, also from GSB, tell us about the imporance of "Outcome Stories," or "Impact Stories." Mike puts it this way:

Unfortunately, most congregations fail to focus on telling these stories of impact. Instead, they tell people what they do and then expect those people to want to be part of it. Bulletins are full of activity, but not impact. We look busy and that feels important. But underneath, people are worn out and uninspired; they’re limiting their participation because activities are just one more thing to do. For impactful ministry to flourish, we need to better articulate what God is doing through that busyness.

Mike says more about Outcome Stories in a 7-minute video that the Committee watched during our meeting, and I encourage you to watch also. You can find it HERE. Our assignment for our next Zoom consult meeting on September 23 is to write one or more "outcome stories." Would you be willing to try writing one? Just email it to me at mark@bogen.org.

Worship Committee Meeting

The Worship Committee met on on Tuesday afternoon. We reviewed the changes that will take effect on Sunday (moving to ELW Setting 4, which will stay in effect until Advent), and reviewed the October Worship Planner. There was some discussion about the communion elements, particularly the difficulty that some members have in finding the cellophone tab to uncover the bread element, and the stickiness of the foil covering the grape juice element. We are well supplied with this variety of elements, and if we use up what we currently have, we are considering moving to a different product that is easier to prepare by worshipers in the pews.

First Spirit Session

The 2021-2022 Spirit season began on Wednesday night with a tasty dinner of pasta, salad and dessert, and with a first try at doing "Dinner Church." The service went a bit longer that what we had originally visioned, so we will be making adjustments as we go. Other activities that got going were Cherub Choir, Voices of Praise, Youth Gathering, Bell Choir, and Bible Study. Maureen's led a S.L.A.M. small group, and I began the course "Healthy Churches Faithful Pastors" in the dining room.

Sunday School Reimagined

I hope that you all will consider coming to our reimagined Sunday School, a cross-generational (that means all ages welcomed and encouraged to attend) Christian education experience that will focus on the stained glass windows at Grace and their many symbols and meanings. This will take place in the Auditorium beginning at 9:00 a.m. The coffee pot will be on. Did you know the first window was dedicated 75 years ago?

Transition Team Meeting

The Transition Team met on Thursday afternoon, a postponed meeting from last week because I was still awaiting my test result (negative!) from my brush with SARS-CoV-2 last week. The Team has decided to revise the plan for the Remembering and Drawing Meaning from Our History event which was scheduled for Sunday, October 10. We have decided to schedule several additional days and times for this event, to include as many members of Grace as possible. Stay tuned for more details as our plans become more definite. Our next meeting is September 16 at 4:30 pm.

Funerals this week and next

The funeral for Kathy Otermat was held on Wednesday at 11:00 am at Grace, with Maureen presiding. On Thursday, I, along with many others from Grace, attended the funeral for Pastor Jim Avers, which was held at Faith, where Pastor Jim served for eleven years before coming to Grace to serve as visitation pastor for 13 years. Bishop Daniel was present to bring a message of thanks from the Synod and the ELCA for Pastor Jim's service. Next week, Maureen will conduct the funeral for Jim Auen on Wednesday beginning at 4:00 pm. Visitation will be Tueday from 4:00 - 8:00 pm at Herman Funeral Home, and from 3:00 - 4:00 pm at Grace.

Bishop Daniel's latest email

You can read it HERE.

Email from Grace Missionary

LInda received this email from the ELCA missionary that Grace supports, Rev. David Brondos:

Dear Linda,

I pray that you and everyone at Grace are doing well.

I am writing for several reasons. First, this past Tuesday I sent out our most recent missionary newsletter and every once in a while I like to check with our sponsoring congregations and make sure that the newsletter is being received. So I would just like to see if you could confirm that you are receiving it. We send one out every two months.

Second, I think that every once in a while it is also good to express to our sponsoring congregations our thanks for your ongoing support of our work here in Mexico through the ELCA Global Mission Funding program. It means a lot to Alicia and me and we truly thank God for you all at Grace!

And third, I just wanted to remind you that I am always available to do something by Zoom (a greeting, sermon, Bible study, etc.) or to share a brief recorded message for the congregation if you would ever like something like that. It's been quite a while since I visited.

I look forward to hearing from you when you have a chance. Thanks again!

Blessings,

David Brondos
ELCA Missionary in Mexico
https://dbrondos.mx

Check out his website, linked above. You can also read more about Pastor David's work and ministry HERE.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness.

National Suicide Prevention Week is the Monday through Sunday surrounding World Suicide Prevention Day. It’s a time to share resources and stories, as well as promote suicide prevention awareness.

World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10. It’s a time to remember those affected by suicide, to raise awareness, and to focus efforts on directing treatment to those who need it most.

We can and must do all we can to help prevent suicide. Take some time to learn more HERE.

Interim Grace Notes for September 3, 2021

Death of Pastor Jim Avers

We received word this morning of the death of Pastor Jim following a lengthy illness and hospital stay. I was able to visit Pastor Jim several times at Firelands, most recently last Sunday afternoon. He was transferred to Stein Hospice Care Center, where Linda and family was able to spend quality time with him. Pastor Jim served the Lord faithfully, most recently as the Visitation pastor at Grace, a call that fit perfectly with Jim's gifts for ministry. Keep Linda and the family in your prayers. Funeral arrangements are pending.

A Brush With Covid-19

On Monday of this week I received a phone call from a member of Grace with whom I shared a brief face to face conversation on Sunday morning. The call was to inform me that they had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, even though vaccinated. I checked the CDC guidelines which suggest that for a vaccinated person, quarantine was not required, but advised testing 3-5 days after exposure. I scheduled a drive-through test at CVS for Wednesday at 11:00 am, and received the result at midnight last night, which was negative. (Yayy!!) Along with the negative report came the following information/advice:

A negative test result does not completely rule out being infected with COVID-19. If you test negative for COVID-19, this means the virus was not detected at the time your specimen was collected. It is still possible that you were very early in your infection at the time of your specimen collection and that you could test positive later. Also, you could be exposed later and still develop the illness. For all these reasons, it is important to follow CDC guidance HERE, including but not limited to frequent hand washing, social distancing, wearing a face covering, covering coughs and sneezes, monitoring symptoms, and cleaning and disinfectant of frequently touched surfaces -- even after a negative test result.

I plan to continue social distancing and masking in public (including at Grace) through Wednesday, Thanks to Maureen, who agreed to preach and lead worship on Saturday and Sunday, should I have tested positive.

One of the takeaways of this experience for me is that I am more vulnerable than I acknowledge, either consciously or unconsciously. I would very much prefer to weather this pandemic without getting infected, not only for my own sake, but for the sake of others, which should be my primary concern. I know that many of us wonder what we can or cannot do while the pandemic has put us back in the red zone. I found the article linked below helpful.

What's the Risk of Indoor Activity Even if You're Fully Vaccinated?

You can read what one expert says HERE.

Transition Team Meeting Postponed

The Grace Transition Team had planned to meet this week on Thursday, but because of my uncertainty of whether or not I would test positve for SARS-CoV-2, I requested that we move the meeting to next week, September 9, same time, 4:30 pm. We will continue our plans for our Remembering our History event scheduled for 11:00 am - 1:00 pm on Sunday, October 10.

Return of Pastor Mary Carmen and Leo

I received the following email from LIFT Board Chairman Steven Hottinger on August 28:

Greetings and God Bless to Everyone,

Hope this message finds you well and cool. As can be.

I have received some great news! Mary Carmen and Leo were granted a long awaited meeting with the Mexican Consulate. They are currently finalizing a return to the United States scheduled for this upcoming month of September. I am told that they have continued to pay their rent for the apartment here in Fremont, during this absence. Mary jokes about the amount of dust that awaits their return. What started out as a trip home to visit with family turned into a 17 month long COVID induced quarantine lockout.

Mary and Leo are extremely excited to return and revive the ministry they have helped to foster.

It is my hope that the LIFT board will join me in putting together a welcome home basket to help their transition. Could everyone please work with their home church to gather some gift cards and welcome items we can present to Mary and Leo.

I will get a basket to hold the items and hope to assemble it at the time of our next LIFT exec meeting, September 12th.

I'll be available to receive and/or come and pick up gift items as they become available. Just shoot me an e-mail, send a text or give me a call. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. I would welcome your input.

Thank you,
Steve Hottinger

Bishop Daniel's Latest Email

You can read it HERE.

Marcy Begins a Second Generation

Marcy, who has taught 5th grade at Norwalk City Schools for 23 years, has begun to teach her second generation of students. Three of her newly minted 5th graders' parents were Marcy's students when they were in 5th grade. Prayers for all our teachers, children, youth, administrators, support staff and parents for the extremely difficult job of educating our children in the midst of a pandemic.

Latest Osterholm Podcast

Dr. Michael Osterholm, founder and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, continues to deliver solid scientific analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic in his weekly podcasts. In this episode, posted on September 2, Dr. Osterholm and host Chris Dall discuss the state of the pandemic in the US and abroad, evolving data on vaccines and their effectiveness, and schools in the age of Delta. You can listen to or download this episode HERE.

Congregational Vitality Survey

I've had info about this in the last couple Grace Notes, but here's one more reminder to complete the survey if you haven't already. You can find the survey HERE. I am moving up the deadline from September 10 to September 6. This will give sufficient time to enter manually the several or more surveys that have been and will be sumitted to the boxes near the entry doors.