our mission: to connect all people with christ through...
TRANSCRIPT
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church • 14107 Hudson Road South • Afton, MN 55001
Our Mission: To connect all people with Christ through nurturing, building friendships and serving.
Staff
Pastors
Steve Kramer Zach Thompson
Adult Ministry
Kristin Lagus Jill Wurm Kathy Harter Debbie Hoff
Music & Worship Ministry
Kristin Tjornehoj Donna Bennett Eric Bennett
Student Ministry
Sam Dittrich Amy Jaynes Jonathan Maley
Children’s Ministry
Christie Cotner Keri Aldridge Dana Lochner Darla Ostrand
Special Needs Ministry
Tammie Proue
Administration
Colleen Krohn Dick Wagenknecht
Finance
Tracy Fritze JoAnn Wert
Building Maintenance
Jim Dickman
Church Council
Officers
Dave Pletscher, President Brad Bowman, Treasurer Jennie Gosso, Secretary Steve Kramer, Senior Pastor
Members
Cathy Colman Charlie Hoff Mark Jarrett Fred Entwistle Michael Faust
I recently had a physical for insurance purposes. It was good to hear back that this body of mine is still okay, and though I am a bit overweight and need to watch my cholesterol, I’m a fairly good risk for the insurance company.
Each year we do a review of our congregation’s ministries and report to the congregation how we are doing as the body of Christ. Within this review, you’ll see all kinds of numbers and evaluations regarding Shepherd’s growth and health. There are many things to praise God for.
For instance, as I look over this body called Shepherd of the Valley, I see:
1. Our Student Ministry looking very healthy and growing under the leadership of Sam Dittrich, Amy Jaynes and Jonathan Maley. I see the numbers climbing and students growing in their relationship with Christ. There is some powerful momentum at work!
2. Small Group Ministry participation is growing and there are plenty of stories floating around of lives being changed through the experience. Kristin Lagus will give you the numbers in her report and I personally find them to be absolutely amazing, considering this busy day and age we live in. I have witnessed such inspiring community and sacrificial love among those who are in these small groups.
3. Our Missions and Outreach Program shows healthy signs as many lives are being touched by our giving and outreach ministries. We hosted “Feed My Starving Children” last spring and members showed up in droves to put together meals for Haiti and other places around the globe. We participated in “Loaves and Fishes” , Nursing homes and jail ministries, Honduras missions ,and ServeFest activities around our community. The ServeFest Ministry was recently retired to try some new things such as a new Prayer-Walking Ministry that has begun and a monthly community outreach program coming soon. Last spring, 130 people stepped out of their comfort zone and went through evangelism training to learn how to share their faith more confidently. In 2012, I will be teaching a witnessing class and in the fall we are going to be doing a campaign on Acts.
4. Our Children’s Ministry has impressive student and leader numbers. Many children are creatively and effectively being taught solid biblical teaching at Shepherd, thanks to a committed team of staff and volunteers.
5. Not too many adults stand around at Shepherd. 337 volunteers have kept things moving throughout the week at Shepherd under Jill Wurm’s fine leadership.
6. Finally, we have THE STORY. Over 1200 copies of those books are being used by our members as we walk through the Bible together each week. Because of it people are communicating to me that they are excited about the Bible and seeing for the first time how the stories fit together. Zach’s adult classes on THE STORY have been full in comparison to past years as people come with their Bible questions. Many new small groups have formed to study THE STORY together as well. Praise God!
Friends, the best years are ahead of us. We have a healthy body that can produce fruit to the glory of God as we pray, study, and commit ourselves to connecting others to Jesus Christ.
Steve
Pastor’s Report
Membership Report (1)
Membership Statistics
Individual Members - 2623 Households - 822
Additions Subtractions
Individuals - 222 Individuals - 158
Average Weekend Worship Attendance - 1050
Pastoral Acts
Baptisms
The following persons were baptized at Shepherd of the Valley during 2011:
January 9 ....................................... Meghan McGlynn Lockridge
January 9 ........................................................... Luke John Onken
February 19 ............................................ Aidan Patrick Mendoza
February 26 ......................................... Liam David Banaszewski
February 27 .............................................. Aubrey Grace Mueller
March 12 ........................................................Claudia Ryan Webb
March 27 ..................................................... Adler Charles Hutera
April 2 ......................................................... Justin Robert Marotz
April 2 ....................................................... Alexis Jean Dougherty
April 10 ........................................................... Carson Allen Cook
April 10 ......................................................... Kaila Avery Nimmo
April 21 ....................................................... Natalie Sophia Sultan
April 21 ............................................................. Thijs Colin Sultan
April 21 ............................................................. Elijah A Broecker
April 30 ......................................................... Nadia Grace Novak
May 8 ............................................................. Talaiya Louise Epps
May 15 .................................................Adelyn Louise Greenwald
May 22 ........................................................... Elsa Malee Haslund
May 22 ........................................................... Haley Marie Ireland
May 22 ................................................. Brayden Michael Johnson
May 22 .................................................. Dennis Michael Johnson
June 4 .............................................................. Emma Rose Hedin
June 5 ................................................................. Kaia Jean Benson
June 12 ......................................................... Hudson Parker Stern
June 12 .......................................................... Audrey Jean Thielen
June 12 ................................................... McKenzie Marie Rowan
July 24 ....................................................... Elsie Autumn Hanson
June 26 .................................................. Logan Scott Kneubuhler
July 16 ............................................................. Max Millard Plante
July23 ............................................................ Landan John Jensen
July 23 ............................................................Alyssa Marie Triplat
July 24 ....................................................... Annella Grace Holden
July 31 ....................................................... Madeline Grace Budin
August 6 .................................................. Faith Allison Fladmark
August 13 ............................................. James Matthew Talafous
August 13 ............................................... Brenna Carlyle Schmidt
August 14 ..................................................... Asher Ray Frederick
August 14 .............................................. Nolan Robert Weisbrod
August 28 .................................................. Adrian Kyle Anfinson
September 11 ........................................... Adler Thomas Phillips
September 25 ........................................ Trenton Bradley Nelson
October 8 .................................................. Ava Laura Gabrielson
November 5 ................................................ Brendyn David Bearl
November 5 ............................................ Kayleen Michelle Suski
November 26 .................................................. Kayna Jean Bihner
November 27 ....................................... Tripp Thomas St. Sauver
November 27 ................................................. Kayden James Moy
December 3 ......................................... Jaymeson Javier McRaith
December 10 ........................................ Berkley Lynn Boardman
December 11 .......................................... Ryder Matthew Hutera
December 17 .................................................... Grady Lee Nerby
Membership Report (2)
Confirmation
The following persons were confirmed at Shepherd of the Valley on May 22, 2010:
Sam Acker
Jacob Aldridge
Matthew Anderson
Thomas Arland
Jackson Arland
Gabrielle Arland
Kassandra Ashton
Travis Balz
Brent Barclay
Iver Baribeau
Luke Berger
KamiahBewell
Lisse Bohan
Allen-Michael Burback
Caroline Carter
Terri Churchill
Wyatt Dove
Ben Ek
Madeline Ek
Madeline Eldred
Hunter Ellstrom
Jack Fahey
David Felsch
Connor Gamble
Nathan Gehlen
Maxwell Gierke
Cody Hepfler
Alex Herrmann
Miles Jensen
Kaitlin Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Ada Johnson
Adam Keifer
Madolyn Kielsa
Jonathan Koprek
Quayd Korman
Jack Koski
Dylan Kubitschek
Matthew Lagus
Andre LaRenzie
John LeClair
Brennan Magler
Alexandria Magler
Kaya Magnuson
Wally Magnuson
Katie Mattis
Benjamin McConnell
Craige McConnell
Madison Meyer
Alyssa Morris
Laura Morrow
Kyrstin Myhers
Emily Ness
Dvionne Odencrans
Kaija Olson
Cassie Potteiger
Kyle Reinsberg
Leah Richter
Ashley Ritter
Brandi Robinson
Noah Ruh
Jack Scanlan
Joshua Schilling
Kali Schultz
Jared Shea
Kaitlyn Shelley
Thomas Shogren
Christy Sitka
Zachary Speckman
Meghan Stewart
Lauren Stillwell
Cora Sutherland
Anna Swanson
Justin Tersteeg
Carter Thorson
Alyssa Van Vossen
Madeline Verette
Jeffrey Wallace
Jill Weinzettel
Ian Weisbrod
Henrik Wiesemeyer
Katie Wilmes
Benjamin Winkel
Trevor Witt
Lindsey Wurm
Quinn Zacharias
Marriages
The following persons were married at Shepherd of the Valley during 2011:
January 7 .................................... Katelyn Ley & Jeff Rowland
May 21 ............................... Andrea Atteberry & Brock Olson
June 11 ..................................... Dana Luiken & Brent Nelson
June 18 ................................ Kari Peck & Richard Dougherty
July 9 ....................................... Peg Woodward & Randy West
July 16 ................................... Holly Bornmann & Paul Larson
July 23 ........................................ Jennifer Graf & Amos Smith
August 5 ................................. Emily Niebur & Joe Overhaug
August 27 .............................. Lindsay Klatt & Blake Willman
October 15 .................... Kelli Gallagher & Matthew Hogness
November 27 ........................... Rebecca Ness & Adam Lewis
December 31 ........................... Jill Mizerek & Jeremy Lipinski
Funerals
Funerals were performed for the following persons during 2011:
February 21 ................................................ Rev. James Schwartz
March 23 .................................................................Arlin Schoess
April 30 .......................................................................... Rick Ryan
November 12 ...................................................... Richard Peulen
November 27 ...................................................... Matthew Wilde
Dear Friends in Christ,
I again feel so very fortunate to be Associate Pastor at SOV. It is so awesome to work with our great staff team, and to be a part of a church that loves Jesus and strives to follow Him.
This past year I was privileged to work with many great people and great ministries. I have had a blast teaching a classes (i.e. monthly baptism class, Sunday morning and Wednesday night offerings, etc.,) doing a lot of pre-marriage counseling and weddings, organizing Men’s Ministry events, helping to vision for our SOV Church Picnic, and teaching Jr. High Confirmation—along with doing pastoral care and preaching/leading worship.
This year, I also took on leadership of our Missions and Outreach Ministries. We have an awesome team of people who are passionate about connecting people to Christ in our community and throughout the world. As I hope you realize, SOV supports some incredible ministries around the world. We have been working towards building closer relationships with many of them. We even support missionaries in six different countries.
This past November, we held our first “Mission Sunday” allowing people to see and learn about many of the missions we support at Shepherd. This coming year, I look forward to building more relationships with mission focused people and groups, and finding ways that we can better meet the needs of our community.
One of the great joys of the past year has been our focus on “The Story.” I have absolutely loved preaching and teaching each of the chapters we
have completed. We have had record attendance for our Sunday morning adult education classes, which goes deeper into each chapter (you are still welcome to come attend any time!). I have enjoyed the conversations and questions that are being asked, it is so encouraging to see people diving deep into the Scripture this year. God’s word is truly powerful!
Finally, I love to talk with people and hear about what God is doing in their life—so give me a call if you want to grab a cup of coffee and talk! See you in church!
In His Grip,
Pastor Zach
Pastor’s Report
2011 was a good year at Shepherd of the Valley. With the difficulty of 2010’s separation from the ELCA and alignment with the LCMC firmly in the rear-view mirror, the church was able to re-focus on its primary mission, connecting people to Christ.
One of the blessings of being on Council is having the opportunity to get to better know the various staff members and their areas of ministry. Most months a staff person will make an informal presentation at the council meeting, outlining goals, opportunities and challenges in their areas. In addition to knowledge gained, this allows the Council to better set budget priorities, address needs, and to pray specifically for both the staff person and the ministry’s needs.
All this is to say the following: Shepherd is greatly blessed to have the staff it has! Each staff member’s giftedness in their ministry area is very evident; their dedication to fulfilling the mission of connecting people to Christ in that area even more so.
Council activities this year included refinancing the mortgage on the loan for the building. The previous loan had a balloon payment due this fall, requiring the refinancing. Through diligent efforts by Council Treasurer Brad Bowman and Church Administrator Dick Wagenknecht, the church was able to obtain a loan with a significantly lower interest rate. In addition, this new loan has a guaranteed flat interest rate for the life of its 15 year term, which gives the church cost certainty in this important area. The refinance was approved by a unanimous vote at a special meeting of the congregation in November. The loan closed in December.
Two Council mini-retreats were held in the fall. These retreats were valuable in helping to clarify the Council’s role in a large, staff-led church such as Shepherd, as well as building cohesiveness and unity among Council members. More are planned for the coming year.
Perhaps the most enjoyable task this year was participating in the
recognition of Pastor Steve Kramer’s 25th anniversary at SOV. The staff did most of the legwork and you, the members and friends of Shepherd, were wonderfully generous in providing money sufficient for a top-notch tour of the Holy Land. Equally as important, over 200 letters of thanks and appreciation were given to Pastor Steve for his faithful, dedicated service over the years. We love you, Steve!
As we look to 2012 and beyond, it appears from here that most of the pieces are in place for a period at Shepherd where many more in our communities can be connected to Christ and discipled to spiritual maturity in Him. This cannot be accomplished by pastors and staff alone, however. We all have a part. As the apostle Paul stated (1 Cor 3:6) “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” As we dedicate ourselves to telling others about what Christ has done for us, God will bring in the harvest. So let’s get planting and watering, folks, and excitedly watch God do His work!
Your brother in Christ,
Dave Pletscher
President, Church Council
Council Report
Small Group Ministry
Small groups continue to be the central focus for Adult Ministry at Shepherd of the Valley and take on a variety of forms: Bible study small groups, task groups and support groups. Staff leaders involved in these vital ministries are: Dick Wagenknecht, Jill Wurm, Debbie Hoff, Kristin Lagus, Kathy Harter and JoAnn Wert.
Bible Study Small Groups
In a small group Bible study, people get to know one another, develop care and concern, experience nurturing and accountability, share and grow in faith. Some groups meet in homes; others meet at church or in restaurants. The groups are open to anyone, both Shepherd of the Valley members as well as non-members. In fact, many of our members first came to Shepherd of the Valley after becoming part of a small group.
We held our first small group
connection event, “PluggedIn” in April, and connected over twenty people in groups for the spring small group session. During the fall session, most groups began a 31-week sermon and small group series, “The Story.” Many new groups formed for this series, and people invited friends and neighbors to participate. Our senior high small groups are also following along, and many Sunday school lessons also correspond to weekly Story lessons. We also ran a new group called “Financial Peace University” for the first time.
There have been 68 groups meeting, serving close to 700 individuals. 106 people are involved in the ministry as small group leaders or coaches. It is a privilege to work with such dedicated and talented volunteers.
Ongoing leadership training involved several Leader Huddles, Coaching Huddles and an onsite Spring Leadership Retreat. In addition, new leaders and coaches were trained.
An onsite women’s retreat was held in November at Shepherd of the Valley. Our guest was nationally known speaker and musician Kelly Minter. Two hundred and forty women attended the retreat.
Our goal for 2012 is to keep our groups healthy and strong by supporting leaders in a variety of ways. We also hope to invite more people to join us in faith-forming, life-changing small group community. Participating in a small group is a great way to meet with and share Jesus.
Thanks for the opportunity to partner with you in ministry!
Kristin Lagus
Task Group Ministry
It is a privilege to work with so many
volunteers at Shepherd of the Valley.
It blesses me to watch the
dedication and joy as people serve in
various areas. We currently have 337
people in Task Groups. Task Groups
continue to be the way that we “get
things done” while building
community within the group and
growing in faith through serving.
Many Task Groups such as greeters,
ushers, library team, nursery workers,
and communion teams serve on an
ongoing basis with their team. Other
groups such as the funeral,
landscaping, snow removal and lawn
care teams serve on an as-needed/
seasonal basis. Lastly, we have team
members from the scripture reading
and First Responding teams that sign
up to volunteer at the worship
services that work with their
schedule. We couldn’t do without all
the volunteers that make worship
services run smoothly and keep
Shepherd looking beautiful. Thank
you for all that you do!
Jill Wurm
Adult Ministry Report
Student Ministry Report
Recent research conducted by The Barna Group has found that teenagers view churches as judgmental, overprotective, exclusive and unfriendly. This outlook is believed to have caused the younger generation to leave the church in large numbers.
In spite of this, I believe that teenagers' perception of the church will change when they start reflecting God's love in unconditional ways.
The Student Ministry strives to be the ‘friendliest place in town.’ This phrase has challenged our staff and leaders to show the love of Jesus to every student that enters our doors at Shepherd and at our Senior High home groups. It has been adapted to confront the perception that the younger generation has about the Church. Due to God's favor and the adoption of this new focus, we have seen many positive areas of growth this last year.
We are pleased to say that our Jr. High Confirmation Ministry has seen its largest class of students at 100 7th graders (and counting).
Our Sr. High ministry launched a weekly gathering following Confirmation every Wednesday night. Between this new ministry and our Home Groups, we have seen nearly double the participation from a year ago!
Last summer, the students were able to participate in two mission trips. The Senior High sent a team of 14 to San Francisco, CA. The Junior High sent a team of 22 to Kansas City, MO.
Lastly, the amount of leader involvement has increased in 2011. The Student Ministry has 65 adult volunteers that give of their time and energy on a weekly basis to see students connect with Jesus. We also now have a group of Sr. High students that consistently give their time to help out with the Jr. High ministry. The volunteer’s commitment has made all the difference in the growth we have experienced in 2011.
Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do in Jesus' name!
Shepherd of the Valley has shown its continued investment in Student Ministry. Amy Jaynes and I are thrilled to have Jonathan Maley join our team after serving as a student intern during the fall quarter. He brings an incredible passion for seeing student's lives changed by God. He also possesses a wide range of abilities and gifts that will deeply enhance our ministry!
May God continue to use Shepherd to be a light in this valley!
Grace and Peace,
Sam Dittrich
Children’s Ministry Report
Children's Ministry Mission Statement:
To unite with the family in connecting kids to Christ, so they will know Him as
their Lord and Savior, seek his will for their lives, and share with others His
Good News.
As I sit down to write this, I had a mom call and ask to have her child enrolled in Sunday School. She hadn’t registered her because their schedule wasn’t going to allow them to attend this year. Her daughter kept asking when they would be going to Sunday School, and so they are making it a priority for her to begin with the start of this new year. It made my heart beam that God would use this ministry to create a hunger in a child for Him. Praise You, Lord!
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 says:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as sym-bols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
In this passage we see how important it is to God that we impress His commands on the hearts of our children. Make time to talk continually to them about what His Word says! Be creative! Use car time well. He knows how easy it is in our world of busyness and distractions to go astray.
The Children’s Ministry Mission states that we “unite with the family in connecting kids to Christ.” We know that the Children’s Team just gets to make a touch to reinforce what you are doing to bring up your child(ren) in the faith. We are here to come alongside you. We take this responsibility very seriously! It is our desire, as a team, for children to see that the most important thing in their life is their relationship with God and
their acceptance of His great gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus.
What a joy to serve in Children’s Ministry alongside so many amazing people. THANK YOU to the 250 youth and adult volunteers who served in 2011. You are making a difference in a child’s life for eternity! It is a privilege to continue working with the entire Shepherd staff and specifically with the following people who are on staff in Children’s Ministry: Dana Lochner, Children’s’ Ministry Administrative Assistant, Darla Ostrand, Children’s Ministry Assistant, Keri Aldridge, Children’s Ministry Assistant, and Tammie Proue, Special Needs Ministry Coordinator for children and youth.
I would like to thank the congregation for your continued prayers and support for Children’s Ministry! I look forward to what God has in store for 2012!
Blessings,
Christie Cotner
Treasurer’s Report
The 2012 budget was put together based upon recommendations from staff and other financial sources.
1. For 2011, envelope offering came in 4.1% higher than last year and 3.8% higher than budget for the year.
2. The 2012 budget for envelope offering was set using actual pledges and data from the previous years on giving from non-pledging individuals. Envelope giving for 2012 is budgeted to increase 9% from 2011 actual receipts.
3. Loose offerings finished $7.8k or 3% over budget for 2011. The 2012 budget was set using a three year average of giving.
4. Total general fund contributions increased over 5.5% from last year.
5. Administration costs include our annual audit, office equipment and supplies, postage and other office operating costs.
6. Building costs include the debt service (principal and interest) payments required for our loan and the cost of insurance. We are under budget in this area for 2011 due to the timing of refinancing our mortgage which did not require us to make a payment in December. Our current mortgage with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a fixed interest rate loan for 15 years at 5.375%.
7. Facilities include: utilities, repairs, maintenance, cleaning, and security. We spent $24k on repairs in 2011. The 2012 budget includes $31k for repairs and maintenance, which is a $21k increase over the 2011 Budget.
8. Benevolence for 2012 is budgeted at 11% of envelope and loose giving, plus direct pass-through gifts.
9. During 2011 we added a new youth position and increased hours of certain individuals in ministries areas and came in on budget for the year. The 2012 budget includes a 2.75% salary increase for the staff, an additional staff position, and additional hours for ministries positions.
10. We ended 2011 with excess contributions over expenses by $80K due to increased giving and expense controls exercised by the staff.
Updated: 1/19/12
2011 Actual 2011 Budget 2012 Budget
Ordinary Income/Expense
Income
General Contributions
Envelope Offering 1,451,729.98 1,398,503.00 1,582,261.00 2
Loose Offering 255,740.67 247,950.00 244,000.00 3
Special Worship Services 6,483.65 8,000.00 5,500.00
Sunday School 3,092.86 3,500.00 3,500.00
Non Designated Gifts 650.00 0.00 0.00
Total General Contributions 1,717,697.16 1,657,953.00 1,835,261.00 4
Total Other Income 4,413.97 2,500.00 2,600.00
Prior Year Giving
Total Prior Year Giving 27,524.00
Total Special Gifts 19,342.18 0.00 0.00
Total Income 1,741,453.31 1,687,977.00 1,837,861.00
Expense
Operations
Total Administration 60,577.57 65,500.00 69,000.00 5
Total Building 304,095.10 329,300.00 344,615.00 6
Total Facilities 80,229.59 77,100.00 95,800.00 7
Total Operations 444,902.26 471,900.00 509,415.00
Programs
Total Benevolence 191,910.57 176,395.00 213,200.00 8
Total Children's Ministry 20,015.94 21,075.00 21,140.00
Total Student Ministry 20,818.68 26,300.00 26,050.00
Total Worship 11,247.37 11,350.00 13,000.00
Total Programs 264,420.67 262,320.00 299,815.00
Total Payroll Expenses 952,548.29 953,757.00 1,028,631.00 9
Total Expense 1,661,871.22 1,687,977.00 1,837,861.00
Net Ordinary Income 79,582.09 10 0.00 0.00
Shepherd of the Valley Operating Budget - 2012
Benevolence Report
Mission Support (Organizations)
LCMC* $1,500 Young Life, Hastings $3,000
LCMC- Seminarian Debt Relief $5,000 Young Life, Stillwater $3,000
LCMC-Mission Restricted $1,500 St. Croix Chaplaincy $3,000
Evangelical Renewal District* $250 Christian Crusaders $1,500
Twin Cities District (LCMC)* $250
Category Total: $19,000
Mission Support (Churches)
Northgate Church* $6,000
Servant of the Shepherd* $12,000
Karen Community $81
Category Total: $18,081
Local Social Service
Valley Outreach* $6,000 St. Croix Valley Food Shelf $1,750
Valley Outreach*-Birchwood $2,000 We Do Feet $1,750
Dwelling Place $3,000 Open Door Rescue Mission $3,000
Car Care (St. Croix Valley Christians in Action) $3,000
Category Total: $20,500
Local Mission
Feed My Starving Children (FMSC)* $23,707 Habitat for Humanity $5,304
Loaves and Fishes* $5,675 Bethlehem Lutheran in the Midway $3,000
Union Gospel Mission $5,000 Christ's Children Ministries $2,500
Category Total: $45,186
National Mission
SOV Youth Mission Trips (KC and SF)* $5,256
Category Total: $5,256
Global Mission
Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries* $12,000 Crossways* $3,300
African Inland Mission $1,000 EEMN* $5,000
Haiti- COFHED $6,000 ~~TAT (EEMN) $2,500
Haiti Teen Challenge $20,000 Larry Luebben-Mission Trip $300
Honduras Mission $3,000 World Mission Prayer League $3,000
Category Total: $56,100
Special Worship Service Offering
Special Worship Services- Lutheran World Hunger $5,718
Special Worship Services-Valley Outreach $765
Category Total: $6,483
2011 Benevolence Grand Total: $170,606
Minutes of 2011 Annual Meeting
Annual Congregational Meeting: January 30, 2011
The meeting was called to order at 12:35 p.m. by Council President, Jim Jefferis. Jim opened the meeting with prayer. Jim announced that a quorum was present.
Pastor Steve led us in devotions, using the 121st chapter of Psalms, A Song of Ascents: “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” What an appropriate passage for the church of Christ. This particular Psalm is a pilgrimage Psalm, we are on a journey. As we journey together we have our ups and our downs, good times and bad times and at time the road can be bumpy. However, what we can look back on and know for sure through these experiences is that God has been faithful and watches our comings and our goings, protecting us from imploding, falling apart when we cannot agree with one another. He protects us from evil and attack as well as coming along side us as we lead as His people and serve in the world. God is Good! There is a place to look as we continue on the journey—it is to Him. The power and the glory all belongs to God. This is how we look ahead to the coming year. We are being watched and we are going to have a great year with God in our midst. Steve closed the devotion in prayer.
Pastor’s Report
2010 was a year of numerous changes and we have weathered those changes. It has been quite a year as we have moved into a new denomination. However, there are a lot of good stories to go along with the changes. We have connected ourselves to the LCMC, which we believe will be a movement to allow the Holy Spirit to move in this land and across the globe and we are pleased to be a part of that. Last year we talked about empowering our youth ministry, and making it a goal to focus on youth. We are happy to say that we have made some great strides in that area this year. We are so proud to have two champions working with our kids; Sam Dittrich and Amy Jaynes. The ministry is growing, kids are enjoying it and attending regularly, and it is a program we can brag about.
We have also had a great year in the area of serving and had lots and lots of people involved in serving in our community and around the world. I want us to continue to grow in that area and have an outward look, being concerned with not only what goes on inside here, but what is happening out there, ultimately that is all that matters—getting people to meet Jesus. Rick Warren, from a previous Purpose Driven Conference had once said “we sometimes worry about the church and want to keep the numbers, asking ourselves; are we growing, are we shrinking, are we plateauing? We judge that by worship attendance. You can’t judge the strength of the church or God’s Army by who is showing up at the mess hall, you can only judge the strength by how many soldiers are in the trenches or by how many people are not typically in on a Sunday morning, but are in the community with a passion to do something in the name of Jesus.
Instead of talking about the past, I want to share my dreams for the congregation this year. My dream is that we have every confirmed member of this church participate in at least one outreach activity. I am excited about getting everyone involved in outreach activities and being concerned with what is going on outside of our midst. I believe that is a church at its best. The second thing I am dreaming about for this church, is that we do not continue to be a church that is prayerless. My goal is to set up prayer teams that will walk neighborhoods and begin to claim them for Christ like the Lighthouse Movement. My third dream and goal for this year is bringing in a day long evangelism and faith sharing workshop led by Evangelism Explosion. I would like to open this up to our congregation and neighboring churches in the community. I encourage everyone to learn more about how to share the gospel and the importance of the task of talking up Jesus. We cannot wait around for people to show up, we need to meet people out there right where they are.
Minutes (cont.)
This year we are going to get fired up again and passionate about lost people. In 2011, we are not going to focus on what we are against, but have a heart for God and lost people. As an ongoing tradition here at Shepherd of the Valley, we are going to place roses on the altar as people ask Christ into their lives. May there be a lot of roses on the altar this year.
Annual Meeting
Jim Jefferis called for the business of the Annual Meeting to proceed. A motion was made to approve the minutes of the 2010 Annual Congregational Meeting and two Special Meetings was made by Steve Kramer and the motion was seconded by Rob Stevenson. The 2010 Minutes were approved.
Nominating Committee Report
Dave Kell gave the Nominating Committee Report. The committee was made up of the members elected at last year’s meet-ing; Mary Reed, Derek Olson, Pastor Steve and Dave Kell. Dave explained the selection and voting process as well as the purpose of the nominating committee. The committee is a group of selected individuals charged with the task of coming up with names to fill the open council positions as well as a slate of people to fill the spots for next years nominating committee through prayer and discussion. Ahead of time the congregation has an opportunity to submit names as well. The committee gets together to decide what traits they are looking for: spiritual maturity, integrity and good character; leadership, team players and mission focused. Shepherd of the Valley is fortunate to have many excellent candidates throughout this congregation. The committee came up with two candidates for the open council positions that will be affirmed today: Cathy Colman and Michael Faust. They will serve a three-year term and commence in May of 2011. The committee also selected six candidates for the nominating committee, three of which present members will vote on today. The candidates are: Tom Asenbrenner, Bob Braun, Kathy Buchholz, Carol Entwistle, Sharon Huntley, and Nancy Fesler.
Two positions are vacating from the council in May: Jim Jefferis and Nancy Bode. Jim asked for ballots to be passed out and voting took place to affirm the slate of two council members. Motion made, seconded and passed. Members were asked to vote for three of the six candidates for the Nominating Committee. Voting took place and ballots collected. The results will be announced in the upcoming bulletins.
Ballots were closed. Jim asked for a motion to ratify the slate of four council positions. Motion made by Dave Kell seconded by Steve Kramer,. Motion was passed.
Treasurer’s Report
Brad Bowman gave the Treasurer’s Report. Many thanks to the hard work and preparation by Mary Asenbrenner, Joann Wert, and Tracy Fritze. Giving in 2010 was 10% higher than in 2009 and on budget, considering a plat-eau in attendance and all of the major changes we went through in 2010. The 2011 budget was set based on an average of 3 years of pledges and previous giving from non-pledgers. Envelope giving is expected to remain flat for 2011. Loose offer-ings finished $9.6k or 4% under budget for 2010. Sunday services were cancelled due to extreme weather in December of 2010 that contributed to lower than expected loose offerings. Total general fund contributions increased over 5% from last year. Our cash on hand at year-end was $243k, of which $28k is in the endowment fund and $2k is restricted, leaving $213k for general reserves. The council has recommended using $29k of the general reserve on ministries in outreach in 2011. In 2010, payroll expenses were $11k under budget primarily due to open positions. The 2011 budget includes a new youth position, additional hours for certain staff members, and a 3% increase in salary for the staff. We ended 2010 with excess contributions over expenses by $76k due to expense controls exercised by the staff. We have collected approximately $1,863,000 in building pledges through 2010 or about 93%of the pledged amount. The capital campaign ended in May of 2009. However, we continued to receive contributions this year totaling $53.5K. All future contributions received will be used for debt service. Our loan balance at year-end was $3,533,000.
Special Congregational Meeting: November 20, 2011
The Special Meeting of the Shepherd of the Valley congregation was called to order at noon on Sunday, November 20, 2011 by Dave Pletscher, President of the church council. The meeting was opened in prayer by Pastor Steve Kramer. 104 mem-bers attended the meeting which exceeded our requirement of 75 members to reach quorum for a vote.
Brad Bowman, council Treasurer explained the proposal to be voted on to refinance our church mortgage with Thrivent Fi-nancial. Brad reviewed the process followed to investigate mortgage options and that the option selected was the lowest cost over the term of the mortgage while providing flexibility for the church. The proposal to be voted on is to finance up to $3.5 million for no longer than 20 years at 5.375%. The intent is to amortize the mortgage over 15 years. The agreement allows us to re-amortize annually and includes an option to borrow additional funds on a short-term basis in the event we had a large maintenance cost like a new roof in the future.
Brad entertained and answered several questions from the congregation. Following the question and answer time the vote was made and ballots were collected by church council and staff members.
A motion was made to adjourn the meeting by Fred Entwistle, a second was made by Paul Schoonover, and the meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m.
Votes were totaled and the proposal passed with 104 "yes" and 0 votes "non."
Minutes respectfully submitted by Cathy Colman, church council member.
(Minutes subject to approval at the 2012 Annual Congregational Meeting)
Minutes (cont.)
An important note is that 28% of our budget consists of running the facility and administrations, while the other 72% consists of the total ministry of Shepherd of the Valley.
Jim Jefferis asked for a motion to approve the 2010 budget. Motion was made by Fred Entwistle and seconded by Charlie Hoff. Motion was approved.
Jim Jefferis asked for any additional business from the floor. There was none.
In his closing remarks Jim reported that he is finishing his term as council president and thanked the pastors; Steve and Zach, staff, volunteers and leadership for their dedication and devotion to God and secondly to the congregations, for their leadership.
Jim asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion was made by Brad Bowman and seconded by Fred Entwistle. The meeting adjourned at 1:05 p.m.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Colleen Krohn, Office Manager.
(Minutes subject to approval at the 2012 Annual Congregational Meeting)
Minutes of 2011 Special Meeting
Annual Meeting Agenda
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church - Annual Meeting Agenda January 29, 2012
12:30 p.m.
Call to Order
Opening Prayer
Pastor’s Devotional
Pastor’s Report
Approve Minutes of 2011 Annual Meeting
Nominating Committee Report - Ballot Distribution
Treasurer’s Report - 2012 Budget
Other Business
Closing Prayer