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The Last Day of the Year
When the newspapers post articles of the most importance in the past year –
memorable news stories, the best persons, biggest regrets, forecasts for the coming
year. On and on.
For me, this is a time to look back and be grateful for all that has taken place, those
feared tragedies that were averted, the grace of people in response to mistakes or loss,
the kindnesses that often go unnoticed or unappreciated.
For me, this year began with hope, swelled in the middle with promise, and ended with
possibilities. I am thankful for a congregation council that has been supportive of efforts
to widen our welcome, deepen our devotion, and expand our education. They have
dealt with great difficulty in some of our record keeping and reporting. And while we
“lost” our playschool, there was always a sense of what new things we could do now
that the need for early childhood education was being addressed elsewhere. The
council and the congregation (and friends) were very supportive of keeping our
playschool staff paid during the drawdown period last spring. That says a lot about who
we are as followers of Jesus.
This summer was rather busy – both here at Good Shepherd and for me personally.
Putting together a Vacation Bible School in the midst of a lot of “unknowns” turned out to
be a rewarding effort – one to build on for the coming year. We elected a new synod
bishop and a new synod staff is being formed. The political strife has created a need for
calm, patient, faithful response and rhetoric in order to be helpful rather than divisive.
Getting a “new” knee was a major factor in my mobility this summer as well, and I am
thankful that the process has been surprisingly smooth.
The staff here has gone through some transition, but it has been a group of folks who
have been a pleasure to work with. Their dedication and tireless effort have made my
ministry possible.
Thanks to staff members Bonnie MacHenry, Kim Hughes, Paddy Sutherlin, Deidre
Howard, and Sara Coolbaugh. Thanks to council members Rob Mach, Paddy Sutherlin,
Carter Buschman, Marit Majeske, Lindsay Davis, Nikki Nelson and Gregory Blakely.
Special thanks to Lindsay Davis, who on the resignation of our Treasurer and Business
Manager, took on the task of organizing our bookkeeping and payroll, working to
transition to an outside firm that will take over the payroll and basic bookkeeping all
while making sure the staff got paychecks, bills were paid, a new spending plan for
2026 was created and just being so essential in her integrity and initiative. If you see
her, please let her know how much her love for this congregation and its ministries is
appreciated.
May each of you have a happy beginning to the new year and dreams of the great
things God has in store for us.
Shalom.
Pr. Mark
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