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Council met this past week. We spent some dedicated time looking through our new Three-Year Strategic Plan; please check it out if you have a few minutes. You will see that we have lots of items to work on, especially around the area of Welcoming.
As part of our Strategic Plan, you may have noticed that we made a few changes to our Narthex/Entry area. Even though the space is a bit smaller than would be ideal, we have tried to simplify the design to make it as open and inviting as possible with a focus on helping first-time guests feel welcome (and not crowded).
I will make a special plug here for the need for more Ushers and Greeters on Sunday morning. We can always use more folks, and we are looking forward to having a training for both of those roles in the coming months. Ideally we need two ushers and two greeters each Sunday.
In order to create that extra space, we have moved a few things into the back of the Sanctuary. We now have a new Little Lutheran’s Corner in the back. There are children's bulletins, books and other items just for young kids! And what is great about having this in the Sanctuary is that if children need to get more things during church, they don’t have to exit, which I know parents appreciate.
We have also moved the usher table into the back of the sanctuary near the center door. On that table we have extra bulletins along with the Offering Box. Over time we will look into getting a new furniture piece with more internal storage.
And finally, we created a new Prayer Area in the other back corner of the sanctuary. There is currently a table which holds the Grace Prayer List, the blue prayer request cards and a basket to place them in. The plan will be to develop a whole Prayer Station in this area. Also, right now, we have our Book of Saints there. As a reminder, we will have the Book of Saints out this Sunday and before worship next Sunday.
And one final note about the space in the back of the Sanctuary. After some great conversation and discernment, the Council and Property Committee have agreed to a new plan to reconfigure the pews in the back of the Sanctuary to make it more accommodating for those with limited mobility, and also create more space in the back for our Little Lutherans and Prayer areas. The final plan, which we will get started on in the coming weeks will be to remove the last pew (and chairs). The new last pew will be shortened to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. I am excited about this project as it will bring to a conclusion what we started back on Easter Sunday.
I hope to see you on Sunday for Reformation (remember to wear red if you would like)!
In Grace,
Pastor Steve
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