“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

Summer of Stories

"Ugh," the pastor said with a smirk. "Give me facts and figures, not stories."

I was leading a workshop for ELCA congregations interested in doing new things in their contexts, and this pastor (a longtime friend from seminary) was responding to my invitation to tell a stewardship story. He knew his words would get me going, which was why he said them, playing devil's advocate.

"Facts and figures don't tell the deep truth about a thing," I responded, picking up on the opportunity he had placed before me. "Look at this building." I gestured toward an imaginary structure. "Now, it's a building on a corner. But what happens when I say that it's my home?" Folks nodded, understanding the difference between the two images. "Now, what if I went further and said that this is where I'm raising my babies?"

Eyes widened and softened.

"The fact," I went on, "is that this is a building where I happen to live. But when I talk about what I do there, how I'm raising my family there, making a life there, that's the story that tells the deeper truth that a dry fact can't capture."

They got it.

So much about stewardship has to do with the stories that surround our mission, the "why" more than the "what" of our life together as a congregation and as a whole church. When we say that we have to “keep the building running” or "buy a new HVAC system," we're conveying facts, but we're not telling the truth.

The truth is that our communal spaces are ministry outposts in our neighborhoods, places where the faith is incubated to be shared. The HVAC systems that seem to perpetually need replacing in most of our spaces aren't to cool the sanctuary but to provide a safe place to learn and grow, the kind of comfortable environment necessary to hear the good news of Jesus Christ without distraction.

Tell the deep truth about your work and ministry, beloved. Facts can't bear the weight of the work you do.

This summer I encourage you to think about what you're doing as a community and, at least once a month, to capture a story, a deep-truth moment, and share it with your assembly in a newsletter, in a social media post, in the bulletin or sometime during worship. These little summer stewardship stories contain deep-truth messages about who Jesus is calling you to be, and they encourage generous, heartfelt responses. Make this a summer of stories.

Summer story blessings.

Pax,

Tim Brown

ELCA Director for Congregational Stewardship

A Time of Renewal

At the 2022 Churchwide Assembly, the decision was taken to establish a Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church to “reconsider the statements of purpose for each of the expressions of this church, the principles of its organizational structure, and all matters pertaining thereunto, being particularly attentive to our shared commitment to dismantle racism.” This is no small task!

The Commission for a New Lutheran Church that led to the formation of the ELCA completed its work 35 years ago—before TikTok, smartphones, and telemedicine. Even MTV was relatively new. The world has changed a lot since then, so perhaps it is time to take a look at our statements of purpose and principles of organizational structure.

Please click the purple-colored button below to read the full story.

New Church Directories have been published and are located on the credenza in the Narthex. Please help yourself!

Please mark May 31st on your calendar. It is a Wednesday. On that day The Quilters are hosting a blanket-making party. The blankets are the fleece ones that you tie together.

The blankets will be donated to Camp Noah in Kentucky. This camp is for children who have been impacted by various natural disasters.

The fleece for the blankets can be purchased at JoAnn Fabric. You will need to buy 2 yards of two coordinating pieces of fleece. They also have pre-packaged blanket kits you can buy. You may also donate money to The Quilters for this project.

It looks to be a fun evening, and we look forward to seeing you there.

P.S. Please bring your own scissors, but not the really good ones.

--Dee Ann Daniels & The Quilting Group

Are you ready to fire up your grills this weekend? What if you could only afford the hot dogs and buns? 212 families visited the Samaritan Love pantry in April which we help support. Of that number, 41 were new visitors and 639 individuals. At this time our pantry needs cereal, canned meats, canned pasta, and all varieties of soap to be ready to move on. As we prepare for our holiday gatherings let's remember those folks less fortunate and help get Christ's Cupboard ready to assist our Kokomo neighbors.

--Nancy Macaluso

Pentecost Reading for Six Readers

This Pentecost reading, from the second Chapter of Acts, is arranged for six readers. Its purpose is to bathe the sanctuary in the sounds of language, as in Acts 2:1-6.

The reading is done this way: the first time through, the first reader reads the entire passage in English. The second time through each person will read a verse in the same order but their assigned different language. The third time through everyone will read their entire passage all at the same time, with each speaking in his or her own language. The first read-through will sound coherent. The second time through will be slightly incoherent, and the last time will sound like babbling. Don’t worry, that’s the point. The reading is concluded in English.

Readers: Mona Swinehart (English); Steph Edwards (French); Nate Moore (German);

Herb Stahlke (Greek); Lucas Bowley (Latin); Molly Lewis (Spanish)

President: Dee Ann Daniels (2024)

e: [email protected] | c: (574) 702-1921

Vice President: Jill Howell (2025)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 860-7949

Secretary: Amy Russell (2025)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 480-4241

Dan Macaluso (2023)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 438-9385

Elaine Newman (2023)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 437-2954

Rudy Obermeyer (2025)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 480-5871

Nadine Owens (2023)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 860-1441

Financial Secretary: Bob Howell (appointed)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 860-8446

Treasurer: Peter Kane (appointed)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 513-5075

Rev. Sharon Walker (ex officio)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 427-4618

The Church Council Members and Parish Staff would be happy to talk with you at any time regarding Christ Lutheran Church and its mission in the world.

Christ Speaks, We Listen, We Share

Please click the purple-colored button below for the Worship Assistant Schedule for May. If you are unable to serve, please obtain a substitute and notify the church office. Thanks!

Do you like seeing the beautiful flowers on the Altar each Sunday? If so, we need you to sign-up today! There are many weeks remaining this year that need a sponsor. The flower cost is $20 per vase or two for $40. Two people may sign-up on a Sunday if you would like to share the cost. Please sign-up today!

Please note that we will not have flowers adorning the Altar if there is no sponsor for a particular week.

The 2023 flower chart has arrived and is hanging in the Narthex. The flower cost is $20 per vase or two for $40. Please sign-up today. Eternal Candles remain at $18 per month.

There is a 2023 calendar located on the counter in the Office Work Room. Please list events, meetings, etc., on this calendar so that scheduling of events can take place and conflicts do not occur. You will notice a "red" checkmark beside the events to indicate that they have been transferred to Tom's calendar as well as the churchwide calendar. Thank you for your assistance.

Christ Lutheran Church

3401 S. Dixon Road

Kokomo, IN 46902

Phone: 765.453.6183

Pastor's Cell: 765.427.4618

christlutherankokomo.org