Endings and Beginnings

Pastor’s Pen, December 2024

December is a time of transition for Christians. The new liturgical year has just started with the beginning of Advent. We look forward to the arrival of the newborn babe in the manger as a time of fresh starts, of new beginnings. We wait with hope for the child promised to us—the child who will make all things new. We wait in wonder and anticipation; we already know much about what and who we are waiting for, and yet we anticipate His coming each year as if it will change everything. We are a hopeful people, trusting that God will provide.

Here at Peace Lutheran we are trusting that God will provide as well. It’s no secret that, in some ways, Peace is not the church it used to be. We don’t have as many members, we don’t have as many children.  Giving is down, yet the building still needs to be heated and lit. Staff need to be paid. We are extremely fortunate here at Peace that we have a number of people who are willing to do things for the church without pay—things that are paid positions at other churches—giving their time and talents to Peace. But we still have expenses to meet.

As the year ends and the Council budgets for 2025, we have concerns. We recently had to take $20,000 out of a CD to meet operating expenses for this year. We can keep doing that for a few more years, but not forever. So in this season of giving, we are asking you to reflect on your giving to Peace Lutheran. If you already contribute, are you able to increase your contribution a bit? If you have not contributed recently, but Peace is still important to you, would you consider contributing again? The health of a church depends, at least in part, on the giving of its members.

Yet not everything is bleak. Peace is still a vital congregation, full of life and committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are ramping up our attempts at community engagement, trying harder to let people know we are here and to interest them in checking us out. We have held well-attended movie nights in October and November, where most of those who came were not members of Peace. We have started Thankful Thursdays, a coffee, donuts, and conversation time on Thursday mornings from 9-11 AM which is open to the community. True, Thankful Thursdays have been slow to gain traction, but we have to start somewhere. We’ll stick with it into the new year until the weather is better and see how it goes.

We are not just sitting around hoping people will come through our doors on Sunday mornings. We are actively trying to make ourselves known as a welcoming, friendly community of believers. We’re not thinking about endings, we’re thinking about beginnings. Just as the arrival of the Christ child heralds a new beginning for all of us, we are trying to make 2025 a new beginning for Peace. We have our 25 year anniversary as an incorporated congregation coming up in 2026, and we look forward to celebrating that as a vital force of ministry in our community. We invite you to be a part of that, by working towards the success of Peace Lutheran as we plant seeds for the future.

Wishing you a blessed and joyous Christmas, I remain,

Pastor Shawn Brooks, Peace Lutheran Church