With God's Hope~Our Journey Continues...

On October 31,2007 we received our Occupancy Certificate!

It took twenty months of hard work. We are now able to move forward with the clouds of frustration removed. This is a huge step for us and we can all celebrate this gift that will challenge us in new ways. You all may feel proud of this accomplishment as there will be no more inspections to pass. Only the mission and vision for the future lies before us.

What a glorious way to move into November, the month of Thanksgiving. We indeed have much to be thankful for. In November we usually make new commitments for the coming year. This year we are able to look forward with new vision! We will not be sending out pledge cards and commitment sheets because we want to plan for the next capital campaign for 2008. Some Executive Committee members have been meeting to vision for the future. We are challenged by our financial commitments-new mortgage and ministry programs. Please carefully look at our Treasurers report to understand our challenges. We have now made two mortgage payments of $11,531.00 and we are asking each of us to prayerfully consider how we can help each other meet these challenges. We need each others support with our time, talents, and fmances more than ever. We knew this wasn't going to be easy and now is the challenging moment.

As we prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas, may we all consider how we can share the opportunities that we have to allow our God to lead us with vision and hope into the future. Thanks for your support during the past twenty months as this hasn't been fun or easy for all of us. Now the fun and excitement begins. Pray that we all might come together to meet the future with JOY!

Contents include:

~ Dedication Service – May 27th, 2007
~ God's Hope ~ Our Journey - Year in Review – Construction Start to Finish
~ Original GHOJ Capital Campaign Video

Order your copy Today! Here's how:

1. Send e-mail to mike_skaff@msn.com with Subject 'Atonement DVD Order'. Please include your name, address, Phone Number and e-mail address

or

2. Sign-up Sheet located in the Narthex.

Since my wife and I both work in full time ministry in two different parishes, we have lots of conversations about church life. Lucky us! In one of our recent conversations, we both agreed that one of the things we’d love to change is the language we use in our churches about “volunteers”. If a congregation is one expression of the larger Body of Christ, then giving time to the life of your congregation is not about volunteering – it’s about participating.

This difference may seem subtle, but it’s incredibly significant. Think about it. One definition of “volunteer” in the dictionary is as “one who renders a service or takes part in a transaction while having no legal concern or interest.” One usually volunteers for an organization. While you may believe in the organization’s goals or cause, there’s still some distance between you and the organization. You can easily volunteer for an organization without having a vested interest, without really being part of it, without really belonging.

Too often we think of the church as an organization, and on one level, it is. However, at its core, the church is not an organization – it’s a community. Better said, the church is a family. One does not volunteer for one’s family –one participates in it!

We have entered into our new worship space. We’ll do so not as an organization, but as a family. As family, there will be plenty of opportunities – new and old – to help out, especially as our new space continues to deepen and broaden our vision for mission and ministry together. What we need in this new chapter of our life together is not more volunteers – we need participants! As participants, we have a vested interest in our life together because we realize we belong here. In this family, everyone’s gifts are valued and necessary!

The next time you see a need expressed in our church, I hope you’ll consider not volunteering, but participating. You can be sure the rest of the family will appreciate you sharing your gifts!

God's Peace!
Pastor Jim

The Resurrection of our Lord is a powerful promise of new life and constant hope for us. In the midst of the long journey that we have been on with this new sanctuary (that has gone much longer than normal) the need for strength in the Resurrection of our Lord becomes even more important for us. There have been many bumps in the road and we will struggle to be ready by April 29th for dedication. However, we are making every effort to reach that important day. Pray for the workers and pray for the difficulties to be solved so that the last weeks of this project may go more smoothly. The reason we are a church that follows Jesus Christ and the reason we are making new room those who aren’t here yet, is to share this powerful message of passion and hope that our Lord brings to all in this Easter celebration. Pray that all of us will be moved to come to worship during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday to remember what our God has given to us for our daily strength.

We finally have parking! Parking lot lights will be installed soon. Sidewalks will be completed soon to the entryway. The sound system is installed and will be fine-tuned and training will begin on how to operate it. The pews, altar, pulpit, lectern, organ, and baptism font will not be moved until after Easter. We still have a fire alarm and a retaining wall problem that is a big concern. Landscaping will not be completed until later. April 29th will be difficult but every effort is being made to dedicate that day. Pray that all will come together smoothly. This has been a difficult project and hopefully it will be completed soon. Pray that there will only be rain to water the earth this month!

Pray that the new life promised in the Resurrection will fill us all with courage to share the compassion and strength that our God promises to us in our baptism and the celebration of Holy Communion. Even if we aren’t certain of how all will come together, we know that our Lord is constantly reaching out to us with streams of joy and gladness in the gift of new life even when we struggle. Come, let us sing together, “Jesus Christ is Risen today! Alleluia!”

Easter is a celebration of what can happen when we find ourselves connected to a God whose presence in and among us has the power to bring life from death, light from darkness, hope from despair. Easter is a celebration of new possibility! How fitting then, that we find ourselves dedicating our new worship space during this seven week Easter season!

The completion of our new worship space represents the realization of a vision for our congregation – a vision that we discerned quite a few years ago. Now as we move into the future, it’s a good time to ask ourselves what new visions God’s Spirit may be planting in our hearts and minds.

As a way of exploring the new possibilities that lie before us in light of our new worship space, we are inviting everyone in the congregation to participate in an Easter Season Dedication Exercise. Beginning on Easter Sunday, you may pick up a piece of paper with circle and cross, representing the shape of our sanctuary’s new windows. Inside the four quadrants of the circle you are invited to write words or draw images that represent “God’s Vision for our Atonement Family”.

Note that what we’re asking for is not your vision for our Atonement family but God’s. While that may seem a bit presumptuous at first, it’s my fervent belief that it is precisely through each of us that God’s Spirit is alive and at work in the world. And so as we each pray and mediate on this question of a vision for our future and then look faithfully together at what comes forth, what will come into focus slowly but surely can fairly be called God’s vision for us!

We ask that you bring your completed Easter Season Dedication Exercise back to church on the morning of Sunday, April 29 so that we may display them for our Dedication Service that afternoon at 3:00 PM. From there they will go into the hands of our church council leadership as we begin to discern the particular shapes and textures of God’s Vision for our Atonement Family!

The painting is done and carpet is laid. The fire alarm is in place and the sound system will soon be installed. The shingles are on the roof and final touches are being done. The new fire alarm system was merged into the old one. All the electrical panels in the old building are hot and the new transformer is operating. That alone is a meracle! We have been without power several times in that transition. We just need warm weather and no snow to thaw out the ground so that the parking lot and entry can be completed! There are six to eight weeks of parking lot work to be done when they finally get to it. They have been digging dirt out to thaw it and putting it back with warmer material. It isn't funny, but it is snowing again. That only sets us back further. Please be patient! We will get there! Lent is here and spring is the process of bringing us new llife! We will dedicate this new sanctuary sometime, but that date is unknown at this writing. There indeed will be a Resurrection!

Pray that we will all be patient and compassionate as we navigate through all these times and pray that the excitement will grow among us as we get ready to celebrate Easter and the new life our Lord by grace continues to give to us.