Volume 33 Issue 2

February 2016

Lake Edge Lutheran ChurchELCA

From Light to LentBy Pastor Stephen Marsh

The world of nature moves in rhythms, patterns, and cycles—the passing of the seasons, the movement of the stars, the ebb and flow of the tides. The seasons do not push one another; neither do clouds race the wind across the sky. All things happen in their own good time—rising and falling and ris-ing like ocean waves, in the circles of time. (Dan Millman, “The Laws of Spirit”)

One of the most important phrases I have learned in my life is the phrase “this too shall pass.” I first encoun-tered this phrase in a cultural con-text, as the elders in my life passed down wisdom that was born out of a his-story and a her-story of their heartaches, joys, and journeys. I next encountered this phrase in my philo-sophical studies; but in the hands of many whose aim was strictly ethere-al, the phrase began to feel like it was just blowing in the wind.

My next conscious encounter with the phrase “this too shall pass” was on a recent spiritual journey that convinced me that the deepest and most concrete way that I could un-derstand that phrase was by look-ing at it through a spiritual lens. Be-cause what I discovered is that the design behind the phrase “this too shall pass” is a spiritual law of the universe that is as real as the law of gravity and as constant as the turn-ing of the heavens. And just as with the law of gravity and the turning of the heavens, we live out the mystery of our existence bound by these spir-itual laws that we don’t often think about because—like breathing in and out—they just are, and they just happen, and we just live in the reality

of it all. The passing of time, as well as the passing of all of the joys and sorrows that time brings, just keeps on keeping on.

One of the ways we keep track of the passing of time is through acknowl-edging the seasons of time. There are seasons we can experience more with our physical senses—like the seasons of the year, or the seasons of life. There are also seasons that we experience more with our spiri-tual senses—like the seasons of life (which I believe we experience with all of our senses) and the seasons of the church year. Our life together as a community of faith ebbs and flows with all of our seasons, from our birth and baptism to our death and resur-rection.

Since our joyous and sacred Christ-mas Eve worship, we have been cel-ebrating the resplendent Light of the World who is Jesus the Christ, shining brightly as Emmanuel—God with us—in the midst of our lives and circumstances. Jesus himself was born into humble circumstances, to the family of an oppressed people, and was anointed by the Spirit of the Living God to bring justice, love and peace to the oppressed as well as to the oppressor, and to announce to everyone the year of the Lord’s favor—a year that literally happens with each passing day!

In this month of February, the ebb and flow of the rhythms of our liturgi-cal seasons take us from light to Lent; from the season of the Epiphany to the season of the Passion. But the re-splendence and presence of the light

of Jesus in our lives does not dim as we pass from one season to the next, nor does the power of his anointing by the Spirit. On the contrary, as the season of Lent unfolds, the light in our lives can shine even brighter as our relationship to God through Je-sus Christ grows stronger, and as the power of our own spiritual anointing seeks to take hold of us, and to man-ifest itself in love for others and for the world that we share.

Our theme throughout this season of Lent will explore the issues surround-ing hunger, as well as the hunger that surrounds us in many ways that is right in the midst of the communi-ties in which we live and seek to do ministry. We will share Bible study and worship with some of our neigh-borhood church partners, and seek to add some action to our under-standing of living in the light—even in the season of Lent.

Please join us for midweek afternoon Bible study, midweek evening wor-ship, and Sunday worship and fel-lowship as you are able during this season of the Passion. Because this season too shall pass . . . but not the reason for the season!

Pastor Katya and I look forward to greeting you and worshipping our God together with you.

In Faith and Struggle,Pastor Stephen

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In Our PrayersIn our prayers for comfort and healing are with: • those who celebrate• those who grieve, including the family of

Bob Deist, the family of Mary Zimmerman and the family of Marie Jerred

• those who are ill, hospitalized, recovering, or who are in special need • of a healing touch from God, including Diane Meadowcroft, Donald

Meisel, Dora Gugger, John & Marlene Sundin, Joel Kaphengst, Doris Norgord, Gloria Goodrich, Jill Holland-Nash, Kathy Hanson, Nancy Schultz, Lynn McConnell, Tina Miller, Gene Anderson, Jack Galloway, Sarah Lasee, Gloria Jones-Bay, Audrey Simonson, Wes Stiemke, Kenneth Davidson, Judy Kollath, Erik Jelinek, Christine Thompson, Gene Arndt, Tina Paulson, Jim Gilbert, Glenn Bragstad, Joyce Narveson, Albert Singer, Bill Bruns, Dean Phillips, Ruth Jackson, Kyle Freeland, Terry Gudmandsen,Virgil Mellum, Bruce Burnside, and the family of Maureen Mengelt;

• our neighborhood church partners: Lake Edge United Church of Christ, Messiah Lutheran Church, St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church, Monona United Methodist Church, and Lake View Moravian Church;

• our synod and national church staff; our sister congregation, Cristo Rey, El Salvador, and our companion synods, The Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church in India and the Caribbean Synod of the ELCA.

Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 am-4:30 pm Fri. 8:30 am-12:00 pm

Office Hours

Lake Edge Lutheran Church4032 Monona Dr. Madison, WI 53716

(608) 222-7339 • lelc.org

The People of Lake Edge

Stephen Marsh smarsh@lelc.org cell: 608-443-8786 Katya Ouchakof kouchakof@lelc.org cell: 608-616-5075

Amanda McCullough amccullough@lelc.org

Christine Anderson communications@lelc.org

Patrick Christians

Jay Wolf

Jesus E. Siles Brondo & Elvira Alvarez Munguia

Memorial GardenIn the Septem-ber Dialogue, we shared that state legislation regard-ing churches and columbaria or Me-morial Gardens on church property

was being considered. On November 28, an article in the Wisconsin State Journal indicated that this had been passed and signed by the governor. It is nice to have this legislation to formally support this ministry that has been in place at Lake Edge since 2004.

Recently Dorothy Traisman shared a family story that ful-ly illustrates the meaning of having a Columbarium on church property. Her husband Ed was interred here in 2008. November 25 would have been Ed’s 100th birth-day and the family used this occasion to come to the Me-morial Garden to remember and celebrate his life.

To learn more about the theology of burial and crema-tion, the history of the Memorial Garden at Lake Edge, and the practical “nuts and bolts” of this ministry, come to the Adult Forum scheduled on February 14, 2016.

Ministers

Pastors

Office & Finance Manager

Communications

Manager

Music Director

Organist

Custodians

New Software for Heating & CoolingAs your Finance and Property Liaison, I am appealing to all Lake Edge Lutheran Church members for contribu-tions to be put toward the new computer software that will control the heating and cooling of the church. The current software is now ten years old. It needs to be up-dated to help our heating and cooling system run as ef-ficiently as it should, minimize the chance of premature failure of our three boilers, and protect our expensive pipe organ and grand piano. The new software will pro-vide a more even temperature in the various designated heating and cooling zones of the church and reduce our heating and cooling costs over time.

To-date combined Thrivent dollar donations of $2,000 plus a Gift Committee pledge of $4,000 have already been made and are greatly appreciated. This leaves an additional $7,775 as the remaining balance to be paid in 2016. The church needs your help to cover the remaining $7,775 balance. We want to begin the work to install the new software sometime after mid-December 2015. You can use Thrivent dollars toward this purchase or make cash contributions to help offset the remaining balance. I appreciate your help and thank you for your generosity. If you have any questions, please contact Jonathan Pike (332-4371). Again, thank you for your support.

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Did You Know?Every year since 2008, the number of hungry or food insecure people in the country has hovered between 48 and 50 million. Here in the state of Wisconsin, around 15% of the population go hungry or are food insecure.

Thank You for Your DonationsTo the People of Lake Edge,I hope this note finds you all healthy, well and warm as we begin the New Year! I want to thank you for your generous support of the Jail Ministry this winter. When I sent out a message asking for donations I had no ex-pectations in mind. I was simply hopeful that we would receive some donations. Through your support, along with the support of other local faith communities, the jail ministry received the following donations in the final two weeks of December: 5 boxes of tissue, 9 decks of cards, 10 sketch pads, 15 packs of colored pencils, 16 pairs of reading glass-es, 18 sets of thermals, 30 calendars, 53 pairs of under-wear, 63 composition books, 65 undershirts, 75 Scarves, 98 Winter Coats, 100 stamps or stamped envelopes, 122 Pairs of Gloves, 150 Hats, 200 pairs of socks, 250 pencils, Hundreds of books and 1670 Christmas Cards!Needless to say, I was overwhelmed by your generosity! And the men and women were touched by your kind-ness. As I passed out supplies, I felt a bit like St Nicholas, filing stockings with Christmas cheer. Christmas in jail can be an exceptionally lonely time. Many people feel forgotten and disposable around the holidays. Despite the reality of their situations, they were able to experience a bit of the joy and peace which de-fines Christmas. As I passed out the cards, the men were excited but confused. “Is this from you?” and “Do you want me to give this to someone else?” were the ques-tions I most often heard. “It’s for you,” I would say. “Some-one whom you don’t know wrote it for you.” They would look at me curiously, to which I would reply, “You are not forgotten. There are hundreds of people in our commu-nity who are thinking of you, praying for you and work-ing to make this a more just system. This card is from them. Merry Christmas.” Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Chaplain Christa Fisher

Synod Office Has Moved! After more than 15 years, the synod office has moved to the Clock Tower Office Park, 6401 Odana Rd., Suite 20; Madison, WI 53719. Our phone numbers and email addresses remain the same. The move results in an annual savings of nearly $35,000.

MOSES/ Wisdom's 2016 EmphasisIn 2016, the focus will continue to be on incarceration injustices throughout the state. It is called ROC (Restore Our Communities).At the beginning of this new year, we pray:God of healing and restoration:For all who are caught up in the criminal justice system, those in our jails and prisons, and for their families, that they will know healing and restoration;For those with the difficult duties of corrections officers and parole officers, that they will be able to be agents of healing and restoration;For political leaders and all citizens, that they will de-mand and create a just, humane criminal justice system.God of all, restore our people and restore our communi-ties. Amen.

Building Bridges: Creating Connections to Address the Racial Divide in MadisonLake Edge has received a $20,000 grant to address racial disparity in Madison. We have partnered with Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church and we will share many activ-ities and opportunities. One of the requirements of the grant is that we meet the objectives stated in the grant. One way to do this is to have a pre and post survey. The survey has been developed and will be available for ev-eryone to take online or on a paper copy. We had much participation in this and ask everyone to fill out the sur-vey. The paper survey will be on the table beneath the jumbotron in the narthex. For the online survey go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3ZLCTS5. Thanks for your help. Looking forward to seeing everyone at com-ing events.

Thank You!Dear Friends,I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers on the death of my sister, Mary Zimmerman.Fay Hanson

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Lenten Ecumenical Bible Study on Hunger in Our CommunitySponsored by Lake Edge Lutheran, St. Luke’s Episcopal, Lakeview Moravian and Lake Edge UCC

5 Sessions - 5 WeeksEach session will be offered twice a week on Wednesday evenings and Thursday after-noons. You are invited and welcome to participate in either or both.

Bible Study will be led by a participating pastor:Rev. Dr. Paula Harris, St. Luke’s Episcopal ChurchRev. Staci Marrese-Wheeler, Lakeview Moravian Church

Rev. Katya Ouchakof, Lake Edge Lutheran ChurchRev. Stephen Marsh, Lake Edge Lutheran Church

Come and Learn With Us as we explore the problem of hunger using this new study-action curriculum from the Wisconsin Council of Churches. We will hear what is be-ing done about hunger in our own communities and find ways to put our faith to work on behalf of our neighbors in need.

Wednesday Evenings:St. Luke’s Episcopal ChurchFebruary 17, 24 & March 2, 9 & 166:00 pm Worship: Hunger Theme6:30-7:30 pm Bible Study7:30 pm Simple Meal(Please register for the meal stlukesmadison@sbcglobal.net)Location: 4011 Major Avenue, Madison, 53716

Thursday Afternoons:Lake Edge Lutheran ChurchFebruary 18, 25 & March 3, 10 & 171:00-2:30 pm Bible StudyLocation: 4032 Monona Dr., Madison, 53716

You Can Be Part of the Solution!Offering boxes will be available for you to take home, fill and return. Donations will go to Goodman Community Center. Even if you are not available to participate in Bi-ble study, you are still able to be a part of the solution to hunger in our community through your donations. You will find donation boxes at all participating congrega-tions.

LENT & EASTERAsh Wednesday Worship Opportunities February 10 Join us for worship at Lake Edge Lutheran Church at 7:00 pm. There will also be an Ecumenical Ash Wednesday worship opportunity at Lakev-iew Moravian at noon. For more information on that event, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1638535556399035/

Mid Week Lent WorshipThursdays, February 18, 25 & March 3, 10 & 177:00 pmOur mid-week Lent worship will continue the theme of Hunger in Our Community that is featured in Bible study on Thursday afternoons.

Easter SundayMarch 27Mark your calendar and plan to join us for worship on Sunday, March 27 as we celebrate the Resurrec-tion of our Lord!

Holden Village:Creation AwakesSunday March 6th., 2-5pmin the SanctuaryMany of you have been to Holden vil-lage and know what a beautiful and self renewing place it is.On March 6th, the co-directors of the Village will be at Lake Edge to share images and information about the

impact of the Wolverine Creek fire on Holden Village. Whether you have been there or not, you will want to at-tend this event.Before or afterwards, enjoy a spaghetti diner in Good Shepherd Hall, offered by our youth as a fundraiser for summer camp.

Refrigerator Needed The LELC Property Mission seeks a donation of a full size refrigerator in good working order and ready to use to re-place the old refrigerator in the original church building kitchen. We will pick up the refrigerator and deliver to church for free. If you or someone you know has a refrig-erator to donate, please call Jonathan Pike at 332-4371 (cell). Thank you for your help!

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Help Us Feed the Hungry at Luke HouseHours: 4:45-7:00 pmFirst Thursday of the MonthUpcoming Meals: February 4 & March 3Luke House, located on Ingersoll Street, off Williamson Street on Madison’s near Eastside provides dinner at 5:45 pm., Sunday through Thursday. Meals are provided and shared by faith communities throughout the Madison area, with a different menu from each community. The Director, Mr. Paul Ashe, encourages community partici-pation and welcomes all, to come and dine. One doesn’t need a black tie to join this feast, no shirt, no shoes, is not written on the entry, rather it’s a gathering place of the servant church.The first Thursday of every month, Lake Edge Lutheran Church provides the menu and dines as guests of Luke House. The menu for 165 children, women, and men en-tering the door is: baked chicken, mashed potatoes, gra-vy, corn, bread and butter, milk, and desserts.We never have too much food. What may appear as left-overs, feeds people at Luke House’s lunch program or is taken to men at Port St. Vincent for the lunches they take to work.Our next time to dine is Thursday February 4, 2016. And then again on Thursday March 3, 2016. Please keep these dates on your calendar.We humbly ask God to move our community to reveal the Spirit of Christ in our midst. God enters our lives to become relational and that can be risky, for we never know who will be given on loan to love for the day.Are you called to feed the hungry in our community? Do you have questions? Contact me, Joan Martin, at 839-1370. Hope to see you there! Thank you for your contin-ued support of this ministry! Joan Martin

Save The Date!August 26-28: All-Congregational Summer Weekend-AwayFriday until Sunday (noon). Our congregation will spend the weekend together amongst the beauty of nature near Wautoma. Accommodations range from tents/trail-er camping, to cabins, to hotel-style Lodge. This event is sponsored by the Cross-Generational mission, encour-aged by a gift from the Gifts Committee. More informa-tion will follow as the year unfolds.

Offering Envelopes There are envelopes in the fellowship area for all mem-bers except those who give electronically or who request-ed not to receive envelopes. Pick them up and save the cost of postage. To request a packet, call the church office.

RefugeesRecently, Pastor Stephen preached a sermon called,”Live Like a Refugee.” A refugee is someone forced from their home because of conflict. Jesus was a refugee. I have had the privilege of working with refugees in Madison for over five years. Each refugee is fully vetted and goes through a long process. Refugees are sent to Europe, Australia, Canada and all over the world. Some of the ref-ugees coming to Madison now have a US or Madison tie so their adjustment is a bit easier.Our synod has a task force that has worked with LSS(Lu-theran Social Services) to resettle refugees in Madison. Over 520 refugees from Bhutan (Nepal),Laos, Afghani-stan and Iraq have been settled in Madison since 2009. That is about 100 people a year. Most have jobs, bought cars, have children in school and several have obtained citizenship after being here for five years. They are good, productive folks that love their new homeland. How can you help? Many Lake Edge members have al-ready helped with setting up apartments and donating furniture and friendship. Numerous congregations and circles in our synod have gathered household goods, bed and bathroom cleaning supplies. A list of items we col-lect is on the bulletin board.Others volunteer to be a cultural mentor or an English tutor. Some people enjoy setting up an apartment and meeting the new arrivals at the airport. Recently, our syn-od established a “mattress” fund as we feel each person deserves a bed and new pillow as a welcome to Madison.Nancy Anderson and I have taken care of separating and boxing donations. Trinity Lutheran has donated space for us to collect items and send them out as our social work-er, Anima, finds apartments for our new arrivals. We nev-er know how many are coming or when they are coming but, we know people in need are coming and will be so appreciative of efforts and donations either monetarily or with gently used goods.So, join the fun. If you have questions contact my fellow Lake Edge and synod task force partner Nancy Anderson or myself, Jean Berg.

Artist of the MonthWe have been enjoying some wonderful artwork in our library the past few months. If you have artwork you would like to share, please contact Amanda in the church office: amccullough@lelc.org

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Adult Learning on SundaysSundays, 9:30-10:15 amContact Lucy Gibson at 608-221-3258February 7 - Annisa in Concert! Ada Lau, who ably staffs our nursery every Sunday, has a musically gifted daughter, Annisa. Annisa, 12 years old, plays the Chinese instruments called Gu Zheng and Erhu, and has agreed to do a small concert for our Adult Education time. So let go of your cares for 45 minutes of pure enjoyment listen-ing to Annisa make beautiful sounds for us.

February 14 - Memorial Garden Bob and Marcy Voss will explain the Memorial Garden – how it was conceived and built, how it’s maintained, and how you can have your remains or those of your loved ones placed in it if you wish.

February 21 - Reconciling in Christ (LELC's Worship Mission) in consultation with the Education Mission, agreed that Sunday, February 21st will be designated as Reconciling in Christ Sunday at Lake Edge Lutheran Church. RIC Sunday is an opportunity to proclaim God's love for people of all sexual orientations, gender identi-ties and expressions and to highlight our shared minis-tries of welcome. Along with other manifestations of this commitment at LELC this Sunday, the Adult Education session will have a speaker on the Reconciling in Christ concept.

February 28 - “4 Reasons People of Color Can’t Cater to White People’s Guilt – Or Their Tears" As our Black and White History presentation for Adult Education this Sunday, Ann Hearn will lead discussion of an article, “4 Reasons People of Color Can’t Cater to White People’s Guilt – Or Their Tears.” If you wish, you can prepare by reading this article ahead of time: http://everydayfemi-nism.com/2015/11/poc-cant-cater-white-guilt/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_cam-paign=SocialWarfare.

The article will also be supplied in hard copy early in Feb-ruary to be picked up in the narthex.

Join Our Office VolunteersWe Need You!We are in need of office volunteers at LELC for regularly scheduled times as well as substitutes, as needed. Call Fay Hanson at 222-7675 or leave a message at the church.

Church Ladies Book StudyFebruary 3 & 17The Church Ladies Book Study will meet Wednesdays, February 3 and 17, at 8:30am at the Heritage Cafe, 4674 Cottage Grove Road, for breakfast (on your own), fellow-ship and study of Chapters on Possibility, p. 55 and Ad-justment, p. 59 in The Gift of Years by Joan Chittister. All ladies are welcome to attend. Call Judy McKinley, 242-0395 for more information.

Women's Wellness DayWeaving Wellness into Your Life: Mind, Body & SpiritNew Life Church Saturday March 5, 20168:00 am - 3:00 pmA variety of sessions to nourish your mind, body and spir-it! Cost to be determined. More details coming soon. For more information contact Paula Severson at 223-9337 or Paula.Severson@sbcglobal.net.

Synod Assembly Voting MembersAre you interested in the wider workings of our Syn-od? Are you interested in a time for spiritual reflection, renewal and inspiration with other faithful members of our Synod. The Council is seeking 2 LELC members to be our Synod Lay Voting Members this year and to attend the 2016 Synod Assembly, April 30 – May 1, 2016. LELC can send one woman, one man and one youth (<30 yr); a woman Voting Member has already been identified. This year’s Synod Assembly will be held at Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells. Registration fee is covered by the church. Lodging for our Voting Members at the Kalahari Resort is currently not budgeted, but op-portunities for housing support will be sought. Non-vot-ing members are welcomed to participate in many aspects of this annual event. Look for future announce-ments.

Songs & Suds: Bring Your Sweetheart & Join us for Heartfelt Hymns! Sunday, February 14; 7:00- 8:00 pmDo you love the hymns we sing in church? Join us for Songs & Suds! We'll join in song at Chief's Tavern, 300 Cot-tage Grove Road. Bring your friends and family for a fun time. Mark your calendars! Hope to see you there. Peace & Justice Mission - Local Outreach.

Office Volunteer, Susan Marsh

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Elementary EducationWith thoughts from Pastor Stephen's announcement on January 24 asking for committees and tasks to help Sunday School . . . AND. . . with thoughts from Pastor Katya's ser-mon that day about "all parts of the body being important for the well-being of the whole" . . . AND . . .

because Sunday School doesn't happen by itself . . it prompts us to re-post ways you can be of help to the Elementary Education Mission, even in very small ways:Volunteer for:• two leadership mission persons needed---a one-

year position; a two-year position• Sunday School Coordinator• Any of these tasks:

• curriculum organizer/semester scheduler (duties during August and December)

• securing registrations for next year (duties during May and August)

• enlist Sunday School teachers for next year and arrange for a meeting with the pastors (May -August)

• bring snacks occasionally (September-May)• organize snacks (September and December)• plan the Christmas program and practice with

the children (October-December)• plan 2 or 3 service projects (one each semester)• lead 5 minutes of singing weekly (Septem-

ber-May)• plan two parties (December and May)• order extra materials for each semester / order

gift Bibles (September and December)• communicate with parents (August-May)

How easy some of these tasks are! And others take more work.Who are you? (All volunteers are needed and welcome: Male, female, parents, grandparents, without children). Where do you fit? What amount of time can you give? What are your talents? Passions?There will be a place to sign up on the bulletin board across from the drinking fountain--beginning in Febru-ary. Think. Pray. Take action.Thank you! From the Education Mission

Spaghetti Dinner!Youth Summer Camp FundraiserMarch 6Serving: 12:00 to 6 pmAdults: $8.00Kids 5 to 12: $6.00Kids 4 and under: freeAll are welcome!

Valentines Day Child CareSunday, February 14, 12:00 noon - 6:00 pmYouth Summer CampFundraiserThe confirmation class, along with a few adults, will be providing childcare for anyone who would like to indulge in

some time away from the kids on Valentines Day. This is your opportunity to go out on the town, finish that book, see a movie, or organize the pantry. People are in-vited to make a donation for this service, though every-one is invited to bring their children, regardless of their ability to pay. All money raised through this project will go towards summer camp. Sign up for this service will take place before and after 10:30 am worship.

Save the Dates for Vacation Bible School!! June 13 – 16, 2016As part of the generous grant awarded to Lake Edge and Solid Rock churches by the Madison Community Foundation, we

are excited to announce that this year’s Vacation Bible School will be led by Lutherdale Bible Camp Leaders. Mark your calendars, the dates have been set for June 13 – 16, 2016. VBS will be held at Lake Edge, with transportation provided to children from Solid Rock. The program is designed for children who have com-pleted Grades 1 – 5. Further details will be provided, and arrangements will be made for representatives from Lutherdale to speak to each congregation.The churches will provide snacks/lunches and supervi-sion. Watch for a sign-up sheet on the Bulletin Board in the near future, many volunteers will be needed to make this a success. Please contact Sheree Kehoe with any questions or if interested in being involved at kehoeds@gmail.com.

8 » The Dialogue Lake Edge Lutheran Church February 2016

Council Minutes January 23, 2016

Council Members Present: Dale Dull, Kristen Friedrichs, Mary Graper, Pastor Stephen Marsh, Linda Newman, Lisa Nienhaus, Pastor Katya Ouchakof & Milan Summ

Council Members Absent: Al Anding, Diann Oyan

Guest: Lesta Searles

Called to order at 12:30 P.M.

Bible Study & Prayer: Pastor Stephen

Approved December 21, 2015 Council Meeting min-utes: Kristen Friedrichs moved and Linda Newman sec-onded to approve the minutes. Motion approved.

Treasurers ReportLesta Searles included the following in Treasurer’s report:

• General Fund giving ended the year essentially at budget. We ended the year with a deficit of $8,982, which is better than the budgeted deficit of $16,000.

• Building debt service ended the year under budget by $2,831.

• Both visitor offering and holiday offering ended the year ahead of budget by a total of almost $9,000.

• All giving at year end exceeded the budget by $7,251.

• Total giving is about $36,600 greater than giving in 2014.

• Total income also ended the year over budget by $6,600.

• We may wish to contemplate options for $15,500 that has been invested in the Mission Investment Fund since 1998 earning a low rate of return.

• Lisa Nienhaus moved and Linda Newman seconded the payment of $4,400 toward the mortgage princi-ple as authorized by the budget. Motion approved.

• Lesta introduced an annotated budget document that details each line item. We will add it to the re-source area online.

Other businessLisa Nienhaus moved and Mary Graper seconded to ap-prove the appointment of Katherine Small as LELC youth voting member at the 2016 Synod Assembly, April 30-May 1. Motion approved.

Pastor Stephen moved and Linda Newman seconded that Dee Ewert be appointed to the council as liaison from the Membership Support Mission. Motion approved.

Congregational meetings for 2016 are tentatively sched-uled for April 24th and December 11th.

Next council meeting is Monday, February 15th. 6:45 P.M.

Lisa Nienhaus moved and Kristen Friedrichs seconded to adjourn. Motion approved. Meeting ended at 2:00P.M.

Milan Summ

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