#MM277 ~   Dear Church, Throughout the Scriptures, the image of the shepherd is a dominant one. Whether referring to Israel’s kings (and King David), or to Jesus, or to some of the first folks to hear of Jesus’ birth, the symbolism of shepherd and flock carries through. This Sunday, we hear Jesus speak of us as his flock, and we get the chance to consider the good news of such a relationship. Come be gathered for the next Eastertide festival as God brings us back into the fold.

SPECIAL NOTE: The Adult Bible Study Sunday School class is postponed this week and will not meet again until Sunday May 18th. 

• Bulletin for this coming Sunday (5-11-25): https://bit.ly/May11thBulletin-MLC25

• 2nd Annual Summer Picnic: Sunday 6/22/25 at Wiley Park after outdoor Worship Service. Check out the Facebook Event for more details!

• Faith Circle: Hooray! Faith Circle will resume meeting on Thursday, May 15 at noon. Jill Snellman will be our hostess. Bring your sack lunch, enjoy a dessert and fellowship, and our video on St. Peter. We are anxious and excited to see everyone (c/o Chris Nuss).

• Vacation Bible School: Dear Parents -- we wanted to share an important update regarding Vacation Bible School this summer. Messiah will not be offering a VBS program this year. However, we are thrilled to let you know that our students have been invited to participate in Lord of Life’s VBS Program, which will take place June 9-13. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to engage in faith-filled activities, make new friends, and grow in their spiritual journey. Additional information, including registration details, can be found at the following link: https://www.loloh.org/VBS2025. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out (c/o Sheryl Trost).

Dear Church,

I hope this letter finds you well in the new year. As most of you are aware, Messiah has gone through some changes lately as we adjust our staffing to fit our budgetary commitments for 2025. I would like to take a moment to update you on the status of some of the different positions and how we can use your help as a congregation moving forward. 

First, Sheryl Trost volunteered to step down from the Community Faith Facilitator position in favor of focusing on Christian Education with our Sunday School program. While this will take her away from the Connections Team leadership, this has yielded a salary savings as part of the revised budget. The Connections Team will continue their mission with the existing committee members. 

Second, we parted ways with our long-time Custodian, Steve Newcomer. While we have really appreciated his years of service, the required budget cuts made it difficult to sustain a dedicated custodial position. Snow removal will continue under our current contract and the Council has an action item to explore lawn care alternatives. For inside the church, we've contracted with a professional cleaning company that will be in twice a month for a thorough review of the church. This new schedule will require a bit of an adjustment so I'd like to empower the entire congregation to take action to keep our church and building clean if you see an opportunity to do so. 

Third, the Council has authorized the search for a Property Manager/Rental Coordinator position. This new position will help coordinate the property and maintenance activities at the church as well as providing a meaningful focus on generating revenue from our outstanding facilities that will help support our congregation and mission into the future. The job description will be available in the church and online if someone you know is interested in this exciting opportunity. 

Finally, the rest of the church staff took a small pay cut so that we could maintain the important positions that directly affect worship. You may see changes to our bulletin, order of service and music presentation. I'd encourage you to reach out to the Council with any questions about these changes as we navigate our budget for 2025 and beyond. 

In order to better keep the congregation in the loop, I've started posting financial information and the Pastor's report on the bulletin board in the hallway outside the library. In addition, the new job posting can be found there as well. 

As always, your church council is available to answer any more particular questions. 

Best, 

Ben Johnson / Church Council President