#MM291 – Beloved Church, Have you ever found yourself sitting around a campfire staring into the flames late at night, wondering about life? Fire can be powerful, both in drawing us in for warmth and light, but also if it gets out of control, we’re in trouble. Jesus speaks of fire in the Gospel text for this coming Sunday, and his message gets a bit uncomfortable. What might he be getting at? What’s the good news?

• Bulletin for this coming Sunday (8-17-25): https://bit.ly/AUG17thBulletin-MLC25

• Back to School Blessing: We will be offering a “Back to School Blessing” on Sunday August 24th during the children’s moment. Plan to bring one of your school items (backpack, notebook, planner, etc.) and yourself as we recognize God’s presence with us as the academic year begins again.

• Property Team: We are seeking young able-bodied men who can help with groundskeeping endeavors. Please see Gail Patton if available and interested – or sign up on the Bulletin Board outside of the narthex.

• Save the Date – 9/7/25 – God's Work Our Hands Home Day of Service: Join us for a great Sunday of service and community. See page 23 of the attached Bulletin for more details, including sign-up information for donations as we prepare to make 100 lunches for Project Hope for the Homeless. 

• Choir Update: Singers, we need you! Choir begins with our annual dinner at the Lesters on September 10th. Dinner will begin at 6:30 with choir rehearsal at 7:30. Anyone wishing to join choir please contact Vicki Lester at bareboard@aol.com. Anthems will begin September 14 with a gospel flare through to Advent. Our Christmas cantata is called Hope with twists on some traditional carols.

• Save the Date – 9/14/25 – Sunday School Returns: Same time as last year (9:00am – 9:50am). 

• Save the Date – 9/27/25 – Blessing of the Pets: Saturday, 1:00pm. The blessing will take place in the church courtyard. All are welcome. Please invite friends and neighbors to come with you and to bring their pets! 

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