Messiah Child Development Center
Thoughts From Pastor Steve...
Thank you to everyone who made our Advent and Christmas celebrations such wonderful events to share the joy of the season with everyone. There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes by so many dedicated volunteers that to name them would take up several pages. I’ll just touch on a few in the following sentences: The Altar Guild who is always busy changing the sanctuary over from Thanksgiving, to Advent, to Christmas, to New Years this time of year. The Sunday School teachers, pageant directors, administrators, and all others who make sure our kids experience the real meaning of the season and present us with such blessings as the “Snap-Shots” Christmas Story. Finally, all the others who bake cookies, set-up and take down tables, shovel and salt sidewalks, and just do all the many other things that bless each one of us. To all of you, THANK YOU!
Well, 2012 is supposed to be the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar. My favorite take on that is if they could predict the end of the world, wouldn’t you think they could have foreseen the extinction of their own civilization? There will be, and always have been “predictors” of the end of the world who claim to know more than the one who as John said in his gospel “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” who Himself told us that “of that day and hour no man knows, not even the Son of Man”. If Jesus, the creator of all things, speaking in His state of humility was willing to trust all things to His Father, so should we. Which means, we go on doing the work He has given us to do, being faithful to be found working to “Seek the Lost & Grow the Found” until He comes!
As we look then to the future, I want to share information with all of you from the Lansing Area Lutheran High School steering committee that I am a part of. The news is exciting, and brings all sorts of possibilities to the future. Below are some excerpts from our meetings:
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Greetings in the name of Jesus our Savior and Lord,
As you may have already heard, 7 Lansing-area LCMS congregations have formed a steering committee to investigate the possibility of establishing a local, regional Lutheran high school. As the first step in the process, the steering committee contracted with Charles A. Winterstein to conduct a 6-week Exploratory Phase to determine if there was enough support to move on to an in-depth Feasibility Study. During the study, 16 local LCMS pastors & administrators were interviewed to determine the level of support. A synopsis of counsel’s report to our Steering Committee at our meeting on December 8, 2011 follows:
“The pastoral & administrator surveys indicated that there is a high commitment supporting Lutheran education… Lay leadership strength was rated above average… congregational stewardship was gauged to be average… The availability of community student prospects is substantial, indicating that if a new school is established, it will need to focus on outreach into the community. The overall potential for developing a new Lutheran high school is a distinct possibility & support among the pastors & administrators is above average. It is the opinion of counsel that there is sufficient data that would support further study of a new Lutheran high school association in the Lansing area.”
Based on our discussions regarding the results of the exploratory investigation, the Steering Committee is prepared to move forward to the next phase: a 6-8 month in-depth Feasibility Study. This study will cost an approximate $700 per congregation to fund and should be completed by early fall 2012. Between now and our next meeting on January 31, 2012, the Steering Committee is asking for your input and prayers. Please reach out to your church representative (listed below) and give us your thoughts and input.
God’s blessings,
Tracey Johnson Lloyd Conway David Bremer
Committee Chairwoman Treasurer Committee Member
Good Shepherd Lansing Our Savior Lansing St. Peter Riley
Herman Arends Pastor Steve Grafe
Secretary Committee Member
First Lutheran Charlotte Messiah Holt
David Harns Bob Filter
Committee Member Committee Member
St. Matthew Holt St. Luke Haslett
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The greatest news to come out of the Exploratory Phase is that there is a new spirit of harmony and cooperation among all the area churches. All of us realize we are in this mission together, all of us dependant upon one another, all of us moving forward in a spirit of reconciliation and unity.
There will be much work as we move toward the completion of the Feasibility Phase of the project, input from the Lansing community, detailed interviews with the area churches including Messiah. But, the future of a dedicated area Lutheran High School Association is becoming more a possibility than a dream.
More information will be shared as we move along together in 2012.
Happy New Year to you all,
Pastor Steve