Hello Church!

The church and the building is moving and shaking…literally and figuratively! No really, the church bell has shaken the tower so much that stones are falling from it. Our front entrance is closed until we can figure out the extent of the damage…initial drone images look pretty bad! Jokes of wearing helmets to church abound, but in all seriousness, please pray for a simple repair.

We are also shifting spaces on the inside! Our Building Use Ad Hoc Committee, ably chaired by Karen Olson and Jennifer Archer, held two town hall meetings this summer with the congregation and one with the kids. They opened every closet and practically every box, to figure out what our current spaces needs and usage are. As they reported a couple weeks ago in worship….after a very Spirit- filled process, they recommended and the Governing Council approved offering Emerson Hall to a non-profit organization who is changing lives in Rockford. More on that soon, I hope!

Our amazing handbell ministry will move to the fourth floor. We will create a “kid’s zone” on the third floor. (Parents are excited about finding their children after service in the same location where they dropped them off. Kids are excited about creating a cool new space.) The old nursery will continue to be a flexible space for bridal parties, overflow meetings and serve as the primary location for Adult Education. I won’t bore you with the rest of the plan, but there are many details as result of many minds coming together!

The hard work continues making this move happen. A few gracious volunteers have removed the steps in the fourth floor chapel, and the bells have had their first rehearsals in their new space.

God has given us the opportunity to do even more ministry with our amazing building and location. You, church, have responded to the call with hard conversations and good decisions. We are doing good stewardship in and out of stewardship season!

I am grateful to be your pastor,

Rebecca