President’s Message
Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Our beloved Pastor Bill recently has resigned from our call serving Bethlehem, and his last Sunday was April 27. He will become the Protestant Chaplain at the Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution in Enfield.
Some readers may not be accustomed to how a new pastor is called to a Lutheran church. First we will have the service of a semi-retired pastor to lead our worship services. In the future we will be assigned a temporary pastor to fulfill the necessary duties for a specific period of time, perhaps six months or one year. His or her function, aside from the normal pastoral duties, will be to assist us in the transition leading to the call of a new, permanent pastor.
The first step in the call process is to do what is known as a self study, which is often prepared by a special profile committee. The self study helps us to examine our strengths and weaknesses and to allow prospective call recipients to understand us better.
Once the self-study is completed, then the New England Synod will give us names of pastors to review and interview. When we have found one that we want to minister to us, we negotiate with him or her on the terms of our call.
I have calm confidence that the entire self study and call process will proceed smoothly, and that the Lord will send us the pastor whom he wants for us. I know he has a plan for us, at this time it just is not very clear, but we can watch with pleasure as His plan materializes before our eyes.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always!
Tony Razel
Please keep the following people in your prayers:
Listed below are people for whom prayers have been requested. Also listed are the people who requested prayers for them. You may find out specific information regarding the prayer request by asking the individual who requested the prayer. Also included are special concerns which you may want to include in your daily prayers.
FOR: REQUESTED BY: Mabel Roko Barbara Dill Helen Johnson Helen Johnson The Ross Family Warren Haines The Hollings Family Kay Jacobson Harriet Werner Harriet Werner Michele Duchon-Parmalee Duchon Family Jim Sherman Gail Sherman Shawn Nascembeni Mark Favreau
For Tony Posuniak who is in Iraq as part of his military obligation.
For families separated by the deployment of troops to the Middle East.
For those who have lost loved ones in the war.
For all those who have been laid off from their work.
For the survivors of all disasters, both natural and man-made, especially our brothers and sisters of Peace Lutheran Church in Slidell, Louisiana.