Pastoral Transition
UPDATES!
Interim Pastor
We welcome our new interim pastor, Naomi Garber on September 24th. In the meantime, we will work with some excellent guest preachers in the weeks leading up to their arrival. We do also have pastoral coverage for baptisms, funerals, and more as we go through transition. Please contact the church office with any questions.
August 20th – "Looking Forward" | Children Youth & Family Sunday
August 27th – Guest Preacher: Jim Lynch
September 3rd – Guest Preacher: Ken Schaub
September 10th – Guest Preacher: Jim Lynch
September 17th – Guest Preacher: Rod Nordby
September 24th – Interim Pastor Naomi Starts
Staff Updates
We are excited to welcome Amanda Burton to the team as our new Youth Director. We are also blessed in welcoming Jeanette Kihs back as our Business Manager. With that, our staff is back at full strength as we prepare for the pastoral call process!
Transition & Call Committees
We are currently collecting nominations for the Transition Team & Call Committee. These teams will be critical in helping the church move forward with calling a new Senior and Associate Pastor to St. Luke's. Click the button below to nominate yourself or others to either committee.
FAQs
When can we begin the call process?
Council is in contact with the Bishop. We will first have to form a transition team. This will allow the congregation opportunity to discern and discuss our future as a church and what we may want to focus on in our search. After that, we will work on forming a Senior Pastor Call Committee. The formation of the transition team will likely start after our interim Senior Pastor starts. The call process will move as quickly as it can, but we must be patient.
Will there be interim pastors? When will they start?
The Bishop’s office is working on interim pastors for St. Luke’s, and it sounds like they have some great candidates in mind. The Bishop is working on getting us specific start dates. We will share those with you when we get them. We will have a guest pastor to help with coverage for Sunday, August 20th and August 27th.
Will there be any change in worship and programming?
Online and in-person worship will continue to be the vibrant, spirit filled worship St. Luke’s has always known. Our amazing staff will continue the worship we love, and alongside volunteers keep our programs strong.
There have been so many departures at St. Luke’s. Is something else going on? What’s wrong with St. Luke’s?
Each departing leader had their own discernment process and reasons for moving towards new opportunities. We wish them all the best. We also are already in the process of building our leadership team by interviewing for a new Business Manager and new Confirmation & High School Ministry Director.
I get that…BUT THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING GOING ON? RIGHT?
Again, Pastor Tim decided to leave to be closer to family, and every other leader had their own discernment and did what was best for them. Yes, it is all happening close together and that makes it hard. But we are going to be OK! We sincerely believe that this is going to be a positive transition. It just feels really difficult, confusing, and sad right now.
Also, part of a transition process is looking at the pros and cons from the tenure of the previous leadership. We will discern what went well and what needs improvement during the transition process. The congregation will have a chance to provide input as well.
We are not in crisis. We are in transition. It is tough but we will keep the faith and focus on the great things ahead of us.
If you have any other questions, you can contact church council at council@stlukes-elca.org,
or call the church office at (608) 831-6084.