16. March 2008 by Pastor Pamela.

           South Campus news

The news is that the South Campus has a name, a vision and mission statement, and its own blog by now. If you made it already to www.slpowerandlight.org this is not really news for you  

And I know that you are waiting for some really important news – the news that we finally have a location. BUT: We have NOT found it yet. We are still looking.Part of the problem is that we don’t have an answer yet from Mission Investment Fund to the question if they will be able to purchase property or a building for us. They would hold it for three years, and we would start paying as soon as we have revenue coming in at our south campus. We would also have 0% interest at least for the first year. That would be a great help in terms of financing. What makes things difficult is the fact that the south campus is a second site of All Saints and not a mission development on its own. This kind of deal is usually not available for multi site congregations, only for a new mission start that is an entity on its own. It is also not so easy to find a location that meets our needs. 

First of all we had to be clear about WHAT we want to do. Then we had to come up with HOW we want to it. The last step is to find out WHERE this is possible. Pastor Dave, the Location Finding Team and I have been working hard on these questions and this is the result: 

 All Saints Lutheran Church – South Campus Mission Statement 

WHAT:

ASLC is establishing a south campus ministry in order to bring the Gospel to people who are not likely to ever attend a church related activity, who otherwise would not be exposed to the Gospel. 

South Lyon Power and Light – Children of the Light, sharing God’s love. 

HOW: 

 Activities which serve the people of South Lyon and offer them a real service, while offering our South Campus ministry the opportunity to form relationships with people who are not involved with any community of faith.

a.      Activities that could happen out in the community: car wash at which a dollar is given away to every person who comes through; yard work for the needy; snow removal for the needy; grocery shopping for the needy; battery distribution for smoke detectors.

b.     Activities that could happen at a South Campus Location: tutoring; ESL classes; parenting classes/support group (free daycare provided); drama classes; music classes (youth choir for South Lyon); motorcycle Safety classes; bible Study for beginners; coffee house; concerts; worship; yoga; karate.

WHERE:

Location requirements:

I.       Welcoming, cozy space.

a.      Bright.   b.     Pleasant.

II.     Space to accommodate 150 people.

III.  High visibility to local residents.

a.      Preferably downtown. 

IV.  Extremely flexible. a.      Office space.   b.     Meeting space for all ages.   c.      Worship space.

V.    Positive reputation in the community.

VI.  Plenty of access to parking.

VII.            NOT a church-like building.

VIII.         $20,000.00 annual budget for lease/rent. 

The mission statement looks pretty impressive, doesn’t it? We have come this far and all that’s left, is to find the place in South Lyon that matches this mission statement. As if it were that easy! Yes, starting an additional campus is exciting and a lot of fun. And yes: starting an additional campus is also sometimes frustrating and even discouraging.This reminds me of a picture on the door of the teacher’s lounge at the secondary school where I used to teach:

NEVER EVER GIVE UP

  And never ever loose trust in God! 

Pr. Pamela

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16. March 2008 by Pastor Pamela.

How do we know that it’s really spring?

I have been pondering about this for quite a while, and this is what I came up with after evaluating my own experiences:

You know it’s really spring when: 

-         there is no more Christmas decoration at your house because it fell apart during the last snowstorm.

-         your fleece sweaters disappear in the laundry (usually this only happens to single socks).

-         your neighbors simultaneously ignite their leaf blowers and create an ear deafening noise you haven’t heard since last October.

-         the melting snow reveals the outdoor furniture on your back deck (you thought you had stored it in the basement).

-         gasoline prices hit $4,- per gallon.

-        the snow is gone and you can fill more than one garbage bin with dog poop from your backyard.

-         someone in the family insists on getting a new BBQ grill.

-         the roads are more slippery than ever after a snowstorm because contractors have run out of salt by now.

-         a table collapses under the weight of outdoor catalogues and brochures.

-         temperatures drop below 32°F and you realize that you’ve run out of firewood. 

But now seriously:

You know it is spring when you see nature awakening from a long and cold sleep!  You know it is spring when you realize that the sunbeams are more powerful and warming! You know it is spring when everything seems to be much more filled with life! Spring is God’s way of showing us that God is the God of creation and the God of life. 

And this is my wish for all of you during this time of reawakening: May the blessing of God’s soft rain be on you, falling gently on your head, refreshing your soul with the sweetness of summer flowers newly blooming. (Irish Blessing)

Yours Pelle

P.S.: You know it’s spring when someone unexpectedly shows up at your door and gives you a bouquet of spring flowers. Just happened to Pr. Pamela while she was typing this article for me. THANKS!

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16. March 2008 by Pastor Pamela.

Hi, my name is Pelle!

I am the teddy bear of  Pastor Pamela and her husband. I came over from Germany together with them because I was sure: without me, they are lost! I look after them. I am a mascot, a friend, a counselor, a copilot and sometimes even a pillow to them, like every other well trained stuffed animal. I like to be part of everything that is going on in Pr. Pamela’s life including her ministry as a pastor. This is why I transferred from All Saints Lutheran Church in Hartland to  the South Lyon Campus. I also enjoy sharing my experiences and thoughts, and so I became Pr. Pamela’s ghostwriter. Or did she actually become my ghostwriter?  Anyway, here I am: the most theologically educated and most mission oriented teddy bear you’ve probably ever met!

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