2014 Congregational Annual Report
Norm Petrik: This year I experienced God in quiet time and meditation.
Barb Wilson: One thing I have seen God doing through us this year is that we have pushed out our walls to include another congregation that needed a place to worship. They have been a joy to us and we also are expanding to include outside groups that need space and it seems too escalate with each addition which is good for them and for us.
Lisa Larges: This has been one of those growth spurt years – one of those years in which I have felt so drawn in to faith; what’s watered and tended that growing most for me this year has been our worshipping together at Lake Nokomis. It’s Kara’s theologically grounded and pastoral presence in preaching and leading, it’s the soul-soaked, thoughtful, lovely music, it’s the way our LNPC children have settled so gracefully in to church time, it’s the beauty of having folks from Central with us, and it’s that lovely feeling of being a part of a community that’s working together on being faithful.
Diane Hansen: This year I shared in God’s ministry by talking to others about our strong, wonderful little church.
Andy Cochrane: I saw God this year in the folks from Central joining us. Their involvement, their vision, their ministry has been inspiring and has caused a visionary change in LNPC. What a blessing it has been.
Grace Cochrane: This year I experienced God everywhere. Church is so welcoming. Everyone is wonderful! I shared in God’s ministry this year when I ushered and read prayers.
Dee Cutt: I experienced God this year when I had eye surgery. I shared in God’s ministry with prayers for others. This year we were blessed with not much snow to shovel.
Andrea Domaskin: I experienced God through fellowship and thought-provoking worship.
Sue Goodspeed: Central’s presence with us is huge, and significant, and a definite ‘God Doing’, but I think there is a larger context in which God is using us: We have been doing things differently for quite while now. We have Sabbathed, Partnered (Edgecumbe, St. Joe’s, Westminster), and held space (Lenten and Advent Quiet Wednesdays). This year, we were asked to lead – in the NEXT conference, in Kara’s invitations from others to lead workshops across the country, in our own Deep Breath workshops. Especially at NEXT, when the original (our) ‘plans’ for the worship service were abruptly changed, LNPC’s team tried to allow a non-anxious presence make space for God. And the service that evolved, over the course of an hour, was a hinge on which much of the fear, anxiety, trepidation…about the larger Church, felt by so many at the conference, was voiced and given to God.
LNPC is sharing its fearlessness – fearless because we know we have no one on whom to lean but our good and abundant God. We have, over decades – truly – looked death in the face and listened for God instead. It feels like, in listening, our hearing and responding are bearing fruit.
Carol Wooten (Central): I experienced God this year through the loving welcome of the Lake Nokomis family.
Owen Root: I experienced God this year through my mom. I shared in God’s ministry this year; I prayed. One thing I saw God doing in or through us is sharing kindness.
Vivienne Whitfield: I experienced God this year in Peace. Living in a different country with different cultures brings stresses that I have been working through and I feel God helping and peacefully guiding me. One thing I saw God doing in or through us is building our community and combining us with Central.
Markus Denkmann: I experienced God this year in the fruit snacks in Sunday School and the kids room.
Soren Leafblad: I experienced God this year in lighting candles. One way I shared in God’s ministry this year is in the Christmas play. One thing I saw God doing in or through us is worshipping.
Svea Leafblad: One way I experienced God this year is through the preaching. One way I shared in God’s ministry this year is through ushering. This year I saw God watching over us.
Amy Leafblad: I have experienced God so many times through our worship services this last year – through singing worship songs, through serving each other communion, through knowing prayers I share are held and lifted up to God as a community, through Kara’s sermons that constantly allow me to see God and scripture in new light, through sharing potluck meals after church.
I have experienced the care and presence of God through a church community that has allowed me to be vulnerable and real with my personal life struggles this last year. I have been able to bring my real self – good days and bad days with no need to protect my brokenness from others. I have experienced hugs and prayers and love and acceptance.
As a member of session I have witnessed God teaching us to be patient, to trust his care and provision, to not live in fear.
I have also experienced God on Sabbath Sundays – in rest and enjoyment of space and time.
Ben Masters: One thing that the Spirit does is empower us to be fully ourselves, even if we’re stretched or challenged in the process. In 2014, the Spirit empowered LNPC to live more fully as people of hospitality when we welcomed Central Fellowship to worship in our sanctuary. Thanks be to God for the room to grow as a diverse, fluid community without discarding our particularities.
Terry Gilberstadt: I experienced God by the way session worked together and became excited about the future together. I shared in God’s ministry by branching out to others. God gave us a lot of courage this year.
Carolyn Cochrane:
I experienced God on Christmas Eve when Stan Hill shared his incredible voice when singing Hallelujah. Truly, I have seen God at work with our Central partnership and I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical when it all started.
I shared in God’s ministry through my work with the children and Sunday School. In addition, sharing my knowledge and insight with Jon Bates, our intern.
I feel we have been given a great gift to truly live out our faith through our partnership with Central Church. The timeliness of our partnership (in relation to current and racial tensions) has given us an opportunity to “walk the talk” and live out our faith in meaningful and authentic ways.
Maisy Root: I experienced God this year when I fell off the playground bar and a friend helped me. I shared in God’s ministry this year when my friend’s parents didn’t come to an assembly and mine didn’t either, so we sat together. I saw God at
Easter.
Georgia Mrosla & Eva Webb: We saw and felt God working in LNPC and ourselves by bringing Central Church to us. They have shown by their best example how God works in our community and world.
Elaine Redman: I feel God’s presence everyday. He has made me a better person. He brings me such happiness.