50

Jenny Buckley
Council President

Getting Ready for the Annual Meeting: Part 4 of 5

Capital Campaign 

 50. That’s how many people have volunteered to be trained and visit all the members of our congregation during our capital campaign. And the capital campaign is going strong. As of May 19, we are just a little over one-third of the way to reaching our goal for the campaign. That is, over 3.3 million dollars have already been pledged--more than any other previous capital campaign in our history. And the impact of those pledges on the future of SOTV will extend beyond our walls to our local community as well as places as far away as Haiti and Tanzania. Wow--together, we ARE doing more!

One of the reasons church leadership chose to work with J.D. Klote, the firm that helped conduct the capital campaign, was their personalized approach. Unlike other organizations, Klote values personal visits to every member of the congregation, not just a select few. Our consultant, Carl Graber, repeatedly emphasized the awesome opportunity these visits provided us to grow and strengthen relationships at Shepherd of the Valley. Our goal for this campaign is not just to raise money, but to unite as a congregation to support the ministry and priorities of our church.

There are three components to the campaign: debt reduction, facility needs, and benevolence. These three areas align directly with the results of the CAT survey, which over 900 of you took in 2013. Every time I make a visit, and start talking about what it would mean for SOTV if we eliminated debt, took care of our building, and were able to give even more money away, I find myself getting excited. Every time. And the reason is simple: I truly believe that God is at the heart of what we are currently doing and what we want to do at SOTV. I believe He has a plan for the future of our congregation and that the capital campaign is part of that. And mostly, I really believe that “Together, we can do more.”

This campaign is about ALL of us: it is about making SOTV a place that feels welcoming to those that have been here for 30+ years, those who joined us last month, and those who will be joining us in the future. It is about growing deeper in our faith and developing meaningful relationships with one another. It is about the Great Commission--sharing the love of Christ with our neighbors and inviting others to share in community with us. And it will take all of us working together for the next 5 years to achieve these goals.

And so, the campaign continues. Those 50 visitors are making dozens of phone calls and meetings each month to help draw us together as one church. And they will keep calling, and keep visiting, until we have reached everyone. This will take a few more months, but it will be worth it--for our children, for our neighbors, and for ourselves.

If you haven’t already, please consider scheduling a visit and prayfully consider in what ways you might participate in the campaign (being informed, visiting, making a pledge, etc).

To hear more about the Capital Campaign, and the state of our church, join us at the Annual Congregational meeting on June 7 at 12:30 p.m. In the meantime, please direct questions and comments to the council at council@sotv.org

Blessings,
Jenny Buckley--Church Council President

God is Calling, Who Will Answer?

Jenny Buckley
Council President

Getting Ready for the Annual Meeting: Part 3 of 5

Call Committee and Process

I love that life in the church is different than what we experience in the rest of our lives. Of course there are similarities: budgets, human resources, staff meetings, maintenance, initiatives, etc. But the traditions and beliefs that guide many of our habits at church, such as the liturgy, music, common prayers, offering, and sacraments, are part of what sets our “company” apart from those in the corporate world. Similarly, the hiring process for a new pastor is very different from what most of us have experienced when hiring new leadership in our places of employment.

In the Lutheran church, we don’t “hire” a new pastor, we “call” a new pastor. This term may be something you have heard, but perhaps don’t fully understand. 

“The Lutheran process of call is unique because it is an effort to discern what God wants for the local church and the whole church in order that the Gospel may be proclaimed and the Sacraments may be administered in accordance with the Gospel” (Call Committee Charter). 

Part of the call process is to form a committee of staff, council, and congregation members to actively participate in the discernment and hiring process. On the other side, individuals who are rostered leaders in the church, pastors and associates in ministry, continually pray for discernment from the Holy Spirit asking questions about where, when, and how God is calling them to serve. The Saint Paul Area Synod (the regional administration of the ELCA) partners with the committee to help identify possible candidates for the church, and in turn, contacts candidates to determine if God is calling them to be open to a new placement.

When Pastor Diane Sponheim heard and accepted her new call to Faith Lutheran Church, the church council requested members of the congregation be recruited to form a call committee. As the nominations team worked on forming a committee, the needs of the church were assessed in light of our mission and a new job description for Pastor of Connect was created.

The Pastor of Connect job description includes many familiar components: preaching, teaching, providing pastoral care, collaborating with and managing staff, etc. However, this role is unique because we are searching for a person who will intentionally focus on strengthening relationships within our congregation and growing/creating new partnerships locally, regionally, and globally. This person will need to be innovative, engaging, and have a heart for building meaningful relationships in and outside of the walls of SOTV.

The call committee has met several times to review feedback received from the congregation about the type of pastor they are looking for and compared that feedback to the job description. The priority of the committee is to find the person God has planned for our church; so, we will take our time, being deliberate in our discussions and interviews, and praying for guidance from the Holy Spirit. The church leadership also asks you to take an active role in this process by praying for the church, the committee, and our next pastor.

If you have suggestions for candidates, or ideas about the type of person you would like to see fill the role of Connect Pastor, please contact the call committee chair, Ellen DeVries, at call@sotv.org.

Next week’s blog with provide an update on the Capital Campaign. Between now and then please feel free to contact the council with feedback and questions at council@sotv.org.

Blessings,
Jenny Buckley-Church Council President

How the Mission Reshapes Our Pastoral Staff

Jenny Buckley
Council President

Getting Ready for the Annual Meeting: Part 2 of 5

Structure and Pastoral Staffing 

With the departures of Pastors Diane and Mary, many people have been asking, when are we calling a new pastor and who that will be? First, let me remind you that a Pastoral Call Committee is in place and working hard as it goes about the task of calling a new pastor. As the committee does its work, the question that the council, leadership teams, and staff have been discussing is, “How can we support the vision and mission with our pastors, staff, and programs?”

As explained last week, the mission of Shepherd of the Valley (SOTV) is, “we exist as a community to discover, grow, and live into our individual relationships with Jesus Christ.” The four core ministries of worship, learn, connect, and care have been identified to support this mission.

Council and staff are beginning the process of evaluating everything we do as a church to determine where we are aligned with our mission and where there are currently gaps. Our resources, whether they be time, manpower, or money, will be best spent when they are invested in the priorities identified by our church.

Another area of discussion has been the pastoral staff model that our mission suggests. Council and staff agree that in order to implement our mission with fidelity, we need five full-time pastors at SOTV. In this structure, there would be a senior pastor that carries the vision and mission forward and then there would be one pastor assigned to each of the four core ministries of our mission.

This means that in addition to the senior pastor, we would have a pastor of worship, a pastor of learning, a pastor of connect (fellowship and service), and a pastor of care. Of course, all SOTV pastors would continue to collaborate in all areas of our mission. However, by aligning one pastor with each of the four core pillars of our mission, we will ensure that our resources are being used in the best ways and we are living our vision and mission with integrity.

Currently, we have three full-time pastors and a part-time interim pastor. Our priority is to call the Pastor of Connect first while also investigating the process for calling a Pastor of Worship.

Next week, I’ll explain the call process and update you on the work of the call committee. As always, please feel free to leave a comment below or contact me via the council e-mail: council@sotv.org. 

Blessings,
Jenny Buckley-Church Council President

Visit and Be Counted!

About 300 households have responded generously to our 2015 Capital Campaign appeal with a pledge, and we are very grateful. Many more households have responded by increasing their giving to the building fund. That’s what Pastor Duane and I have heard on recent visits with members.  The faithful generosity of our members continues to inspire us. We know we can count on you…but are you being counted?

Here’s the issue: If you increase your giving before meeting with a Capital Campaign visitor, your giving will not be counted toward the Capital Campaign total. 

This makes it a challenge for our Church Council to plan our ministry over the next five years. Council needs an accurate understanding of campaign commitments in order to:

1. Plan the pay-down of SOTV’s debt 
2. Determine what funds are available for building improvements 
3. Allocate benevolence dollars for outreach 

Simply put, we need you to schedule a campaign visit today. Please reach out to me, one of the other pastors, or someone in our list of visitors that you know personally.

You can also call the church office or go to our website. When a campaign visitor calls or emails you, please respond. Visits are fun, rewarding, informative, and there is no pressure to pledge. Even if you’ve recently increased your giving, please still schedule a visit. You will be better informed and understand the plan for SOTV’s future.

As always, thank you for your partnership in this mission we share!

 -Pastor Chris Smith

Squiggles Pillows

Have you met Squiggles? 

He's a caterpillar that hangs out with us in the Preschool and Kindergarten GodZone classes. Squiggles can be found on every page of the Spark Story Bible and has many adventures during our large group time.

At the end of every school year, Squiggles has a party to celebrate all of the wonderful stories we have read during the year. The party is capped off with a special gift from Squiggles. This year, the Shepherd Quilters, several wonderful volunteers, and GodZone program coordinator, Pam Tschida, teamed up to create a wonderful memory for our youngest GodZone students.

Work began in October on “Squiggles Pillows” with a morning of sewing and stuffing pillows to be given to students at the end of the school year.

What a wonderful partnership! Working together, they sewed and stuffed over 250 pillows! The kids were so excited to receive their pillow from Squiggles and couldn’t wait to show mom and dad. 

Our two quilting groups are always looking for new friends to cut, sew, and stitch! All skill levels are welcome and the finished pieces are all donated to charities such as Target House, LSS, or Union Gospel Mission. The Shepherd Quilters meet Mondays, 9-2 and the Golden Stitchers meet 1st, 3rd, and 5th Thursdays, 9-Noon.

Below are photos of the quilters, the finished products, and their satisfied customers!

Four Core Ministries Have Emerged

Jenny Buckley
Council President

Getting Ready for the Annual Meeting: Part 1 of 5

In this day and age we often hear churches and businesses use words like vision and mission, often interchangeably. At Shepherd of the Valley, we use the term vision as “what we aspire to be” and the word mission as “why we exist.”

WHAT: Our Vision 

As a congregation, we aspire to be a church that invites “...all people to experience the welcome, transformation, and sending of Jesus Christ.” Over the last few months, several pastors, staff, and lay leaders have considered what each part of the vision actually means:

• Welcome: We invite people in all stages of their faith journey to experience Jesus through our ministries in Christian community.
• Transform: We are changed as we experience Jesus through our relationships and ministries.
• Send: We are inspired to apply our faith daily by loving others and sharing the Good News of Jesus. 

The Year of Welcome: Beginning this fall, we will embark on a three-year cycle of “welcome, transform, and send” where one component of our vision will receive special emphasis and targeted initiatives each year. A leadership team began meeting last fall to prepare for the first year of “Welcome” and a new team focusing on the following year of “Transform” is currently being assembled.

WHY: Our Mission 

As with the vision, several people have met to discuss and develop a clear mission for our church. Their discussions led to the conclusion that as a community we exist to “discover, grow, and live into our individual relationships with Jesus Christ.”

With a strong vision and mission in place, it is only natural to consider how the programs and ministries at our church can best support our mission. As a result, four core ministries have emerged as ways to support faith formation:

1. Worship: We praise God, and are spiritually fed, through God’s Word, music, prayer, and sacraments.
2. Learn: We grow our Biblical knowledge, enrich our understanding, and apply our faith to daily life. 
3. Connect: We develop and strengthen relationships in our congregation, local community, and global community through invitation and service. 
4. Care: We offer compassion, companionship, and faith affirmation throughout life’s journey. 

The goal of the church leadership in the coming months is to take these words from the page and let them breath life into the decisions we make. We will consider how programs and staff can be aligned to these four core ministries and create a meaningful experience for all. One example of this already occurring is the call for a new pastor.

Next week, I’ll explain how we are adapting our structure, including our ideal pastoral structure, to align with these four core areas of ministry. 

In the meantime, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Post questions and comments below or e-mail us at council@sotv.org.

Blessings,
Jenny Buckley-Church Council President

Getting Ready for Our Annual Meeting

He is Risen! What a glorious time of year! Each day as the sun shines longer and the temperatures begin to rise, I feel a bounce return to my step and a lightness in my spirit. There is such hope and promise with the return of spring.

Over the past year, I have been privileged to be a part of many meetings focusing on the life and mission of Shepherd of the Valley. After each gathering, my heart soars with excitement about all the great things God is doing right here in Apple Valley.  

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will occur on Sunday, June 7th at 12:30 pm. All are invited to attend. A free lunch will be served from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm - please RSVP for lunch. Between now and then we will be writing a blog series about the state of our church. There has been a lot going on at SOTV and we want to take a little time each week to give you an update.  

Here is a list of topics we will cover before June 7th. Please follow along each week and then join us on June 7th to hear more about how God is working in and through us at Shepherd of the Valley.   

May 7:   Our Vision and Mission

May 14: Structure and Pastoral Staffing

May 21: Call Committee

May 28: Capital Campaign
June 1:  Endowment Fund

June 5:  Finances

Thank you for partnering with us as we live our vision of inviting all people to experience the welcome, transformation, and sending of Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Jenny Buckley - Church Council President

Paul Keller - Church Council Vice President

The Final Shepherd’s Sale

 

Let’s Make it the Best Sale Ever! 

A Huge Impact

For 21 years, garage sales at Shepherd of the Valley have done a tremendous amount of good in our community. Each year, the Sale is an opportunity for our church to open its doors to the community to be a place of welcome, hospitality, and fellowship. Our volunteers especially look forward to coming together as one big church family. The neighbors we serve walk away with arms full of great finds at low prices. Each year we meet people able to buy furniture, clothing and other items for their homes that they otherwise can’t afford. When it’s all over, 100% of the proceeds and any unsold items go to local organizations that help children in need including District 196, Dakota Woodlands, 360 Communities, Lutheran Social Services, Kids ‘n Kinship and more. Since 2010 alone, sales have raised over $110,000!

All Good Things…

This year will be the final Shepherd’s Sale and we need your help to make the 2015 the Best Sale Ever. Each year, the Sale is increasingly harder to organize and execute well:

• The Sale demands an immense amount of volunteers to work long hours over a two week period.
• Summer is a difficult time to recruit volunteers and collect donations, but we don’t have space in the building at other times of the year.
• Many hours and strenuous tasks are required to set up, go through donations, operate the sale, and clean up. 
• Costs for many of our supplies have increased. Renting tables alone costs $4,000. 
• Each year, we borrow a large amount of supplies and materials from community partners like Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. 
• It is difficult and costly to dispose of unsold or unwanted goods, impacting our total fundraising proceeds. 
• The Sale takes up space in the entire church and puts strain on ongoing ministries. For example, it shuts down Our Daily Bread Food Shelf for over a week during summer – a period of increased need at food shelves. 

How Can We Better Serve Our Community?

Our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, calls us to reach out and become in tune with the needs of our community. As great as the Sale has been, we want to explore how else to be Jesus’ hands and feet in the world. Our goal is to develop opportunities to support our community and raise funds for local organizations throughout the year that are not reliant on large amounts of labor, volunteers, space, and resources to be successful. We can better serve our neighbors by working smarter, not harder. If you want to be part of a team that plans new ways to serve the community, contact Lisa Hegerman at 952-985-7329 or lisa.hegerman@sotv.org. Once the sale is over, we will be focusing on fun ideas for the summer of 2016.

 Let’s Make 2015 The Best Sale Ever!

• For starters, we MUST have 70 volunteers each signed up at two critical shifts. Tuesday morning, June 16 (9:00 am – Noon) and Friday afternoon, June 26 (Noon – 4:30 pm).
• Once we have enough volunteers for these two shifts, we will need volunteers to commit to all other shifts from June 15 – June 26. See all shifts
• We will have a more focused list of accepted donation items this year, based on what has sold in the past. Disposing of unsold items can be costly. 
• Shop and tell your friends to come out and shop too!
• You can sign up to volunteer online using SignUpGenius or download and print our flyer and return to the church office.
• Full details and registration at www.sotv.org/sale