“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

 
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
            “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”  God, in His wisdom, has seen fit to call and gather us together to be the church.  In the passage above, life is compared to a race that we run, but this is not an individual race.  It is not a race you run by yourself or against others, but rather it is a race we run together. 
 
God knows that we need help to run with endurance and keep our eyes on Jesus.  There are a lot of ways that we do this that don’t have anything to do with our congregation and how it is structured, but some of the ways that we run this race together do have to do with being a part of a congregation.  Since the Lord has gifted us with different interests, passions, and abilities, here are some of our Boards / Ministries / Teams where you might be able to serve and help us as we run this race together and fix our eyes on Jesus.
 
  • Board of Elders – This group of men is tasked with coming alongside the pastor to provide spiritual care to the congregation. Since, worship (the Divine Service), is central to our spiritual care, they have a large role in it. They also assist the pastor in getting to know the members of the congregation and caring for them.
  • Board of Education – If nurturing people with God’s Word and helping them grow as disciples is your passion, this is the board for you. This group coordinates the Sunday School program, Confirmation/Weekday School, Vacation Bible School, and Children’s Christmas program. Although much of the focus is on children, helping all congregation members grow in Christ through the Word is what this board is all about.
  • Board of Trustees – God has blessed us with facilities where much (but not all) of our work as the church is done. These facilities need to be cared for, maintained, and expanded, and the church council and congregation need to be kept informed of issues and expenses associated with this. The Board of Trustees sees to these things. As our facilities age, the responsibilities for this group continue to grow, so “the more the merrier” when it comes to this group.
  • Ladies League – Our Ladies League is part of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League which supports mission work all over the world. They collect mites and raise funds to support the expansion of the kingdom of God. The big fundraiser our Ladies League puts on each year is the Chicken Supper. Within the congregation, our Ladies League performs many acts of service including helping with funeral luncheons and other fellowship events in our social hall.
  • Altar Guild – When the Lord appeared to Moses at the burning bush, He told him to take off his sandals because the place where he was standing was holy ground. This group cares for “the holy ground” where our Lord comes to meet with us at His table. They clean, wash linens, change altar paraments and banners, fill candles with oil, etc.
  • Community Outreach Leadership Team – There is always a pull within each of us and within every organization to be turned in on ourselves. This is never our Lord’s intention! His design is centered on LOVE, and love pulls us out from ourselves to care for our neighbor. This team leads us as a congregation to go out from the walls of our building into our community with the Word of Christ and with actions of HIS LOVE. If you are passionate for serving and want to see our congregation grow in serving others, this is the team for you!
  • Offering Counters – This faithful team postpones eating lunch on Sunday so that the offerings of God’s people are cared for, and careful records are kept. This group doesn’t get much praise or recognition, but their work is important and necessary for us to run this race together.
  • Nursing Home Service Volunteers – This group goes with Pastor on the second Tuesday of the month to Woodland Terrace to get to know the residents there and help conduct a short worship service. This is a ministry that we may look to expand with leadership from Pastor Tom Fischer who is a new part-time pastor at Immanuel Bridgman and founder of Good Life—Beyond the Walls Ministries.
  • Prayer Shawl & Chemo Cap Ministry – This team makes and distributes prayer shawls and chemo caps. If you know how to knit or want to learn, or if you would like to be part of delivering these to people who would be blessed by them, we would love your participation on this team.
  • A / V Team – Do buttons and screens get you excited rather than cause you to break out in a nervous sweat? This might be the team for you! Much work goes into each Sunday morning service, and this work is currently being carried out by very few people. This team would love to teach and train you in the technology that helps us spread the Gospel.
  • Church Council – Representatives from many of the above groups come together with a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, treasurer, financial secretary, building fund treasurer, and financial chairman to lead us in the business matters of the congregation. These all work together to be servant leaders as we run together with endurance fixing our eyes on Jesus.
  • Choir – If you enjoy singing, this is the group for you. The choir is most active during the Easter and Christmas seasons, and adds a special element to our worship services.