Elim Extra for Sunday, October 15, 2023

Pastor’s Reflection

Thank you for a wonderful installation last weekend, and the beautiful red roses for Pastor Appreciation Day. Last week we reflected on what it means to be “equipped” for ministry, and I certainly think that all of the love we shared was great “equipment” for our call together!

This Sunday we will be talking about the next word in our mission statement, serving. Given the reality of part-time pastoring, this week I had to turn my attention away from normal tasks of ministry to participate in some special acts of service, namely advocating for childcare at the state capitol with other Lutheran pastors and leading a prayer for the suicide prevention summit in Sandy.

I know you can resonate with the reality that time and energy are finite. Sometimes we must turn our focus away from maintaining the church toward acts of service in the wider community. This reminds us of our purpose for being in ministry in the first place!

My prayer for Elim is that we can become energized by new opportunities to serve, within our capacity…. and in the process, we may be asked to let go of some things we usually do.

with love, Pastor Chelsea

Our church mission statement: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Elim Lutheran Church seeks to be a healing, equipping and serving community of faith.