Interim Pastor’s Annual Report

Healthy churches don’t always stay healthy when the pastor is called away. That’s especially a risk when a long term, highly esteemed pastor is the one leaving. Those churches will normally struggle to define “who we are” without the most identifiable leader. They will experience the assertion of other leaders stepping into the gap (this can be either positive or negative). Many churches in times like these find that formerly clear vision is now foggy and that a few members wander away from the uncertainty.

The interim period can be a moment of huge opportunity. It’s a time of discovering who is really with us. It’s a time to identify and develop leaders who may been hanging back and feeling unneeded. It’s a time to rediscover connections to the larger body of Christ, to reset a gospel center and a kingdom focus. It’s a great opportunity to think “outside the box” and to uncover kingdom opportunities we may never have seen.

Those things all argue for an Interim Pastor to help the church avoid being bogged down by grief or distracted by conflict. And the Interim Pastor can help the church ask right questions for a good match with a new leader and a rediscovery of ministry opportunities and strategies. An intentional Interim can encourage the staff and challenge the status quo.

It’s been my great joy to serve Emmaus these past 6 months. Emmaus is such a unique fellowship that it has required extra discipline and restraint as I discover how to encourage, stimulate, promote and persuade. I’ve been so blessed to work with your great ministry staff, every one of whom is a gift from God. They serve Emmaus sacrificially and far beyond the call of duty. This isn’t just their “job.” This is their ministry for God and each would lay down their life for this body.

I’ve loved getting to know and serving alongside Emmaus leaders. I deeply respect their commitment and I have often been touched by their love for their church. I have been so deeply impressed with the grace and respect they carry as they make hard decisions and manage difference of opinion and diverse convictions. It is a great pleasure to join my efforts with theirs.

I am so pleased that we were able to launch the search for Emmaus next Senior Pastor. You’ve elected a very competent and positively focused Call Committee. They have a huge task ahead of them as they gather data to define our needs, determine the pastoral characteristics that this unique congregation needs and then they’ll go looking for the right match. We’re praying and trusting God that He will lead us to that very unique pastor to serve a very unique church.

Let me finally say that I really need your fervent prayers on my behalf. I ask God daily for wisdom and trust Him to lead me to be appropriate for the work God wants to do at Emmaus. I’d be honored to know that you are praying with me.

Pastor Steve Anderson

(Interim Pastor – Emmaus Church)

Director of Worship Annual Report

It is my privilege to mark another year serving as the Director of Worship and Administration here at Emmaus. I am nearly half way through my sixth year at Emmaus and continue to be inspired and humbled by the things God is doing here through the faithfulness of his people. I pray that we continue to be inclined toward God’s call, available for His service, and holy as His partners in ministry.

This year has been a difficult one for the worship ministry here at Emmaus. In June, we said goodbye to Will Healy, our senior pastor of 26 years. Will and I worked closely together on the crafting of our corporate worship services. His kindness and faithfulness as a pastor and colleague is very much missed. In his place, Pastors Abe Johnson and Steve Anderson have stepped into our pulpit and have been wonderful partners through this transition. On behalf of those involved in the worship ministry here, we would like to say thanks to both of them for their leadership and faithful service.

As has been said before, Emmaus is a diverse place. Our experience in coming to know Jesus and deciding to follow him may be very different from others we find ourselves worshiping with. These real differences in socio-economic standing, faith tradition, political leaning, theology and cultural story are some good reasons why we worship in a blended fashion. This intentional emphasis honors Emmaus’ place as a “journey” church – one in which pilgrims on the road of faith find themselves at different points in the journey. We are reminded in our name – and in the gospel story of the travelers along the road to Emmaus of the reality of this situation. However, we know that what matters most is that we find our unity in Christ and always weigh as less important our differences – however real they might be.

And so corporate worship here is both a challenge to plan, but a great joy to be part of! Through our preaching, music, liturgical elements, scriptures, poetry, prayers, and worship leading we gather together to encounter the living God. Whether that is a Sunday morning or during one of the many special services that occurs during the year, we know that our purpose is the same – to offer God our sacrifice of praise and to acknowledge God’s holiness and goodness. We are ever grateful to our God and the movement of his Holy Spirit, inhabiting our worship and renewing and deepening our understanding of who God is his call on our lives in Jesus.

I’d like to offer a very special word of thanks to the Emmaus worship board. Many thanks to our chairperson April Schweikert and to members Becky Adams, Bryan Reed, Kristin Askeland and Lisa Gillispie as they bring great advice, prayer support and service to our worship ministry. And finally, a deep thank-you to the dozens of volunteers who put worship together each and every week. God has provided great gifts that are used in the generous service of musicians and accompanists, worship leaders, AV & sound volunteers, communion servers, prayer ministers, ushers, readers, tech and environmental advisers. Thanks to you for sharing yourselves and your considerable gifts available to God!Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve you as your Director of Worship and I ask for your continued prayers and presence as we together move forward worshiping our great God!

Rob Ryden
Director of Worship and Administration

Director of Pastoral Care

As we near Holy Week, I have been prompted to share Jeremiah 29:11-14. God is reminding the Babylonians that God is present with them during their time of exile. God wants them to know He will be present and journey with them into their future. God tells the Babylonians that God will not abandon them, God will listen to them when they call on Him and God has plans to take care of them.

God’s care for the Babylonians is relevant to you today, too. God cares for you.God will not abandon you.God is here and available to listen to you. God makes care for you possible through the pastoral care ministries at Emmaus. Ministries such as the Prayer ministry, the 24 hour Good Friday Prayer Vigil, Stephen Ministry, Meals Ministry, and the prayer chain are just some of the ways that people at Emmaus act as the loving and caring hands and feet of Jesus.

I especially thank JoAnn Eaton, Bonnie Klamm, Maureen Huot Dewar, Jerome Sellars, Jennifer Severson, Lydia Tillstra, Connie Albin, Doug and Mary Jo Grove, Wayne Peterson and prayer chain pray-ers who pray daily and weekly on your behalf. These friends pray for your spoken and unspoken prayer requests in the prayer room, confidentially in their own homes and alongside many of you.

I would also like to recognize Teresa Tillson who has worked together with myself in coordinating the past several 24 hour Good Friday Prayer Vigils. This coming Good Friday we will have 24 hours of continuous prayer for the needs of individuals, our church, and our Northfield community- prayer requests submitted by each of you. Over 70 people will be actively praying for your prayer requests. It is a privilege to care for you in prayer, asking God to listen and to answer with hope.

Stephen Ministry is another way that the people of Emmaus and the Northfield community are supported and cared for. Stephen Ministers provide confidential listening and personal presence of walking alongside someone experiencing a time of change, struggle, grief, or crisis. This year we have held a Stephen Ministry Training, which began in January 2014. Stephen Ministers are trained for 50 hours in Christian caregiving and ministry to persons experiencing many of life’s transitions and challenges. In June we will be commissioning four of our newest Stephen Ministers to respond to God’s call to care for others among us. I am especially grateful to Maureen Huot Dewar, Lori Rossmiller, and Gregg Menning, Stephen Ministry Co-Leaders and to Anne Brust, who has joined Maureen Huot Dewar and myself in training this year. Their leadership ensures the capable and confidential preparation and readiness of Stephen Ministers who share the presence of God through their ministry.

Christie Balster enthusiastically coordinates Meals Ministry. Delicious, warm meals welcome new babies into their homes, care for persons following surgery or an extended illness and send support following the death of a family member. Meals are lovingly provided by and for the Emmaus community. Thank you, Christie! And thank you to the meal makers! A warm meal communicates the love of God in a real and tangible way.

These Care Ministries are just a partial representation of the many Pastoral Care and Adult Ministry activities that actively serve the people of Emmaus. Thank you, people of Emmaus for the ways you serve our God and others in love.

Susan Quinnell

Director of Pastoral Care

Director of Children’s Ministry Annual Report

Please note: this report includes information from my hire date of August 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014

Special Thanks to the CM Board: Heather Ryden, board chair; Jody Anderson, Kim Decker, Mark Ensrud and Carol Vandergon

Sunday School:

  • An average of 36 children (Preschool through 5th grade) attends during the 10:00 hour.
  • 66% attendance calculated from those families registered and weekly attendance sheets
  • Emmaus has a total of 35 families served by Children’s Ministries (including the Nursery)
  • Potter’s Publishing curriculum continues to be well received by students and volunteer teachers.
  • 37 volunteers take part in Sunday mornings over the course of 1 school year.
  • 3 large group Sunday School lessons were offered during Lent to serve those families who had joined a 10:00am Lenten Small Group. The dates covered Sundays centered around Northfield Public School’s Spring Break. Attendance averaged 15 students.
  • Looking ahead:
  • Future class size will require a 5th classroom on Sunday mornings, which Marianne plans to create in Room 215 during the summer
  • 5th grade curriculum will be adjusted as a new teaching team leads this group next school year. Emphasis will be on Service and How To participate in a Bible Study.

Faith Milestones:

  • Students and parents participate for 3 sessions
  • For future years, we are scheduling Milestone Sundays throughout the school year to better collaborate with Adult and Youth Ministries’ calendars. Three sessions will be: September 14, December 7 and Feb 15.

Wonderkids on Wednesday (WOW):

  • has averaged 22 kids (ages 5-11 years)
  • Programming includes large group games followed by a Godly Play story and small group activity and discussion
  • Activities purposefully focus on verse-o-the-week and Godly Play stories
  • Planned 2 successful joint programs with the Youth Group to incorporate intergenerational relationships between Children’s and Youth Ministries.
  • As a staff, we have opted to offer programming after our monthly meals—eat at 6:00pm, WOW begins at 6:30. Another great opportunity for intergenerational relationships to grow.
  • 4 regular, committed, adult volunteers are at WOW every week

Children’s Church:

  • (ages 3-7 years) averages 13 children weekly
  • Prayer and song followed by Godly Play story and Biblical reading
  • Actively recruiting additional adult story tellers for the 2014-2015 school year. Currently have 2 regular story tellers in addition to myself.

Nursery

  • Has been successfully managed by Kim Decker since Summer 2013.
  • Serves families with children 3 years old and younger.
  • Requires 24-30 volunteers each month

Advent Program 2013

  • Led by Marianne Moser and our 5th grade students
  • Incorporated craft time during WOW to focus on backdrop decorations to give ownership to the students
  • Will continue to offer the program during the Sunday School hour, but will move it to the Fellowship Hall to reduce Sunday morning craziness.

Summer Programs:

  • Trout Lake Camp is planned for June 22-28, 2014. 35 campers are registered with Emmaus. 6 families are bringing friends outside of our Emmaus family…how cool is that!!
  • I am currently working on the 12 sermons I will give during camp!
  • Outreach board graciously has paid for 1 full scholarship for camp along with $100/camper.
  • Vacation Bible School:
  • Emmaus is the host site for summer 2014 VBS. This is an annual collaboration by Bethel, St John’s and Emmaus churches.
  • VBS Curriculum has been decided upon and ordered:
  • Workshop of Wonders by Cokesbury
  • Build with God: Rebuilding God’s house, Ezra 3:8-13
  • Grow with God: Parable of the Mustard Seed, Matt 13:1-2
  • Work with God: Feeding the 5,000, John 6:1-13
  • Walk with God: Walking to Emmaus, Luke 24:13-32
  • Will be held in conjunction with Good Earth Village: On the Road, August 11-14, 2014.

Children’s Ministry Prayer Requests:

  • May Emmaus continue to grow as a “home away from home” for children and families.
  • Continue to establish rich relationships between teachers and students
  • May Jesus’ love be evident in our voice and actions in hopes that each child has a personal relationship with Jesus.

Marianne Moser
Director of Children’s and Family Ministries

Pastor of Student Ministries

Some highlights:

●Youth mission trip to Chicago last summer. Twenty of us served a variety of Chicago ministries and non-profits.

●We had our second annual Serve Northfield event, a three-day service program for our middle school students. We served our neighbors, our local food shelf, and in our local parks.

●We had an awesome youth retreat up at Camp Shamineau in October.

●We had our annual “Turkey Bowl” event in November with over 50 students attending!

●In November we hosted an incredible in-house retreat with our high school students called Passion & Purity with the help of our friend and ministry partner David Olson. We focused on living passionately for God and the impact that has on all of our relationships in life.

●We had an incredible lock in again this January. More than 60 students attended.

●We are currently planning and preparing for this summer’s mission trip to the Pine Ridge American Indian Reservation in South Dakota. God is SO faithful! And YOU are so generous. Our cookie sale and Easter Breakfast fund raising events have raised more than $3,000 for the trip so far.

Some numbers:

●Number of students on the Student and Family ministry roster: 79

●Number of students regularly involved in weekly programming: 50

●Number of adults who mentor our students weekly: 16

●Number of “non-Emmaus” students who have participated in Emmaus activities over the past three years: 75

Some people:

●The youth board: Jason Ripley;; Becky Krippner; Elin Odegaard; Abe Johson

●Mission Trip Chaperones: (last year) Gergg Nelson; Becky Krippner; Abe Johnson; Liz Wickmann(this year) Gregg Nelson, Jason Ripley, Abe Johnson, Vicki Shetnan, Shawn Lorence, Sean Newmann

●Sunday School Teachers (serving faithfully every week): Shon Shetnann, Shawn Schaffer, Carol Vandergon, and Catherine Cleland

●Wednesday Night Small Group Leaders (serving faithfully every week): Karen Nelson,Amy Ripley, Nathan Grawe, Mitch Dewar, Maureen Dewar, Mike Bath, Gregg Nelson, Becky Krippner, Shawn Lorence, Nick Bohrer, Elin Odegaard.

It is such an honor to serve you and your families here at Emmaus.

~Pastor Abe Johnson

Outreach Board Annual Report

It is a pleasure to be able to offer the Annual Report on behalf of the Emmaus Outreach Board and to serve on a board that repeatedly gets to offer assistance to people working to share the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to assist folks in our Northfield Community.

From our congregation we continue to support:
Jody Anderson at West Hills Lodge in Northfield
Connie Olson and Tammy Filzen with Whispers of Hope.
Tim and Dawn Patterson with GLINT Ministries
David and Catherine Olson with Prepare Ministries as they minister to college students in Northfield, St. Peter, Decorah, Iowa, and in South America.
We support the following missionaries internationally:
Children’s Shelter of Cebu, Philippines
Feed My Starving Children
Ryan and Jane working with college students in Asia
Erik and Kim Aasland church planting in Kazkhstan
Jim and Neileke Johansson with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Asia
Caleb and Christine Suko as they work to support churches through Bible Studies in the Ukraine
Eric Teachout working to end Human Trafficking with the International Justice Mission
Converge Worldwide Missions
We support the following local missionaries and organizations: