New Direction

“[H]e is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” (Mark 16:7)

Christ’s Resurrection changes everything! God’s promised King is not dead, but alive! He is not far away but close! He is available now to love, forgive and to lead you and me!

Christ’s resurrection means he is alive to lead disciples in a new direction. They were outside Jerusalem in the south, near the center of power as well as close to Jesus’ strong supporters such as Mary, Martha and Lazarus. There were many reasons to stay where they were, grief and a hot meal being at least two. But the messenger brought the stunning news: “Christ is Risen!” Before they can process that news, they are directed: “Go to Galilee” and given a comforting promise that helps them leave behind Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and others: “he is going ahead of you.”

St. John’s is trying to discern the next steps where Christ has already gone. In January, St. John’s voted to allocate part of the Jorgensen fund for outreach, specifically a new position, “Associate Pastor for Outreach.” An initial group of council members (Phil B., Ben F., and Kevin S.) and young adults (Zoey G., Paul B., Zack M., Hank R., and Victor R.) has met and identified that young adults (those 18-29 yrs old) are looking for caring friends, purpose for life, and causes to fight for. This age group is underrepresented in most congregations, including St. John’s, and needs what the church has: community that is founded on our Risen Lord’s love, forgiveness, and direction.

Funding a full-time position for the long term would be difficult for St. John’s alone (the total package for a new pastor is around $80,000/yr), and so the Council voted to reach out to other congregations. We have begun conversations with the Cactus Conference (the 11 ELCA Lutheran congregations in the West Valley) about a Young Adult Ministry. A group of leaders from congregations met in early April and will meet again in May to write a proposal to the Synod and Churchwide.

One idea is that St. John’s call a part-time pastor of outreach and that the Cactus Conference call the same person to a part-time call for Young Adult ministry, combined a full-time position. Together, we could pay a full-time salary and be more likely to attract a highly qualified candidate for this position. We will be working out the details over the coming months.

Keep in mind our vision to “deepen relationships and develop leaders”—this is God’s direction we discerned in 2019 and affirmed in January. This means deepening relationships with those underrepresented at the center of the church’s life, for example, young adults. We will be developing leaders, both a new pastor as well as those trained to assist in this ministry. It will not necessarily mean that there are more young adults in existing worship services or contributing financially, but it will mean deeper relationships and growing leaders.

More details will be coming as Council, the Young Adult Ministry task force, and the Cactus Conference meet. Bring your questions and thoughts to the Congregational Meeting on Sunday May 1 at 9:45am in the Sanctuary.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Peter

Deepening Relationships

Our vision as a congregation is to deepen relationships with God and each other and develop leaders. This vision helps us focus on where we are going and what steps we need to take.

Let me spotlight two ways St. John’s has been deepening relationships and developing leaders and then a new opportunity, but first emphasize how important it is that the Church is focused on youth and young adults. I hear some talk about how nice it is to see youth and young adults in worship (and lament their absence). But the risk is that adults only want to see youth and not hear from them. The Church should listen to young people about God, faith, and following Jesus—that is, to deepen relationships. The Church needs to focus resources and energy in developing youth leadership, which is more difficult because of the many demands and pressures on young people in this technologized and hyper-competitive world. We can’t assume young people will want to be leaders in the church without intentional ways for their voices to be heard, for their influence to shape the church, and for resources to be available for them to grow as leaders.

Two ways St. John’s has been doing this are both in partnership with others. First, Camp ALOMA. St. John’s encourages children grades 3-12 to go to summer camp and provides financial support for any child to go who wants to. We encourage high schoolers to become junior counselors and then HS graduates to become counselors. Camp has helped develop leaders for St. John’s who have taught VBS, Sunday School, participate in worship, and led the mission of the church in other ways.

Second, Phoenix-area Lutheran Youth (PhLY) is a partnership with nine other ELCA congregations to provide larger youth ministry possibilities, led by Casey Goslin. Why should only large congregations have paid staff to help gather larger groups of youth together? Rather than give in to the economics of youth ministry, together St. John’s and other congregations provide these opportunities for youth to deepen relationships and develop their leadership skills. Many of the youth you see helping in worship are growing because of their involvement in PhLY.

While Camp ALOMA and PhLY are helping us move forward with our vision, a hole is with young adults—people between the ages of 18 to 29. Campus Ministries at ASU, UA, and NAU are one of the ways that the Church has directly reached out to this age group. A part of your offerings go to support Campus Ministry, but this does not help us in our part of the West Valley.

An opportunity for us is to partner with other Lutheran Churches in the West Valley to start a Young Adult Ministry especially focusing on GCU, GCC, and ASU West—all in our backyard. This opportunity arises in part because St. John’s approved using some of the Jorgensen Fund for Outreach and also because the Cactus Conference (the congregations of the West Valley) has been talking about a joint Young Adult initiative. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to guide these conversations and offer your thoughts to myself or Council members. Look for information in the next few months and offer your questions and support.

Thank you for your energy and passion to help deepen relationships and develop leaders of all ages!

Glad to be on the journey with you,

Pastor Peter