2016

Annual Report
 Wooddale Lutheran Church
St. Louis Park, Minnesota

ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

January 29, 2017 10:45 a.m.
AGENDA

Call to Order and Approval of Agenda

Opening Devotions

Approval of Staff, Council & Committee Reports and 2016 Minutes

PowerPoint presentation of Ministries of Wooddale Lutheran

Election of Council Members & Mission Endowment Fund Member

. Adoption of 2017 Annual Budget & 2016 Treasurers Report

Other Business

Adjournment and Closing Prayer

We give you thanks, gracious God, for . .

And we ask you to bless us . . .
Grant us your favor, O Lord,
and bless us in this new year.

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Opening Devotions

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 2016 Congregational Council

Committee Name

Executive, President Jean Olson

Executive, Vice President Shawn Pelowitz
Executive, Treasurer Ethan Keller
Executive, Secretary Beth VonEschen

Children, Youth, and Family Ministry Laurie Hollinger

Finance / Stewardship Ministry John Carlotto
Hospitality/New Member Ministry Pam Pivec
Invitation/Promotions Ministry Brandon & Cheryl
Gallagher Watson
Property Ministry Andrew Raether
Social Ministry Linda Jennings
Worship and Music Ministry Ann Kubitza
At Large Deb Abeln

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 2016
Annual Report
of the Congregation
Wooddale Lutheran Church
4003 Wooddale Avenue
St. Louis Park MN 55416

952-926-7603
www.wooddalelutheran.com

Pastor: Heidi Zimdars

Intern Pastor: Cathy Jones
Interim Youth Director: Kristina Frug
Administrative Assistant: Cindy Ranwick
Wooddale Choir Director: Sarah Foster (Mary Slette through 9/1/16)
Organist: Dr. Luke Foster
Contemporary Choir Director: Diane Andersen
Building & Grounds: Mark Ennenga
Nursery Attendant: Robin Swanson

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 Table of Contents
Report Title Page
Minutes of the January 31, 2016 Annual Meeting 11
Minutes of the July 10, 2016 Congregational Meeting 12

Staff Reports
Pastor Heidi Zimdars 13
Statistical Report of Membership 16
Intern Pastor Cathy 17
Interim Youth CoordinatorKristina Fruge 18

Council Reports
Council President 19
Children, Youth & Family Ministry 20
Finance/Stewardship Ministry 22
Hospitality & New Member Outreach Ministry 23
Invitation/ Promotion Ministry 24
Property Ministry 25
Social Ministry 27
Faith Community Partnership 30
Worship and Music Ministry 31

Financial Reports
2016 Mission Endowment Fund 33
2016 Financial Recap 34
2016 Balance Sheet 35
2017 Summary of Budgeted Financial Activities 36

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7
 Special Congregational Meeting
July 10, 2016
10:45 am

At a duly called congregational meeting on July 10, 2016 with a quorum present, the following motion was
made:
The Wooddale Church Council is authorized to borrow $100,000 from the Mission Investment Fund for
the purpose of paying off existing loans to Hennepin County and Citizens Independent Bank and for
improvements to the facilities.
After discussion, the motion was passed.

Respectfully submitted,
Shawn Pelowitz, Acting Secretary

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 Annual Report by Pastor Heidi Zimdars
Every month in the Witness and every Sunday in the Worship Bulletin we proclaim:
Experience the Joy,
Proclaim the Power
This is our Mission Statement. That together we are Gods church experiencing the presence of God in our
lives and proclaiming Gods power.
In order to do that we need to ...
1. See God in our lives
2. Give God a voice in our congregation and lives.
We see God here:

In worship In the staff as they go above and beyondloving

In the faces of our children and youth as they
learn and serve together.
In all of the members that share their time, com-
mitment, and faith
In the faces of our visitors as they are greeted by
members, send their children forward in Kids
Time or share in our community events.
this place, its people, its hope for the future and
their vocation of being called to Gods ministry.
As we are challenged to grow
In quiet moments, laughter, discussion, disagree-
ment, tears and hugs any place our faith plays
out.

We give God a voice here

In worship as members share during Lent, lead
worship, in preaching and songboth by the
congregation and our inspiring choirs
In education as children ask/answer questions, adults
engage in faith conversation, as we explore the
meaning of justice and stewardship
In the community as we show up to minister to the
needs of those awaiting Gods touch
In our lives as we share our stories, our hopes, our
pain and our trustsharing our faith in family,
community and the places God leads us daily

Where are we and Where are we going?

Where are we
I arrived at Wooddale Lutheran 19 months ago.
Weve had a lot of change in almost every aspect of ministry.

Leadership DevelopmentExecutive Council is growing in scope and understanding of Mission develop-

ment, Personnel and beginning stages of strategic plan emphasis.
Umbrella Ministry Development at May council retreat.
Ministry Initiative to build Gods working our working teams and grow opportunities together, as
well as celebrating and participating in one anothers endeavors.
Ministry Team Development
CYFMbecame a dedicated, forward thinking, Spirit led group of members who have owned the
ministry in a new way and have dreamed new ministries into existence. As we look for a Youth
Coordinator much of the ministry will continue to be lay leader led and supported, this is the type
of equipping ministry CYFM is developing and continues to grow as a missional team.

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 Propertyis a fully functioning, at times overwhelmed group of members who have the expertise, drive and
dedication to revitalize our building, ensure that it is meeting the needs of our current/future ministries
and outside guests. They attend to the interior, exterior and grounds as they look forward. They are awe-
some.
Finance/StewardshipHas been working diligently to ensure a fiscal stability in the church. They
have taken the ministry beyond profit and loss to Gods ministry through the gifts of the people
of Wooddale. They see each of our members as integral parts of the assets of this place, not just
contributors. They want to build a base for increased ministry, staffing and outreach into the com-
munity.
Property Upkeep/Revitalization
Special Congregational Meeting to acquire funding for projects needed in the church
We are starting projects in 2017. Because of water damage issues in Dec. we are prioritizing
the timing of projects. And will have a much larger scale of projects that need our atten-
tion
Staffing in 2016
New Interim Youth CoordinatorSenior High/Administrative/some junior high overlap
Began in January and was increased in Sept. Kristina Fruge
New Choir Director
Job search June-Aug. Hire in August of Sarah Foster.
New Intern Pastor
Conversation began in council in 2015. Was introduced to the congregation at the Annual
Meeting 2015. Application/interviews in spring
Intern Pastor Cathy Jones began on July 15, 2016
In addition to our new staffing I want to emphasize that we have a great team in Cindy, Mark,
Robin, Luke, Diane, Sarah, Kristina and Cathy. I thank God for each of them and their gifts,
enthusiasm and faith! They are a joy to work alongside.
End of Faith Community Partnership ended at end of Sept. 2016beginning of the conversation for
Partners for a Strong Park
Strengthening our Stewardship Program
New Stewardship Booklet outlining Ministries came out in November and included:
Ministry Descriptions
Financial Commitment to carry out ministry, including staffing
Ministry Involvement Opportunities
This led to a volunteer time assessment in all ministries and a greater respect among ministries as we
celebrated the scope of what was already happening and prepared for future growth. This experi-
ence has birthed a new Time and Talent ministry.
New Ministry Development (initial stages)
Invitation/Promotion Ministry
Wooddales website was hacked and infested with malicious content. We are building the
website from scratch and lost all of our archives. Hopefully we will have a web site up and
running soon.
We learned to use our Facebook page to our advantage and have been using it for promotion
and ministry celebration
Adult Faith Ministry
This is a ministry that has a new council position hopefully starting at this Annual Meeting.
Full rollout will be next fall.
Social Ministry is expanding to include a caring ministry component for members and
community.
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 Where are we going?
In a church the most important question is not where have we been, what have we accomplished or a sense
that somehow we have arrived

The most important questions are:

Where is the Spirit leading us in the future?
Are we prepared to dream and anticipate ministry needs as we move forward?
Do we have the commitment of the congregation to be part of the plan?

When I came the congregation had put together a list of 5 priorities for my first 3 years .
1. Focus on excellent worship that is inspiring, illuminating and musical.
2. Develop and implement our social outreach programming.
3. Foster a member-based leadership structure and encourage a broader spectrum of participation
including internal mission planning.
4. Respond to the spiritual needs of the community.
5. Strengthen our programs of fiscal stewardship.

These have been part of leaderships conversation and goals in the past year. Not as a check list, but by at-
tending to the intentional building of ministry at Wooddale so that as we reach out into the community we
have programs for youth, caring ministries, and opportunities for connecting us as we grow.

The council passed our emphasis for the 2017 Gods Story, Our Story, My Story. It will be a tool
that we will use as we have faith conversations with our members and invite them into full participation in
Gods dreams for our future. As we learn to tell The Story our congregation will grow. Not through a
program, but through the authentic inviting conversations of members with others in Gods world. We have
been building up ministry inside of our walls to support growth
now it is time to take that ministry outside in a new way. Wooddale is
ready for growth but only if we together do Gods work

Are you willing to be part of the Story?

To grow Gods Story at Wooddale?
To share your Story?

God is calling us to live out our mission statement even more fully!
Experience the Joy,
Proclaim the Power

Pastor Heidi Zimdars

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 Membership Statistical Report

Total Membership as of December 31, 2016

Baptized 676
Confirmed 494

Persons Received into Membership during 2016

By Baptism:
Marie Elise Fruge Greta Elaine Koepke
Tres Patrick Galvin Reese Marie Kramer
Justin Lucas Holt Natalie Grace Weber

New Members:
Jeff , Sara, Jana, and Colin Faust Gloria Niehans
Barbara Fritzberg Susan Reichel
Christian Fritzberg Josalan Sullivan
John Glover Rich, Liz, and Natalie Weber
Kyle, Carly, and Reese Kramer
Andrew, Jamie, Owen Ross and Elliott Miller (children baptized in 2015)

Total New Members: 22

Confirmation
Mary Fuentes Thomas Pelowitz
Jackson Kubitza Avery Pittman
Hattie Kugler Lily Rostal
Mazie Lainsbury William Schwietering
Libby McCallon Sullivan Shubert
Sarah McCallon Grace Steffy
Maren Nelson Mitchell VonEschen
Jake Olson

Weddings:
Ronald Halverson / Susan Reichel

Funerals:
Evelyn Macy Cynthia Keller
John McBride Bill Selzer
LoAnne Erickson (former member) Jane Tjornholm (former member)
Betty Edwards (former member)

Transfers to other Congregations / Removed from roles per request: 4

Total Membership:
Baptized
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
676 662 639 692 672 679 670

Confirmed
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
494 472 462 499 492 489 481

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 Intern Pastor Cathy Jones

Dear Friends in Christ,

I am thankful for you offering me the opportunity to work alongside you all this year as your pastoral intern.
Internship is part of my journey to become an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Amer-
ica. The Minneapolis Synod along with Luther Seminary works with congregations and pastors to help stu-
dents develop leadership skills, pastoral identity and best practices for serving communities of faith. I began
on July 15, 2016 with a warm welcome from Wooddale and Pastor Heidi at worship the following Sunday. I
have already learned much from this community in worship and preaching, in ministry teams, in conversa-
tions and in shadowing your pastor as she administers to the needs of this congregation and building. I have
also noticed this community shines bright:

As many people serving God out in the community!

Seeing the joy in your faces when children are part of what we are doing.
Music is important.

I am blessed to have a supportive internship team of Deb Abeln, Char Carlotto, Ed Mohrlant and Kari Ross
(chairperson). The staff is patient and helpful as I learn about the inner workings of being church from Cindy
teaching me the finer points of Publisher to Mark showing me the nitty gritty of boiler systems and working
well under flood conditions; from Kristina helping learn more about the community to Luke and Sarah
cheering me on with my love for expanding worship experiences. I have been truly blessed by Carol taking
me along on visits to our homeboundGod shows up in her love and care for everyone we visit. Pastor Heidi
has been generous with her time helping me learn and grow as a pastor; she has strong and diverse leadership
skills to share.

As part of my internship requirements I have the following goals as part of my experience here at Wooddale:

Developing leadership skills and style,

Learning about church governance and structure,
Increasing my proficiency in preaching,
Membership, relationship and connections with God,
Increase my ability to provide pastoral care, and
Learning more about financial stewardship.

I also have a final project where I am exploring how we as a faith community experience God and how we
can grow deeper in knowing God and one another in relationships.

We have six months left together, I pray God continues to guide and direct us as we move closer to the future
God has planned for this community of faith. Amen!

In Christs Love,
Intern Pastor Cathy Jones

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 Interim Youth Coordinator
MINISTRY WITH KIDS IN SLP, AT WOODDALE & AT HOME

Stepping out of a community leadership role in Sept was also a step towards more fully enjoying my family
and young kids during this short season of our lives. Will is now in 4 th grade and hard to keep up with. Logan
just started kindergarten in the fall and is officially a big kid now. And of course Marie, who just turned 18
months, is full of spunk and joy.

Not long after deciding to focus on MY kids fulltime, the need and opportunity emerged to join the rock-star
team of CYF members and to be a part of their mission to OUR kids through the ministries of Wooddale. I
have enjoyed being able to carve out a small amount of time (10 hours give or take! this is an increase from
5 hr/wk last year) to serve Wooddale as the Interim Youth Coordinator. It has been a joy-filled experience to
have the opportunity to get to know many of the middle and high schoolers at Wooddale and their friends.

Here is a list of some of what we have been up to as we work to build momentum and reconnect/connect our
younger Wooddale members and their friends to their church community and beyond.

2016 included a Boundary Waters Trip, Thanksgiving lock-in, a solid team of teens volunteering with
kids at our Vacation Bible School, summer camp experiences and a fall retreat at Camp Wapo, and a
mini-Summer Stretch of service & fun.
We kicked off Sunday morning "Wooddale Breakfast Club" to create space for conversation and connec-
tion (and the eating of donuts!)
Incorporated into many of our ministry opportunities were service-learning experiences, especially fo-
cused on hunger. Students were part of packing meals at Feed My Starving Children that will feed
107 kids for the YEAR, made 150 sandwiches for local people experiencing homelessness, did a food
drive for homeless youth and MoveFwd's youth drop-in center, and learned about food insecurity and
hunger in America.

All in all - a wonderful year being in community, relationship and service together! The list of people to
thank is far, far too long... Let me simply say that Wooddale Lutheran Church has been an incredible gift to
my family and the larger SLP community in countless ways. Your impact goes far beyond what you might
ever know. You all are a blessing and Gods love shines faithfully through this community of faith. Lets
keep strong in this work for love we get to do together!

Peace,
Kristina Fruge

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 President's Report
How to go about writing a council report from the president? I had many pieces of my experience this last
year tumbling around in my head, but it wasnt a complete picture of our community. Therefore, to tell the
story, I needed to pull in the people of Wooddale and your energy and gifts.
First stop was literally just that - I stopped, slowed down, and centered myself, drawing from the resources
and guidance that I received over this last year from Wooddales Billy Anderson. My husband and I had the
opportunity to learn the philosophy and steps of Centering Prayer in our Wooddale Chapel with Billy and
other members of Wooddale. Billys expertise led us in the preliminary steps of centering prayer and through
his guidance; I actually began to grasp the concept of quieting my mind and handing my chaos over to God
for a short time. Thank you for sharing your wisdom, Billy and helping me to build the story.
Where did this story lead me next? A chance to look back at what my predecessor had written and expressed
as her reflections and hopes for Wooddale. A reflection on the enormous change, and transitions that have put
us all in that uncomfortable position of change. A vision that sees how this messiness of change has and will
continue to reinvigorate the community and create the energy and growth for all of our faith journeys. Thank
you Phyllis!
During these last chapters of transition and change, our staff has stretched further than we could have
expected. They are the glue that holds this congregation together. Pastor Heidis leadership has strengthened
our vision. She has helped to navigate what is sacred to our community and what questions should be asked
to challenge all of us to dig a little deeper and stretch ourselves out of our comfort zones. Thank you Heidi for
your compassion and insight. Your willingness to push, and listen and bend with such grace. Mark, Cindy,
Sarah, Luke, Diane, Robin, and Cathy - youve gone the extra mile time and time again. Youve approached
this period of transition with a positive attitude, an open mind, and a can do mentality. Thank you for
taking such good care of us. You are never taken for granted.
Whats the story for today and tomorrow? What can I share to instill my confidence that God is directing our
journey at Wooddale? The statements written by the different ministries for our stewardship drive really do
tell it all, building the story of our beliefs. The beliefs that we are Gods torch in the world, we are entrusted
to build faithful servants of God in our world, and each one of us has been given the gifts to make a difference
in the world. It is the embodiment of these beliefs that brought my family to Wooddale 23 years ago and
showed us what it means to weave our faith into the very fabric of who we are. It is these beliefs that I will
hold close as my grandson is baptized at Wooddale in a few weeks. Moreover, it is this story that all of Gods
children (young and old) are invited to celebrate in our baptismal call to let your light so shine.
Thank you Wooddale for the gifts of years past, this year and years to come. Youve written my faith story . .
. and my presidents report for me.

Gods peace in 2017 and beyond

Submitted by Jean Olson

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 Children, Youth, and Family Ministry

Members:
Chair & Council Member, Laurie Hollinger
Sunday School & Parent Education, Judy Tyrer, Bridget Bone
5th & 6th grade education hour Jon Olson
Confirmation, Pastor Heidi, Pastor Cathy
Milestone Ministries, Pastor Cathy
High School Ministry Kristina Fruge
Fundraising & Service, Andrea & Michael Grage, Ron Berry

2016 - a wonderful year being in community, relationship and service together!

The CYF Ministry started 2016 with a dedicated volunteer team (listed above) supported by Pastor Heidi. In
February the Wooddale Council approved 5 staff hours per week for the redevelopment of our High School
program led by Kristina Fruge. At the end of July Intern Pastor Cathy joined our team. She has been a
blessing, supporting confirmation, milestone ministry, retreats, & VBS planning. Prayers were answered in
the fall when Kristina agreed to spend an additional 5 hours per week to plan and market summer 2017
events including camps for Seeds & Youth and Summer Stretch & VBS.

Together we delivered a full schedule of programming mindful of the goals that we had set for our ministry.
With Gods help we succeeded!

Model service seek new opportunities for kids & adults to serve together
Mission Possible was formed! - A new service program for 4th 6th graders, on a Mission to put
love in action. Participation is inclusive of friends & families.
Make CYFM an intergenerational Ministry
Sunday school has been completely volunteer led utilizing the story telling talents of 22
intergenerational volunteers.
Develop a curriculum that meets the needs of 5th & 6th grade youth
Interesting topics for Tweens invite conversation in the Youth lounge on Sunday mornings
Host VBS at Wooddale
Luther Point Bible camp led their program The Jesus Way. It was a mix of fun & learning! Our
committee gained insight that will help us in 2017.
Build the High School Youth program seek community with other SLP churches in the process
We are gaining momentum! 2016 included a Boundary Waters Trip, Thanksgiving lock-in, a solid
team of teens volunteering with kids at our Vacation Bible School, and a mini-Summer Stretch of
service & fun. Sunday morning "Wooddale Breakfast Club" launched creating space for
conversation and connection. Service-learning experiences focused on hunger this year. Students
packed meals at Feed My Starving Children, made sandwiches for local people experiencing
homelessness, did a food drive for homeless youth and MoveFwd's youth drop-in center, and learned
about food insecurity and hunger in America.

Better define volunteer opportunities make it easy to get involved

We are 1 year wiser and more in touch with programming needs we are well positioned to bring
volunteers of all ages into the ministry in 2017.

Add milestones that celebrate spiritual growth

22 Milestones planned! Most importantly, we now celebrate the spiritual growth of our kids each
week as they actively participate in worship during kids time. They are comfortable & eager to be
up front. Gods house is their house! Our kids feel the love of this congregation as they look into the
pews.

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The spirit led us to wonderful outcomes that we didnt predict!

Confirmation - Pizza night was replaced by Parents night providing a opportunity for family faith
dialogue as our kids enter a new phase of their faith journey.

Parenting Forum Share/Save/Spend led by Billy Anderson & Bob Fiedler got families engaged in
conversation around financial behaviors & stewardship.
Parents Night Out gave parents some free time The prayers of our kids flew from the choir loft on the
wings of paper airplanes.

Fundraising The inclusion of local artists is turning our annual fundraiser into a community event! Pie &
Lefse & congregational contributions = record breaking revenue. Funds raised this year covered our entire
budget!

Collaboration with other Ministries

Family fun at Trunk or Treat & the Annual picnic.

A 2016 Audit of Volunteer & Staff Hours

As we neared the end of 2016 we were led to conduct an audit of volunteer and staff hours that were required
to into the planning, execution and development of our ministry. We determined that 1,879 hours were spent
delivering our annual programming. Volunteers contributed a whopping 1,037 hours in addition to the 842
hours provided by Pastor Heidi, Pastor Cathy & Kristina. The volunteer hours fell heavily on a small group.
Knowing that Pastor Cathy will leave midyear and that we have Kristina for only a few more months we
requested additional staff hours in 2017. Main areas of need are administrative and planning support to
deliver core Christian Education programs.

In 2017 we hope to conduct a search striving to find a collaborative individual excited about of our mission
and interested in working with volunteers of all ages to deliver CYFM programming that supports our
mission.

As we move forward our mission is evolving and our efforts will be focused on elevating the programs that
resonate with our immediate & extended community.

Our 2017 Mission

Our mission in 2017 is to make Wooddale a nurturing space where children and families love Gods world
together. We invite all to learn together, serve together, and play together as a way to build meaningful
relationships with one another.
Programming Play Together
VBS
Learn Together Christian Education Summer Stretch
Sunday School HS Breakfast Club
th th
5 & 6 Grade Education hour Fundraising
Confirmation Parents Night out
Milestone Ministry Goals
Parenting Forum
Intergenerational
Serve Together Collaboration with other ministries at Wooddale
Mission Possible Collaboration with other churches
Summer Stretch Congregational understanding of our
HS Mission Trips ministries mission,

Love Gods World Together!

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 Finance And Stewardship Ministry

Members:
Bob Fiedler, Peter Jarnberg, Ethan Keller (Treasurer), Mike McLain (Financial Secretary), Dick Parsons, Jim
Robertson, and John Carlotto (Chair)

Stewardship is a statement of what we believe.

Probably the most significant accomplishment for the Finance Committee in 2016 was the $100,000 loan
obtained from the Mission Investment Fund. This loan was used to pay off existing debt due to Citizens
Independent Bank and Hennepin County. The remaining funds (about $73 thousand) will be used for building
-related projects.

We have 3 ongoing goals for our stewardship campaigns:

Increase the number of pledging units to at least 100. One more family unit pledged for 2017 over
2016s pledges, so were still short of this goal. Our campaign in 2016 for the 2017 budget was fairly
low key, and we are planning on a more robust campaign in 2017. Hopefully, we will achieve better
results so we can feel more confident in our planned receipts.

Increase the total amount pledged. Although we received an additional pledge, the mix of people
pledging changed. As a result, 2017s pledges totaled about $27,000 less than those for 2016. Its our
hope that those people who did not pledge will continue their support of Wooddales programs none-
the-less.

Encourage more congregants to become sustaining members. sustaining members are those who
have their pledge automatically deposited to Wooddales account either by Vanco or through their
banks automatic bill payment program. This arrangement is very helpful from Wooddales point of
view because it insures a consistent cash flow whether the members are present or away. Its also
convenient to the members because they dont need to write a check and deliver it to the church. We
currently have 52 members contributing through VANCO and several more contributing through their
banks.

In 2015 we ended the year with a very successful Thanks Gift appeal. We did not repeat the appeal in as
formal a manner in 2016, but nevertheless received a number of substantial gifts in December. Between these
gifts and watchful spending, we ended 2016 with a deficit of about $3,500 instead of the budgeted deficit of
$31,000.

Thank you for your continuing support.

Submitted by John Carlotto Called to

Live,
Give,
Share
And God is able to provide you with
every blessing in abundance, so that
by always have enough of every-
thing, you may share abundantly in
every good work. 2 Cor. 9:8

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 Hospitality and New Member Ministry

Members:
Pam Pivec, Char Carlotto, Joy Shidla, Ron Berry, Mariann Westermann, and Jason Holt

2016 was another busy year for the Hospitality and New Member Ministry. While our focus for 2016 was on
Hospitality, in 2017 our focus will be on New Members. New Members to be workers with us spreading the
good news inside and outside of our Wooddale walls. I encourage anyone interested to be part of this focus.

New Member Ministry:

We at Wooddale have a warm and loving worship community. We strive to be more inviting by asking our
neighbors and friends to worship with us at Wooddale. We were excited to welcome many new families into
our Wooddale community. Our new members are already an active part to our community. In 2016 our task
was to welcome our new members into the community.
We expanded our ministry by development of a new Time & Talent questionnaire it is available
today so that all members can be active in ministry at Wooddale
Next year we are broadening New Members to growing the community and bringing new members to
Wooddale.
My challenge this year is for all of us to invite at least 2 people to worship with each of us.
We will be participating with the theme of the year Gods Story, Our Story, My Story with the
rest of council and hopefully the full congregation of Wooddale as it becomes part of who we are as
a community.

Hospitality Ministry:
There is a lot of energy around this part of our ministry. We tend to be the social event planners at Wooddale,
(but where there are 2 or more Wooddalians gathered it is social).
We started off the year with our adult un-decorating party with appetizers wine and beer.
Coffee Caf is looked forward to on Sundays with treats and lively conversation.
Pancake breakfasts throughout the year on non Sunday School Sundays
We planned 2 Lenten dinners for our Grace in the Park families,
Easter breakfast prepared by our own Chef Ron!
We participated in the Grace in the Park Worship in June and had a wonderful Worship Service,
meal and conversation
Welcome Sunday Carnival in September is always a fun and exciting day with games, food, bouncy
house, and great fellowship.
This year we added a Prayer Labrinth in remembrance of 9/11.
2016 was our second year with the pumpkin carving family event.
We received a grant from the Minnekada Vista neighborhood association, invited that
neighborhood, offered free pumpkins, food, and games.
We also added a trunk or treat. Many volunteered to decorate their trunks and have the
children trick or treat. Thank you to the many that donated the candy for the event! A fun
time was had by all.

What will be new for our ministry in 2017? We invite you to come to our meetings with new ideas! We meet
the first Thursday of the month. Or talk to anyone on our committee, (Pam Pivec, Char Carlotto, Joy Shidla,
Ron Berry, Mariann Westermann & Jason Holt).

Submitted by Pam Pivec

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 Invitation/Promotion Ministry

ChairsBrandon/Cheryl Gallager Watson

This is a new ministry at Wooddale Lutheran. Our culture continues to increase in social media options, so
w are challenged by how we invite others with so many choices for communication.

We want our congregation to be accessible to the communityboth Wooddale and St. Louis Park.

Areas of ministry include: (examples of interaction include)

Community Access -
Worked with the Minnikoda Vista neighborhood to promote our Trunk or Treat Event
Facebook- Wooddale Lutehran Chruch, ELCA
Telling Gods Story- Promotion of special events through Facebook ads (Welcome Sunday,
Prayer Service for Healing and Unity, Christmas Worship)
Telling Our Story - shared service projects, special Worship Events (Blessing of the
Animals Pictures) choir rehearsals, ministry in action at Wooddale
Telling My Story Pictures of youth and adults in Service were just waiting for personal
stories.
Website
Our Website was hacked and malicious content was added this summer. The entire site was
scrapped. We are rebuilding it. This is a slow process as we decide on content, mission of
the website and ways to make it relevant and exciting. This is a volunteer effort.
Promotion through signage/posters
Making quality promotion a standard.
We will be utilizing outdoor special event signage more.
Branding
Keeping our logo in all that we do from signage to promotion to ministry events.

We need you to build this ministry.

Are you able to update web content
Promote and share through your own Facebook page
Offer to Tell your Story and invite others to this place were looking for just short
excerpts of faith or service
Dream with us
Join our team?

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 Property Ministry
Members:
Mark Ennenga, Andrew Raether Co-Chairs
Ron Berry, Paul Jennings, Bob Fielder, Peter Jarnberg, Shawn Smith, Mike Grage, Ann Kubitza

2016 was another full year of challenges and opportunity for growth.
Leadership/Looking Forward
The creation of a working Property Ministry is one of the biggest accomplishments this year. For
the first time in a long time there is a group of dedicated people intentionally working on the church
property issues.
The $100,000 loan has allowed the Property Ministry to address some critical needs of the church.
The Property Ministry identified four critical needs, establishing a handicap accessible bathroom,
installation of a heater /ac coil, choir loft lighting and carpeting.
The heater / ac coil has been installed. Learning how to regulate the heating system is a process in
progress. Despite a couple extreme cold days, the heating system has been run on a much lower
setting. The ability to raise the temperature in the Sanctuary less then couple hours from lower
temperature to comfortable temperature will allow for gas savings.

Indoor Projects
Lighting in the Sanctuary / Narthex
Ron Price and Cory Shubert worked hard on coming up solution for increasing the lighting in the
Sanctuary. A combination of replacing the diffusers in the hanging lights, changing over to LED
lighting with higher wattage increased overall lighting. Repositioning certain lights along with
brighter LED lights help brighten up the area immediately in front of the altar area. Putting LED
lights into the side lights brighten up the edges of the Sanctuary.
LED Lighting in Narthex ceiling lights brighten up Narthex
It was determine that there was a need for signage to help visitors to our church find their way
around the church. A style of signage that allows us to change wordage as needed was chosen and
was installed by the Spit Shine & Polish crew. The foresight to be able to change wordage has
proven to be handy already. This was let by Ron & Carol Price.
Intern Pastor Cathys office was totally given a facelift. The old youth office had not been
repainted or repaired in 20 years. Thank you Spit and Shine.
Warren Glidden, Jean White, Roger and Jean Bresser worked on window drapes for room 7 and 2
Jim Watson was able to donate a coffee pot that took us into this century. We can now make large
amounts of coffee quickly and have a constant flow of hot water. And it tastes better.
As of the writing of this report the handicap bathroom is in motion. The change of the men bath-
room to a unisex bathroom is the start. Mike Grage with Bill Hennemuth input has come up with
working blue print. Ron Berry install the new lock and has gotten contractor bids. Ann Kubitza
has lent her expertise in choosing the tile trim and new bathroom color for the bathrooms.

Outdoor projects
A fencing system for protection of our children in the front yard during summer coffee caf and
special events was purchased. We choose portable instead of seasonal fencing to allow the church
to use fencing in multiply situations. Thank you to all of our volunteers who set up the fencing and
tables on Sunday mornings.
Summer brought attention to the outside of the church. Peter Jarnberg took the lead at improving
the landscape. He directed the planting of new gardens and trimming of trees and bushes. He also
started to improve the overall health of the church yard. Applying weed killer to eliminate clover
and creepy charlie was the first step. This spring he will continue to improve the yard with fertilize
and new seeding.
Recognizing the need to support bees and butterflies a strip of yard on the east side of the parking
lot will remain untreated. A butterfly garden with milkweed plants has been established on the
south side garden. Peter is always looking help.

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 Summer also allowed for long overdue painting projects to be done. Painting the church signage,
attending to the metal rails in the front of the church, the rear canopy and wooden shed brought a
refresh look to the church,. This summer more painting projects are schedule We also had groups
trimming the trees and bushes. Thank You Spit Shine & Polish
Roger Bresser and Bill Hunnemuth repaired another section of gutter, eliminating water problem in
the north basement
Warren Glidden lent his time to help eliminate the erosion problem around the front entrance.
A carpet company has been selected. Look for further details in the near future.
Lighting in the choir loft is close to being completed.

Repairs
This summer the elevator had went down. The back-up battery had not been replaced; this would
have normally been during a routine maintenance. We now have routine maintenance contract and
company that we trust.
December a heater pipe broke causing the boiler to shut down. The cement floor had to jackham-
mered to gain access to busted pipe under the womens bathroom near the sanctuary. This may be-
come a recurring problem as the many of the church pipes are over a fifty-year-old.
A week later a pressure relief valve on the up-stair water heater released. There was water damage
on 3 levels of the church. From the kitchen throughout the main floor hallways, Luther Lounge,
bathroom, print room to the basement elevator control room. We will probably not have working
elevator for a few more months. While on the surface, this may appear to be a disaster, yet this
may actually be blessing. It will force to us take care plan for unanticipated areas of revitalization
redesign the print shop for efficiency, look at ministry needs for Luther Lounge, update the wom-
ens bathroom while we repaint, choose carpeting for areas not addressed in earlier plans and abate-
ment of asbestos tiles in some areas of the church. Insurance claim has not been settled yet so I will
not speculate at this time.
Thank you to all of the members who arrived so quickly to help with water cleanup (the city said
our leak was over 1300 gallons) and to Paul Jennings who has been working with the adjuster and
insurance company countless hours.

The Property Ministry is always looking for new members. We meet on the first Monday of each month.
Look for opportunities to become involved. There are many one-time projects that someone could be in-
volved in.

The recent flood pointed out a need for an emergency team, one position as simple as being a caller, if you
are interested let Mark Ennenga know.

Submitted by Mark Ennenga

A note from the Pastor Heidi after the report was written:

Thank you Mark for your dedication to Wooddale. Especially in our hours of crisis.
The amount of time you put into this building in the past months has been overwhelming.
You have been our calm in the storm and a gift from God.

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 Social Ministry

Members
Lynn Bose, Mark Ennenga, Linda Jennings, Ginny McLain, Gail Watson, and Jean White

Dinner At Your Door

DAYD is an independent nonprofit organization that involves a dozen St. Louis Park churches working to-
gether to deliver noon meals weekdays to the homes of seniors and people with disabilities. The program re-
lies on client fees and donations from community churches and organizations.

Wooddale has generously supported DAYD for more than 35 years through volunteer and financial support.
The goodness of the program touches all involved, including the families whose parents or loved ones receive
the reliable service; the meal recipients who appreciate the nutritious, tasty food and home visits; and the vol-
unteers who know they are providing a service that keeps people where they want to be, in their own homes.

Wooddale volunteers make deliveries the fourth Tuesday of each month. In 2016, we began the year with
three routes; in October, the number of routes was increased to four due to an increase in the number of cli-
ents. That increase in clients continues, with most routes now up to 7 or 8 clients. It should be noted that
Tuesdays and Thursdays are less busy days as several clients stretch their dollars by having the meal delivery
every other day (that is, Monday, Wednesday and Friday). According to the SLP DAYD coordinator, there
are currently 12 clients who are age 90 or older and the food we deliver is probably not as important as the
personal contact we make.

Wooddales DAYD volunteers are Bea and Jim Emanuel; Linda and Paul Jennings; Ginny and Mike McLain;
Ed Mohrlant; Marette and Roy Tyrer; Jan and Ken Zahn

In 2016, Wooddale volunteers provided an estimated 164 hours of service to DAYD.

Loaves & Fishes Meals

In 2016, Wooddale prepared and served Loaves & Fishes meals in January and March at River of Life Church
in north Minneapolis.

Cooks for the meal were Gail Watson, Gail Gannon, Marette Tyrer and Jan Zahn. Servers were Diane and
Don Andersen; Jean and Roger Bresser; Mary Broman; Char and John Carlotto; Mike and Pat Ellison; Gail
and John Gannon; Linda and Paul Jennings; Ethan, Liz, and Keith Keller; Ginny and Mike McLain; Dave
Norine; Pam and Steve Pivec; Marette and Roy Tyrer; Gail and Jim Watson; Jan and Ken Zahn.

For the past couple of years, the Loaves & Fishes administration has been planning to leave River of Life
Church for another location in north Minneapolis. In May, despite several calls to Loaves & Fishes, we were
not notified of the new temporary location until the very last minute, which made it impossible to prepare a
meal. This was the tipping point in a series of actions and inactions with the Loaves & Fishes administration;
we decided to end our 30+ years of service to Loaves & Fishes and pursue a different social ministry to feed
the hungry. We knew that other churches, including Westwood Lutheran, had discontinued their service at the
same Loaves & Fishes site for the same reasons.

In 2016, Wooddale volunteers provided an estimated 88 hours of service to Loaves & Fishes.

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Our Saviours Homeless Shelter Meals

In June, Wooddale began the search for a replacement ministry for Loaves & Fishes. We joined our friends
from Spirit of Christ Church who serve meals each month at Our Saviours Homeless Shelter, 2219 Chicago
Ave., to try out that program. It was a very positive experience and we signed Wooddale on for open serving
dates in September, October, November and December.

ABOUT OUR NEW MINISTRY: Our Saviours Lutheran Church. 2315 Chicago Ave. S., opened an emer-
gency homeless shelter in 1982, going to year-round operation in the church basement in 1986. A church fire
in 1995 necessitated the relocation of the emergency shelter; a permanent 40-bed shelter for single men and
women (the current building) opened in 1997. In 2002, Our Saviours Lutheran Church voted to permit the
creation of a separate non-profit corporation. Our Saviours Community Services now includes the homeless
shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing, as well as an English Learning Center. When
homeless men and women win the lottery (literally) to live at the shelter, they know they will be there at least
28 days, up to 90 days, working with a case manager to become employed and more self-sufficient.

Volunteers in 2016 included: Jeff and Sara Faust and their children; Gail and John Gannon; Linda and Paul
Jennings; Renae and Ryan Kuehl and their children; Pastor Cathy Jones, Ginny McLain, Jill Olson; Stacy
Seidel and her mother; Roy and Marette Tyrer, Gail Watson, Jan and Ken Zahn, Pastor Heidi Zimdars. Our
Saviours invites the participation of families with children we responded with confirmation students
(Mathea Bruns, Olivia Lainsbury, Maddie Olson, Nick Ostby, Anna Podein, Maia Seidel, Sam Steffy, Noah
Swanson) serving in November and two young families (the Fausts and Kuehls) serving in December!

OUR PLAN FOR 2017: In October, we requested serving dates for each month in 2017. We are assigned eight
second Tuesdays (February, April, May, July, September, October, November, December) and four third
Wednesdays (January, March, June, August). Starting with the core group of volunteers from Loaves & Fish-
es, we created four serving teams, led by couples who will take the lead in making the main dish. Each team
will serve three times a year. We welcome 17 new volunteers who expressed interest in participating in this
ministry.

In 2016, Wooddale volunteers provided an estimated 142 hours of service to Our Saviours Homeless Shelter.

STEP Donations

Wooddale members brought these donations to church for delivery to STEP (St. Louis Park Emergency Pro-
gram). Ken Zahn continues to be the delivery person and keeps track of donations.
Food 1,001 pounds
Clothing 71 bags
School Supplies 6 bags
Miscellaneous items 4 bags

In 2016, Wooddale volunteers provided an estimated 30 hours in acquiring and delivering STEP donations.
Thank you to all contributors and special thanks to Ken!

During 2016 Wooddale also participated in the school supply drive, Empty Bowls, and Give To The Max Day,
November 17, with a check in the amount of $1,651.23. During the Christmas season we delivered a car trunk
load of toys and gift cards to STEP. Wooddale members also used on line donations of toys and gift cards.

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TreeHouse Meals

Wooddale members serve meals every month to teens who participate in the TreeHouse program in St. Louis
Park. TreeHouse is a faith-based program that offers hope, guidance, and unconditional love to at-risk teens.
Evening meals are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and following the meals, the teens participate in men-
toring and support groups. Eighty percent of SLP TreeHouse teens qualify for free or reduced school meals.

TreeHouse has four main goals for participants:

Reduce at-risk behaviors
Build healthy relationships with God, self and others
Graduate high school
Pursue an educational or vocational track for their future

In addition to regular monthly meals, Wooddale sponsored, for the second year, the TreeHouse Holiday Ban-
quet, which allows teens to invite a caring adult to be honored at a special meal. Ron Berry prepared a won-
derful meal for this fun, festive and emotional event, attended by 42 teens and caring adults. After the meal,
each teen talked about their caring adult and the adult responded.

Volunteers in 2016 were: Kirsten, Leif and Bjorn Anderson; Mary and Ron Berry; Lynn Bose; Andrea, Mike,
Gwyneth and Neale Grage; Linda and Paul Jennings; Ali, Lori, Derek, and Roger Johnson; Karen, Jack, Ted
and Maeve McCarren; Ginny and Mike McLain; Ed Mohrlant; Deb and Jim Nicholson; Jean and Jon Olson;
Shari Parsons; Jerry Smith, Gail and Jim Watson

In 2016, Wooddale volunteers provided an estimated 228 hours of service to prepare and serve TreeHouse
meals.

Submitted by Linda Jennings

Sponsor A Youth

Wooddale again gave wonderful support to our participation in Sponsor A Youth this year. It is a great
program because we were able to help homeless youth who really needed us. SAY is a comprehensive
program that aims to keep the youth safe and give them the tools they need to live productively on their own.
Gifts and gift cards were given to 10 young people and 4 children, including bedding, toys, household items,
clothing and a variety of gift cards.

Thank you to the following Wooddale members who opened their hearts so generously: Nancy Poeschel,
Gloria Niehans, Diane Andersen, Connie Hessevick, Joy Shidla, Leslie Vick, Gail Gannon, Mary Anderson,
Abbey Carich, Carol Fiedler, Bob Fiedler, Pam Pivec, Ed and Phyllis Mohrlant, Marette Tyrer, Beth Von
Eschen, Jerry and Cyndy Smith, Lynn Bose, Lorraine Monson, Deb Abeln, Jana Faust, Colin Faust, Joan
Hoffman, Matt Farley, Char Carlotto, Larry and Pat Stotts, Mariann Westermann, Sherry Novak, Mike and
Lesli Andersen and children, Andrew Raether, Jim Nicholson, Jan Zahn, Jan Rapp, Judy Tyrer, Reno Van
Putten, Linda Jennings, Renae Kuhel, and Ginny McLain.

Special thanks to Jean and John White for doing the sign-up sheets. I appreciate Mark Ennengas support
with planning and coordinating the set-up for the tables. Cindy Ranwick covered the publicity. Shari and
Dick Parsons, Linda Jennings, Mike McLain and I sorted, labeled and bagged the presents. Mike and I
delivered the presents directly to the LSS social workers in St. Paul. It was gratifying to know how much the
gifts are needed and appreciated. These young people and children were generously helped at Christmas. The
congregations support and wonderful enthusiasm was heartwarming to see.

In 2016, Wooddale volunteers provided an estimated 65 hours of service to the LSS Sponsor A Youth
program.

Submitted by Ginny McLain

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Faith Community Partnership
The year 2016 brought many changes in St. Louis Park, in my own career and calling and the ministries of
Wooddale

In September 2016, we celebrated the conclusion of Faith Community Partnership and rejoiced at what might
be possible in the future due, in part, to our work and relationships.

The community of St. Louis Park has been the mission field for Faith Community Partnership for the past 7
years. Incredible relationships and effective partnerships were forged over that time that became vehicles for
love and transformation in our community especially among our SLP youth. Spark MOB after school pro-
gram, the Suburban Host Home Program, Community Link, Youth CAN (Creating A Network), partnerships
with STEP, MoveFwd (formerly Teens Alone) & TreeHouse to meet the needs of youth on the margins in SLP
were just some of the ways FCP embodied Gods love in a call to champion SLP kids and youth.

These partnerships drew us in to advocating for families and neighbors in the Meadowbrook neighborhood in
2016 when new management took over the property last January. These changes meant increased rent and new
policies and rental criteria that displaced many of our SLP neighbors from their homes. For those with chil-
dren, this crisis emerged right in the middle of a school year. FCP worked closely with the city, local service
organizations and other faith community leaders to support & advocate for those whose lives were disrupted
by this change. There were some outcomes worth celebrating, but for many there was little that could be done.

Out of this work emerged a new collaborative effort Partners for a Strong Park aimed to build sustainable
partnerships across sectors of the community united in working towards social and economic wellness for all
our SLP neighbors. This collaborative is working on long-term solutions that will help our SLP community
work creatively together. A core team developed between STEP, the school district, Meadowbrook Collabora-
tive, the city and faith communities, with particular leadership from Pastor Eric Hoffer at Prince of Peace. It is
with much hope and encouragement I look forward to how this ministry will take shape in 2017 and beyond.

As the need to develop a more comprehensive community collaboration to address the impacts of poverty was
taking shape, it also became clear to me that this was an opportunity to step out of the way for new leadership
and vision to write this next chapter.

Let me simply say that Wooddale Lutheran Church has been an incredible gift the larger SLP community in
countless ways. Your impact goes far beyond what you might ever know. You all are a blessing and Gods
love shines faithfully through this community of faith. Lets keep strong in this work for love we get to do to-
gether!

Peace,
Kristina Fruge

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 Worship and Music
Members:
Ann Kubitza, Diane Andersen, Bob Anderson, Sarah Foster, Gail Gannon, Jim Robertson, and Sarah Foster

Our Mission
Our mission, carried out by our seven dedicated committee members on a monthly basis, is to discuss,
develop solutions to problems encountered during the year, and to provide a ministry to our church
congregation while enhancing our services liturgy with music.

Music
What does Wooddale hold most dear? Music! With coordinated efforts of our volunteers and paid staff,
Wooddale enjoys one tradition of song in the following ways:

Wooddale, Praise, and Childrens Choirs.

Instrumentalists that accompany our choirs.
The talents of Luke Foster on organ and piano and various visiting organists during the year.
Special endeavors such as the Dolce String Quartet. The American Mass Cantata, and Brass
Ensembles.
Special music and dance during the year and throughout the summer.

With the change of music directors, we look forward to interesting changes with how we will worship
through music in our future.

Altar Care
Altar care responsibilities are headed by Gail Gannon and Marette Tyrer, and their monthly volunteers.
Duties primarily include:

Changing paraments and banners.

Ordering supplies.
Scheduling the monthly volunteers.
Preparing the sanctuary for baptisms.
Arranging flowers for the altar.

Additional support comes from Joy Shidla, Mark Ennenga, and Diane Andersen,.

Ushers
Ushers contribute greatly to the efficiency and ceremony of our worship service. Where would we be
without our dedicated usher volunteers? Ushers help us to negotiate our objectives to worship at church by
providing us with:

Bulletins
Lighting Candles
Collecting Offering
Helping with Communion
Assisting Pastor Heidi
Adjusting the lighting in the sanctuary
Taking attendance at services.

Thanks to Bob Anderson for leading our ushering team.

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Lectors and Greeters
Congregational members sign up to take part in greeting members before service begins by the church
entrance and at the sanctuary. It is important that our church be a welcoming environment. Those lecturing
add a personal touch by delivering Gods message to us all.

Baptisms
We had six baptisms at Wooddale in 2016. People baptized were attended by their families and sponsors
which made this important ceremony very special for those involved.

New Members
Including those baptized Wooddale had twenty four new members join us last year. Our worshipping body
is evolving and having new people connect with existing members, creates a strong union for Gods plan in
our lives. Welcome !

Organ
Our organ is monitored by Jim Robertson and Luke Foster. Maintenance, repairs , and tuning are scheduled
and our precious instrument is kept in good working order by their efforts.

Our Worship and Music Committee goals for 2017

Worship and Musics support and involvement in Welcome Sunday, Grace In The Park coordinated
efforts, Servants Fair, Blessing of the Animals, Seders, pancake breakfast help, Christmas potlucks
will continue to be a part of our service to our church.
Recruitment and maintenance of our volunteers for our committee.
New music objectives while preserving the loyalty of its participants
Improvement of choir loft lighting and the maintenance of our musical instruments
Purchase new sheet music for choir
Create bonds with our Grace In The Park brothers and sister through music and Lenten service
ministry.
Promote community through concert performance fund raising.

Submitted by Ann Kubitza

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 Mission Endowment Fund
Members:
Committee members are elected by the congregation and include Mark Bruggeman, Bob Fiedler,
Mike McLain, Don Andersen (investment advisor), and Dave Norine (chair).

Submitted by David Norine

29
 Recap of the Financial Activities for 2016

Submitted by Ethan Keller, Treasurer

30
Submitted by John Carlotto
31
 Summary of Budgeted Financial Activities for 2017

Submitted by John Carlotto

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