Worship and Music Team 2007

During Lent 2007 the Worship Team conducted a survey asking members their thoughts on new worship times: i.e., 9:15 – 10:15 for Sunday School, 10:15 – 10:45 for gathering time and 10:45 – 11:45 for Worship.  The results were exactly even with half favoring the new times and half wanting to keep things as they were.  So, since there was no strong mandate to change we did not change the worship times.

The assisting ministers became a very important part of our worship team as we knew that Pastor Todd was leaving in the summer.  They provided the leadership over the summer, assisting the supply pastors until a new pastor was found. 

In June we had a farewell gathering time honoring Pastors Todd and Jamie and wishing them well in their new lives in Texas.  The congregation presented them with a monetary love gift to help them on their way.  We know that they will do well in their new ministry.

We also began looking for a new organist during the summer, as Debbie Rodebaugh notified us that she was retiring at the end of August.  We have appreciated all of Debbie’s many years of leading our congregation from the keyboards (organ and piano).  She has done a wonderful job.  We had a few weeks of substitutes after Debbie left. 

Kawai Chan is our new church musician.  She is a doctoral student at Michigan State University and a very talented musician.  She feels more at home on the piano, but is learning to play the organ also.  We have enjoyed her great talent and joyously welcome her to our congregation.

In the fall we joyously welcomed Pastor Sarah as our new pastor.  She has led us in using portions of the new Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) liturgy.  Several members participated in a “liturgical” potluck.  After enjoying a bountiful potluck we moved to the sanctuary to listen to several different settings from the new ELW hymnal, noting our thoughts on survey forms.  It was decided to start using setting eight during Advent, adding a new section each week.   We have continued to use this during Christmas and Epiphany.

We welcome any who would like to join our team to contact Scott Myckowiak.  Currently we usually meet on Thursday evenings before choir.