Office Hours for David Stark
Our consultant, David Stark will be available at King of Kings once a week to meet with staff or lay people during July and August. If you are interested in speaking with David, please call either Patty or Lisa at the receptionists' desk 651-738-3110 to set up a time.
August:
Wed. 4th--8:30-11:30am
Wed. 11th--9:00-12:00pm
Wed. 18th--9:00-12:00pm
Thurs. 26th--12:00-3:00pm
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The Grace of Giving
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“Because of the service by which you proved yourselves, men will praise God for your obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”
2 Corinthians 9:13
As I think about the season of transition that lies ahead for King of Kings, I am grateful for the leadership this church has already shown in the areas of Finance and Stewardship. I have only begun to get to know members of these teams but it is clearly a strong place of giftedness amongst the membership. At all times, but especially in a time of transition, it is the responsiveness of faithful people before God that sustains ministry and mission of churches. I would like to thank everyone who has been, and continues to be, supportive of God’s mission at King of Kings Lutheran Church.
I am drawn to this text in 2 Corinthians 9 because it is a verse near the end of two great chapters that discuss the grace of giving. Many principles of stewardship are mentioned in these texts but what I most appreciate is the spirit and motivation behind giving. Giving has always been a response to God’s grace in our own lives. In the New Testament it is no longer a temple tax as it was in the Old Testament but it is meant to be our gift because of what God has done for us - in obedient response to the prompting of the Spirit in our lives. It is used many times in the local church we attend although not limited to this outlet alone. What I am very aware of from the verse above, and in other texts in 2 Corinthians 8-9, is the witness to God that giving is meant to be, in a very consumerist culture, of love toward God and generosity toward those around us. It overflows in thanksgiving to God, as the text above states.
What I do not have patience for, and something the Scriptures warn us of, is using giving (or not giving) for purposes other than what is mentioned above. Giving as a way of gaining or exercising power over ministries or withholding for the same reasons, completely misses the purpose of giving in the New Testament. Basically, this takes God out of the equation completely. As we respond to God in this season I hope that we can be mature enough to not fall into that trap. Instead, let us allow God to use us as we respond to God’s voice in how and where we should give.
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Living well together by David Stark, Consultant
As we embark upon the Strategic Planning for King of Kings, we will not only be updating all of you each step of the way, but also asking for your input. When the Changing Church Forum began doing this work 6 years ago, Thrivent gave us a grant to create a Congregational survey tool that allows us to take a snap shot of various aspects of congregational life. One of the subcommittees will be giving all of you the opportunity to take this survey beginning the second weekend of September. Most will have the opportunity to take the tool online, but the committee will also be giving those who do not use computers a hard copy of the tool. Look for communication from this subcommittee coming in the near future. The better the information is from the congregation, the better we are able to put together a plan that reflects an exciting go forward plan for King of Kings.
Being in the worship services this past weekend, I had a chance to meet some of you for the first time, and am beginning to know some as familiar faces. Once again I am reminded of the scriptures around the Body of Christ. I had a drama teacher in High School tell me something interesting as we were putting on a musical. He said that leads for musicals come and go, but give me a good chorus any day of the week. In churches, we need able pastors and lay leaders like King of Kings has in abundance. What we need most, alongside of those leaders, is a group of committed lay people engaged and helping to go forward and build an exciting future for King of Kings Lutheran Church.
Please mark your calendars for Thurs, September 16th, when we will be bringing the first report of the "Go Forward Team" to the congregation. Watch for more information provided by the Communications Committee in the near future.
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- Go Forward team to conduct member survey
In September, members of the Go Forward strategic planning team will ask for your input as they work on a vision to guide the next phase of our church life together.
- Starting the second weekend of the month, you will have the opportunity to participate in an Online Survey about Congregational Life that will help inform and guide the work of the committee. For those members who do not have a computer, the committee will provide a paper copy of the survey.
- On Sept. 16, the congregation also will have an opportunity to attend a Congregational Town Hall Meeting at 6:30pm in the sanctuary for an update on the planning process. Following the meeting, there will be a Service of Healing for our congregation.
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