One of the fundamental challenges my family and I are facing during Safer At Home is this: How can we continue to live missionally when our movements and interactions are so limited? You may have heard those of us at the Church use the phrase “Circles of Awareness” in the past. Simply put, these circles are the natural and organic places where you live life, where you have access to building relationships and sharing the good news of Jesus. It is a practice in intentionality. In the past, my circles have been fairly typical -- home, work, neighborhood, my children’s schools, and playgroups. Yours may include the gym, clubs, etc. If the idea of creating your own “Circles of Awareness” is new to you, here are the basic steps:

• List the places where you interact and think through the relationships that God is allowing you to build in those places.
• What needs do you notice?
• Where do you see God working?
• Are there one or two people in each of those circles who you could be intentional about serving, praying for, and opening up dialogue about spiritual things?

When we moved to Mount Horeb, I was thrilled about the opportunity to connect deeply to our new neighborhood and community. Ollie started kindergarten and I eagerly awaited opportunities to meet other families at field trips, birthday parties and school events. I keep my freezer stocked with popsicles to share with neighborhood kids when they come to the park in our backyard. And then COVID-19 happened. No more field trips or birthday parties. The neighborhood park in our backyard is now empty. Rec department classes are cancelled. Our hoped-for backyard VBS session this summer probably won’t happen. We can’t invite classmates over to play, community events are being cancelled, and we see our neighbors less often. Confession time: For a while I just wrote off this time as a break -- a time to focus on our family. “The season of intentional missional living will return again.” Certainly this was easier, but it left me feeling like the purpose that God has called our family to wasn’t being lived out. Then I tried fitting my old ideas of missional living into the current reality. That just created frustration and resentment. Regardless of the environment or circumstance, however, God calls us to live as His light. He calls us to invest in the people in our lives. He calls us to generosity. He calls us to intentionally share the hope and love He provides with others in our lives. I have had to accept some new realities. And I have started to ask myself some new questions. I haven’t settled on the answers yet, but I thought I’d share them with you in case you are grappling with this same tension of how to live missionally in a restricted world:

• My original idea of these “Circles of Awareness” was primarily based on a “where” (locations, events, etc.). How can I change my understanding of those circles where God has placed me to a question of “Who?”.
• Is there a mix of both?
• Who am I currently connecting with on a regular basis?
• Who/what am I missing the most? How can I use that as a catalyst to create a new “circle”?
• What CAN I do in my neighborhood?
• What resentment or frustration is getting in the way of me seeing a door that God might be opening?

These are the questions that I’m going to pray about. The ones that I will bring up with Micah and the kids. How would you answer them? How is your previous understanding of missional living being altered by this current reality? Perhaps you can take some time this week to list out those new “circles” in your life, and the people who make up those circles, where you can be intentional in living out the love of Jesus.

This blog entry is a letter that was emailed to members and regular attenders regarding the next steps that the Church is taking as we wait for the time when we can gather together in-person. Dear friends, On March 13, the leadership of the Church had to make a tough decision. On that day, we decided to cancel in-person worship for the near future as a way to show love and care to our neighbors and community. This has been a difficult time for all of us. Many are feeling isolated and anxious. We have had to adapt quickly to a new lifestyle. We haven’t been able to come together as a family to encourage and support each other face-to-face. And yet, during this time, God has shown his faithfulness.

• Our online worship services are reaching a wide audience.
• We have maintained unity and connection in our body through virtual worship, lifeGroups, children and youth ministries, 2*22sdays, game nights, caregiving meetings, and connection calls.
• Our staff, musicians, and elders were able to very quickly embrace the switch to online platforms with creativity and trust.

As the current Safer-at-Home order prepares to expire, we have had to make some more difficult decisions. The staff has been discussing and praying about when and how to resume in-person worship and other activities at the Church. We have been looking closely at the Forward Dane phased approach (through the Dane County Public Health Department), as well as feedback we received from our church-wide survey and the logistics involved in resuming in-person gatherings. We have decided that we will continue virtual-only gatherings during Phase 1 of the Forward Dane plan. (Phase 1 is scheduled to begin on May 26 and allows religious gatherings of up to 25% capacity) We do not know how long this will last.  We are keeping the health of members and our community as a priority in our decision making. At this time, we believe our online gatherings are valuable and effective, and we will continue to focus our efforts on those offerings as we prepare for in-person gatherings. Many of the decisions related to gathering together again will be based on the current Covid-19 situation in our community and recommendations from the local health officials. In the meantime, the staff is doing all we can to prepare for that day. Our goal is to have processes in place over the next few weeks so that we are ready to go when the day comes.

• Setting up hand sanitizer stations.
• Setting up a registration/prayer request station that does not require filling out cards.
• Training worship assistants in new methods of Communion distribution.
• Creating traffic flow that reduces physical contact.
• Rearranging seating to allow for social distancing.
• Creating systems and schedules for regular disinfecting of commonly touched surfaces.

It is possible that we will not return to regular, in-person worship gatherings until Phase 3 of the Forward Dane plan (allowing religious gatherings of up to 75% capacity). We will regularly re-evaluate this decision after we’ve reached Phase 2 of the Forward Dane plan (allowing religious gatherings of up to 50% capacity).  We do realize the importance of worshipping in the same place, and also recognize the need we all have to receive the Lord’s Supper. To help meet those needs and to begin to bridge the virtual and face-to-face gap, we will be offering occasional, sign-up based Communion services in June and July, with the first one happening on June 28th. (Details and sign-up information will come soon.) While the return date is unknown, there are some things that are definite for the summer months:

• Kids Connection/Building Faith will not meet as an in-person group this summer. We will continue to offer virtual options for children and families.
• Higher Ground will not gather together until social distancing requirements are loosened. This summer we will continue to offer virtual gatherings, game nights, and a virtual mission trip.
• the Church will begin offering limited Communion Services during the summer months. These will be sign-up based offerings and the number of people allowed to sign-up will be determined by the mass gathering recommendations laid out in the Forward Dane plan.
• Each week the staff will be re-evaluating our readiness for returning to worship in our building. We will communicate our plans with you in a timely way as decisions are made.
• The church building will continue to be closed to groups of any kind, with the only exceptions being Communion services and LCFS counseling. This is due to the increased need for cleaning and sanitation after use, as well as a responsibility to know how many people are in the building. We will revisit this topic every two weeks and make changes as appropriate.
• The staff will continue to work primarily from their homes while continuing to check the mail on a regular basis. We will inform you as we increase office hours. In the meantime, all staff are available via email and phone as needed.

While we wait to re-enter our facility and re-engage the public gatherings that are such a vital part of our life in Jesus, we encourage you to live lives of active witness. Jesus is alive. He has ascended. He reigns. And, He is still calling us to follow Him. “Open your eyes,” He says. “The fields are ripe for harvest.” Now more than ever, Jesus is pleading with us to believe AND confess in word and deed, that He is the answer. Because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This past week, Amy shared in a video greeting with Pastor Jeff that the Lord alone knows. (Ezekiel 37:3) So, we keep following, keep listening, keep responding. He is our leader. With deep love and appreciation for you, Staff, Leadership Board, and Elders, 5/22/2020

I’ve been noticing people who are taking advantage of the disruption to our life patterns due to Covid-19 and social distancing.  Road construction seemed to kick off in high gear this year, taking advantage of less people on the roads.  Some stores (non-grocery) are renovating or doing projects internally, taking advantage of less people in the store.  More people are out for walks, out for runs, out for bike-rides, taking advantage of the outdoors as gyms are closed.  Personally, Kate and I have been going on more walks and exercising outside, and we’re having our bathroom redone. I’ve heard and read people say that they don’t want things to go back to the way they were.  They want some of the different things they’ve experienced and enjoyed to continue on.  No one in our household has thus far made a similar comment with respect to our bathroom.  Using the kitchen sink for washing faces and brushing teeth, and timing bathroom breaks for when we can get into the bathroom, isn’t inspiring the same response as spending extra time with family members, and enjoying God’s creation as we exercise outside, rather than inside. There are also a lot of great things happening in our church.  More guests and extended family members have joined us for worship than normally might.  We’ve experienced a willingness to experiment with technology, worship style, teaching and learning, and playing.  We’ve had to innovate in order to continue to connect in areas important to us.  Things that  may have sounded impossible a few months ago, have been happening.  When the way we are doing things is stripped away, we get to see and work for the things that are really important to us. As the vanity, cabinets, and shower doors came out, and the walls came down in our bathroom, some of it was easy.  We didn’t want those walls.  Maybe we don’t need an over the toilet cabinet.  But we really want a toilet, a tub/shower, a sink, lights and a mirror.  We have made adjustments to our daily routine around those things that we want and need the bathroom to be.  And we know the freedom we have with the rest of the details, like the color of the sink.  We assumed we wanted shower doors, but thinking about the future, a curtain may be easier to deal with for a little while. As parts of daily life and the patterns of church life we have become accustomed to have been stripped away, we get down to what is essential, and what we truly value.  We see in Acts a group of believers who are not limited by proximity, nor by social walls.  They connected with each other through letters, visiting in person, as well as sending others on their behalf, and sharing financial blessings to help those struggling.  Basically they used every means at their disposal to connect with each other and stay connected as one body. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. -Acts 2:44 Those things that are necessary for us, God has done and continues to do.  God has given us the gift of a pattern of work and rest, the pattern of worshipping together, and the gifts of His Word, prayer, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.  He has given us all to each other as servant gifts, with different roles and responsibilities.  God has given the gift of His Son, His Spirit, and His parenting as our Father.  We look for guidance in all we do in His Word.  And the reality is that much of the rest we have freedom with. As our bathroom is going back together, I’m looking forward to how daily life will be put back together.  What am I going to jump right back into (meeting in homes for lifeGroup, when we can) and what am I going to leave behind? As we have been discussing when we will return to in-person worship, and when we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper, what are we going to decide we need to continue, and what may be left behind?  We have been given so much freedom, and so many gifts.  What are you most looking forward to?   Teammates, Matthew Wipperman Pastor and D.M.M. the Church

STARTING THE CONVERSATION

Breaking the silence about racism, personal responsibility, and the Christian response.

For a long time, the Christian church’s response to racism has been timid, scattered and inadequate. God calls us to stand up -- strongly and consistently -- against injustice.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. 

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

As Christians, it is time for us to become strong allies for members of the black community, allies who listen, reflect and are empowered to enact change. I encourage you to join us in taking 2 steps.

1. Read, learn, reflect.
2. Start the conversation.

At the bottom of this post, you will find a list of resources to explore over the next week. The following items are a starting point for our reflection and dialogue. They are not meant to be expert opinions. You may disagree with some of the ideas suggested. These are simply intended to be a resource as we each wrestle with the topic of racism, our roles within that, and how we can be God’s Church in today’s society. It’s time for the Church to intentionally step up. Then, I invite you to join in the conversation. I (Pastor Jeff) will be hosting two, 45 minute zoom calls that will allow you and others space to have dialogue around this topic. Bring your insights, questions, reflections, and a prayerful spirit as we journey together.

• Thursday, June 11th, 8:00pm-8:45pm
• Friday, June 12th, 12:00pm-12:45pm
• Zoom links will be available via facebook, our website, and email.

Let’s start the conversation.   TUNE IN: 

• FRIDAY, JUNE 5, to the Madison365 Facebook Page for a day of speakers and presenters addressing racial issues.
• TUESDAY, JUNE 9th, 11:00-11:45am, to the Church's Facebook page or website for a special 2*22sday (Note time change).  “A Conversation of Race, Privilege, and Action” will be hosted by Pastor Jeff and fellow LCMS pastor, Gregory Manning.

  WATCH: Choose a video(s) from below to watch. Links are included in each title.

• • The Bible Project: Justice
  • The Gospel Coalition: How Can Blacks and Whites Stand Together on Racial Injustice?
  • Yale Center for Faith and & Culture: Carter and Schoen on Racism and Christianity
  • The Gospel Coalition: How Church can Address Hidden Feelings of Prejudice and Racism
  • Sermon by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss: The Cross and the Lynching Tree: A Requiem for Ahmaud Arbery
  • Videos/Podcasts by Dr. Alex Gee (local pastor and leader)

• Just Mercy, a new movie available to rent, for free during June, on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Vudu.

• 13th, movie available on Netflix.

  READ:

• From Christianity Today: The Revolution Will Not be Videoed
• From the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod’s Black Caucus: Black Clergy Caucus Statement
• From Capital Times: Prayer Service Brings Congregations Together
• Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation,  by Latasha Morrison

  START THE CONVERSATION: 

• Talk to your family and friends about what you are reading, watching, and hearing. Invite them to read/watch/listen to those things as well.
• Join the Church, via a zoom video call, at 8pm on Thursday, June 11 and/or Friday, June 12 at noon to talk about what you are learning, processing, and reflecting on.

  I would love to hear your insights, questions, and struggles. Send me an email at [email protected].

If the word “racism” sparks feelings of fear, anger, or grief within you, you are on the right track. You are sensing the deeply embedded illness that the reality of racism has sown in this land we now call the United States of America and in all of its inhabitants for half of a millenia. Thank you for taking time to read what I have undertaken here to express. If you have trigger points around violence and/or family trauma, I suggest that you read this article with a support person if possible, and if you are so moved say a prayer before you read that God will keep you humble yet strong as you open your heart and mind to experience painful thoughts and feelings. I further ask that you would spend time in self-reflection today, seeking discernment in how to humbly but urgently seek change. In a post on Facebook, my friend Sheba explained why some of our responses, as white people, to George Floyd’s murder and subsequent protests across the world, miss the mark. I share her words here with her permission. The post conveys her thoughts as she and her husband struggle to come to terms with yet another murder of a Black person at the hands of police, while they celebrate the first birthday of their twin sons. I have abbreviated her post for space; click the link above to read the entire post. It's not easy for us to come up with eloquent words right now for how we are feeling. We are grieving. This is not the kind of pain that can be compartmentalized. We can't tuck it away or put it up on a shelf. It is a constant, ever-present pain. We cannot choose when to feel it - it is with us every day. Many of us have had family members who have been brutalized by police, or have feared for our families' lives when deciding whether or not to involve police - ever, period - even when their lives are at risk or they actually need protection. You may not know these of our stories simply because we only feel brave enough to tell them in the safest of spaces. None of what is happening is political to us. Saying that you don't "get political" is a deflection and a cop out. This tired narrative is holding white people and organizations back from their supposed interests in equity and diversity. It's holding us all back period, because it further deepens the distance we put between ourselves and issues that do not directly impact us - so we choose not to care. We choose not to pause from our everyday lives, and think critically about what's going on, because doing so would create an inconvenience for us. Black people's pain has always been an inconvenience for white people to actually face - because to face our pain would mean that you have to face your complicity and the ways that you directly benefit from white supremacy. I believe that if we are to model Jesus’ radical, countercultural love and care for others, our first steps in any response to the claims of those hurting, those oppressed, must be acknowledgement and self-reflection, before we level any judgment or condemnation. I am making two requests of you here: (1) consider that you may not yet have the full picture of US history and take steps to re-learn; (2) consider that you may have personal work to do when it comes to seeing and accepting pain and its sources. These areas of focus are inexorably intertwined, but today I will attempt to focus my thoughts on the topic of US history, and next week I will post the second half of what I've written, on the topic of pain stemming from American racism. I know there are many reading this who have experienced intergenerational trauma. The term or even the concept may be new to you, but when you think about inherited conditions that plague families across generations -- alcoholism, mental illness, abuse, codependence -- I hope you realize that our family histories play a significant role in shaping who we are. Another way to look at the importance of the past is to think about ethnic pride. I expect most of us can say that we have been proud, or at least curious, to learn and speak about the places from where our ancestors hailed. Imagine with me for a few moments that your family history in the US was not characterized by elective and legal immigration. Imagine that your ancestors were forcibly removed from their land, from their homes. Imagine that your ancestors were deprived of not only their culture but in most cases their family members, in many instances their very lives. Imagine that, in addition to powerful resistance and liberation, your family’s history was characterized by experiences of desecration, rape, torture, deprivation, and lynching over generations, for hundreds of years. This painful cultural history is the inherited reality for many of our fellow Americans. Indigenous people, Black people, and people of color have experienced trauma at the hands of white people, who invented the very construct of race, on this land for over 500 years. They continue to experience such trauma to this day. Today, we do not condone slavery, but we allow mass incarceration of Black people and witness police brutality in silence. Today, we do not condone legal segregation, but we practice it de facto in our minds, our neighborhoods, and our schools. Today, we do not publicly assent to differential treatment and valuation of people based on the level of melanin in their skin. But oh, my sisters and brothers, do we hold on to such differentiation in our hearts when we witness the evil carried out upon George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony Robinson, and too many others, and do not stand up and loudly shout “Injustice!” from the rooftops, much less speak about it with our families, friends, and elected officials. What are we to do with a legacy of this weight and magnitude? I suggest we must allow ourselves to be broken. I suggest that when we hear cries of injustice, racism, and oppression, we do not seek to argue about or deny or defend the behavior of our fellow white folks, or justify to ourselves our own inaction in favor of focusing on "Black-on-Black crime" or calling for peaceful protest. Rather, we must sit still for a moment, think sincerely about the pain experienced by those whose family members and friends have lost their lives because of racism, and begin to feel some of that pain for ourselves. We must acknowledge the pain of the loss of life, and grieve for those lives. Our sisters and brothers are being killed, illegally, and often without recourse. If you have never been brought to your knees by the atrocities faced by African people stolen from their homes and shipped as cargo across oceans to be sold as property, if you have never wept after reading about crimes committed against Black slaves for generations, if you have never felt soul-deep anguish upon witnessing the ongoing mistreatment and murders borne by Black Americans in the 20th and 21st century, I plead with you: start with history. Please be willing to accept that you may not have been taught the full breadth and depth of our land’s and our nation’s history. Be willing to seek out accounts and sources that tell this history from non-white, non-Eurocentric perspectives. If you are unwilling or unable to seek out such historical accounts, I plead with you to genuinely ask yourself why that seems impossible or unnecessary to you, and to ask God to soften your heart to perspectives on US history that differ from what you have heard or learned in the past. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13, NLT). Join me on Zoom today at noon, as our church family discusses racial injustice. On June 17, I will share why it is crucial for each of us to choose to sense the personal nature of the illness of American racism. I will address why it is equally crucial for us to refuse to let the pain we sense cloud our vision, lest we allow our own experiences of awakening to racism draw our attention away from the powerful, liberating voices of Black Americans to whom we must listen, ceding authority and airspace. I will conclude tomorrow with an invitation to join me on the path of taking responsibility for the required personal and collective action needed to heal the pain inflicted by racism.

The acceptance of the pain of the past is a deeply personal journey, and not one we can rely on others to undertake for us. As part of my journey over the last two decades, I have awakened to the trauma and pain originating from the long legacy of slavery that continues to reside in many Black Americans’ bodies, minds, and spirits. This pain resides in and poisons all Americans, though we are not all equally forced to confront it daily. The degree to which one must struggle with, and fear unjust death because of, the legacy of slavery and a land steeped in 500 years of racism is directly correlated to the level of melanin in one’s skin. Racist laws, budgets, policies, and social practices have robbed Black Americans of experiencing the fullness of their birthright as children of God. There are simply too many of us who have been unwilling to see and fight against the many ways Black humanity is denied. I have seen and allowed myself to perceive only a sliver, an iota, of the pain my black friends have experienced. And even that is only empathy at best, since I will never be able to own or feel a Black, embodied experience. My tears and my pain are essentially incomparable to those of my Black neighbors. They do not need my tears or your tears. Their liberation is already theirs. But you and I (white Americans) have not adequately, publicly called for the recognition of that liberation in the form of institutions, laws, and systems altered to become anti-racist. What is required goes beyond sympathy and listening; we must actively seek transformation of our hearts and attitudes. I confess that I am one of millions of white Americans who have allowed our centuries-long refusal to hinge our value on something outside of superiority to non-white people to persist, at the direct cost of Black lives. Because of the disparity of experiences between white people and people of color, I recognize that until I choose to see the pain and injustice my Black friends live with daily, until I choose to examine how deeply racial hierarchies and discrimination are woven into American systems and psyches, until I choose to let that particular, ugly sort of pain into my soul and allow it to break me, I cannot hope for transformation in myself or in my country. Will you hear this difficult truth? If I authentically see the pain that Black people are experiencing and expressing, I am forced to see that I, too, carry pain. If we are to hold any hope for an end to racial injustice in our country, we can no longer allow our aversion to pain to stop us from seeing and acknowledging the ongoing suffering and death, borne of racism, which Black Americans experience. I speak to you, my white friends, and to myself: this is so critical and urgent because our Black compatriots do not have a choice. They experience this pain at a cellular level, and involuntarily, inevitably pass that pain -- along with pride and resilience and so many other essential, praise-worthy human characteristics -- on to their children. And we pass poisonous ideologies on to our children when we do not speak out loud and fight against them. Racism is a full-blown public health crisis. The primary way for white people to play a role in disrupting the cycle of intergenerational trauma tied to American racism is to make the choice to loudly acknowledge it, recognize its myriad manifestations, to let it shatter us, and to seek transformation first within ourselves, and then with our white family members and friends. We need to step back, continue to center and amplify the voices of Black leaders on our platforms, and take responsibility for doing our own work. We must not be content ending our conversations around this topic by asking, “What can white people do?” Answers to this question abound. Reach out to me if you would consider letting me walk alongside you as you seek. We must do this work now and every day until our bodies fail. We must do this work until natural death is the only acceptable way for our Black neighbors to lose their lives. I hope you will join me on the journey of healing ourselves and healing the pain that racism perpetuates.  

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

John 15:13, NLT

We had an awesome time of learning and discovery over the last three weeks during 2:22sdays with Sheila Anderson looking at the book of Acts. (if you were not able to join us, they are recorded on our facebook page) She did a great job reminding us that the book is not only a history lesson about the beginning of the early church but a way for us to consider how we are missionaries right now where we live and work in 2020. How is it going for you living every day as if you are God’s representative? Because you are!  He gave you that call to go and represent him at your baptism.  What a privilege!  And some days it feels like an overwhelming task.  Or is it?  One of the lessons Sheila brought out was that Paul relied on God’s leading to see the next step, and he could only see his next step not the whole picture.  That is true for us as well.  We follow Jesus one step at a time, one day at a time.  We seek His wisdom and guidance as we read his word, talk to him in prayer, rely on the Holy Spirit and talk with trusted friends. Do you have someone that you are walking with as you follow Jesus?  Someone you can share what you are learning with, reach out to when you are confused or struggling and encourage as you both follow Jesus?  If you would like to know more about connecting in a 1:1 discipleship you can email Amy at [email protected], to talk about your HOW and WHO. Back in 2014 we went through a small book as a congregation called, Be Jesus in Your Neighborhood  Developing a Prayer, Care, Share Lifestyle in 30 Days by Alvin VanderGriend. The following is a quote from Day 18 page 44,45: “In Jesus we see a prayer-care-action pattern that is meant to be followed as we reach out to our neighbors and friends. We begin by praying. Then caring follows as love for them wells up in our hearts. And then we are motivated to act in some way on our neighbors’ behalf. Caring begins in prayer. As you pray for your neighbors, be alert to what happens in your own heart. Do you feel compassion? Do you feel a burden for their spiritual well-being? Do you feel drawn to them? Are you ready to spend some time with them? Do you sense how much they matter to God? Then action flows from caring. Are  you motivated to do something for them? Follow the promptings of your heart as the Spirit of God leads you to reach out in caring ways to the people around you. Act on their behalf in ways that show the love of Christ. This is the biblical pattern.” May God grant you great joy as you follow him. As you take the next step that the Spirit leads you to take. As you continue to pray, care and act in love to those that he puts in your path. We are the church, we get to be Jesus in our neighborhoods. You are a missionary. May the world know Him by how much we love one another. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Each summer we end our youth mission trips the same way: “How will you take this trip home with you?” “What can you keep doing at home to continue living missionally?” I, along with students, usually have well-intentioned ideas and plans. We have the desire to serve our neighbors and to volunteer at a food pantry. We want to be more conscious of how we spend our time and listen to God’s promptings. Then we get home. Life happens. We get back into normal rhythms. Those big plans get drowned out by daily life, and integrating a mission lifestyle into our normal patterns proves to be challenging. When COVID-19 changed Higher Ground’s summer mission trip plans, we had two options – take a summer off or see what God could do in spite of our change in plans. Our Higher Ground students chose to take a risk and experiment. We always say, “You don’t have to leave home to go on a mission trip.” So we set out to see if that is really true.  On Sunday, July 19th, we kicked off our first Virtual Mission Trip. Thirteen students signed up to be pioneers, and the experience far exceeded any of our expectations. “I had a lot of fun doing this mission trip. I love how Emily and Renata put together a fun mission trip even though none of us could see each other face to face. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and I learned a lot with the Shattered video series. I really loved the videos and I would definitely do this again if we couldn’t do another normal mission trip.” – Morgan, 8th grade. Thanks to Next Step Ministries, we had access to a week’s worth of devotions, a video series, and worship songs. Every morning students watched a video devotion by Renata Jaeger and were given morning projects. At lunchtime, small groups used Zoom to check in with each other, talk through another devotion, and find out their afternoon projects. In the evening, we met all together via Zoom to debrief, watch a video series from Next Step, and worship.  Each of the work projects were grouped into 4 themes – Encouragement, Sharing the Workload, Acts of Kindness, and Material Needs. Some of the students favorite projects included a neighborhood food drive, covering the neighborhood with sticky notes of encouragement, and delivering cookies and flowers to friends and neighbors. “I was really dreading to do this because I thought it wouldn't be fun since there wasn't going to be other people to do it [the projects] with, but it ended up being really fun. My favorite project to do was the food drive and I really want to do it again sometime.  I learned that serving in your own neighborhood is a lot different than going somewhere else to do it, because I felt a lot more motivated to do things when people I knew were benefiting from it.”  -Kylie, 9th grade The interesting part of this experience, for many students, was that they truly were working the projects into their normal routines. Many still had to go to work, do chores at home, and go to sports practices. They learned to be flexible, to take advantage of the time they had, and to see each of their environments as a way to share the love of Jesus and to do good. One student wrote encouraging words on the napkins she gave out at her job. Another took the children she was babysitting along with her to pass out food drive flyers. It wasn’t an easy experience. We learned that sometimes it’s harder to serve (and take risks with) people you see every day versus strangers in faraway city. Students had to motivate themselves to do the work projects. They didn’t have other students or leaders next to them, pushing them on to the next task. It was hard to know what we were missing (an in-person experience) and to let that go so we could embrace the blessings of this experience. Challenges offer opportunities for growth, however, and I saw incredible maturity, responsibility, joy, and a commitment to Jesus in the young people who embarked on this neighborhood mission trip. “I didn't really know what I expected from this "Trip", but it was definitely better than I thought is was going to be. There were different fun and challenging activities that helped me grow in my relationship with God and my neighbors. I now know many more neighbors and how to serve at home. Though it wasn't the same as an in-person Mission Trip (which I have come to miss even more in quarantine), it still was a great way to get centered.” -Sophie, 8th grade So, it’s true. You don’t have to leave home to go on a mission trip. In fact, the Higher Ground students and I want to invite you to spend the rest of your summer trying out the projects we completed this past week. They are all safe, can be done from a distance, and will give you a renewed heart for your home, neighborhood, and city. Below is our full list of project assignments. We are challenging you to sit down every Sunday and pick 2-3 projects to complete during the week and set aside the time when you will work on them. We want to hear your stories and pictures too! Send me an email or post on the Church’s Facebook page ([email protected])   MISSION TRIP AT HOME

• Do 5 secret acts of kindness during the day (both in and out of the home).
• Pass out flyers for a neighborhood food drive. Indicate the date and time you will come back to pick up donations. Invite people to leave donations on their porch for you to pick up. Take donated items to a local food pantry.
• Donate books you aren’t using to little free libraries in your neighborhood.
• Support a local small business (purchase something, share their social media, write them an encouraging email, etc.)
• Make cookies for a neighbor.
• Do chores at home that are normally someone else’s job.
• Prayer walk
• Video call a family member you haven’t seen in a while.
• Write a letter and mail it.
• Deliver flowers to someone who could use encouragement.
• Use sidewalk chalk to fill your neighborhood with encouraging messages.
• Leave sticky notes of encouragement on mailboxes, doors, etc.
• Ask neighbors how you can help with yardwork (wash windows, mow, pick up sticks, weed, etc.)
• Pass out water while you pick up trash at a park.
• Make dinner for someone.
• Other creative ideas……?

When is the last time you sat around a campfire? Perhaps it wasn’t too long ago and you can picture the red hot embers in the middle of the fire, the ones that burn the brightest and the hottest.  And then can you picture what happens if you were to remove one of the pieces of wood, or coals from the fire and set it away from the fire?  It begins to cool off and it really doesn’t take too long before it is no longer burning, or red hot.  That is a lot like what happens to us when we don’t have any “hot coal friends” to encourage us in our walk with Jesus and keep us on target for our mission of connecting people to life in Jesus. Living in community matters! And perhaps we know that now more than ever. When something is taken away from us we miss it and we realize perhaps we have taken it for granted. God did not design us for isolation.  He designed us to need each other and to live in community.  As you know at the church we talk about how we go about connecting people to life in Jesus in three major areas: lifeWorship, lifeGroup and lifeServe.  In 2020, since March those areas have looked quite a bit different. And yet, we have still been able to worship and live life together and serve others.  And, we still need community! Thankfully we have technology that allows us to still see one another and communicate and care for each other. Whether it is zoom, or facetime, or email, text, a phone call or visiting face to face from a safe distance we can connect with each other.  We need to encourage one another and stay grounded in God’s Word and pray for one another.  Right now we need to use our God given imaginations on how we can continue “meeting” together. Who have you called to check in on lately?  Who have you sent a note to in the mail asking them how they are doing and seeing if there is anything they need help with?  Who are you reminding of the promises of God that bring us hope?  How can you still serve those around you? (check out what our youth did for their virtual mission trip) The enemy would like us to be isolated and alone and feel as if there is no hope. He would like us to make excuses for why we can not reach out in love. There are still plenty of ways that we can serve and care for one another.  We have recently started up a Mom to Mom group at the church that is meeting every other week on a zoom call for encouragement and time in God’s Word.  (for more information email Becky Enright at [email protected]) Are you looking for someone to be in a 1:1 relationship with?  (contact Amy Meyer at [email protected] )  And you can always pray for one another, perhaps the greatest gift you can give is to pick up the phone and offer to listen and then pray with someone. “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”  2 Timothy 1:6

It is that time of year when school is back in session! We all know that this year it looks a lot different. One thing remains the same. Our schools, teachers, parents and students need our prayers!  We can ALL participate in this and be intentional with how we pray for students and teachers of all ages. Here are some ways to pray. May God’s will be done as you: “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18 Praying for the Administration:

• Pray that high level positions will be filled by men and women with Godly values and principles.
• That decisions for your school are made with wisdom and compassion.
• For a clear direction from God on how to move your school forward and meet the needs of the students and staff, especially during this time of covid19.
• For overall protection from the spread of the virus for all of our communities.

Praying for your Teachers:

• That they will accept God’s gift of salvation.
• “We ask you God to give our teachers spiritual wisdom and insight so that they might grow in their knowledge of you. We pray that their hearts will be flooded with light so that they can understand the confident hope You have given those you called. We also pray that they understand the incredible greatness of your power for us who believe in you.” (Ephesians 1:17-19)
• “Lord, teach our teachers to always be humble and gentle. Teach them to be patient with each other and us, making allowances for faults because of Your love. Let everything they say be good and helpful so that they words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” (Ephesians 4:2, 29)
• That they will teach with excellence and creativity.
• That they will respect each child as God’s creation – unique individuals.
• For patience and energy to teach with passion each day.
• That Christian teachers can stand out and make a difference in the school, supporting the values of their Christian students.

Praying for All Students:

• That there will be a high level of respect for each person among students.
• That students can choose against negative peer pressure and dangerous choices.
• That students will have high respect for authority.
• “Lord, may students in this school clothe themselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. May they make allowances for each other’s faults and readily forgive those who offend them. “ (Colossians 3:12-13)
• For strong, positive friendships to develop within the student body. Friendships that build each other up and keep them from being led astray.
• That students can control their tempers. (Ephesians 4:26)
• That students can accept and learn from loving discipline.

Praying for Unbelieving Students:

• That each student will learn of God’s great love, provision for salvation, and accept God’s forgiving Grace.
• That hurting students will receive Godly counsel, friendships, and compassion.
• “Jesus, may those in this school who don’t know you learn to put off their love of this world and the things it offers. For we know that loving this world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. May they learn to love you, to crave you, and to be filled up by you.” (1 John 2:15-16)
• “Heavenly Father, may the students of this school let their roots grow down into you, and let their lives be built on you, so that they may know how wide, how long, how high, and how deep your love is for them; and may they see that love through me.” (Ephesians 3:17-18)

Praying for Students who Believe:

• That you will be an example to fellow students in how you live, what you say, in your love, and in your purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
• That you will have the strength and courage to daily stand up for what you believe in, speaking truth to those around you.
• For unity among believers, that you may unite and work together to impact your school. That you may encourage and support each other, so that none of you may be caused to stumble or fall. (Romans 14:13)
• “Lord, I pray that those of us at this school who know you may learn to offer ourselves as pleasing sacrifices to you, because of all you have done for us. May we be a living and holy sacrifice that you find acceptable. Teach us to not copy the behaviors and customs of this world, but to let you transform us in to new people by changing the way we think. Then, we will know your will for us, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
• For the power of the Spirit to speak the name of Jesus, telling of His promise of salvation to all who believe.

Election season is here.  It doesn’t feel like it ever really stopped, though, since the last election.  We continue to be bombarded by political propaganda.  And even before the last election, the media was thrown under the bus and into the ever increasing list of sources of untrustworthy political propaganda.  Advertisements on TV and on our computers and phones are constantly trying to garner our support, or keep it.  We’ve been told that everything we see and hear is a lie, unless it’s from me, and we’ve heard that from more than one me, so everything must be a lie. In an election year, all of the voices get louder and more polarizing.  There are two sides.  Right and wrong, good and evil, socialism and fascism, etc.  No matter what side a person is on, the “other” side is motivated by fear, either of what is, or what will be.  My side is mostly reasonable, with a few extreme exceptions. The onslaught of noise has us hoping in our candidate, for an end to the other side, an end to the noise, and end to the unreasonableness or unfairness we perceive.  We look to our government as the source of hope.  And we look to our President as a god and King.   Martin Luther said that to have a god is to have something in which the heart entirely trusts.  And before we all jump to say that we’re not in this category, where do you look for the answer to the side you don’t trust in the election? But, we already know that there is only one God, only one place our heart can entirely trust.  And we already know that God, the ruler of all things, has placed Jesus on the throne of His people.  We already have a King. Revelation 19:13, 16 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. . . . On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Isaiah 9:6–7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. He has been given all authority, and rule. 1 Corinthians 15:24-25, 27 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. . . . For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” And He and will return all to subjection under God.  There is only one God, and God has established one King.  Jesus is trustworthy, has proven it, and already has victory over even the final enemy, death.  So we are secure. And all of the governing authorities rule with authority God gives.  This says nothing of the leader.  Follower of Jesus or not, America or not,  the authority of the office is allowed and instituted by God. Romans 13:1 1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. That’s not to say that we look at a leader and trust in them.  We are not to give leaders a pass because they are God’s leader, or because they are better than another.  No.  We trust in God, and in the authority that He establishes, which is wielded in this case by the one who is elected.  And we trust that even what people or even a President might mean for evil, God can use for good,  as He did with Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 50:20. So, do not fear.  We already have a King, one who gave up His life for us.  We already have God, the only place our hearts can entirely trust.  And we are already secure as His children, purchased by the blood of Jesus, and made heirs of His kingdom, which shall have no end. Vote for a President, but hope and trust only in our King.   Teammates, Matthew Wipperman Pastor and D.M.M. the Church