Messiah Church – ELCA

We all outgrow the skin we’re in – But we can weave, we can mend
Stitch by stitch, row by row – Making sure there’s room enough to grow

            Only a few months ago I shared this lyric by Adrienne Young and my reflections on the Faith Needs Room to Grow Capital Campaign. The success of this campaign was more than I could have hoped for, well over a half million dollars over the next three years. I am so pleased by your generosity, the good work of the Capital Campaign Team  and the ongoing work of the Building Committee. This will indeed be an exciting springtime - Making sure there’s room enough to grow!

            Over the past few years I’ve used this annual report to inform you of our growing programs and outreach; our expanding membership and sacramental life. This year however I want to focus on one program/process in particular – our Sunday school. Now all you have to do is look around the church on Sunday morning and you will see how Messiah Church is blessed with children. I love the sound of babies crying (as long as they are not mine) and young children squirming in the pews and parents herding them into the front doors – this is the sound of the future and for all this growth I am grateful. Still, it does present some logistical problems on Sunday morning. Our Sunday school teachers and assistants have done an incredible job working with all these children and modeling for them the life of service. Thank you to all who have helped out. The Sunday school leaders however, will be the first to admit that Sunday morning can be a holy chaos downstairs.

            In addition, Teresa Palumbo and I have noticed that each year at the beginning of Confirmation we have many new 7^th graders who were not a part of the Sunday school the year before. Why? In our discussions with them we discovered that by 6^th grade they simply had outgrown Sunday school. They wanted to be a part of something more grown up, more young-adult. When I see the mass of pre-K through 4^th graders downstairs every Sunday I guess I can understand why a 6^th grader (perhaps even a 5^th grader) would feel this way.

            After a discussion with the Confirmation and Sunday school leaders, and at the recommendation of the Pastoral Parish Council we want to try something new this September. Like the song states we can weave and we can mend as we grow as well. Starting in the autumn of 2009 we are beginning a pre-Confirmation class on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. The pre-Confirmation program will be for all 5^th and 6^th grade students. The curriculum will be set up with idea of learning the dozen or so critical bible stories necessary for when they enter the three year Confirmation program in 7^th grade. Sunday school will be for pre-K through 4^th grade only. While the pre-confirmation students (5^th and 6^th) will meet downstairs in the Fellowship Hall and the Confirmation students (7^th, 8^th, and 9^th) will gather in the church, once a month they will gather together at 6:15 PM for pizza and fellowship. We are hoping that this will create a true community, an acknowledgement that these young people are not little children, and an excitement that builds toward the Confirmation stage of life.

            Teresa Palumbo will be the administrator of both the pre-Confirmation and Confirmation programs. With the increase in responibility we have increased her compensation as well. In both programs she will be leading dedicated volunteers to assure quality religious formation. We look forward to this new adventure and ask for your paryers and support. Peace my friends. Pastor Jeff