Change?
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6).
There are a number of changes afoot at Calvary—changes in staff (upcoming arrivals of Ryan Rosenau, Music Director; Mark Schumm, Assoc. Pastor), changes in several rooms (remodeling of Café and Women’s Restrooms), changes in life (graduations, grade changes, etc., etc. As we look back over this past ministry year, and look ahead to the ministry year ahead, I invite you to consider some reflections from Calvary’s 2024-25 Annual Report “Change.”
It’s a word that evokes many different feelings. It excites some. It terrifies others. And for most of us it is simply the reality that we face. Life is a continuous cycle of change. We hear a lot of angst and anxiety today about changes within our nation, our cities, and our communities. Even within the church there is much that is ever changing—the names and faces that grace our doors, the dynamics and demographics of our ministries, even the staff members and people of our congregation. And yet, in the midst of all these changes, we give thanks for the changes that God is working in us by His grace. I know there are all jokes about Lutherans and change, we worship a God who is ever changing us in the “reformation” of our life and faith by His powerful Word and Spirit, and that is a very Lutheran thing to celebrate.
So, as we reflectively look back over this past ministry year and excitedly look forward to the next one, may God give you this message of peace, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Know that we continue to labor together to stand firm on God’s timeless truth while reaching out to an ever-changing world. After all, there is one thing that hasn’t changed, and that is our world’s need for Jesus, so may we continue to be faithfully about our calling as a congregation in Connecting, Learning, and Caring for the sake of Serving the mission of Christ. “Change and decay in all around I see, O Thou who changest not, abide with me.”
To see more from the Annual Report, please follow this link: www.clcs.org/ annualreport.
