Dear Family of Faith,

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints for the court of the Lord.

Psalm 84:1-2

It’s an amazing thing to be in the presence of the Lord. So many sense the Lord in many places, but He is, for us, where He promises to be.  He promises that He is with us in His Word, in the waters of our baptism and again as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. While I can’t speak for everybody, I do agree with the Psalmist, “my soul yearns and faints for the courts of the Lord.” When I’m absent from weekly worship and substitute something else, it effects my soul. To be renewed in faith for life here and to look into eternity is refreshment for my soul.

At St. John’s, we have the blessing not only of God’s presence, but also a Sanctuary that blesses us as a place to experience God. Our Sanctuary is a place of peace and calm. It’s the place where our community of faith meets the Lord.

It’s also a place we have worn out. Many simple things that wear out in our homes are worn out in the Sanctuary. Things like paint, carpet and other cosmetic items need to be refreshed. But there are larger issues that need to be addressed as well. These include: replacing the lighting and electrical system, attaching the walls to the sides and the walls to the foundation, other seismic work, enhancing restroom facilities and a host of other issues.

Thanks be to God, our Voter’s Assembly on Tuesday night, November 11, authorized the Trustees to do the following:

• Restore the Sanctuary from top to bottom and from the inside out
• Initiate a $5,500,000.00 financial campaign
• Close the Sanctuary from April 15 to November 15

 During the next months, we will do staging and setting up for a time of inconvenience and grace. Each of us will be inconvenienced and each of us will have an opportunity to be gracious. We will have to work hard to fit our services in the Auditorium and will adjust the times and content so it works for our worshiping body. Chapel services, weddings, funerals, VBS and so many other events will need to think about how we will operate when we have our Sanctuary closed down.

Our attitude is everything. This is an opportunity for us to grow together as a congregation, to meet new people, to gain new understanding and to see how deep and wide the community of faith is. I think this will be a joyful adventure!

 So we are getting after it and will be back with you on Sundays, on e-mail and face-to-face to make sure we are tracking together as a congregation through this project. God bless you and keep you strong in Jesus.

Finally, I’m deeply grateful for our leadership team. The project management team has been hard-working and focused. The Trustees have driven accountability and attention to detail and now the big team of our congregation gets after this truly vital project.

“I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘let us go into the house of the Lord.’”

Psalm 122:1

Much love in Jesus,
Pastor Tim Klinkenberg

Senior Pastor

video from the Q & A meeting that was held on 10/19

A group of lay-leaders and staff have been diligently working, over the last 9 months, on a plan to restore and renovate the Sanctuary from top to bottom, inside and out. It is time to present a detailed plan to the congregation of what this team has discovered and the proposed plan to preserve our Sanctuary. We can all be a part of this proccess. Join us on Sunday 10/19 to hear the details about the proposed project and ask questions.