President’s Update                                                          May 30, 2018

Deb Cordes, Congregation President

I’ve had a couple of great questions about the new faith formation pastor’s position. Luckily Pastor Peter and ELCA representative Krista had provided answers.

  1. What is faith formation?” It’s more than just Christian education or spiritual development. “Faith forms as a person discovers trust in a living God, claims their identity as a beloved child of God, and boldly follows Jesus. Joining in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, faith formation requires intentionality. Communities of faith are intentional as they are thoughtful and reflective on their faith formation perspective, practices, and orientation. Intentionally nurturing faith over time allows it to mature and become integrated into everyday living.” A Framework for Faith Formation in the ELCA, 2015

“In the past, the church has used “faith formation” in reference to the task of teaching children and those new to the faith the building blocks of our Christian beliefs. More recently, it has been recognized that this work doesn’t stop after childhood and is truly a lifelong concern…..It’s about embodying an on-going practice of curiosity and a continual re-forming by the Spirit in response to God’s love.” Peter wrote this and I could not have said it better. You can find more of his writing on this topic on our website. (https://poproseville.org/2018/05/talk-about-faith-formation/)

OK, I’ll admit, it’s a bit steep for me to fully grasp yet believe we are ready to step into this way of being as a congregation.

  1. What’s the difference between a pastor and a deacon? In my very simple definition…..

    Pastors – “Called to Word & Sacrament Ministry” – Ordained to perform all functions of the church including the sacraments of communion and baptism, preach the gospel, lead worship, providing spiritual guidance, teaching and lead the church. (I think of this as the well-rounded, can do everything position.)

    Deacons – “Called to Word & Service Ministry” – Consecrated to perform many of the same functions as a pastor including leading worship, preaching, teaching, and providing spiritual guidance. A deacon doesn’t preside over the sacraments of communion or baptism. A deacon generally has a specialized area of service that they are called to and have extended training and internships to prepare them to lead in their chosen area – such as faith formation.

Other questions:

  1. Are we doing the July 4th celebration again? Yes!! Once again, we hope to feed our community. Come join us for the fun and festivities.

We will grill burgers & hot dogs, provide chips, cookies and treats for all. We will gather together to serve, get to know our neighbors and watch the fireworks. Invite your family and friends to join the BEST space to watch and Roseville fireworks. It’s a blast (some pun intended.)

If you want to bring a pan of bars or cookies or help us cook – that’s great but nothing is required to have a good time.

  1. Finances – This wasn’t a question, just a good piece of information to pass on. Many of us are retired or nearing retirement. Taxes are always an issue. You may be able to reduce your taxable base by directing your 401k distribution to include your contribution to Prince of Peace. It may be non-taxable and positively affect you. IF THIS MIGHT WORK FOR YOU, PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR INVESTMENT COUNSELOR to ensure this is a good idea for your situation.