What a year!! Did anyone expect to be where we are today, last January? I did not. Just for perspective….I thought it would be a simple year. Peter was the pastor, and we were fully staffed. The Sacred Settlement was doing OK. Nationally, the world was a bit turbulent, but nothing would affect me.

The past year provided a new perspective – God controls. Shifts happen, and Prince of Peace is resilient.

Peter took a new job. The synod and Council moved as swiftly as possible to locate an intentional interim pastor. We were involved in discussions with the synod, interviews, and finally the creation of the Covenant Agreement for Pastor Steve to join us.

While we grieved the loss of Pastor Peter, we started moving forward. A transition committee was identified, interviewed, and the committee was formed.  How grateful I am for their consistency, communication, and dedication to positioning Prince of Peace for who God calls for us.

Pastor Steve and the Transition Team’s job was to ensure the mission and values we state represent Prince of Peace, are still valid or adapted to who we are today.

One item stays with me. Pastor Steve and I discussed preliminary findings, which included that Prince of Peace has a strong community identity that we aren’t proclaiming out loud. How strange that sounded. Prince of Peace is a community. Ok–I thought that was a bit obvious. Thinking back, I better understand that we ARE community, but proclaiming our community is what also sets us apart. We embrace all with care and love. Even when we don’t agree, we love each other through disagreement. If you are new, that’s fine. By walking in the door, you are a part of us.

People from Prince of Peace went about our normal commitment to the community. We partnered with:

•  Every Meal packing and delivering food at Central Park Elementary School.
• Meals on Wheels delivering food to seniors every third Monday.
• Central Park Elementary received school supplies and money to help teachers meet the needs of their children.
• Karen community continues to create gardens on our grounds, providing produce for their families and others.
• Community dinners/potlucks were held once a month, allowing us to gather together.
•  Keystone Community Services partnership is strong. We provide food from the grocery cart and money through fundraisers, allowing them to stock needed items.
• Prince of Peace supported our youth by cheering them on at sports events, concerts, and plays.  We bought lefse, wreaths, and cookies to support their projects.
• Tanzanian partnership was supported when members from Prince of Peace flew halfway across the globe to be with our extended family there.
• Sacred Settlement. We supported the sacred settlement, solved issues, created opportunities, and lived into what God calls us into. Sacred Settlement is writing more, so I will keep this short. Here’s what I found as part of the Sacred Settlement Stewardship team: It’s messy, it’s complicated, and when one issue is solved, it is likely another will pop up. We are ready to move forward.

Life took another, wholly unexpected turn this Christmas. ICE arrived. Our children, families, and those who share our worship space were endangered. Did Prince of Peace step back just hoping things would get better? NO!  This is our community, and “we will help” was the response. We met to respond. Whether as a first line response, protests, helping with food, supplies, supporting teachers – we’re there.

So, here we are at the January semi-annual meeting. Where are we today:

1.     Transition team is wrapping up with much of the mission site profile nearly ready to hand off to the Call Committee.
2.     Motions are ready to:
   1. Establish the Call Committee and
   2. appointment of members to the Call Committee.
3.     Install new leadership.
4.     Approve the addition of 3 new houses to our Sacred Settlement.
5.     Listen to God’s direction on who to call to Prince of Peace.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You are why I come day after day, week after week. This is my home. My community. God is everywhere. I speak to God in many different places, and I come here to be with you.

Blessings,
Deborah Cordes