THE YEAR AHEAD...

​It is that time of year when we often “look back” over what happened last year. Christmas letters detail vacations taken, milestones marked, a synopsis of joys and sorrows. Organizations send out summaries of accomplishments, goals met, and accomplishments to celebrate. It is good to look back, especially if we do it with a spirit of thanksgiving for God’s presence in the middle of it all. 

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For Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2022 was a year of homecoming from the pandemic diaspora. It was a year of blessed worship filled with beautiful music. It was a year of renewal for learning ministries as a new team found its stride. We welcomed Pastor Travis Segar to help lead the congregation. We welcomed new members, fed the hungry, housed the homeless, and cared for the members of the congregation. I could go on, but it suffices to say that 2022 was an exceptionally good year because God blessed us. 

For me, the beginning of a new year is more about looking ahead. 2023 will continue to bring us challenges to face and changes to make. The Annual Ministry Plan developed by Council and the staff details a myriad of ways we will conduct our mission in the new year. Here are four things to watch for as we navigate the future together: 

• Stewardship of Our Building & Grounds – As systems age and time passes, we need to be good stewards of our resources. Our boilers and air conditioning systems are over twenty years old. Our HVAC controllers are outdated and incompatible with current computer operating systems. The growth of our food pantry ministry brings growing pains. There are many more items that will need attention. We will be in conversation in the first quarter of the year on how we want to address these challenges. 
• Memorial Garden – We will be exploring the development of a memorial garden along Elm Street where members can scatter cremated remains and we can establish an outdoor place of prayer and remembrance. 
• Youth Ministry Renewal – Of all the ministries affected by the pandemic, youth ministry may have been changed most. We are working to reestablish connections with our high school age members and navigating a new way of being in the vastly different landscape of teenage life. 
• Rowing Upstream – Lots of our efforts for the coming year (and beyond) work to push graciously against the currents of culture. Where culture promotes individualism, we will build community. As culture reduces faith and holy things to consumer choices that we can take or leave, we will assert the essential nature of the holy, of faith, of life in Christ to not just a life of faith but all of life. As the world divides, we will work to reconcile and gather.  

We ask for your prayers as we undertake the call of mission and the work of ministry done in the name of the Blessed, Holy Trinity. We ask for your support as we discuss and decide our path. May 2023 be a blessed year for you – and for this congregation.  

Pax Christi,
​Tim Olson, Lead Pastor