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INTERIM YOUTH
WORKER
For the past ten years, Tim Koehler has served as the
Director of Christian Education at Beautiful Savior Lutheran
Church. For the past 12 months, his wife Heidi
(a trained DCE) has volunteered her service and time to
expand some existing ministries and to begin new ministries.
Thanks to the efforts of Tim and Heidi, we have a vibrant children’s
and youth ministry. We are developing greater family ministry and
small group ministry. We also have a highly effective Upward
Basketball program.
As you know, Tim and Heidi have accepted calls to serve as Directors
of Christian Life Formation at Fairlawn Lutheran Church in Akron,
Ohio. And now many of you have expressed serious concern about the
future of youth and family ministry at Beautiful Savior. You have
clearly communicated that you don’t want to see these ministries
fall apart or decline significantly during the vacancy.
Well, the leaders of Beautiful Savior have listened to your
concerns. After much prayer, study, and discussion, the conclusion
reached was that an Interim Youth
Worker should be hired to fill some ministry needs of the
congregation especially in the area of Upward Basketball, Senior
High Youth Ministry, and Junior High Youth Ministry. Specifically,
the leadership team determined that we needed to hire a layperson
who had experience with Upward Basketball and who had a relationship
with the youth of the congregation. This person then would be
assigned to do the following: (1) Serve as the co-director (with
Joel Lampe) of Upward Basketball; (2) Teach 5th grade
confirmation; (3) Serve as the leader of the Senior High TAG group
on Sunday nights; (4) Listen to/provide guidance for youth; (5)
Assist with Sunday School as needed; (6) Work with the Pastors to
plan and lead the Annual Youth Mission Trip; (7) Work with the
Pastors to plan the youth trips to the Kansas District Youth
Gathering and LVR; (8) Assist with Junior High Ministry; (9) Direct
Junior/Senior High Youth involvement with VBS; and (10) Other duties
as assigned.
This Interim Youth Worker will be asked to help out at the church
about 30-35 hours per week, and this will be a salaried position.
Upon recommendation of the Board of Elders, the Church Council has
approved the hiring of Pam Williams as the Interim Youth Worker. We
are so happy that Pam is willing to take on this challenge and serve
our Lord in this way. Please keep Pam in your prayers as she will
begin her duties on September 1st.
I want you to know that even as churches often get someone to
fill in a pastoral vacancy, Pam has agreed to serve during the
interim period of unspecified length until a permanent solution is
found for the DCE vacancy. Even as the congregation begins the
process of studying its needs, reviewing candidates, and ultimately
calling a full-time church worker,
Pastor Jon and I look forward to mentoring Pam and helping her excel
in service to the Lord and His Church.
A Servant of Jesus,
Pastor Schwartz |
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Meet Pastor Schwartz, Gretchen, and Andrew!
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| Pastor Nathaniel Schwartz graduated from Concordia Seminary in St.
Louis, Missouri, with a Master of Divinity (M. Div.) in 1989 and a Master of Sacred
Theology (S.T.M) in 1995. He was pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church of Lexington,
Illinois, from June of 1990 to October of 1994. On November 6, 1994, he was
installed as pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church.
Since that
time our church body has seen tremendous growth.
Our average weekend attendance in 2008 was
314, including Saturday
evening and Sunday morning. Our
Sunday School/Bible Class attendance lately has
been averaging about 110. We are a growing family that seeks to reach
out even more into the community with the love of Jesus.
“Pastor” is a Latin word that means “shepherd”. Pastor
Schwartz sees himself as a shepherd who has been
placed here by God to care for the sheep (God’s people) in this place. He
believes that as the under shepherd of the Good
Shepherd he is faithfully to follow the example
set by Jesus Christ who laid down His life for the
sheep. Therefore, he joyfully and consistently
goes the extra mile to care for God’s people
and to be “Jesus with skin on” to them whether
they are grieving difficult times or are
joyfully celebrating God’s many blessings.
Email:
Pastor Schwartz |
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