Hello friends of Jesus and Peace

BLESS

Three years ago, I met quietly with three or four people at Peace for a study. Some left, but we’ve moved to a friend’s home and grown. Now 7 or 8 or 9 people meet and study and eat and pray together.

Summer is a great time to live our Christian convictions and love others well.

I want to put a challenge before you: let’s pray for every house in the Otsego - Plainwell area this summer. Let’s pray that every house would be filled with the gospel of Jesus!

Check out the map on site and help us make progress!

You’ll bless them and be blessed this summer! We’ll join together to be blessed this summer; join me. https://peaceotsego.org/peacenews/bless

Vacancy at St John’s Lutheran Sturgis

Pastor Timmermann has been asked to serve the vacancy at St John’s Lutheran Church in Sturgis, MI. https://www.sjlsturgis.com/ Should he fill the vacancy? Let’s see what this means.

“Vacancy” is a common term among our churches.

“Vacancy” refers to the time when there is no pastor serving a congregation. The office of the pastor is “vacant”. The church has a “vacancy” in the public ministry of the Word.
Vacancies are common when a pastor leaves a congregation to serve at another congregation. Congregations rarely go right from one pastor to another for various reasons. Churches are often vacant while they search for another pastor. Churches are often vacant for at least 3 months up to years.
Vacancies are usually served by a “vacancy pastor”. This pastor serves as an interim pastor while the congregation seeks another pastor. The vacancy pastor usually comes from one of three places: a pastor from a different local congregation; a retired pastor; or a professor at a school or synodical official.
Vacancy pastors are asked by the vacant congregation to serve through a formal “divine call” after the district president suggests an individual to serve as the vacancy pastor. Both groups of people involved (both the group that has already called the pastor and the group that is calling the pastor) provide input and guidance for the pastor, just as it would when the pastor is regularly called.
Vacancies are common right now in our area. Pastor Scheibe from Wayland serves the congregation in Hopkins; Pastor Rockhoff in Dorr serves the congregation in Caledonia. The pastor from Sturgis recently finished serving the congregation in Granger, IN.
Vacancy pastors are expected to provide a basic form of regular pastoral services: they plan services, preach, teach Bible studies, teach catechism, teach basic Christianity courses (BIC), visit the sick and dying, and meet with the groups of the congregation. They are usually less active in leading outreach activities, starting new congregational projects, or calling on the absent.
The congregation or school that the vacancy pastor comes from must recognize that their pastor will be a little less available. The congregation has to help out more with outreach activities, fellowship events, calling on the absent, and such.
This vacancy would start October 1 and would probably last at least a year, maybe more.
Peace experienced a vacancy for about 15 months from 2015 to February 2017. We were first served by a retired pastor and then served by Pastor Seelhoff from Hopkins.
Filling vacancies is part of congregations working together. We help other congregations when they are missing a pastor; in turn, we get to expect that someone will help us when we are missing a pastor. While it is hard all around, it is definitely better than not having anyone.

I care about you, want you to know the love of God in Christ, and want to work with you to bring the people of Otsego-Plainwell the gospel. Also, Peace is my calling congregation and I’m primarily responsible to you.

Therefore, I’d like to know your input. Should I serve this vacancy? Give your yes/no below.

P.S. If you have specific thoughts or suggestions, please reach out at ntimmermann@peaceotsego.org or text 269-694-6104.

Outdoor services

Outdoor service this Sunday, July 21st. See you outdoors (weather permitting).

Parsonage deck

Suggestions to improve, remove, or repair? Contact office at 269-694-6104

Modular removal https://peaceotsego.org/peacenews/modular