Hello friends of Jesus and Peace
BLESS
I’ve been living in prayer this last week. Every day, I’m praying for and sending prayers to someone in town. Slowly, I see them coming back alive.
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!
The intention is to pray for specific individuals and families: to pray that the Triune God would make himself known to them, that he would work in their lives by his Word, and that their homes would be filled with the gospel!
Here is how to do it:
Pray for a neighbor, acquaintance, coworker, friend, enemy, classmate, etc in the area
Note where they live
The next time you come on site, put a pin on the address
If you have a particular prayer request for that place, drop a note in the box!
Check out the map on site and help us make progress!
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/
The council has okayed pastor helping with this vacancy, because we want to help out our fellow churches.
At this point, we are negotiating the particulars of the vacancy so that both churches can see if they can fill the obligations.
What particulars should pastor keep in mind?
Some people have said, “I don’t know how pastor could possibly do everything.” He can’t, for sure. Everyone is going to have to do with less for a while; people at Peace will have to help do some things.
“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 DO NOT leave their current church or school. If pastor served this vacancy, Peace would still be his home congregation. He would serve the people in Sturgis in addition to Otsego - Plainwell.
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. It’s “being neighborly”.
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 church and I’m primarily responsible to you.
P.S. If you have specific thoughts or suggestions, please reach out at ntimmermann@peaceotsego.org or text 269-694-6104.
Welcome Home/Fall kick off
Hey! I’m getting excited for our fall event to Welcome friends and family Home and kick off our fall ministry! It’s a great time to be God’s people. Our world might be falling apart, but God is building a far better one with us. Let’s get to it!
installation service
cook out and lunch
family games
Sunday September 15th at 9:30 am! Look forward to seeing you!
Run!
The Otsego Ready or Not 5K kicks off the fall running season. If we put together a team, we can enter the fastest church competition!
August 3rd 8:00 am! Only $25.
https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Otsego/OtsegoReadyorNot5K
Directory update
Thanks for sharing your pictures and information. We’ve updated the next edition of the directory. You can access it either online (https://peace.breezechms.com - create an account and pastor will authorize you) or grab a paper copy at the table.
The Peace Team
Peace isn’t that big; still it can be hard to know who does what. Check out the list below and for a full list see https://peaceotsego.org/peacenews/team
Council
President/Chairman………..… Charles Kling
Vice-president/Treasurer …… Josh Gower
Recording Secretary ………….. Michael Grimm
Elder ……………………………..... Terry Brower
Called/hired positions
Pastor ………………….. Nathaniel Timmermann
Musicians ……………. Cindy Commissaris, Nathaniel Timmermann, Helga Harris, Ellise Wedge
Pastoral assistants …… Tom Wright
Appointed positions
Financial Secretary …… Ralph Holewa
Maintenance coordinator ………. vacant
Bookkeeper …………….… Andy Winter
HR/Taxes ………………..… Jim Walkley
Calendar
August 3rd Otsego Ready or Not 5K https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Otsego/OtsegoReadyorNot5K
August 6th 6:30 Team and Task Time
August 17th 9:30 am Christian Theology #3 - People
September 7th 9:30 Evangelism workshop
September 15th Fall kick off/Welcome Home
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Want to visit with pastor? Schedule a visit/meeting.
Have a suggestion or comment you’d like to share? Let us know!
Would you like to donate to Peace? Please use the link for online giving
Peace Lutheran Church 805 S Wilmott St Otsego, MI 49078
269-694-6104 https://peaceotsego.org