Pastoral Graces: Reflections on the Care of Souls by VCL’s very own Pastor Lee Eclov will make its formal debut at a reception in the Great Room on…

Sunday Evening, April 29 at 6:30 p.m.

Lee will read some favorite sections from the book and you will be able to purchase a copy and have Lee sign it.

The book, which retails for $13.99, will be especially discounted to $10.00 (cash or check only please) for this event. Dave DeWit, Lee’s editor from Moody Publishers, will also attend and say a few words. The evening will be emceed by Elder Jim Stamoolis. In addition to yourself, this uplifting look at the role grace plays in a pastor’s life as he shepherds his flock makes a wonderful gift for friends and relatives.

Light refreshments will be served.

I felt that was God’s Word for our church, for the harassed and helpless within our congregation and those beyond. Of the many different images and emphases the Bible gives the church for ministry, this shepherd imagery seemed to be where Christ wanted us to especially focus. Since then, our ministries of compassionate outreach have grown into the lifestyle of our church. Even within our church life, the sense of being a shepherding church seems a part of our spiritual DNA.

In February, as our elders met to talk about the direction of our church in the months ahead, this emphasis on being the church of the Good Shepherd became clear to us again. As we talked about the growth of VCL over the last year we asked ourselves and the Lord how we should sort through the decisions that have to be made. We concluded:

• We are a church that seems to shepherd one another. There is a pervasive sense in our fellowship of people caring, guarding, and feeding one another. This extends, of course, to our children and youth.
• As pastor here for over 14 years, I am usually seen as a shepherd and bring this tone to the church. The church inevitably takes on some of this style of the pastor, and is at the heart of our Growth Groups and Care Ministry.
• Our ministries of compassion are growing, including work with Love INC (furniture delivery), PADS (sandwiches for the homeless), various aspects of caring for the elderly in area nursing homes, and missions emphases like the Elikya Project. Now we are beginning to explore how we can help stop human trafficking.
• We have a strong sense of our responsibility to shepherd the students whom God has brought to us. As we so often say, we want to leave our fingerprints on them as we send them out to other ministries beyond our church. We are positioned to give scores of students a picture of “the church of the Good Shepherd.”
• The elders felt that my personal ministry of shepherding will likely be extended beyond our own congregation with the May 1 publication of my book, Pastoral Graces, and with my ongoing ministry among pastoral students. Rather than seeing this as something I do on the side, they encouraged me to see these things as an essential part of the overall ministry of VCL. (For that I am very grateful!)

As we met, the elders recommitted them-selves and our church to this shepherding work and to use that as the basis for the strategic decisions we are making about our future. We want to do all we can to lead, feed, and guard the VCL flock and as a congregation, to be the workers sent out to those harassed and helpless people around us who are like sheep without a shepherd.

By: Lee Eclov

Three major gifts were given beyond our church. We allocated $7500 to the purchase of a c-arm X-ray machine for the T.E.A.M. hospital in Nepal served by Drs. Doug & Ruth Lindberg. Doug is the son of Jim and Barb Lindberg at VCL. According to Doug, “It allows for live action x-ray instead of the still shots that a normal x-ray machine takes. And gives direct visualization of a fracture as it is being manipulated, leading to better outcomes and less disability for our patients. It also is a needed piece of equipment for operative orthopedics, including pin and screw placements. Additionally, it is a great recruiting tool for us to attract a Nepalese orthopedic surgeon.”

Secondly, VCL gave a gift of $5000 to the foun-dation headed by Eric Lyons, Hope for the Silent Voices. Eric is the son of John and Kaye Lyons at VCL. The organization is “a not-for-profit organization founded to bring attention and resources to the severely neglected, disadvantaged, abused and discarded globally.” Their focus is currently East Asia.

Finally, our congregation gave $2500 to Project Hood under the leadership of Pastor Corey Brooks, the pastor who lived on the roof of an abandoned motel in Chicago for three months. This money was toward the goal of buying and tearing down this eyesore so a new community center can be built. On Feb. 24 Pastor Brooks met his $450,000 goal and came down from the roof.

By: Lee Eclov

at the May 20 semi-annual meeting. We would see this position as being a shepherd-ing position aimed at discipleship, counsel-ing, and visitation. This person would also help us to reach out to the harassed and help-less around us through the shepherding gifts God has given us. We are particularly drawn to women’s ministries as an area where we could both strengthen believers within our church and to reach those beyond. A specific proposal will be brought to the church in early April.

We have also created a rather unusual volunteer position in response to a specific opportunity. Guy Viti has long had a fascinating per-sonal ministry to unbelievers, new believers, and troubled people. He seems to have an instinct for finding people many of us would never notice. In line with his seminary program in Counseling Minis-tries, Guy has asked if we could create an official position which would strengthen his credentials as he eventually pursues chaplaincy or some aspect of church ministry. We have agreed to create an unpaid position called Pastoral Ministry Assistant. Guy will commit to 10 hours per week and will be included in staff activities. His work will be under the supervision of the Senior Pastor. This same role will be available to others who are not in the M.Div. program at TEDS.

By: Lee Eclov

By: Michael Mauriello

By: Susan Eclov

A new VCL youth ministry flyer will be launched next month. This brochure will con-tain a handout explaining our latest lesson series, a page introducing our current volunteers and a glimpse of our philosophy of ministry. Thanks for all your support of our youth group.

By: Michael Mauriello

by Michael Mauriello

We had such a delightful and encouraging annual congregational meeting! We gathered on Sunday evening, Nov. 20, to address church business, to give some thought to future issues, and to pray.

The congregation approved a 2012 general budget of $505,000, as well as a variety of changes to the bylaws. Chris McNiven and
Raymond Wunderlich were affirmed for the Board of Elders. Also approved—Henry VanDixhorn as Financial Resources Chair, Jim Hansen as Treasurer, Sharon Johnson and Karen Kasch as members of the Human Resources Committee.

im Hansen did the impossible. He made the financial report the most entertaining part of the evening with his Pecha Kucha Moola. (You had to be there.) He explained that this year’s giving, through October, is $9000 behind budget, but our expenses are also less than budgeted. So as of the end of October our balance this year is about $9000 in the black. Our 2012 budget breaks down as follows: 48% staff salaries and benefits, 19% for mortgage, 11% building and property care, 13% missions and supported organizations, and 10% for VCL office and ministry expenses.

I explained that we have been seeing growth and that the elders will consider three related issues in the new year. First, we will continue to track attendance in the event we need to go to two services. A task force has discussed this prospect and has given some guidelines to the elders. Second, we will consider a mini-capital campaign for some building improvements including the room dividers for the Great Room and possible fixed walls for children’s rooms and a future office, as well as debt reduction or other priorities. Third, we will address the issue of future staffing. We invited the congregation’s comments and questions and had a helpful discussion. After the business portion of the meeting we had a time of prayer and fellowship.