MARK GRAHAM
at First English develop new vision and mission statements and “move forward with goals and specific ways we could address who we were and where we were going,” said Sara Niekirk, chair and treasurer of the congregation’s leadership team. “Everybody thought deeply about the congregation’s strengths and why we would want to be in ministry here.”
The result: a renewed commit- ment to their neighbors, “a group of folks who are very transient and liv- ing on the edge,” Niekirk said. “They haven’t experienced hope—Chris- tian hope. We have a lot to give them in that way.”
Among the ways First English ministers today: Thursday night Table of Grace, a community meal with children’s activities; Sunday morning breakfasts prior to worship; Saturday Kids Camp; vacation Bible school; and Friday night block par- ties during the warmer months. Attending an ELCA transforma- tional ministry event helped break down barriers at Shepherdstown par- ish, Soltow said. “We spent three to four days together studying Scripture, praying and learning more about ourselves and each other,” he said. “Spending time away to reflect made a big dif- ference. The event gave credence to
Irma Banales greets the congrega- tion after a service at First Familia Sagrada.
the fact that, if we work together and accept each other as brothers and sis- ters in Christ, we can make this thing work.”
Developing a new parish motto— and living it out—also helped bring the parish together, Soltow said. “It really has to be about service to oth- ers,” he added. “Jesus gave us a great model for doing that. To get people
For a study guide, see page 27. To read “The importance of partnerships,” find this story at
www.thelutheran.org/ feature/march.
March 2013 21
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