Announcing Our Ministry Support Matching Campaign

You may recall that when we approved our 2025 budget at the annual meeting in February, many ministries took substantial budget cuts. Outreach, children’s ministry, and youth ministry were among those most affected, with an overall budget reduction of $24,692. At the time, we mentioned that we would need to raise more funding in order to maintain our current level of service to our community. The council is pleased to announce a plan to do just that, and we need your help.

Earlier this year, St. Mark received a generous bequest from the estate of Ulla Kercher, in the amount of $10,000. Many of you may remember Ulla, who was a longtime worshipper at our 11:00am services. Even as her health declined, she made it to a number of outdoor services last summer. She supported our music ministries with her presence, kind words, and generosity.  On top of that, Ulla often gave special offerings for specific ministries­– including outreach, youth ministries, and Vacation Bible School.

Around the time we received Ulla’s bequest, an anonymous donor gave an additional $2,000 gift for children’s ministries, in response to this year’s budget cuts. We are so grateful for the generosity shown by Ulla and the anonymous donor. Their combined gift of $12,000 will go a long way toward funding some of our most essential ministries.

Here is where you come in. The council and pastors would like to challenge our congregation to match these generous gifts by raising an equal amount of $12,000. This will close the budget gap and ensure our outreach, children’s and youth ministries have the resources they need to share God’s love with our community. We ask that you prayerfully consider contributing to this matching challenge, so that our vital ministries have a total of $24,000 dedicated to cover budget shortfalls this year and beyond.

In recent years, we have had similar fundraisers in order to upgrade our electric sign and purchase new pianos for worship. Those campaigns proved to be incredibly successful, thanks to the generosity of many of our members. Because of those successes, we are confident that you will rise to this new challenge! Thank you for your continued support of the ministries of St. Mark Lutheran Church. Donate to the campaign here on Tithely. 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna & Pastor Katrina Steingraeber

The Problem with Excellence

To say I have been busy lately is an understatement. In the course of a single week, my family took part in three major music performances. On a Tuesday our oldest daughter’s school had their spring concert, overwhelmed with singing, drumming, dancing, and xylophones. The following Monday was her first piano recital. And in between, Andrea and I had the pleasure or singing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Nielsen Chorale and Rockford Symphony Orchestra.

 

To add to all that, earlier this spring I was able to attend my sister’s spring concert. It was amazing to watch her direct about 100 elementary students in a wide-ranging performance at the rural school district where she is the sole music teacher.

 

As much as I am proud of what my family was able to do musically, these moments were also a strong reminder that excellence is not all it’s cracked up to be. Mistakes were made. Notes were missed. Thanks to a cold in a week full of rehearsals, I barely had enough of a voice to squeak out my part at our final performance. Despite these things, there was still joy and applause. Focusing on the imperfections instead of the joy will only sour the memory of witnessing the people I love do what they love to do.

 

The need for excellence has gotten incredibly strong in recent years. Thanks to social media, where everyone seems polished and perfect, we rarely see each others’ flaws. Thanks to club sports and singing competitions, it is hard for some folks to enjoy the simplicity of activities which were originally meant to bring us together in community. How often have you hesitated to sing because you didn’t want others to judge you, or sat out of a group activity because you didn’t think you were as good as everyone else?

 

Often, the pursuit of excellence takes away the joy that an activity is meant to bring. You don’t have to play the best round of your life in order to enjoy a morning on the golf course with dear friends. You don’t need to be a classically trained singer in order to add your voice to the multitude of worshippers on a Sunday morning. A kid doesn’t have to set their sights on a spot with the swim team in order to benefit from swimming lessons. If you like to knit or paint or sew, the things you make don’t have to end up at a craft fair. It is one thing to be good enough at something to enjoy it. It’s a completely different thing to strive to be better than others, or to worry what others might think of you. Comparison is the thief of joy.

 

This may not seem like a particularly spiritual subject, and yet it has everything to do with how we experience our faith in community— from worshipping together, to contributing to the ministries of the church, to the way we hope the community might recognize us. One of the wonderful things about having faith in Jesus is that perfection is already considered out of reach. We don’t need it in order to be part of what God is doing in the world. Jesus doesn’t insist that the disciples be polished, pure, and pristine. Instead, he commands us to have love for one another. So love one another, love who God has called you to be, and never let your limitations stop you from experiencing joy. 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna