A Note From Seth

EFCA Blog: “Gentlemen, this is a football.” This is what Carlton Harris, Acting President of the Evangelical Free Church of America, quoted in his most recent blog, sharing with conviction the need to go back to the basics. While anything remotely Wisconsin-related doesn’t sit well in Viking's territory, it’s also an undeniable truth how easy it is to get lost in the mechanics and rhetoric of the modern church. Yet his words for us all are, “For the sake of the lost, the EFCA must reclaim our First Love, reinforce our unity, and remember our purpose.” Let’s take a brief look.  

• Reclaim our first love – You can read these words in Revelation 2:2-5. If you trace the story of Ephesus, you must begin in Acts 17, where the church is engaged in missional living. Then in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he links gospel theology with gospel living, which is centered in love. But by the time we get to Revelation, somewhere along the line they lost their first love. One way to describe the change was from passion and witness to intellectual protection. We must reclaim our first love!  
• Reinforce our unity – What a diverse and divided world needs most is a diverse and united church. When Jesus prayed over his disciples, he prayed for unity. But not just any unity, the kind of unity that he himself and the Father enjoyed. Let’s get back to the basics and stop dividing. Let’s reinforce our unity in Christ!  
• Remember our purpose – The church is designed to be the hands and feet of Jesus. The goal of Christianity is not Christian community. The goal is missional community. The goal is to stack hands together and run the race in front of us. We must remember our purpose!  

All of this is “for the sake of the lost.” I’ve been amazed in the recent months by how many things are happening in the EFCA at the national and district level that are right in line with Salem's Vision. While we don’t have all the answers, I’m excited to be at the forefront of this missional adventure! Will you join me in showing and sharing Jesus where we live, work, study, and play?  

Financial Update: On Sunday we shared a brief financial update. While August was a lower-than-usual month, September and October have been strong! Thank you for your continued generosity. It is common to find ourselves behind at this stage, but we are maintaining careful spending habits and remain focused on hitting our budget targets. We have lights in the sanctuary that need to be replaced, and ministries long to be able to do ministry more effectively. With ten Sundays remaining, we need $25,000-30,000 to come in weekly to finish strong. We know that while some can give less, others can give more. Will you help us with what you can?  

Raising up and Sending Out: Lastly, this past Monday several staff and elders joined together with other leaders from around the district to talk about how we can raise up the next generation of leaders from within our church and denomination. I was so encouraged to hear the excitement from small and large churches alike, eager to join hands and work hard to see the church succeed as empowered by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. Again, we’re at the forefront of this as we think about Zane Daddino, our Pastoral Apprentice, and continue to think about how we can do this well in other areas.  

It’s with both joy and sadness that I inform you that Jordan Nepstad, who stepped into our Wednesday Night Lead position with Kids, has taken a new position at Bethel Church as their Women’s Ministry Director. While she loves kids, Women's Ministry has been her greatest passion for a long time, and we’re excited to send her into her next ministry role! Here is a quick note from Jordan: “While this chapter is coming to a close, I will always be cheering you on and praying for God to continue to do amazing things through you!"  

While I hate losing people to other ministries, I love seeing God's people step into roles that God has designed them for. We don’t want to be just mission supporting, but rather mission sending. This also paves the way for another one of our own, Christina Heisler, who will be taking over Jordan’s role temporarily while we continue to take next steps. The plan is to hire a full-time person to oversee all of Kids Ministry. Will you join me in praying alongside us as we seek to see God’s story unfold?  

We have a great team and a great church, and I’m so excited to see how God continues to work in and through Salem!