April Showers Bring May Flowers . . .
May Flowers Bring
Congregational Meetings!

Greetings, Members and Friends of Atonement Lutheran Church,

May is an exciting month as we celebrate the graduation of our high school seniors (5/7) and the Affirmation of Baptism of our graduating Confirmation students (5/14). But, we also have some excitement the following Sunday. On May 21st we will have our next Congregational Meeting following the 11:00 service. I want to invite every voting member to attend. I know our last meeting in January ran longer than expected. But, we have been inspired by the use of the pitching clock in Major League Baseball and promise to keep this meeting much shorter. The hope of our Council and myself is this meeting will be approx. 20 minutes in length. The main items for motion are the election of new Council members, Nominating Committee members, and members of the Call Committee for an Associate Pastor. Outside of those motions, we will receive a financial update from Treasurer Mike Daley. I will also speak briefly about two items:
  • At its March meeting, the Council passed a unanimous resolution to begin a conversation about what it means to be a welcoming congregation to LGBTQIA+ siblings and what is means to be a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation. To this end, beginning in the late summer we will provide opportunities for conversation, forums, and Bible studies that will run through the fall and into winter. A team will guide our conversation. The goals of this process are to learn about how we can all be more welcoming, understand what it means to be a RIC congregation, and discern whether or not we are being called to be a RIC congregation.
  • Since I have been on staff at Atonement, we have had a goal of making Stewardship a part of our everyday ministry and not just a two week emphasis in October. As we head into June, we are almost halfway through our fiscal year. The weekend of June 3-4 we will hear an update on Stewardship during worship and all members/families of Atonement will have an opportunity to make a mid-year pledge or increase their 2023 pledge.
I continue to be amazed at all the ministry that happens at Atonement and the ways we Grow Deep and Reach Wide to proclaim the good news of Christ through our words and actions. I am humbled and honored to serve as Pastor here. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us and give us the courage to follow!
In Christ's Service,
Pastor Zac Sturm
Mark Your Calendars!

Our Congregational Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, May 21st, at 12:00noon in the Sanctuary (following the 11:00am worship service). Items for the agenda include the election of new council members and updates on budget and ministries. Questions? Please feel free to reach out to Council President Kathy Vannoy.
Small Group Ministry

Atonement members and friends enjoy a variety of activities that will connect you with old friends and new. Click on the image to see what's happening this month! And check out the new opportunities!
Sunday Morning Adult Education Opportunity

May 14th - Join Vicar Jordan in Charter Hall.
May 21st - join Bishop Emeritus Charles Maahs for a conversation about the Beatitudes!

Our Sunday morning adult education classes will then pause for the summer - check us out in September!

Wednesdays in the Word
This study on the lessons for the week will continue on Wednesdays at 12:00noon through May 24th, and will then pause for the summer.
NEW!
Vicar Jordan's "Out of Office" Office Hours
Want to have some quiet time to talk?
Vicar Jordan will be available at the following places on:

May 11th, 5-7pm - BrewHaHa on 103/Mastin
May 16th, 3-5pm - Panera on Metcalf
May 25th, 5-7pm - BrewHaHa on 103/Mastin

Outreach Ministry

"Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly" - Micah 6:8

Click on the image to the left for information on how you and your family can make a difference in the lives of our neighbors!
Nehemiah Action - May 2, 2023

Over 1,200 people gathered at Church of the Resurrection
to support the work of the Good Faith Network, seeking justice in our community!
Our sincere appreciation to the 152 members and guests of Atonement
for their presence and their support!
Click here to learn more about the evening's events!

Kids & Family Ministry
(KFaM)

Click on the image to the left to learn more about activities in our children's ministries!

Here are a few opportunities to connect, grow in faith, and have some fun this spring and summer! Click here for info about:
  • Parents' Night Out - soon
  • VBS - A Prayer Safari
  • Family registration - now!
  • Hearts and hands needed - now!
  • Camp Tomah Shinga
  • Registration
  • Chat & Pack
YFaM (Youth & Family) Ministry
Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)

Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"


WE CELEBRATE!


Confirmation Sunday! We celebrate our confirmands on Sunday, May 14th at 11:00am - and greet them at the reception following worship!


Caring Ministry

Click on the image for Prayers, updates on
upcoming Grief Ministry events and more!



My thanks to all of you for the wonderful reception last weekend! I appreciated all the cards, gifts, flowers, and well-wishes; I have been honored and blessed to work with you!
Blessings, Ricki Neuman
Church Council Minutes

Please click here to view the March 2023 council minutes; should you have any questions, please contact council president Kathy Vannoy.
From the Church Office . . .

Giving Envelopes
Atonement is happy to provide offering envelopes for our members (and guests if requested); however, if you find that you do not use them because you use online giving or for another reason, please contact Traci Johnson, Atonement's bookkeeper, and let her know that she can remove your name from the mailing list. You'll be helping our environment - and reducing Atonement's costs, all at the same time! You can reach Traci at tracij@atoneluth.org.

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Advanced Giving / Statement
In order to more efficiently budget, the advanced giving to the general fund this year is being tracked differently. The monthly statements that include an "Advanced GF" current year line indicates that members have given over $2000 and 50% of their pledged amount.

2nd Mile/Campus Sustainment Fund
Moving forward, there will no longer be a "Second Mile" or "Building Fund" category in which to donate money to. This has now been changed to state "Campus Sustainment" to give more clarity into what those funds are being applied to.
Atonement Office Hours

Monday-Thursday: 9:00am-3:00pm
Friday: 9:00am-12:00noon

Please Note: the office will be closed Monday, May 29th
for the Memorial Day weekend.
Central States Synod of the ELCA www.css-elca.org
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America www.elca.org