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Christ Lutheran Church 
January/February 2021

 
(Your hardcopy newsletter is coming via mail shortly.)
 
Take part in Ash Wednesday Worship - Feb. 17th
Our Ash Wednesday worship service this year will be at noon & 7pm on Feb 17, and will include the Imposition of Ashes. The noon service will be completely drive-in; at the 7pm service, we will stream an in-sanctuary service, after which we will do the imposition of ashes through drive-in.
 
We are currently working on an at-home Ash Wednesday kit. Check back for details.
 
If you have not or do not normally attend this service, Pastor Tim wants to strongly encourage you to make it a priority for you and your family. Ash Wednesday is one of the most important days in the church calendar as we are reminded of our humanity with the words, “remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” 
 
We will be also handing out devotions to all who come as a way to help you dig deeper into your relationship with God.
 
Pastor Tim will not be bringing ashes out into the community due to Covid, but if you would like a zoom or phone call on that day please call our church office in order to set up a time when we can visit. 
 

Live Into God’s Call
In the month of February, we begin the season of Lent, a time for reflection and repentance. This is a time for us to step back from our lives and examine the areas we would like to change. But we all know the slippery slope of trying to change our lives, right? Either we end up trying to do too much too fast and getting discouraged, or we look at a challenge that feels overwhelming and we give up before even trying. A dangerous ditch on either side, especially when it feels like a change that we “should” do.
 
During his life, Martin Luther wrote a short essay called “Freedom of a Christian.” This little book can help us understand how to change our lives without diving into either of the ditches mentioned above. In “Freedom of a Christian” he stated, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” These complement the Scriptures from I Corinthians 9:19, “For though I am free item all men, I have made myself a slave to all,” and Romans 13:8, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” This is the paradox that we live in as Christians in the world today: we have the freedom to not do anything to attain our salvation because it has been done for us by God through Christ and given freely to us in the Holy Spirit. We do nothing to attain it. And yet, at the same time, this is held in tension with the command from Christ to get off our duffs and do something to help and serve our neighbors.
 
This is where we grow and are challenged in our Christian faith and life. We can see this as another thing we need to do, but I like to use an image from when I was
younger and in many different sports and activities. It was teachers and coaches that encouraged me to be better in what I was doing. They did this because they knew the potential that I had, and they wanted me to live that out. We have potential in our faith life to work it out, in freedom, and not according to one more rule.
 
Freedom is a great privilege that we enjoy in this country. We have the ability to worship as we want, speak in the ways we feel called, and live a life free from tyranny from the government. As a Christian, we get to live in this freedom because of Jesus and his work on the cross. The freedom of a Christian is to feel the freedom from the law, but then to use that freedom to do something. We then do not have to give up meat on Fridays or change our life, but we can if and when we chose to. This Lent, free yourself from yourself and live into God’s call.  Not sure about what he is calling you to do? Well, I think you just found a Lenten discipline.
 
God’s Peace,
Pastor Tim 
 


 
The 2021 Lenten Worship will be similar to the 2020 services. We will hold Sunday worship services in-person (hopefully) and streaming at 10am. The Wednesday Lenten Worships will be all online at 7pm (no in-person Lenten services or meals). CLC will hold a Taizé Worship service. It involves sung and chanted prayers, meditation, a period of silence, liturgical readings, and icons. We will have guest speakers. We did include the Sunday scriptures, so you may read and pray over them prior to Sunday services.
 
Meet Jill Spears - New CLC President
Welcome to 2021! I am so excited for the unfolding of this year. It is going to be wonderful to begin normal operations at some point during this year. We are not sure when that will happen but I know that we will all rejoice.
 
A few quick notes about me since I am new to the President role. My husband, Russ, and I have four children: Trenton is a junior at the University of West Georgia majoring in Theater, Holly is a freshman at Kennesaw State University majoring in Pre-Med, Kara is a sophomore at Hillgrove High School, and Jaclyn is an 8th grader at Lovinggood Middle School. We have been members of Christ Lutheran for 23 years. I have volunteered for many events, am currently a Confirmation teacher, and served as Christian Education representative on Council for four years. In my work life, I am a Chief Engineer at Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems and have worked for 29 years designing, integrating, and testing military aircraft. I look forward to the journey that we will take together over the next year. Stay safe, wash your hands, wear a mask, reduce your exposure, pray, worship, and have Faith that we will all be together soon!
 
God’s Peace,
Jill Spears
CLC Council President 
Meet Don Jordan, Vice President & Mutual Ministries Chair
As the new chairperson for the Mutual Ministry Committee and VP for the CLC council, I would like to introduce myself. I am Don Jordan and have served as a committee member on Mutual Ministry for the past two years.   

I would like to give a shout out to my predecessor, Julie Ridings, who served as an inspiration for me to volunteer for this position. Julie’s creativity, insight, and communication skills will be difficult, if not impossible, to replicate but surely provided a standard to seek and maintain. Thanks, Julie, for being such a strong model to emulate. I am blessed that Julie has agreed to continue supporting Mutual Ministry during 2021. 

Briefly, here is the role of Mutual Ministry. This committee is responsible for working with the pastor and staff to provide a liaison to the Council for staff needs. We also support the pastor and office manager with
administrative support. We work to assist in:
  • Creating a climate of peace and goodwill
  • Assisting the evaluation of pastoral performance
  • Reviewing/updating CLC policies
  • Reviewing budget proposals
  • Supporting the CLC council as requested

My wife, Cathy, and I have lived in Cobb County since 1991 and formally became members of Christ Lutheran Church in 2017. Both Cathy and I grew up in central Minnesota and after college I entered the US Air Force for the next 20 years. After retiring from the Air Force I went to work with Lockheed Martin in Business Management and retired from there in 2019. Cathy retired as an administrator in Special Education from Cobb County school district in 2018. We now enjoy visiting our sons and their families in Minnesota and Ohio. We also enjoy traveling in Europe which has been severely curtailed during COVID. We hope to resume both family & leisure travel this summer. 
Meet Michelle Shutty, Treasurer
My name is Michelle Shutty and this is my fifth year as treasurer for Christ Lutheran Church. My husband Brian and I have been members of CLC for the last 7 years and we have two sons - Daniel, age 6 and William, age 4. I work full time as a controller for an executive search/professional services company based in Irvine, CA. When I'm not working, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, cooking and riding my bike. I look forward to getting to know our new members and worshiping together in person again at CLC!
Meet Joycelyn Crane Moore, Financial Secretary
I migrated from Guyana with my family in 1979. I worked in finance and purchasing in the United Nations Organization for over 30 years. I joined CLC in 2008 where I am serving as Financial Secretary since 2018.
 
New! “Adopt a Property Task” Initiative
I am thankful for this opportunity to serve and I take seriously the trust that has been placed in me. I am also thankful for all the ongoing work that has been done to maintain our building and grounds and I express my thanks to all who have worked to maintain the property and buildings. Our building and property are well maintained and in good shape. However, like taking care of our homes, we cannot be complacent and let our guard down. I have been walking through the building and grounds with folks who know and understand where we are.

Prior to the unfortunate events of 2020, we were in the custom of having at least two workdays each year for going above and beyond the usual ongoing maintenance. The property committee published a list of tasks to be completed and folks signed up for the completion of tasks that fit their skills, abilities, and desires. Even though we were unable to have workdays in 2020, overall we are in good shape! To ensure that we continue to maintain our property we are working on a To-Do List of tasks to be completed. We will publish the list. It is not feasible or safe at this time to gather large crowds of volunteers. We will ask for small, Covid-safe, and CDC guidelines-compliant groups of two or three people to “Adopt A Task” to be completed by your group independently of all other task groups. Each task will have a task description and a photo or sketch showing what is to be done. We look forward to starting these “Adopt A Task” groups in the near future. Some tasks will have to wait until warmer spring weather arrives. And maybe a few tasks will require subcontracting with professionals. I look forward to the time when we once again will be able to safely have the workdays with task completion and the fellowship (think - coffee and doughnuts!) of working together. But for now, we will divide the tasks into small units and have small groups complete them.

We are also seeking volunteers for the Property Committee. The committee will meet via Zoom every 4 to 6 weeks for the foreseeable future. If you have a talent or gift you wish to share, please send me an email at rcscout@bellsouth.net and put the words “CLC Property Committee” in the subject line. Thank you and I look forward to continuing to maintain the Christ Lutheran Church property and to working with you.
 
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Rich Hallberg

Meet Rich Hallberg, Property Chair
I am a native of South Dakota and a lifelong Lutheran. We have been members of CLC for 2 years. Our family moved to Georgia in 1992. Sharon and I have been married for 44 years. We have two grown sons and 3 grandchildren. We are both retired and keep busy with some volunteering. My hobbies include camping, cooking, & woodworking.
  
 
Thank you for Your Generosity
In December, the Social Ministry Committee had a successful Toy Drive collecting games and toys as well as scarves hats and mittens for Must Ministries. We also collected Walmart gift cards and board games as well as scarves for Simple Needs. Cobb Street Ministries are grateful for the Walmart gift cards.

Although activities were scaled back a bit from previous years due to the pandemic, the wonderful generosity of the church donations shone through. Looking forward to 2021as the Social Committee continues our outreach in the community.
Save the date for the next Blood Drives—March 29-31.
 

Meet Jackie Cooley, Social Ministry Chair
I started attending CLC in the Fall of 2019 and joined the church family in February 2020. Married to Clay, we have two grown children Claire and Nick. I am a native Georgian and we have lived in West Cobb for over 25 years. I am excited to be a part of the council as Social Ministry Chair and look forward to saving our community and getting to know my church family on a more personal level.
 

High School Group Save the Date!

2021 All-Georgia Youth E-Gathering February 27, 2021
Theme:  Accept. Embrace. Spread Grace

We will gather at 10am and have fun stuff, All day long! Please let Pastor Tim know if you can be there by Feb. 17th (Ash Wednesday). Do not worry about the cost because the church will cover your registration. Find more info at www.sesyouth.org/All-Georgia.

Meet Our Youth Council Co-Chairs
Kara Spears (left): I am a sophomore at Hillgrove High School. I have been dancing for twelve years, and I have been a member of CLC for my entire life. I am excited to be a part of the council.

Cora Pfister (right): I am currently a sophomore at Hillgrove High School. I’m in the marching band and play trombone and baritone. I have been a CLC member my whole life. I am grateful to and excited to be in this position.
 

Meet Mary Kempffer, Stewardship Chair
My husband, Bill, and I moved to West Cobb from North Carolina in June 2019 to be closer to our daughter, who had settled in the Atlanta area. We joined CLC in October 2019. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, but have lived in West Virginia, Ohio, Massachusetts, and South Carolina before meeting Bill and settling for the better half of my life in North Carolina. We owned and operated our own business there. 

Meet Chris Metcalfe, Fellowship Chair
My family has been members of Christ Lutheran since 2002. I work as a data analyst for the Cobb County School District. Ian and I have 3 beautiful children and one granddaughter.

If you have any great ideas on how to fellowship during Covid, please email me at chmetcalfe@comcast.net. 

Meet Stephanie King, Welcome & Witness Chair
My mother Sue, my son Sean, and I joined CLC in 2009. I taught Sunday School for two years and became office manager of CLC from 2010-2018. I felt called upon to join the council as Welcome & Witness Chair in January 2019. If anybody would like to join the committee, please email me ssking7202@gmail.com
 

Meet Lisa Fallin, Christian Education Chair
Hello Church! My name is Lisa Fallin. I am always up before the sun because I make phenomenal bread each day at Great
Harvest Bread Co., on Due West Road. Here are a few things I love: our Lord Jesus, my husband, my awesome five kids, family, CLC, beer, yard work, photography & Christmas decorating. I am a very busy Mommy. 

Meet Shawn Lee Fallin, Worship Chair
Hi my name is Shawn Lee Fallin. I am a retired C-130 Air Force Flight Engineer, and civilian aviator. I have five amazingly
talented children and a beautiful wife, Lisa. I enjoy spending time with our CLC family (especially during Non-Covid Times), singing, photography, fixing “broke stuff,” drinking a good IPA beer, and mostly playing music with my wife and children. 

Meet Becky Kelley, Council Secretary
My husband Alan and I grew up here in Cobb County and have raised 3 wonderful children that continue to make us proud. We
became members at Christ Lutheran over 20 years ago and since that time I have been blessed with being able to participate in confirmation, youth group, choir, and council. I have worked at Cobb County School District for 22 years. I like to spend my free time painting watercolors and visiting our two granddaughters Charlotte & Reidun.


Meet Mark Breen, Budget & Finance Chair
Vikki, Nick, Bekki and I moved to the Atlanta area in 1998 and joined Christ Lutheran around 2000. Christ Lutheran is a big part of our lives and Nick and Bekki grew-up with Vacation Bible School including teaching as they got older. Vikki ran the Must Ministry monthly meal program for 15 years. I was asked to be Treasurer, but Vikki took it over and did all the work (I did help some). Vikki and I were counters for most of our time at Christ Lutheran (excluding 2020). We sold our house in Acworth and moved up to our mountain house, so we will be doing remote services. Dr. Nick and his wife Nicole are expecting to be parents any day now (a boy) and Bekki and her husband Alex (also a boy) are expecting this summer (June 9th). I believe this will get us off the mountain!!!
 

News from Guatemala

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We greet you from Guatemala specifically from the Lutheran Center, we hope you have had a happy and blessed holiday. Gathered to start the year with all the faith and enthusiasm trusting in our Lord.

We are grateful to our different partnerships in this journey even though all of the challenges that 2020 brought, we feel accompanied at all times, and we know that our mission is constantly in your prayers and plans; for this reason, we feel more positive that 2021 will be more blessed and we will be able to advance in this journey in the best way possible.

We can only express our most sincere thanks for your love and friendship in this time that God has allowed us to share all of these experiences with your past visits and now our virtual communications, as the virtual communications have made possible the accompaniment between our churches, between our congregations. Although we know that it is not the same, it has allowed us to keep in touch, and maintain our coexistence in Christ to strengthen our congregations.

And we hope that in the near future we will meet face to face again, and we can give each other that long-awaited hug, meanwhile we continue on our mission, with our different congregations in the rural area and our central church which thanks to God have enjoyed constant health and maintained what is necessary to live, materially and spiritually, congregations who faced the pandemic and two big natural disasters. Everyone is in good conditions, with health taking preventive actions, adapting their lives to the “new normality”, and it was possible thanks in part to the two emergency projects that thanks to your help were possible.

Also, the Augustinian Lutheran School (CLAG) is ready to start the school year also adapting their system to the new normality, with virtual classes and homework via mail, and correspondence for the children can´t have access to internet. We have some information from the Ministry of Education about a semi presential classes, but we are still waiting for more direction from the Ministry of Education.
 
We are aware and always putting the health of our people as a priority. We have come to the realization that the situation will not improve in Guatemala in the near future due to the vaccine not reaching our country any time soon. We are prepared to continue virtually and adapting our mission to the actual conditions, but we are taking advantage of the time to improve the structure of our new building that the kids will enjoy in the near future when they will return to a new school building.

More good news! The Girls will continue from last year with their normal curriculum studying and learning. We are waiting for them to return the first week of February, so they can continue expanding their knowledge. During their vacations, they share their knowledge with groups of women and children who are members of their churches and communities.

We are attentive to your communications and different ways to bring you closer to Guatemala. You remain in our prayers and our hearts as it has always been.

Sincerely,
Diego Gil, ILAG Coordinator of relationships and projects

2020 Year to Date Financial Summary (as of December 31, 2020)
Year to date December 31, total contributions are $326k, down 7.4% to prior year. That is about $43.8k short of our Full Year Budget and $26k below prior year. 

2020 Full Year expenses were $314.5k, which is 85% of the annual budget ($370K).  The deficit improved $55.5k to our operating income at year-end.

The Shortfall in Revenues for the year of $43.8k was offset by lower expenses of $55.5K.

Operating Income Summary:
Year to date income:           $329,340
Year to date expenses:        $314,485
Year to date net income:        $14,865

Year to date expenses as a percent of budget: 89% (on Budget)

Account Balance Summary:
Checking/Money Market Balance:   $112.063
Mission Investment Fund:                  $20,656
Total Cash Balance                          $132,719
Mortgage balance:                             $47,981 


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Monthly Church Newsletter


Our mailing address is:
Christ Lutheran Church
176 W. Sandtown Road SW
Marietta, GA 30064
770-424-2850
http://www.clcwestcobb.org/
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Christ Lutheran Church · 176 West Sandtown Road · Marietta, GA 30064 · USA

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