2002 is a year I will never forget. June and July were to have been sabbatical months for me. It would be my first sabbatical in 20 years of ministry…a time to refresh and renew, replenish and recommit. In April, the Lord seemed to be telling me that I needed to postpone sabbatical. I didn't want to, but Sue was getting the same message, so we agreed to trust that it was God's wisdom even though we didn't understand why.

July 8th our church building suffered a major fire. Lightning either hit the church directly or so close that it caused a powerfully hot electrical surge that started a fire in the northeast corner of the sanctuary. The loss to building and contents is about 1 million dollars.

To this day, I have a hard time describing what it looked and felt like to see the fire engines, smoke and damage without getting all choked up. Friedens is not only the church I've served as pastor for 15 years; it is my church home for 15 years and my wife's family's church for several generations. Like many of you, I experienced shock and thought I might wake up as if in a bad dream. I couldn't believe it had really happened.

In the early morning hours of July 9th the Lord brought this scripture to mind (and I've shared it with the congregation on several occasions) 1 Peter 1:3-7 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

The first special leadership meeting was held the day after the fire. It was so encouraging to see all that gathered on the backyard patio of the parsonage (the air was too acrid in the church building to be in there for more than a couple of minutes at a time). Council members, Elders, other church members and even active non-members who came to help any way they could.

Since the fire, the church's leadership and countless others have labored to keep the ministries going and handle all the tasks associated with a major fire loss. I will be forever grateful for all those people who have stepped forward to serve at such a critical time so unselfishly. I will be forever grateful to all those who realized the mission of the church needed to be the focus of the rebuilding effort. So many said the question to ask ourselves was, "how do we respond to the fire in such a way that we end up even more effectively accomplishing our mission and ministry as Christ's church?"

That's really the question that should drive all we do. The mission of our church (To seek out and welcome all in need of spiritual direction, reconcile lives to God, and build and equip devoted disciples to serve Christ Jesus) should be the foundation upon which we build our strategies, plans, and decisions. It's the "rudder of our ship." The stewardship of the church's human and financial resources should reflect our commitment to our mission. We do not exist to simply perpetuate and protect history or tradition. We exist, at God's discretion, to promote and propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ! History's value is in showing us that God is faithful to those who take steps and even leaps of faith; sacrificing self-will for the sake of His will. God has blessed Friedens through the years every time the church has acted unselfishly and demonstrated its dependence upon God for guidance and provision.

I will continue to promote all that we can do to pursue our church's mission. I will continue to encourage all who are willing to take forward steps of faith as God leads. I will continue to resist doing things the way we've always done them unless it is the best way to accomplish the mission.

This past November Pastor Matt told me that he and Kari had made the difficult decision to leave Friedens and move to the Twin Cities. Matt will pursue a doctorate and a teaching ministry and Kari will be working for a Para-church ministry. Sue and I have enjoyed our shared ministry and friendship with Matt and Kari. They have been a great "fit" for the church and we'll all miss them. They've helped our ministry to grow and strengthen and their impact will be evident for years to come.

Once again, I find myself looking to 1 Peter and I know there's no need to panic or to be dismayed. The search process and transition is yet another opportunity to prove our faith "genuine". We will look to our mission statement and we'll look at the staffing needs of the church. We'll pray and plan and pray some more – and God will be faithful! He will help us use this challenge as an opportunity to refine and strengthen our ministry.

2002 has been quite a year. A year I'll never forget. But I want it to be remembered, not so much for the fire or losing Matt and Kari to the "land of the Vikings," but for the challenges we turned into opportunities through faith in God and dedication to our mission.

In 2003 we'll continue to be tested to prove whether or not our faith is real, alive, and genuine. And I pray we'll continue to work together to pursue our church's mission... growing together in Christ... for His honor and glory!