St.Paul Lutheran Church & School
400 S.13th Street Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Phone 515-955-7285
stpaulfd@stpaulfd.org
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THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL
Monthly newsletter of St. Paul Ev. Lutheran Church, Fort Dodge, Iowa
Our Mission Statement: Disciples of Christ Making Disciples for Christ
“Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.”
--- Proverbs 29:18
Starting on April 12th & 13th, nine congregational members gathered to form the Vision Frame Initiative team. This initiative was approved by our Parish Administrative Council (PAC) to begin the process of determining what St. Paul Lutheran Church & School aspires to be. We have just celebrated 160 years as a congregation & school, so the question is, “What does St. Paul want to look like ministry wise when we celebrate 170 years?” The Vision Frame process will help to provide direction to everyone in the organization as they focus their efforts on achieving the vision.
You will be hearing me talk a lot about the Vision Frame over the next several months. So, I wanted to write this article to explain the concept and lay out what the goals we will achieve. First of all, I want to emphasize that what the Vision Frame Initiative team does will be reported to the congregation in townhall meetings. Receiving feedback and thoughts will be most important as the team goes through the process. Please keep an eye out for upcoming congregational meetings so that each of us will be able to participate.
The Vision Frame is a collection of statements that will reflect the Kingdom Concept of St. Paul Lutheran Church & School. The Vision Frame will help to express our DNA. The goal of this process is that every leader, ministry, and program in the church & school should begin from a clear understanding of the Vision Frame. The Vision Frame includes an articulation of the church and school’s unique mission, values, strategy, mission measure, and vision proper.
MISSION: A clear and concise statement that defines what the church is ultimately supposed to be doing. Mission answers the question, “What are we doing?” The mission serves as the compass and guiding North Star of the church & school. It is the heartbeat. The mission is like a golden thread that weaves through every activity of the church & school.
VALUES: The shared convictions that guide the actions and reveal the strengths of the church & school. Values answer the question, “Why are we doing it?” Values are pillars that represent the conscience of the church & school.
STRATEGY: The process that demonstrates how the church will accomplish its mission on the broadest level. Strategy answers the question, “How are we doing it?” The strategy is like a container that holds all church & school activities into one meaningful whole.
MEASURES: The characteristics of an individual’s life that reflect the achievement of the mission. Measures answers the question, “When are we successful?” Measure is the church & school’s portrait of a disciple and definition of spiritual maturity. It provides the standard by which the mission can be measured with respect to an individual’s development through the ministry of the church & school.
VISION PROPER: The living language that anticipates and illustrates God’s better future for the church & school. Vision Proper answers the question, “Where is God taking us?” The vision is a God–inspired dream. It is like a developing Polaroid picture of the church’s preferable future. It develops first in the minds-eye of the leadership and then in the people. Vision is made possible by imagination fueled by faith, hope and love. It is our unique fingerprint here at St. Paul Lutheran Church & School in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
Please keep this process in your daily prayers. I look forward to seeing how God will work through us as we seek to follow His lead in the years ahead.
Pastor Kendall Meyer
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Fort Dodge IA, (LCMS)
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (2nd Corinthians 5:17
We believe that those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are the Church, the Body of Christ in the world.
School children Can Play
NAMI Family Support Groups
(National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Family Support Meetings
Third Tuesday of each month, 2024
Fort Dodge Public Library
424 Central Ave.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
FREE and all are welcome
April 15th is the next meeting
Sunday
9:15 a.m. – Adult Bible Class today – Fellowship Hall.
9:15 a.m. – Sunday School - Multipurpose Room.
4:00pm - High School Youth - Youth Room Lower Level.
Tuesday:
6:30am – Men’s Bible Study with Ken Hays will meet – Conference Room #2.
1:00pm - Women’s Bible Study--Board Room.
6:30pm – Kingsmen will meet the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Shiny Top.
Wednesday:— New
Women’s Bible Study @ 6:00pm beginning April 3. BIBLE SHORTS-
Is a video driven Bible study of 5 short books of the Bible. There is no work to be done outside of class.
Come with a friend and enjoy snacks, girl time, and grow in faith! Contact Lynn Meyer (515.633.7458) with questions.
Thursday:
7:00 a.m. – Men’s Bible Class – at Zakeers.
Praise Band: Practice on Tuesday’s at 6:00pm in the Music Room & play on the 2nd Sunday.
Teen Praise: Practices on the 1st, 3rd, &4th Sun.at 9:00am in the sanctuary. They play on the 1st & 4th Sunday at 10:30am service.
Any one who would like to join
contact Lynn Meyer.
Bell Choir: Practice on Thursdays, at 5:15pm in the church balcony.
Husbands, listen up! Did you know that 90% of effective communication is listening, not talking? When your wife is talking to you, stop what you are doing, turn toward her, and look at her face. Communicate the message that you are interested in and care about what she is saying. This is respectful, courteous, and is one way to build a great relationship. Give it a try this week!
Lutheran Family Service,
409 Kenyon Rd. Suite C,
Fort Dodge, 515-573-3138 –
Click here for the link
We Stand on Truth-Every life is created by God with a divine purpose, and every human being is endowed with precious dignity and worth.
Our Mission- Whole care for the Whole You/At Obria Medical Clinics we provide reproductive healthcare in a way that empowers our community to make well-informed, life-affirming decisions. Our Services-Pregnancy Testing, Ultrasound & Pregnancy confirmation, Pregnancy Options Counseling, STI Testing & Treatment,
Abortion Pill Reversal, Pap Smears,
Well-Woman Care, and Post-Abortion Services through referral to Restored by Grace. Our Fort Dodge Mobile Medical Unit Hours-2nd & 4th Tuesdays 9-5 with pre-scheduled appointments, 10-5 with no pre-scheduled appointments, & Fridays 9-1
Obria you are invited to a special evening, Legacy for Life, Tuesday April 23rd, at 6:00pm-8:30pm. Doors open at 6:00pm, silent auction from 6pm-7:30pm, dinner at 6:30pm program 7:30pm-8:30pm. This will be at Cornerstone Church, 56829 US Highway 30, Ames, Iowa. Please RSVP before April 15th by visiting https://bit.ly/legacy_of_life.
St.Paul Lutheran Church & School
400 S.13th Street Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Phone 515-955-7285
stpaulfd@stpaulfd.org
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