Lecture Series at St. James set for January 8th – 29th, 2012

In loving memory of Agnes Tengdin and Phyllis Werner, St. James hosts an annual lecture series to inspire and instruct its members.

The 2012 Lecture Series will once again feature Dr. William Stancil of Rockhurst University.    Specific lecture topic is yet to be announced.

December, 2010

¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.                 – 1 Corinthians 3:10-11

That’s where I started in May, musing about the foundations laid before me by previous Pastors and leaders.

That’s where I want to stay for the remainder of this year, taking a look at foundations and structures, of various kinds.

I tell the Council that I keep in front of me a list of the “Other Provisions” section of the Letter of Call, as they give me some general guidelines for how to proceed and how to prioritize things.

To refresh your memory as well, they are:

During this time period, the pastor will give special attention in ministry to the following:

a) Youth and Family Ministry assessment and program development.

b) Assist St. James in the development of a 5 year strategic plan for our Congregation.

c) Assist St. James to increase the appeal of our facilities, programs, and worship.

d) With Evangelism and Membership Committees, develop a program for new member assimilation.

e) With Stewardship Committee, help us increase our emphasis on Stewardship.

In May, I also put down general list of things that I hoped we could accomplish together in the coming months.    To refresh your memory about that, here is a general overview of how we’re doing.

1) Become intentional about developing the spiritual component of every meeting, committee, and gathering. I would give this about a “C” if I were grading us, but that’s o.k. because this is a HUGE cultural change since you weren’t in the habit of doing it.  It takes a while to develop a spiritual discipline of praying first, and then acting second.    I continue to produce the “Guidance On The Way of Prayer” for committee folks to grab and use, and they are available in the Prayer Chapel any time for members, as well as posted on the Facebook and Web Page.   Resourcing and encouraging are my two strategies in that area.

2) Address the New Member Assimilation process. We’ve had two goes at this, and we continue to refine the approach.    This is much more complex than one thinks, because the goals of people joining a church are often very different from long time members.     People join to find spiritual support or comfort.  Long time members often look at new members as fresh recruits ready to serve….on committees.  We continue to look closely at how we make disciples, both of new folks, and long time attendees!   In January we will begin to increase our hospitality awareness, and encourage folks to learn some tools for being welcoming and friendly to guests… not just with each other.

3) Facility upgrade and cosmetic changes. Just a quick rundown.

a. Tiling the Downstairs –  Done and the stairway as well!  Thank you Denise, Norb, and the Tiling Crew!

b. Deep clean the building – Ongoing, thank you Sunni and Bobbi!

c. Paint the following areas.

i. Prayer Room – Done

ii. Downstairs Hall – Done

iii. Upstairs Hall – Done

iv. Bethlehem Room – (Pending)

v.      Luther Room. – Off the list for now, Pantry storage location now.

vi. St. Timothy Room — Done

d. Construction of the Welcome Center/Information Center and Video Information Screen. — We accomplished the Information Screen.   The welcome center area is Pending as it may fit in conjunction with other items.

e. Recarpeting of Nursery and Offices. Nursery and classroom upstairs, along with prayer chapel completed.   Offices are in the 2011 budget.

f. New Tables, Chairs that match and Acoustic Treatment to St. Timothy. Pending, but included in the 2011 Budget and so look for an upgrade there soon.  We have received input from members about preferred styles.

g. Permanent Installation of a Projector System in the Sanctuary. — Pending, and again now part of a “larger conversation” about worship life at St. James.

Those were the things from May, but in addition, we tackled a few more items as they arose.

We’ve been reviewing our Youth and Child Protection procedures, and we made some structural and policy changes to put us in compliance with our policy.   If you walk down the Education Wing hallway, you’ll note windows in the doors to allow observation at all times.  The Youth and Child Protection Policy is also now posted prominently on the web site.

On the Stewardship front, we undertook a bit more comprehensive Stewardship program this year, with pledges up 21%.    Thank YOU for taking that process so seriously!

Along with the Property Committee, we’ve taken a good hard look at the facility, and the powerpoint shared allows you to “walk along” with that.    Significant challenges that are inter-related are where I want to spend the bulk of the rest of my report.

Slide Show Review – Slides of Property issues/concerns were commented upon.   Slide show available at church, not posted on line.

The “To Think About” Questions that I ask here are pertinent.

We have been attempting to address “large ticket” items through a budgetary process, which inevitably ends up being cut because we know that regular and expected revenues will not come up to the amount needed for these items.    They are therefore put off perennially.    You can only do that for so long before issues accumulate beyond the ability to address easily.   As I discern some “next steps” about that, I am struck with really three inter-related issues/challenges that I need for all of us to think about together, and they all have to do in some way with “Real Estate.”

1) The “Real Estate Issue” outside.

The first prong of this 3 part issue has to do with our overall footprint, the way we are configured and place on this piece of property.

The General rule of thumb for church construction in the 21^st century is that you require 1 usable acre of paved, striped, parking per every 300 people.   100-115 cars per usable acre is what most building codes require.   (A usable acre, by the way, is one that does not contain steep slopes, non-buildable ground, property that is not directly accessible to the building.  This precludes our lower and outlying lot from inclusion.)   This accommodates and understanding of an average of 3 persons arriving in the same vehicle.

If you count the spaces on our “usable” lots, you come up with a total of 46 spaces  (upper lot, and along the drive… the lower lot has no direct building access remember)   46 spaces figuring the average of 3 persons per vehicle means that the capacity for the building at any given time is actually 138!

Our average attendance on Sunday Morning is, across two services and a Sunday School, is 155, relatively close to that parking space dictated number.

Now, at this point, someone will likely raise the comment that we had more people here in the past with the same number of parking spaces.   That is true.  However, look at how the congregation has “life cycled.”

The numbers in the past included larger families with young children, not driving.

It also included a different mindset.   Even as few as 20 years ago, families still “held out” to come to church together.  Now schedules and other commitments that migrate to Sunday morning require families to bring multiple vehicles.  (Ask the parents of teen and college age students how many vehicles they use to arrive at church together?)

Finally, it likely included a number of “able bodied” folks who chose to park in the outlying lots to make room for those differently-abled.   As our congregation population ages, those folks have migrated to closer parking spaces out of necessity, and we have likely not continued to encourage folks to choose the “farther spaces.”   Also, because we tend to be more time crunched than ever before, the expectation of people is that there will be someplace “close by” to park so they can dash in.   No one takes a leisurely walk to church anymore.  (Particularly in August or January!)   Add to that the number of folks who tend to stay from 8:30 into Sunday School, and those who arrive during Sunday School and tend to remain through or up to 11:00, and those 46 parking spaces become more precious all the time.

2) The “Real Estate Issues” inside.

Generally, any place that reaches 80% of capacity is considered “full.”   That is to say, people will begin to self select their attendance based on how “full” a service begins to feel.    If you look at St. James seating capacity, you come up with some interesting numbers.

The standard for measurement of seating (according to fire code) in a pew is 18 inches, but practically the actual seating is usually figured at 23 inches per backside, because we tend to either spread out or stake out territory of personal space when seated on a bench.

Using that measurement, the maximum seating capacity at St. James is 193 person, plus an additional 20 seats in the choir.  (This excludes the front pews since modesty panels have been removed, they are now “seats of last resort.)  Using that as our guide, St. James is “full” when 146 people plus the choir are seated in the sanctuary.   If you look at our average attendance however, you discover that our average worship attendance this last year was:

77 at the 8:30 service

78 at the 11:00 a.m. service

20 at the 5:00 p.m. service.

So, theoretically, St. James should have plenty of space to grow.

So, what will it take for that to happen?   Surely a look at parking is one thing we will need to do.  But, this also brings us to the third real estate issue.

3) The Real Estate Issues in Building Layout and Configuration.

As noted in the slide show, the building layout grew from west to east.   Education Space was added directly off the main sanctuary of the first unit, which made sense for flow.    In the 1950’s  the Church was designed to accommodate two things primary.  Public worship, and citizenship development through Sunday School for children.  There were few other opportunities for youth.   The societal pressure of the time was for a person to be in a church, as a means of social status and connection.

The Church of the 21^st century encounters now a world where there are no societal pressures to attend a church for social or status reasons.   It also exists in a world where a myriad of activities compete for time for youth. (soccer, baseball, football, dance… all “citizenship” building endeavors of a sort.)

St. James added on building space assuming that those two pressures would remain constant.    We didn’t have to invest in Sunday School space, we already had it, and kids would need to be in it, regardless of how convenient or nice it was.

So we end up sending kids through a spooky metal back door into an unheated cave and assume they will be fine with it… and visiting parents will be as well.   Is this a good assumption?

Our narthex and greeting/fellowship spaces are often congested and filled with items that are an integral part of our mission and ministry.   Does our layout for the building contribute to our sense of this place being “full” prematurely?   How would we open up or expand those key gathering spaces to help alleviate that impression?

The Main Sanctuary space for St. James was designed and built in a day when the primary means of worship participation was public reading, sermon, and hymn singing lead by Organ and Choir.   It assumed that nothing else would ever be needed for worship but that.

However, we now live in a world where cultural influences have brought in a whole new realm of possibilities for worship experience; drums, keyboards, projection, instruments of various kinds, and multiple options for accompaniment, movement and involvement.

We continually run into “real estate issues” as we try to use these new gifts.   The static nature of our chancel set-up means that we are constantly caught in frustrating dilemmas.

For instance, setting eight in ELW could really benefit from the use of the drum set (Kyrie rocks with it!)  But, you can’t use the drum set if the choir is in place standing for the Kyrie, and you can’t really get to it when they are in place!

Similarly the Piano sits in an awkward spot because of the fixed position of the Organ console, which really only makes sense in its current location if you assume that a choir is always going to sing and is always in need of direction by a combined organist/choir director.  Nearly 2/3^rd’s of our worship services do not use that configuration!  (Choir sings every other week, and never at the 5 p.m. service.)

The front platform layout means that the Piano can’t be moved into position for a recital, it also can’t be moved into a more appropriate location for accompanying the choir or other musicians,  nor can it be moved/removed to accommodate more seating on festival Sundays when the place is packed.

The front platform and choir configuration also contributes to another real estate issue.  Many congregations have chosen to offer alternative worship experiences on a Sunday morning to reach varying audiences.   The usual procedure is to have a fairly “traditional” service early, and then a more “contemporary” or more “global” service later in your morning schedule.   This approach appeals to the varying music tastes that have developed and are present in this rapidly changing world and increasingly diverse world.

St. James has difficulty accommodating this much variety because of the configuration of the chancel.   If the choir is singing, it occupies the only spot available for other instrumentation.  If the choir is not singing, the “loft” area does not easily accommodate instrument set up.   Tear down and set up time makes quick changes prohibitive.

The solution to that was to begin a worship experience at 5 p.m. using a more contemporary format.  That is an awkward time for worship for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that it is unsupported in terms of Sunday School, so we have members who come on Sunday morning, and then return at 5 p.m.   That means they further occupy parking spaces, as well as double dip of their time.    The group that has been doing that has been blessed in many ways by it, but also frustrated at the time commitment and the limitations of that timeframe.   There is a desire by many to see a more contemporary worship option available in the morning.   To that end, I have begun having conversations about our overall worship life at St. James.   I’ve started by asking constituents of the current services what is “core” to their experience, in hopes of finding a way to craft a worship experience that would meet the needs of folks currently worshiping at the later service, and the SNL crowd.

It is no easy task.   We are creatures who are comfortable with our own habits and ways of doing things that have deep meaning for us.

In the 1990’s starting a contemporary service in a morning timeframe was pretty much a good way to increase your attendance as you offered something new and unique to constituents and disaffected members (largely baby boomers) who just didn’t connect with the old worship forms.

Now however, contemporary services are commonplace, and the level of excellence in them puts an additional burden on musicians.  We’ll need to have good conversations about how to craft a worship experience, or how to craft a schedule, that meets the needs of all concerned, and more importantly, the needs of those not currently in a relationship with Jesus! That goes for all services!

To think about this coming year…

To deal with the “real estate” issues that limit our facility capacity and growth, there are at possible moves that could be taken, none of which are without significant cost either in terms of finances or mindset changes.   I’m sure there are more, and in the coming year we’ll have conversations about what God is calling us to do to better be about the mission here.   Here are my first musings.

1)      Designate 20 spaces in the upper lot as VISITOR PARKING and teach our current members to respect them and not park there NO MATTER WHAT so that there is always a place for a visitor/guest.  This will take major shifts in our personal patterns, but costs very little.

2)      Tweak our current facility to address some inside Real Estate issues.     This would involve taking a serious look at doing the following, and could be done incrementally.   It would not change our “footprint” or address parking concerns or aging structures, but would address congestion inside the building, the appeal of facility, and flexibility.   If done in conjunction with the visitor parking, it could help us grow or maintain.

a.       Remodeling the sanctuary chancel space, dropping out the front platform, lowering things to ground level except the altar/communion rail area and relocating the Organ Console to the west wall.    This would open up flexibility in the worship space and the ability to offer worship variety.

b.      Reconfiguring the upper level to a more “open” feeling.   Open up the wall to the current choir room, floor over the Atrium space, and relocate the coffee/sink area to add floor space there to expand St. Timothy Hall to become the primary gathering space for fellowship and events.

c.       Reconfigure the Great Hall into an appealing multi-use/education space and moving Sunday School into the Main church unit.

d.      Consider the possibility of remodeling the current education unit for use by MLM.

e.       Ignore the old sanctuary and let it remain as storage/project space.  Address minimal repair as needed and witness further deterioration.

3)      A third strategy is more radical, and that is to look at our total footprint on this property.

a.       Keep current main building configuration.   Remodel the Chancel area to the above guidelines.  Then, demolish the old sanctuary and education wing.

b.      Add a new 2 story space that extends west, and south, occupying the current Pilaster area and part of the area of the current education wing.  Make the upper level Education space, and the Lower level space for MLM/Food Pantry.

c.       This would change our “footprint” and address some parking concerns, as well as help us decide what to do with the aging structures.

d.      The new construction area would access and expanded the lower lot directly into the area currently occupied with the old sanctuary, adding to our “useable” parking.

e.       Depending on city codes, additional usable parking might be also be possible by demolishing the MLM house and the other two units we own.

4)      A fourth strategy is more radical yet, which is to look closely at our demographics and where our current members actually live and consider relocating the congregation.   This is a move that many churches have made, consciously, or unconsciously, to follow the growth curve of the city out to the suburbs.  It would involve locating a building, or constructing a facility that meets 21^st century needs instead of trying to retrofit the current structure.   This move would have significant consequences for the current ministry and its orientation toward social action/social service.  Can we do that, if we no longer reside close to the need?

5)      A fifth strategy is a variation of the fourth.  Many congregations have begun using “satellite” strategies.   Instead of relocating the whole congregation, a core group are identified to go off and start a satellite ministry, in a different geographic area, or with a different homogenous population (ethnic specific, language specific, experience specific, community locale specific, etc.)      This “satellite” community orients toward the “mother” church for mission and ministry, but toward its own gathering for fellowship and study/support.   Examples of this would be Church of the Resurrection’s partnership at the Grand Avenue Temple downtown, or Advent Lutheran’s sponsorship of the Hillside Community.      It varies from rented space, to using home church models, to reclaiming/sharing space.

6)      Do nothing, and look to congregations like St. Mark’s Lutheran, Faith Lutheran, Westwood Lutheran, the former Abiding Savior Lutheran, and Abiding Peace Lutheran as models of what our future may hold, as the neighborhood transitions around us and we fail to engage it or adapt to it.  This, by the way, is a strategy.  It does involve people working actively and purposefully to divert attention, distract, or deny issues and to delay action.

Hey, it is Advent!   I hate to be the one sounding like “A Voice Crying Out in the Wilderness” but the truth of the matter is that change is inevitable.   You did call me to think strategically!

St. James Lutheran Church seeks to provide a safe and secure environment for the children and youth who participate in our programs and activities.  By implementing the below practices, our goal is to protect the children and youth of St. James Lutheran Church from incidents of misconduct or inappropriate behavior while also protecting our staff and volunteers from false accusations.

Definitions

For purposes of this policy, the terms “child” or “children” include all persons under the age of eighteen (18) years.

Selection of Workers

All employees and all persons who desire to work with the children participating in our programs and activities on an ongoing basis will be screened.  This screening includes the following:

a.            Six Month Rule

No volunteer will be considered for any position involving contact with minors until s/he has been involved with St. James Lutheran Church for a minimum of six (6) months.  This time of interaction between our leadership and the applicant allows for better evaluation and suitability of the applicant for working with children.

b. Criminal Background Check

A national criminal background check is required for all employees (regardless of position) and for the following categories of volunteers:

• Those who will be involved in our Sunday School/Preschool/day care center (whichever is applicable).
• Those who will be in involved in overnight activities with minors.
• Those counseling minors.

Before a background check is run, prospective workers will be asked to sign an authorization form allowing St. James Lutheran Church to run the check.  If an individual declines to sign the authorization form, s/he will be unable to work with children.

All staff employees will further be required to complete the following requirements:

a.         Written Application

All persons seeking to work with children must complete and sign a written application in a form to be supplied by us.  The application will request basic information from the applicant and will inquire into previous experience with children, previous religious affiliation, reference and employment information, as well as disclosure of any previous criminal convictions.  The application form will be maintained in confidence on file in the office St. James Lutheran Church.

b.         Personal Interview

Upon completion of the application, a face-to-face interview will be scheduled with the applicant to discuss his/her suitability for the position.  This interview will be conducted by the committee or persons responsible for the position.

c.         Reference Checks

Before an applicant is permitted to work with children, at least two of the applicants’ references will be checked.  These references should be of an institutional nature as opposed to personal or family references, preferably from organizations where the applicant has worked with children in the past.   Documentation of the reference checks will be maintained in confidence on file at in the office St. James Lutheran Church.

What constitutes a disqualifying offense that will keep an individual from working with children will be determined by the Senior Pastor and these guidelines on a case-by-case basis in light of all the surrounding circumstances.  Generally, convictions for an offense involving children and/or for offenses involving violence, dishonesty, illegal substances, indecency and any conduct contrary to our mission will preclude someone from being permitted to work with children.  Failure to disclose a criminal conviction on the application form will also be a disqualifying event.

The background check authorization form and results will be maintained in confidence by the Pastor in the office St. James Lutheran Church.

Two Adult Rule

It is our goal that a minimum of two unrelated adult workers will be in attendance at all times when children are being supervised during our programs and activities. Some youth classes may have only one adult teacher in attendance during the class session; in these instances, doors to the classroom should remain open and there should be no fewer than three students with the adult teacher.  We do not allow minors to be alone with one adult who is not related to the child on our premises or in any sponsored activity.

Responding to Allegations of Child Abuse

For purposes of this policy, “child abuse” is any action (or lack of action) which endangers or harms a child’s physical, psychological or emotional health and development. Child abuse occurs in different ways and includes the following:

• Physical abuse – any physical injury to a child which is not accidental, such as beating, shaking, burns, and biting.
• Emotional abuse – emotional injury when the child is not nurtured or provided with love and security, such as an environment of constant criticism, belittling and persistent teasing.
• Sexual abuse – any sexual activity between a child and an adult or between a child and another child at least four years older than the victim, including activities such as fondling, exhibitionism, intercourse, incest, and pornography.

• Neglect – depriving a child of their essential needs, such as adequate food, water, shelter, and medical care.

Childcare workers may have the opportunity to become aware of abuse or neglect of the children under our care.  In the event that an individual involved in the care of children at St. James Lutheran Church becomes aware of suspected abuse or neglect of a child under his/her care, this should be reported immediately to the Senior Pastor or Council President for further action including reporting to authorities as may be mandated by state law.

In the event that an incident of abuse or neglect is alleged to have occurred at St. James Lutheran Church or during our sponsored programs or activities, the following procedure shall be followed:

1.     The parent or guardian of the child will be notified.

2.     The worker alleged to be the perpetrator of the abuse or misconduct will immediately be placed on leave from working with children pending an investigation.

3.     Our insurance company will be notified, and we will complete an incident report.

4.     We will comply with the state’s requirements regarding mandatory reporting of abuse as the law then exists.

5.     We will cooperate with any investigation of the incident by state or local authorities.  In the event there is no investigation of the incident by state or local authorities, a team will be formed to investigate the circumstances of the incident.  The team should act only in consultation with our insurance company and/or attorney.

6.     Any person who is not found innocent of the alleged abuse or misconduct will be removed from their position with children or youth.

7.     St James Senior Pastor will be our spokesperson to the media concerning incidents of abuse or neglect, unless he or she is alleged to be involved.  All other workers should refrain from speaking to the media.

8.     A pastoral visit will be arranged for those who desire it.

Open Door Policy

Classroom doors should remain open unless there is a window in the door or a side window beside it.  Doors will never be locked while persons are inside the room.

Teenage Workers

We recognize that there may be times when it is necessary or desirable for babysitters (paid or volunteer) who are themselves under age 18 to assist in caring for children during programs or activities.  The following guidelines apply to such workers:

• Teenage workers must be at least age 14.
• Teenage workers will be trained in accordance with this policy.
• Teenage workers must be under the supervision of an adult and must never be left alone with children.

Check-in/Check-out Procedure

For children below age 3, all children will be signed in by a parent or guardian by signing an attendance sheet and check out with the attendant before leaving with their child. In the event a parent or guardian is having someone else pick up their child they must let the attendant know when the child is signed in.

Sick Child Policy

It is our desire to provide a healthy and safe environment for all of the children at St. James Lutheran Church. Parents are encouraged to be considerate of other children when deciding whether to place a child under our care.  In general, children with the following symptoms should NOT be dropped off:

• Fever, diarrhea, or vomiting within the last 24 hours
• Green or yellow runny nose
• Eye or skin infections
• Other symptoms of communicable or infectious disease

Children who are observed by our workers to be ill will be separated from other children and the parent or guardian will be contacted to request that the child be picked up for the day.

Medications Policy

It is the policy of St. James Lutheran Church not to administer either prescription or non-prescription medications to the children under our care.  Medications should be administered by a parent at home.  Parents are reminded of our sick child policy. Those attending activities away from the church for camps or other events will be covered under special permission agreements as determined by the activity.

Discipline Policy

It is the policy of St. James Lutheran Church not to administer corporal punishment, even if parents have suggested or given permission for it.  There should be no spanking, grabbing, hitting, or other physical discipline of children.

Restroom Guidelines

Children under the age of 5 should utilize a classroom bathroom, if one is available.  If a classroom bathroom is not available, workers should escort a group of children to the hallway bathroom.  They should always go in a group, never taking a child to the bathroom alone. The workers should check the bathroom first to make sure that it is empty, then allow the children inside.  The workers should then remain outside the bathroom door and escort the children back to the classroom.  If a child is taking longer than seems necessary, the worker should open the bathroom door and call the child’s name. If a child requires assistance, the workers should prop open the bathroom door and leave the stall door open as he/she assists the child.

For children over the age of five, at least one adult male should take boys to the restroom and at least one adult female should take girls.  The worker should check the bathroom first to make sure that the bathroom is empty, then allow the children inside.  The worker should then remain outside the bathroom door and escort the children back to the classroom.

For the protection of all, workers should never be alone with a child in a bathroom with the door closed and never be in a closed bathroom stall with a child. Parents are strongly encouraged to have their children visit the bathroom prior to each class.

Accidental Injuries to Children

In the event that a child or youth is injured while under our care, the following steps should be followed:

1.    For minor injuries, scrapes, and bruises, workers will provide First Aid (wash with soap and water, apply Band-Aids, etc.) as appropriate and will notify the child’s parent or guardian of the injury at the time the child is picked up from our care.

2.    For injuries requiring medical treatment beyond simple First Aid, the parent and/or guardian will immediately be summoned in addition to the worker’s supervisor.  If warranted by circumstances, an ambulance will be called.

3.    Once the child has received appropriate medical attention (treatment by a medical professional), an incident report will be completed by the adult witnessing or attending to the injury.  One copy of this report will be given to the child’s parents and another will be kept on file in the church office.

Parents Responsibilities

1.    Parents will provide the Sunday School Coordinator an emergency contact number for each child if they are not in the same Sunday School room.

2.    Parents will inform Sunday School teacher if they will be leaving the St James property during the Sunday School hour.

3.    Parents are responsible to pick their children up within a reasonable time after Sunday School so teachers and helpers may also pick up their own children.

A wedding is a service of worship celebrating a covenant of fidelity which is lifelong. It is a glad occasion overflowing with joy. Those who celebrate a wedding rejoice in gifts which God declared from the beginning to be “very good.”

Preparing for the wedding day…

The very first thing you should do when you are planning a wedding at St. James is contact the Pastor.   St. James does perform marriages for non-members on a limited basis at the discretion of the Pastor.    The pastor will assist you as you plan the day of your wedding.   At your initial meeting with the pastor, he will arrange future meetings to talk about your marriage, and to plan the wedding.

Applicable Fees for Non-Members:

Pastor* – $150.00  — Seperate Check made out directly to “Merle Brockhoff”

Organist – $150.00  — Seperate Check, mad out directly to “Evelyn Mesley”   As Director of Music, Evelyn has first perogative for all weddings at St. James

Facility Rental* -   $200.00 –

Reception Rental*—$25.00 or $50.00

Custodial Fees* – $50.00 per use  — Seperate Check made out to St. James Lutheran Church

*The fees for the pastor, custodial and the facility use are waived for the marriage service of a member of St. James. Through their stewardship offerings, St. James members already contribute to support the upkeep of the facility and the ministry offered by the pastor. If a member wishes to make a special contribution to the church or an honorarium to the pastor, they may do so.

Reception Facility

Reception Facilities are available.   A deposit of $50.00 is required for the rental of a reception area.

The cost for St. Timothy Room is $25.00, with an additional 50.00 for custodial services.

The cost for Rental of the Great Hall downstairs is  $50.00,  and $50.00 for custodial services to clean the Great Hall.

Please make arrangements through the church office for the hall rental when the wedding is scheduled.

You may also rent the Great Hall (dining room) for the Rehearsal Dinner., for an additional night fee. The use of the Great Hall for Rehearsal dinner is $50.00. The custodial fee is also $50 (These fees apply only to non-members.)

All fees are to be paid at or before the rehearsal.  Please make out separate checks.   The marriage license should also be given to the Pastor at the rehearsal or before that time.

Other factors affecting weddings at St. James…

The following are designed to help make the worship service as meaningful as possible for the invited guests, as well as the wedding party.  These apply both to members and non-members.  Any questions should be directed to the pastor as soon as possible. The church council is responsible for these guidelines.

General Information: Please, no silly string or balloons to be used, and all birdseed is to be thrown outdoors. The aisle of  the church is 40 feet for those who would like to use an aisle runner. The seating capacity for the church sanctuary is 250.

Pictures: Formal wedding pictures may be taken either before or after the marriage service, as the schedule of the participants and the church permits. As the marriage service is a worship service, only timed exposure photographs (no flash) may be taken during the service. The photographer should be as unobtrusive as possible. The photographer should speak with the pastor prior to the wedding itself.

Video Taping: Video taping of the worship is permitted. but like the wedding photographer, the videographer should be as unobtrusive as possible. The videographer should also consult with the pastor before the wedding.

Decorations: The sanctuary of St. James is designed to enhance the atmosphere of worship, and any personal decorations should work to enhance the worship service. Please do not move any equipment or furnishings either in the sanctuary or elsewhere without first consulting with the pastor. No tacks, nails or tapes that would leave permanent marks should be used.

Flowers: Like any other decorations. floral arrangements should follow the guidelines given above. Whether flowers are provided through a professional florist or someone else, please notify the church office so that an understanding may be reached regarding the time and policy on decorations.

Removal of Decorations: Please arrange for all equipment and furnishings to be returned to their original place and for all decorations and flowers to be removed as soon as possible after the wedding.

Alcohol: Except for wine used at Holy Communion, no alcoholic beverages are to be served on the church premises.

Holy Communion: The marriage service may be placed within the context of the Holy Communion. Please re-      member that Holy Communion is always for the entire baptized congregation which is assembled.  St. James has an “open table”, allowing all those who have received communion in their home congregations to receive it here as well.

Music: Music needs to be chosen carefully for any worship service and weddings are no exception. Worship calls for high quality music with texts reflecting praise of God and the steadfast love of Christ for the church as foundation and model of love and faithfulness in marriage. Evelyn Mesley, our Director of Music will work with you in selecting music to aid your worship celebration. Her home phone number is 816-833-2890 or you may contact her at the church. As parish organist, Evelyn has first prerogative in all weddings.

Rehearsal Time:

Rehearsal is usually held the evening before. Since weddings are filled with details. it is important that everyone involved in the wedding party be at the rehearsal and that everyone arrive on time. The rehearsal will take one-half hour.