To the community of Lutheran Church of the Living Christ,
With a mixture of joy and sadness, I write to share with you that I have accepted the call to serve as Campus Pastor at Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS. That means I will be resigning from my call as Pastor at Living Christ.
I have loved being your pastor and will treasure the time we spent serving together in this place. It is here that I have cut my teeth and have really become a pastor. I cannot thank you enough for the grace and love you have shared with me and my family. I have found much meaning in the discernment we have done together, listening for where God is calling us and taking courageous next steps.
Discerning this new call came as a bit of a surprise to me, too. I was not actively seeking a change, and yet the Holy Spirit has moved, as she is known to do. While I don’t feel called away from this community, I do indeed trust that the Spirit is calling me into this new, next chapter.
The transition ahead may be a bit rocky at times, but I trust that God has already given this congregation what it needs. As I have been called, I trust that the Spirit will continue to guide, accompany, and support this community of faith into the future. I encourage you to continue building relationships and partnerships within the congregation and throughout the broader community. Keep asking the hard questions. Know that you are loved and embody that love for the world.
My final worship service will be Sunday, November 27th, the first Sunday of Advent. As we will have just marked the end of one church year and are starting another, it feels appropriate that we come together one last time when both our endings and our beginnings are held in the tender care of our Creator.
In these liminal days, may this blessing hold you fast:
God bless you and keep you;
God shine on you with grace and mercy;
God look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Pastor Melissa Woeppel