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And What About Women’s Ministries?

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By Cindy Waple & Cheryl Weller

Transition continues at Elim. The Schlomers have departed, the McCoys have arrived, and the elders and staff are continuing the work of moving Elim into a new season. And what about Women’s Ministries, you may ask? Great question! We are excited to share the answer with you.

Kim Schlomer faithfully led Women’s Ministries for most of her tenure at Elim. However, over the past couple of years, Kim had been sensing it was time for changes to be made within this valuable ministry. Her heart’s desire was to see women growing as passionate disciples of Christ, to see women connecting with other women in meaningful and transforming ways, and to see women developed as leaders. God was giving Kim a vision for the future of women’s ministry. And like Moses, the vision involved her to a certain point, and then it was time for her to step down and for other leaders to continue this work.

Building on Kim’s vision, we desire to design and implement a ministry that invests in, equips, and empowers our women to minister to women within Elim as well as women in our communities. We deal with hard life issues and often feel alone or isolated. We long to be connected, to feel that we belong. We desire to be heard, to feel valued and supported, to have a place to turn when we need help. With our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, we envision our women continuing to grow as passionate disciples of Christ, bearing witness to His unfailing love for all, and living out the gospel as we companion with one another, loving and encouraging each other as we share life, with all its joys and sorrows. We have amazing and wonderful women in our Elim community, and we all have something to offer one another—regardless of one’s age or stage.

That is a big vision and big desire! But our God is able, and we are trusting Him to provide all that is needed for this to develop. Our first steps have been to begin praying and discerning not just good ideas, but God’s ideas, for how this ministry will take shape. We have

connected with a few women who served most recently on the Women’s Ministries team and/or expressed an interest to Kim to be involved. We are researching current trends within women’s ministry and are beginning to talk with women within Elim about their interest and desire to engage with this ministry.

So, what happens in the meantime? Will there be any events for women? Yes, there will be, but it will not be a full offering, partially because of the transition and rebuilding, but also because it is summer. Rebekah McKenzie hosts a time of connection for all women on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. at Cool Bean Espresso. A few other plans are being worked on. Watch the newsletter for all upcoming opportunities for women.

Are you interested in joining us? If so, please reach out to one or both of us. We would love to talk with you and hear your heart and desire for ministering to women. And we would ask all—women and men—to pray for this ministry and its leaders. We trust God to bring to fruition His plans and His vision for this important ministry, and we are excited to join Him in His great work.

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What Am I Pursuing?

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By Bill Naron

It’s that time of year again: time for graduation! From Sunday school to public school, from high school to college, it is the time for pivotal moments of transition. In his sermon on Sunday, Pastor Brian Sharpe spoke out of the book of Ecclesiastes. If you have not had the chance, you can check it out here.

                Ecclesiastes is a great book. It was written by King Solomon, who was not only the wealthiest king of his time, but also the wisest. Ecclesiastes was Solomon’s reflection on the whole of his life, somewhat of an evaluation and a warning. Solomon, in a broad and general sense, sets the stage for us in the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, where he states, “I have seen the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”

                Solomon sought after wisdom and pleasure but found all these pursuits to be meaningless. At this point, I began to think to myself, What made Solomon’s pursuits meaningless? Solomon sought these things instead of God; he hoped to find meaning and identity in these things.

Many of us today do the same thing. We search after knowledge, or we try to climb higher in position at work, thinking = these things we are pursuing will give us meaning, purpose, and identity. This is what is wrong with Solomon’s pursuits and what is wrong with our pursuits. Our purpose, meaning, and identity should be rooted in the person and work of Jesus, not in vain temporal pursuits.

                The book of Ecclesiastes is like advice from an old man with a lot of life experience. He tells us of the mistakes that he made and then, at the end of the book, tells us what we should do. In Ecclesiastes 12 Solomon writes, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Solomon brings it back to what matters the most; the things that we pursue are meaningless when we pursue them outside of relationship with God.

                I love this John Piper quote: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” When we are satisfied in God, when our identity is rooted in what our Father says of us, when we find our purpose in walking with the Lord, and when we find meaning in chasing after Jesus, it shapes the way we live life. The things that we pursue in life begin to have meaning, because we are not pursuing them in order that we would be made greater but in order that Jesus would be made known.

                In times of pivotal transition, it is important for us to take time to self-reflect, the way that Solomon does in the book of Ecclesiastes. It is important for us to analyze our purpose and what we are doing with it. We need to ask ourselves if we have fully surrendered and committed to living the life that Jesus calls us to. For the body of Elim Evangelical Free Church, I think that we should be asking ourselves how we are fulfilling our mission of being Jesus to our community. How are we helping create an oasis where people can renew relationship with Jesus and others?

I wish all of those who are graduating this year the best of luck in all their pursuits. I would encourage everyone, from the graduates to those of you in the congregation at Elim, to ask yourselves what you’re pursuing and why you are pursuing it. As I found myself asking upon reflection on the sermon from Sunday, am I looking for purpose, identity, and meaning in vain pursuits that are temporal, or is my relationship with Jesus what influences the things that I pursue?

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Processing the impending departure of the Schlomers

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By Larry Short

Martin and Kim Schlomer
Pastor Martin & Kim will celebrate 25 years of ministry at Elim on March 31.

As the whims of scheduling would have it, I am the lucky one who apparently drew the “short” straw to write the Last Word the week after Martin and Kim announced to the congregation their departure from Elim as of the end of this May, after 25 years of ministry.

I’m going to be very honest and vulnerable here. Martin (and his encouraging, shepherding heart) is a large part of the reason Darlene and I have “stuck with” Elim these 24 years. (We arrived about a year after he did, and were privileged to have lunch at his home and strike up a friendship the very first Sunday we attended.)

When Martin and Kim shared with the Elders last month what they were planning, while I (rationally speaking) was excited for how the Lord is working in their lives, on an emotional level, it was a punch to the gut. Let’s just say that someone had to fetch a box of tissues.

Over and over again, since then, I’ve repeated to myself what I know to be true: “This is God’s church. It’s not Martin’s church, nor does it belong to any of the rest of us. I know He has a plan for our good. We can trust Him.”

But of course, telling yourself what you (rationally speaking) know to be true, and feeling it deep within your heart, are not necessarily always the same thing.

Despite my emotional reaction to this news, I want to acknowledge some of the “positives” that I have observed since Darlene and I have been made aware of the Schlomers’ impending departure:

  • Martin and Kim are excited as they approach the possibilities of their new assignment. Martin is already throwing himself quite energetically into his training, working toward his certification as a hospital chaplain. More than anyone I know, he has always had a sense of what I call “holy unrest.” What he preaches from the pulpit, he really desires to live out in his life. Two years ago, when I was laid off from my job and began driving for Uber and Lyft, and shared with him my delightful discovery of how God was using me to love and serve total strangers in my car who didn’t yet know Christ, I could tell Martin was excited about what I was experiencing. He shared his frustrations that he often, as a pastor, was unable to find sufficient opportunities to share Christ with those who are not yet disciples, despite his strong desire to do so. So this is a chance for him to put some rubber on the road, so to speak. I think he will be an awesome chaplain and am excited to hear what God does.
  • This is clearly an opportunity for the Elders to pull together and do what we are called to do, to shepherd God’s church. More than once recently, we have heard it said among us: “We have been anointed for just such a time as this. In God’s economy, there are no accidents.” I’ve appreciated the way I’ve already seen the Elders dig in, pray, process their feelings and their questions, seek wise counsel, and carefully consider what the future may bring. This is not easy, but it is what God calls us to do. Our prayer is that we will be united in love, so that the devil might not have an opportunity to do what he would really like to do, bring this church down in disunity.
  • Our district superintendent, Bruce Martin, has wisely pointed out that such transitions are often the times that God really works to “reformat” a church into the image that He desires it to be. Complacency comes way too easily.  Are we reaching people for Christ? Changing lives? Making disciples? Impacting our community through compassionate service and testimony? This really is an opportunity to rethink how we “do church.”

As I am writing this, the announcement has not yet been made to the entire congregation. We fully anticipate that a wide range of emotions and concerns will be expressed. We want you all to know that as Elders we do not (yet) have all the answers! This news has hit us, just as it is now hitting you, but just a few weeks earlier is all. It will take time for all of us to process together what this means. But please understand the following firm commitments that we as Elders have already expressed to one another:

“Our Constitution calls us as leaders to observe and enforce a very cautious and rigorous process for selecting a new senior pastor. It lays out steps for that process and we are engaging in a sequence that will take months to complete even before we are ready to solicit and receive applications for the role of senior pastor. At present, therefore, no one is being considered or will be considered for the role. We are simply not there yet.”

In short, this is a time for prayer and patience. We must get this right.

Our “next steps” right now are to:

  • Prayerfully offer this entire situation to God. It is an opportunity for Him to continue to shape Elim as He desires, or even to change that shape if He so desires. Our job will be to pray and to listen, and as leaders to act once we hear from God. Therefore, our first official step will be to call a team of Elimites committed to prayer to meet face-to-face on a regular basis to bathe this entire situation in prayer. (Please contact me if you would like to be a part of the team that is forming. Our first meeting will be February 11.)
  • Celebrate well the amazing contribution that Martin and Kim have made here in their 25 years of ministry (as of March 31), and to bless them as they depart/
  • Ensure that Satan finds no opportunity  to divide us and bring us down. We will do this by prayerfully seeking timely truth-telling in love, and unity in the Holy Spirit; by guarding our hearts and guarding the integrity of the process. Elim is an extraordinarily healthy church, and we trust we will emerge from this challenge even more so.
  • Communicate well, transparently and honestly, with a congregation that will be both grieving and celebrating and experiencing a range of emotions just as we as Elders have done in the past month as we have learned about this impending transition. We don’t yet have “all the answers” and shouldn’t feel pressured to make others think we do. We will seek to discourage undue speculation about what will happen in the future, but we will prayerfully commit to proceeding toward that future as God leads us. We must come alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ and help you all express how you are feeling at this difficult time. We must listen, without rushing to judgment.

We are here, and we want to walk through this with you, in a healthy way. Please reach out to any Elder if you have questions or concerns that you would like to process … and we will listen. Thank you, and God bless us all as we trust in Him!

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What’s Next? Navigating Our Needs in Children’s and Worship Ministries

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By Pastor Martin Schlomer, Senior Pastor

It’s been about six weeks since Nate Champneys resigned as Associate Pastor of Worship and Children’s Ministries. Many have asked, “What’s next?” Transitions always raise questions, and I want to address some of these in this week’s Last Word.

“Will we hire another full-time pastor to lead Children’s and Worship Ministries?” At this point in our transition process, the answer is, probably not. Right now, we are evaluating our lay leadership resources and looking for ways to equip and empower them to lead these important ministry areas.

“Will Children’s Ministries continue to be a high priority at Elim?” YES! Elim has always placed a high priority on our ministry to children. This commitment has guided our decisions for the past 25 years and will continue to do so. In collaboration with our current children’s ministry leadership and volunteers, we are assessing our needs and identifying ways to improve our ministry effectiveness. We are also currently in the planning stages of determining how this core commitment will shape our facility expansion plan in the near future. As new and more young families continue to join Elim’s ranks, we will continue to make resourcing Children’s Ministries a high priority.

“Who is overseeing Children’s Ministries?” Cheryl Weller has graciously stepped into this role. Cheryl was our Children’s Ministries Director for 17 years, so she brings a wealth of experience. She is working closely with Julie Davis and the rest of the Awana leadership to oversee Awana, as well as with Geneva Mooney and the other Sunday-morning coordinators to oversee our Sunday-morning children’s program. She is also forming a team who will lead our summer children’s ministries. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please see Cheryl Weller or Brian Sharpe. They welcome the opportunity to talk further.

“What is our strategy for leadership for Worship Ministries?” In January, Nate developed four worship teams with four worship leaders, leading one himself and being joined by Brian Waple, Tomina Sharpe, and Roger Petersohn. With his resignation, we have consolidated the four teams to three very strong teams, led by Brian, Tomina, and Roger. Brian Sharpe is working closely with our sound and video teams. Together, Brian and I are moving forward with training and developing our leaders.

“Are we considering hiring a part-time Children’s Ministries Director and a part-time Worship Ministries Director?” Yes. We are praying and waiting to see whom God brings to the surface. Our prayerful goal is to have a part-time director in place over Children’s Ministries by September. Regarding a part-time director of worship, we will need to wait and see how things develop.

Please keep praying for your church during this process. We want to have the right people in place when the time is right. This will take wisdom and patience. It will also require transparency and congregational support. As a leadership team (staff and elders), we are committed to this process being transparent. We want to hear your questions and answer them as best we can. We need your prayer support. Elim is the bride of Jesus, and we want to love her and lead her well.

Moreover, as a congregation, we need everyone to remain faithful financially. Some of what we are able to accomplish will be dependent on that faithfulness.
Finally, I want to say THANK YOU to all our leaders and volunteers! Everyone has pulled together during this transition, and they’re serving others and our Lord well! When you see someone serving, tell them “Thank you!” We are all energized when others notice.

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Rearview Mirror

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By Brian Sharpe

Transition is always tough. Most times we aren’t able to see what God is doing or how He is using a transition in our life, until that transition is in the rearview mirror.

When I was in high school, my parents decided to move from a place where all my siblings grew up and went to school together — to a place where I knew no one — leaving a place where most of my extended family lived — to go to a place where I had no family.

I moved from Buffalo, New York, to Grand Rapids, Michigan, between my freshman and sophomore years of high school. It was a tough transition. It was a transition I didn’t want. But as I look back in the rearview mirror of life, it was a transition that God used in my life.

I believe God used that transition to humble me. He also used that transition to protect me from myself. I was going down a path that would have led me to unhealthy places. God also gave me a lot of gifts along the way. He used this move to introduce me to sailing. He used this transition to lead me to Bible school, to meeting my wife, and ultimately to moving into pastoral ministry, working with students.

God used this transition to give me a story to tell and a way to relate to a lot of people whom I have encountered. Transitions are never easy, but when we surrender to God and seek Him in life, He uses it for His glory and our benefit.

After last Sunday, we as a church as well as Nate and Becky as a family found ourselves headed into transition. Do we know what God has in store for us in the future? No. But we do know that we have a God who is with us and who loves us. We have a God who is at work.

I am excited that we will someday be able to look in the rear-view mirror to see how God has been working throughout this transition. I liken this situation to a movie in which you didn’t know the ending, and you just look at the screen as it ends and say, “No way! Did that just happen?” It ended in a perfect, yet unexpected way.

That’s how I view transition. I view it as a way to see God’s handiwork in our lives.

Please pray for Elim. Pray for Nate and Becky. Pray for the staff and the elders. Pray that we will listen for the will of God, that we will lead with wisdom and godly insight. Pray that we keep the main things the main things.

Transition usually leads to us getting a bigger glimpse into God’s handiwork — which ultimately helps us develop into passionate followers of Jesus Christ!

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