Author: bjoa

Annual Report of the Congregation 2013
Redeemer Lutheran Church
McLean, Virginia

Our Mission:
“To share Christ’s love with the greatest number of people.”

AGENDA FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF CONGREGATION
REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH
FEBRUARY 2, 2014
Call to Order: Welcome, Devotions, and Opening Prayer
Approval of minutes of last meeting: February 3, 2013 (Doug Scheffler, Secretary)
Reports:
Annual report of the Congregation
Pastor’s report (Pastor Sandy Kessinger)
President of the Congregation Council report (Russel Jones)
Financial reports
Treasurer’s Report (Dean Graves)
Stewardship Report (Kirk Betts, Chair)
Review of Ministry reports, questions and discussion, recognition of leaders
Proposed action items
Recommendations from the Nominating Committee (Dean Graves)
Any nominations from the floor
Presentation of proposed Constitution/bylaws revision (Kirk Betts)
Presentation of 2014 Budget (Cindy Waldron, Chair of Finance Ministry)
Plan for second pastor/debt reduction
Introduction (Russel Jones)
Rationale, Benefits (Eric Sivertsen)
Fund raising campaign (Ron Kutscher)
Table talk
Discussion of proposed actions
Reports back from each table
General discussion
Actions on proposals
Election of members of Council and Endowment Committee
Election of voting members to the 2014 Synod Assembly
Adoption of revised Constitution/bylaws
Adoption of 2014 Budget
Approval of plan for second pastor/debt reduction
Other Business
Adjourn with Prayer

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer McLean, VA Minutes from the Congregation’s Annual Meeting of February 3, 2013
Opening
President Kirk Betts called the meeting to order at 12:15 p.m. after determining the presence of a quorum, and delivered the opening prayer.
Minutes
The draft minutes from the 2012 Annual Meeting were included with the Annual Report. Mr. Betts asked if there were any edits or corrections, but none were offered. The minutes were accepted by a unanimous vote.
Treasurer’s Report
The Treasurer’s Report was included in the Annual Report. Dean Graves, Treasurer, also delivered an oral summary of the report. Key items from the report are:
Operating Fund 2012 summary data were receipts of $991,099 and expenses of $985,186. This resulted in an excess of receipts over expenses of $5,186.
The Operating Fund’s working capital surplus at the end of 2012 was $84,779.
The total debt balances as of December 31, 2012 were $1,943,859 composed of $543,331 for the first mortgage at Chain Bridge Bank; $1,200,528 for the second mortgage at Chain Bridge Bank; and internal financing of $200,000.
The report was accepted by a unanimous vote.
Stewardship Report
Mr. Betts delivered a report on the stewardship program. He noted an increase in building use fees from outside groups and thanked Ham Loving, Director of Church Operations, for his work in this area. As of the meeting, 82 giving units made commitments for 2013, accounting for 42% of the proposed budget.
Annual Report
Mr. Betts opened the floor for questions or comments on the Annual Report, but none were offered.
Report of the Nominating Committee and Election of Officers
The Nominating Committee consisted of Janet Pfister, as Chair, and members George Hall and Michael Philpy. The Committee presented the following slate for the Church Council: Kirk Betts for a second term; Paul Hammelton, Russel Jones, Ed Leong, and Carol Martz for first terms; and Dan Englund as Youth Representative.
Mr. Betts asked if there were any nominations from the floor, but none were offered. The Nominating Committee’s slate was elected by acclamation.
For Endowment Committee, the Nominating Committee reported a slate consisting of Jamie Kanski, Matthew Kratz , and Janet Rehnquist. They were elected by acclamation.
The following outgoing Council members were recognized for their service: George Hall, Karin Kutscher, Luther Markwart, Michael Philpy, and Hayley Wenk.

Pastor’s Report
Pastor Sandy Kessinger’s 2012 report was included in the Annual Report. Pastor opened her report by leading a table topics discussion on these three issues: what insights do members have, what are we doing well, and what do we need to do better? Positive items that were mentioned included:
Music and education
Youth ministry
We are a welcoming and friendly congregation
Church Council
Areas of concern or opportunities for improvement included:
We have many activities, but need to focus our messages
Need more people engaged in leadership and activities
Need increased commitments for stewardship
Add a second pastor
Improve how we involve new members in the congregation
Pastor Kessinger also reported on her plans for seasonal Bible studies; continue her visitation ministries; continue to work on youth ministry, including two mission trips in the summer; and follow-up with the strategic plan.
2013 Budget
The proposed budget for 2013 was presented in the Annual Report. The proposed budget had a bottom line of $1,114,762 and the major line items are $577,996 for Parish Staff; $207,820 for Building & Grounds; and $174,096 for Loan Payments. Mr. Graves reviewed the budget and noted the major changes were:
Increases in pastoral staff support and benevolence
A decrease in loan payments
The music staff is now included entirely in the staff line, facilitating easier identification of total staff expenses
Discussion of the proposed budget was focused on the need for, and methods to, prepare the congregation’s financial status to support an increase in the pastoral staff while addressing the building debt. The following resolution was passed unanimously: The Church Council is directed to quickly explore and identify the resources needed to prepare for the calling of a second pastor. This is to include, but is not limited to, the retirement of the debt.
The budget, as presented, was approved by unanimous vote.
New Business
No additional items were offered from the floor. The next Council meeting will be February 11th.
Closing
The meeting was adjourned at 1:55 with the Lord’s Prayer.

2013 ANNUAL REPORT
PASTOR SANDY KESSINGER
February 2, 2014
At our last annual Congregational meeting I asked two questions:
What do we do well in our ministry together?
Where could we do better?
It was not difficult for people to come up with those things that we do well:
Our music ministry at Redeemer was described as outstanding.
Our educational ministry was lifted up as one of our strengths.
The Youth Ministry program just keeps getting better and better. Each year we expand the opportunities for our young people to build relationships with each other within the context of their faith journey.
We see ourselves as a welcoming and friendly congregation which is clearly demonstrated by the way that our ushers, especially Janet Pfister, greets all of us on a Sunday morning.
Our council works actively on behalf of the congregation throughout the year and people appreciate being fully informed on what takes place at our monthly meetings.
We have much to be grateful for as we come to the table again this year
The areas of concern that were mentioned a year ago remain the same for us today:
We are known for the number of activities we are actively engaged in throughout the year (all of them being worthy of our attention) but we find it difficult to set priorities.
We need to seek more people to be engaged in leadership roles as we ultimately want our members to become better stewards of their resources and talents.
We need better ways to communicate with visitors and new members as they get acclimated into the life of our congregation.
The area that caused the most conversation at our last meeting concerned the consideration of calling an associate pastor. A direct charge was given to the council to develop some kind of action plan that the congregation could review that addressed feasibility and need. Since our last meeting some concrete steps have already taken place that has offered me pastoral support. Marlon Yearwood, our Youth Mentor, became full-time and once a month either Pastor Paul Opsahl or David Stawick has preached so that I can attend the Sunday school classes.
So we continue to reflect on our ministry and move forward in healthy ways. As I enter my third year of ministry with you I feel more grounded in the rhythm of Redeemer (if there is such a thing) but I do not want to take anything or anyone for granted.
I have been most impressed with the growth we have seen in our financial giving over this past year. We have not only been giving more faithfully throughout the year (and not just at the end of December) but we are also consistently paying down our building debt in a significant way. But this positive financial picture must become our norm if we are to proceed with the call of an associate pastor. We need everyone to remain in prayer and to be fully committed and engaged in our worship life and activities so that when it comes time for decisions to be made we will know (in a very concrete way) that we are following the will of God.
To help in that discernment the Mutual Ministry Committee worked with me to develop a list of my pastoral responsibilities. I offer them to you in this report (in a condensed form) so that together we can answer the three questions I posed in the last newsletter article:
What would the role of an associate pastor be at Redeemer?
In what ways will you be able to support the call of an associate pastor?
Does your time of prayer offer any alternative options for us to consider?

Spiritual Leadership – The preparation of sermons remains one of the most important things that I do each week. It requires adequate study time to develop themes that coincide with the season of the church year and that will have some impact on how we live our daily lives. As I am called to feed you the Word of God there are different ways that I am also fed.
Outside of my personal devotional life, I attend classes at Gettysburg Seminary (three days out of the year) to study the assigned Scripture readings with colleagues and to share our insights on familiar texts.
My visits and conversations that I have with all of you are the best means by which I know how the Word will connect with our lives. I enjoy home visits, sharing meals, and general conversations with you.
For the first time in my ministry at Redeemer the local pastors in the area have made a commitment to meet at least six times annually to support one another in our calls and to see where we might work cooperatively to bear witness to Christ in this world. One example of this kind of collaboration is a newly formed group – The Tysons Interfaith Group – that is exploring ways that we can be a spiritual presence in the expanding Tysons area.
Also for the first time since I have been called to Redeemer we will offer a spiritual retreat on February 21-22 at the Hallowood Retreat and Conference Center in Comus, Maryland. Paula Green, the chairperson of the Spiritual Nurture Ministry Team, and I will work with others to create a space and time for enrichment and renewal.
Our Bible Studies this past year have included our Lenten series and a study on the Reformation. In the fall the Forum led studies based on the Book of Faith series and Kirk Betts led a class at 11:00 am on Generosity. We will continue to explore ways to engage the greatest number of people in these studies to deepen our faith and to help us become disciples for Christ.
Worship and Music – Alongside the preparation of sermons is the preparation that is needed to offer a faithful and vibrant worship experience for our members and visitors. Ann Lawrence does an excellent job of developing all of our bulletins. Our different choirs, our Chancel Care Team, our Banner Team, our worship leaders, and our ushers coordinate their efforts so that what you see when you come to our house of worship every Sunday is of the highest quality and reflects the deepest respect we offer to our Lord. Our worship leaders now include all those who are confirmed (including high school students). Our acolytes and crucifers are presently in Confirmation (Grades 7-8) and they demonstrate an eagerness to serve. Everyone does an excellent job each week fulfilling their responsibilities. Liz Scheffler, along with the other committee members, has a strong commitment to ensure our overall worship experiences are meaningful and well done.
Christian Education – One of the most successful changes this year has been the invitation for Pastor Paul Opsahl and David Stawick to preach on the Sundays that I attend Sunday school. This has been a blessing to me in many different ways. It gives me an opportunity to meet our younger members and to engage them in conversation. It also gives the congregation another voice from the pulpit. I am grateful for both of them offering to help us in this unique way.
I absolutely love attending the Sunday school classes. We engage in the study of the Word in creative and fun ways. On a regular basis Marlon Yearwood offers an opening for all of the classes which gives him an opportunity to meet the youth as he shares the Word of God with them. Ellen Kennedy is the new chairperson for the committee and we will review in the coming months our curriculum and our overall approach to the classes. The commitment of our teachers is invaluable and I want to work with them more closely in the coming year to offer them the support they need.
Congregational Life – A pastor once told me that in order to work well together you have to know how to play together. The social activities in the church afford me the kind of time to be with people in a less formal setting. As you saw in the last newsletter we are resurrecting the Tables of 8 with slight modifications from the way that is was done in previous years – including my appearance whenever my schedule permits.

Membership Outreach – Visitation remains a priority for me. I make home visits about six times out of the year which does not include the different ways that I remain in contact with our members. Sharing a meal or just getting together for a conversation is very beneficial to me.
Outside of our members we have a significant number of people who come to Redeemer as visitors. I would like our members to take a more active role in helping me identify these people and to participate in welcoming them to our church. We have just started that process under the guidance of Mark Cronin. Mark has gathered groups of people together who are being trained to be attentive to new people attending services. Our ushers greet everyone on a Sunday morning very warming and graciously but it is not always easy to identify visitors. Whether people are visitors (or not) it would be wonderful if we intentionally talked with people we may not know – especially as we gather in the Crossroads for refreshments.
Youth Ministry – I hope everyone has noticed that I love our young people and I love working with them. They are intelligent and gifted and fun and creative! They are developing into wonderful leaders as they take on more responsibilities within the church. Marlon Yearwood is their mentor (and not youth director) but he will never have the sole responsibility for our youth because I want to be part of their faith development as well. Our mission trips this past summer were awesome and we are already making plans for another trip to Harrisburg this summer. We are also preparing for the 2015 ELCA National Youth Gathering that will be held in Detroit, Michigan. Under the faithful leadership of Joan Bradley and the committee members we have seen greater participation in our youth and with our families.
Social Outreach – It has been a privilege to work closely with Joan and Gene Durman and the rest of the committee. Their passion for this ministry demonstrates the kind of dedication and commitment that makes Redeemer unique. Now that I am more established in the area, I have become more familiar with the ministries that we support at our church. I am also more familiar with the ministries of the ELCA that our synod supports. I hope that we will continue to use our time and financial resources to support them faithfully.
Mutual Ministry – Megan Kratz, Al and Linda Rogers, Eric Siversten, and Doug Ubben are members of the Mutual Ministry Committee. They are my sounding board for any issues that present themselves in my ministry at Redeemer. They are also the listening ears for all of you if you have any concerns about our journey together. I lean on them extensively for their wisdom and insights and they have been invaluable to me in this call.
Congregation Council – Under the competent leadership of Russ Jones the council has taken some important steps to see that the fullness of our ministries is realized. Russ has offered us his gifts to organize and follow through with those minute details that often get lost. I can say with full confidence that nothing is missed or overlooked. I am grateful that we have a council that does its work with such diligence.
Administration – It is my responsibility to supervise our staff. They are incredible! They give tirelessly of their time and they are always there to help when something new develops. Almost every week we come together to pray for those who have asked for our prayers. We also review the schedule for the coming weeks as we work to improve our communication with each other and with you.
Things to note: Our new website was developed by Carol and she did an outstanding job. Lionel is our main staff person on Sunday mornings and he diligently attempts to satisfy our every need. Tammie and Roberta continue to serve our children’s outreach programs with grace and wisdom. Ham has opened up our church for its maximum use to the community. Bonnie tends to our finances in a very caring way. And Marlon has been a welcome addition to our staff as he finds unique ways to connect with our young people. And our music leaders are incredible!
Please take the time to show your appreciation for each one who serves:
Carol D’Amico Administrative Coordinator
Lionel Jackson Sexton
Tammie Koenig Director of Preschool Program
Ham Loving Director of Church Operations
Roberta Pittman Director of Afterschool Program
Bonnie Steuart Finance Coordinator
Marlon Yearwood Youth Mentor
Matt Osifchin Adult Choir Director
Waka Osifchin Bell Choir Director
Joy Mentzel Organist

We offer thanks for the leadership of our church …
Those who serve on our council and committee ministry teams
Those who direct and teach our Preschool and Afterschool programs
Those who oversee the care of our building and grounds
Those who oversee the care of our financial resources
Those who make prayer shawls and quilts
To all who volunteer to serve in any capacity
I give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in my daily prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
And one more personal thanks … this year started out with the death of my father but later in the year it included my son’s wedding. The ebb and flow of time gives us both the joys and sorrows of life. Redeemer has been nothing but pure joy for me and a welcome support. I hope we continue on this path in the years to come.
Yours in Christ – Pastor Sandy Kessinger

2013 STATISTICS
One of the most significant projects that we undertook this year was the review of our database that houses our membership data. Mickey Skelton has done an outstanding job of meticulously reviewing each name within each household so that we could become as accurate as possible in our representation of membership. With the help of Kim Wenk we have been in contact with all of you (as far as we know) and have made the necessary corrections.
These are the figures after the adjustments were made final:
End of 2012 Total baptized membership 1,159
Confirmed members 782
Average Sunday worship 273
End of 2013 Total baptized membership 1,080
Confirmed members 820
Average Sunday worship 283
Our Newly Baptized
Henry Austin Lettow December 16, 2012 (note – from last year)
Virginia McKay Goodwin January 27, 2013
Alice Ahlgren March 31, 2013
Emma and Natalie Horn April 7, 2013
Evan Humes April 21, 2013
Allison Syverson April 21, 2013
Porter Kight April 28, 2013
Lily Margaret Carroll May 12, 2013
Edward Robert Schumacher Berendt May 26, 2013
Kai Matthew Osifchin June 9, 2013
Brandt Bradley McCurdy July 14, 2013
Mila Jane Martin September 1, 2013
Milo Thomas Koehli September 8, 2013
Ave Grace Nastelli November 24, 2013
Willa James LeSage Thom December 1, 2013

Our New Members
Karen Arledge
Joan Coffman
Sara Egeland
Erica Augustenborg Epstein
Melissa and Doug Gorsline (Katie and Maddie)
Jonathan and Elizabeth Grau (Audrey, Eva, and Johnny)
Jeanne Imhof
Chris Lighty
Linda Pipper
Bob Robertson
Amanda Rodriguez (Julianna and Josephine)
Bob and Jean Speegle
Steve and Sharon Wesbrook
Weddings
Tracey Schulman and Evan Goodwin February 16, 2013
Elizabeth Maglio and Charles Spiro September 28, 2013
Erica Augustenborg and Scott Epstein October 12, 2013
The Faithful Departed
June and Mel Byerly
Edgar Donald Coleman
John Heath
Lisa Kuschke
Virginia Nelson
Milton John Schultz, III
Total Received – 40 Total Removed – 158
Baptism (children) – 14 Death – 5
Baptism (adult) – 1 Transfer – 17
Affirmation of Faith – 4 Statistical Adjustment – 136
Transfer – 19
Statistical Adjustment – 2

Report of the President of the Congregation Council
Having previously served as president of the Congregation Council several years ago, and having spent several years in the Middle East since then, I am pleased to be back in a leadership role at Redeemer. The Congregation has changed in many ways over the past few years – generally for the better. Our new Pastor is a marvel of dedication, energy, insight and leadership. Our ministries and programs are well led and are functioning well, in effective pursuit of our mission: “To share Christ’s love with the greatest number of people”. Our expanded physical plant is beautiful and very functional. Our membership has grown in both size and in diversity – with many younger families adding to the liveliness of our congregation. And our dedicated staff and volunteers keep the trains running on time. Financial stability remains a concern, as it has been for many years, but in 2013 as in each of the recent years we just make it – with contributions to the operating fund just covering expenses.
Members of the Congregation Council for the past year have been:
Bjarnie Anderson, Vice President
Kirk Betts
Dan Englund
Gretchen Gniffke
Dean Graves, Treasurer
Paul Hammelton
Russel Jones, President
Pastor Sandy Kessinger
Ed Leong
Carol Martz
Doug Scheffler, Secretary
Bill Swarm
Shawna Tunnell
Carolyn Ubben
These dedicated and effective elected leaders deserve our thanks and appreciation. Several of the members will rotate off at this time: Bill Swarm, Dan Englund, Dean Graves, Ed Leong, and Paul Hammelton. And our long-time Secretary, Doug Scheffler, is retiring from that post after many years of effective service.
The duties of the Congregation Council are many, as described in our Constitution and Bylaws. They include:
To lead this congregation in stating its mission, to do long-range planning, to set goals and priorities, and to evaluate its activities in light of its mission and goals.
To oversee and provide for the administration of this congregation to enable it to fulfill its functions and perform its mission.
To maintain supportive relationships with the pastor and staff and help them annually to evaluate the fulfillment of their calling or employment.
To emphasize partnership with the synod and churchwide organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
To be the board of directors of this congregation, and as such shall be responsible for maintaining and protecting its property and the management of its business and fiscal affairs.
To prepare an annual budget for adoption by this congregation, and to supervise the expenditure of funds in accordance therewith following its adoption
To ascertain that the financial affairs of this congregation are being conducted efficiently
To be responsible for this congregation’s investments and its total insurance program.
To see that the provisions of the constitution, its bylaws, and the continuing resolutions are carried out.
To provide for an annual review of the membership roster.
To be responsible for the employment and supervision of the salaried lay workers of this congregation
To submit a report to the congregation at the annual meeting.
To normally meet once a month
As will be apparent from the following summary of the activities of the Council in 2013, the Council membership listed above has met all of these responsibilities well.

In organizing for the year, after the early 2013 Annual Meeting of the Congregation, the Council took the following steps:
Election of officers
Committee chair appointments, charges
Schedule monthly Council meeting
Advance agendas, with attachments
Scheduled reports from members on liaison assignments
Report in Tidings each month
Conduct monthly Executive Committee meetings
Follow-up on previous Council meeting
Preparation for next Council meeting
With this structure in place, the Council set about its work:
Review and updating of policies and procedures:
Constitution and Bylaws (conform to ELCA model)
Facility use (now “ministry” vs. “non-ministry”)
Financial policies and procedures (being done by F&A)
Child protection policy (updating previous version)
Memorial garden guidelines (updated version adopted)
Stimulated updates
Member records
Web site upgrade
Security of the premises
Adopted and began implementation of the Strategic Plan
Appointed a Financial Review Committee, and implemented its recommendations
Appointed a Nominating Committee
Reviewed activities of each ministry team and committee
Developed a proposal that addresses the call of an associate pastor, in coordination with a debt reduction campaign
Conducted a 360-degree evaluation of the performance of Pastor Kessinger, the Council, and the Congregation
Participated in meetings of the Tysons Interfaith Partnership
High priority has been put on implementation of the 2012-2017 Strategic Plan of the congregation, developed by a representative committee of Redeemer members over several months in consultation with leaders of each dimension of our missions and programs. A Congregational Retreat was held at the end of May, open to all members of the congregation but with most participants being Council members, and ministry and committee chairs. The agenda included introduction to the Strategic Plan, perspectives from Pastor Sandy, reports from ministry teams and committees, discussion, and observations by Pastor Philip Hirsch of the ELCA Metropolitan Washington DC Synod. Guidance from the discussions included steps to growing our congregation, calling an associate Pastor who compliments Pastor Sandy, the need to broaden the base of our leadership, and the need to focus on doing a limited number of things well.
Another high priority has been to respond to an instruction given to the Council at the last annual meeting of the congregation, in February 2013:
“Discussion of the proposed budget was focused on the need for, and methods to, prepare the congregation’s financial status to support an increase in the pastoral staff while addressing the building debt. The following resolution was passed unanimously: The Church Council is directed to quickly explore and identify the resources needed to prepare for the calling of a second pastor. This is to include, but is not limited to, the retirement of the debt.”
The formal response to this instruction is found elsewhere in this annual report to the congregation, as an agenda item for action at the February 2014 annual meeting of the congregation.
It has been a busy and exciting year for the Congregation Council, its members and its officers. We thank the many volunteers who keep the activities of Redeemer moving forward in an effective way, the dedicated staff, and the many members who make Redeemer Lutheran Church an exciting and relevant force bringing Christ’s message to our Northern Virginia community. Reports from our many ministries, committees and programs follow in this annual report.
Russel Jones, Congregation Council President

Finance Annual Report 2013
Cindy Waldron chaired the Finance committee in 2013. Dean Graves served as Treasurer and Steve Kutscher as Assistant Treasurer. The Finance group would also like to thank Bonnie Steuart for her service as Redeemer’s financial accountant. The Finance group would also like to thank the Financial Review Committee consisting of Steve Englund, Jerry Hahne and Melissa Skelton for their work on completing an independent financial review that looked at governance, internal controls and reasonableness of the financial numbers reported on the church’s financial statements.
2013 Summary
F&A actively monitor Redeemer’s expenses and receipts throughout the year. We worked with the Church Council in communicating Redeemer’s finances to the church. The deficit had grown throughout the year, and we again entered December with a deficit. However, as a result of Redeemer’s generous members, we ended the year with a surplus of $22,724. Thank you!
F&A members and staff who participated in activities this year include:
Charlie Brown Ham Loving
Dean Graves (Treasurer) Larry Pittman
Bob Hahne Doug Ubben
Jamie Kanski Cindy Waldron (Chair)
Pastor Sandy Kessinger Rob Wenk
Steve Kutscher (Assistant Treasurer)
F&A worked on the following activities in 2013:
Monitored financial activities throughout the year
Submitted and presented monthly financial reports to Church Council
Presented and participated in the Congregational Retreat
Worked with the Financial Review Committee on a financial review and incorporated their feedback.
Constructed and approved the 2014 budget
Helped with reconciliations and updating financials
2014 Budget
The budget was created by using historical knowledge, input from committee members, and feedback from the congregation. The preliminary budget was reviewed and approved by F&A. Cindy Waldron presented the proposed budget to the Church Council on December 9, 2013. The Church Council approved the budget with no changes. A final approval by the congregation is needed to complete the budget process.
Respectfully submitted,
Cindy Waldron

Stewardship
Generous giving is a loving action or response out of love. If we accept the Psalmist’s statement that everything we have comes from God, are we not most like God when we give out of love to others? Studies confirm—as does our life experiences—that generous givers tend to be happier, more content, and experience more joy—perhaps best reflecting the face of our God who gives us everything. The questions so often asked by Stewardship Teams are how do we get others to believe and accept this, and then live it? The devotional study entitled “Generosity” during December (a great time for thinking seriously about generous giving!) explored the transforming nature of being more God-like in our generosity, more scripturally oriented by confronting and disavowing the power of materialism over us, trusting that God will provide for us when we are generous, and then living a life that graces others with our generosity. It is a worthwhile devotional study—perhaps even life amending.
Generous giving is what we refer to when we say the communion prayer, “We offer with joy and thanksgiving what God has first given us ourselves, our time, and our possessions, signs of his gracious love.” In being good stewards of God’s abundance, offerings of time and possessions reflect our own thanksgiving for God. Are your offerings a reflection of God’s grace and generosity? Are they reflections of your love for others? Are they an obligation, duty, budget item, or just an afterthought? We often say, “Giving is personal” or “What I give is between me and God.” Do we say this because we are not sharing with joy and love and true gratitude what God has given us? I recognize that feeling too often. Do you?
Giving and good stewardship are exercises in self-discipline, faith, and most important, love. Christ said in his final days, “They will know us by how we treat each other.” He was talking about love far beyond his intimate circle of disciples and an unshakeable trust in the kingdom of God. Will people know you, this congregation, or Redeemer Lutheran Church by how we treat each other, especially those outside of our congregational circle? Will your light so shine that others will know you as a loving, generous, trusting, transformed follower of Jesus?
At the final session of the Generosity devotional study, one of the participants commented how difficult it must be to sustain a spirit of generosity when people are at different points of their faith journey. It was insightful. It is one reason why the letters that accompany our giving statements share scripture and the amounts that are needed to meet our annual ministry budget. Our giving statements, regrettably, only show financial gifts, not all the other ways we generously share ourselves. If they showed all your acts of faithful generosity, would your quarterly statement be longer? We are grateful for the increasing numbers of people who contribute to the general fund and who contribute to reduce our large building debt. More love and more generous giving is needed to fulfill the mission God has given us to spread Christ’s love!
Stewardship isn’t primarily about asking our members to give money to meet budget; it’s an easy trap to fall into. God didn’t budget his love or generosity. We shouldn’t either! Encouraging everyone to be generously share what is given to us—“our time, ourselves, and our possession”---is the essential mission of the Stewardship Team. That is why everyone in the congregation must be a member of the Stewardship Team. Thank you! You are an essential part of God’s plan, so the next paragraph about stewardship is yours to write.
Kirk Betts, Stewardship Chair

The Spiritual Nurture Ministry Team
The Spiritual Nurture Ministry Team is a relatively new committee at Redeemer that was instituted by Council last year. As the name implies, it was developed in order to offer opportunities for us to deepen our spiritual life as we demonstrate the love of Christ to others. Specifically, Redeemer’s Bylaws state that the Spiritual Nurture Ministry Team shall have special responsibility for programs that promote a life of faith and compassion among all members, including opportunities for deepening prayer life, calling on the homebound, ill, or grieving, offering spiritual retreats and seminars, developing and using devotional materials, and shall make appropriate recommendations to the Council.
One of our primary activities has been to coordinate several funeral receptions. Losing a loved one is never easy, and this dedicated group provides invaluable assistance to grieving family members by helping with reception arrangements. As a general rule, we arrange for food pick-up, set-up, clean-up, and dessert making. Not having to be concerned with these activities allows the families to fully celebrate the life of their loved one with family members and friends. It is an important service that is very much appreciated. Volunteers are encouraged to participate in whatever activities their schedules allow.
Another activity was to help with the luncheons offered on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, as well as one in the summer. The luncheons were very well attended and provided wonderful opportunities for fellowship and learning.
Heather Hunter continues to lead a group in prayer on the first Sunday of the month at 10:45 in the Prayer and Care Room.
Throughout the past year, volunteers have sent notes, made visits, and delivered Christmas cookies to older members or those with mobility issues as a means of staying connected.
We did have two events which were not well attended: a book discussion of The Shack and an empty nester gathering.
Looking ahead, we will assist with Redeemer’s spiritual retreat on February 21-22, the Ash Wednesday and Good Friday luncheons, as well as with college care packages delivered during spring final exams. Stay tuned for further details.
If you have any questions or would like to participate as a volunteer, please contact Paula Green at pegreen@verizon.net or 703-501-9666.

Building & Grounds Committee
Annual Report 2013
The Building & Grounds group has been involved with a variety of projects throughout the year. Here is a partial list of the more significant items completed:
- Developed a new landscape design for the Memorial Garden under the direction of Tim Devlin and completed the initial phase with new plantings.
- Established a use policy for the Memorial Garden which was then approved by the Council.
- Installed a perimeter access control system to improve security for all building users, church members and staff.
- Installed a video camera system to improve security for the Pre-School and After-School programs and to monitor the outdoor play areas and parking lot.
- Established a 10 year capital repair and improvement plan for the church’s building and grounds.
- Developed and implemented a revised building use policy for internal and external users.
- Remodeled and upgraded the restrooms in the admin wing.
- Painted and improved the restrooms in the education wing.
- Painted the kitchen and fellowship hall.
- Put into place an annual roof inspection and repair process with a local contractor.
A special thanks to Gretchen Stark and Pete Poulos who have volunteered many, many hours over the year to care for the grounds and Memorial Garden. We are always looking for help with the grounds and with minor repairs. If you could help in any way, please send us an e-mail at RedeemerBuildingandGrounds@verizon.net. Just let us know of your area of interest. Thank you.
Ham Loving, Director of Church Operations
Rob Wenk, Building & Grounds Chair

2013 Annual Report for the Redeemer Renaissance After-School Program
From January through June of 2013, enrollment in the Redeemer Renaissance After-School Program stabilized at 67 children. Children came to Redeemer from Churchill Elementary, Kent Gardens Elementary, Franklin Sherman Elementary and Haycock Elementary. On September 3rd, 2013, the Redeemer Renaissance After-School Program began receiving students for the sixth year. The school year began with 82 children attending full-time and 3 children attending part-time. The numbers have remained the same through December, 2013. There are already 80 children enrolled for the 2014-2015 school year. The director and the After-School Governing Board are working to resolve issues with the Fairfax County Public Schools Department of Transportation so that all of these children will be able to attend the Redeemer Renaissance After-School Program.
In addition to the Director (Roberta Pittman) there are currently six regular staff members: Mediha Cagil, Ivette Dominguez, Dara Harrison, Johanna Patton, Cassandra Pavlick, Amy Werking (who replaced Jesse Hughart in December); a seventh position is shared by Charlene Werking and Delphine Engel; and a Homework Room Monitor position is held by Bill Swarm. There are two piano teachers (Heather Bingham and Barbara Donne), one violin/viola teacher (Judith Spokes-Cho), one cello teacher (David Cho), one saxophone/ clarinet/flute teacher (Robert Holmes), a Yoga Instructor (Linda Cooper), an academic tutor (Krystal Rodney), and a French teacher (Tekla Taylor). Cynthia Freeman delivered a 10-week Spanish class. Mrs. Freeman is moving away. If there is sufficient interest, a new Spanish teacher will be secured. We a currently seeking a new guitar teacher. The program consistently attracts high-quality candidates for all positions.
The After-School Governing Board provides guidance and support to the program and the Director. The Board consists of church members and parents. Parishioners on the Board are Kirsten Apple, Karen Devlin, Barbara Donne, George Hall, Judy Loving, Carol Martz (Council Liaison), John McBride (Chair), and Kim Wenk. Melanie Tillotson, a parent of two children in the program also serves on the board. The Pastor and Director are ex-officio members.
Redeemer Renaissance continues to strive to fulfill its mission to provide a vibrant community in which each child is engaged in enriching experiences.
Thirty-three students from the After-School program receive private music lessons. Two parishioners also receive private lessons from Redeemer Renaissance music staff. Ten children have also participated in language classes and six children participated in a 10-week Yoga class. Three children receive services from our private academic tutor and one child receives services from our private French tutor.
The program continues to emphasize social responsibility. The children of Redeemer Renaissance and their families have continued to support the Redeemer Food Drives, Stop Hunger Now, Operation Christmas Child, Partner For Surgery, National Center For Children And Families, Share Our Strength and Cookies For Kids Cancer Research, and the Embry Rucker Shelter. In the autumn of 2013 Redeemer Renaissance contributed to the Muscular Dystrophy Association in honor of the visit from the McLean Fire Department, UNICEF to aid children affected by Typhoon Haiyan, and Save The Children to aid children impacted by tornadoes in the Mid-West. Most recently, with the help of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 40 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child were filled and 70 items for National Center for Children and Families were placed on our Mitten Tree.
Redeemer Renaissance provides participants with crafts, organized activities, and special programs designed to entertain and educate. On the teacher professional day in January, there was a field trip to the Imagination Playground at the National Building Museum. In February, the children were entertained by the KanKouran West African Dancers. In March, Jamey Turner returned with his glass harp. Redeemer Renaissance visited Ticonderoga Farm in April. In May the children enjoyed a performance by the Alden Studio Rep outreach program. In June, Redeemer Renaissance visited the Children’s Museum in Baltimore. Mensaje de Quetzals, Mexican Dance Company performed in September.

In October, there was a visit from the McLean Fire Department during Fire Safety Awareness Week and Brian Curry, magician performed later in the month. The Native Pride Dancers performed and the children visited the Museum of the American Indian in November. In December, the Virginia Bronze hand bell choir performed for the children. Redeemer Renaissance will visit Adventure Theatre for a performance of “Miss Nelson is Missing” on January 30th. It is hoped that KanKouran will return in February and Jamie Turner will return with his glass harp in March.
Thirty-three children attended a camp from March 25th through March 28th during the 2013 Fairfax County Public Schools’ Spring Break. During the four days of the camp, visited Adventure Theatre, Puppet Company, Chuck E Cheese, and the National Building Museum, engaged in craft projects and watched movies. From June 24th through August 16th Redeemer Renaissance held Summer Camp. The number of children varied week to week with the fewest being 15 children and 32 the most. In addition to arts, crafts, movies, and controlled water games, children’s theater performances at Adventure Theater, Discovery Theater, Imagination Stage and Wolftrap, children played miniature golf visited water parks, Ticonderoga Farm and Reston Zoo. The children also enjoyed a moon bounce and Games 2U activities. From December 26th through January 3rd, children attended a six-day camp held over Christmas Vacation. There were 11 children on December 26th and 27th and an average of 30 children the remaining four days. The children attended performances at Kennedy Center, Adventure Theatre, and Imagination Stage. They celebrated the New Year’ Eve at Chuck E. Cheese. Additionally, they enjoyed Games 2U Activities and a swim at Claude Moore Recreation Center in Sterling, VA. Each camp was held from 8:00 AM until 6:15 PM each day and there were additional fees for each camp. Camps are being planned for Spring Break from April 14th through April 17th, 2014, from June 23th, 2013 through August 15th, 2014, and during the winter break in 2014.
On May 5th, 2013, the Redeemer Congregation recognized the program. Special music was provided by staff and children from the program at the 9:45 service, and there was a recital for the music students in the afternoon. The date for our next recognition Sunday is scheduled for May 4th, 2014.
Children in the program continue to enjoy the use of the facility, playing on the playground and in Parents’ Hall, and doing arts and crafts projects in Fellowship Hall. They also receive homework support in the Teen Center including the use of 12 laptop computers.
Each school year there are opportunities for families to interact with one another and explore Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. There is a kick-off picnic the Wednesday before school begins. There is a dinner the evening of the Living Nativity to facilitate participation in the evening’s events by Redeemer Renaissance Families. Receptions are held following the 9:45 service and the recital on Recognition Sunday. Information regarding the life of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer is made available and there is an open invitation to the families of the children in the program to participate in all activities of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer as the After-School Program shares Christ’s Love with the families it serves.
Respectfully submitted, Roberta Pittman, Director

2013 Annual Report of the
Redeemer Lutheran Preschool
Redeemer Lutheran Preschool was established in 1962. RLP is an extension of Redeemer’s Education Mission. Our vision is to be a high-quality, developmentally appropriate preschool that supports lifelong learning in a caring, Christian environment. Each child develops at his or her own rate through a balance of structured and unstructured activities. The preschool has a positive reputation and extends Redeemer’s reach in our community. Preschool families attend worship services and some become Redeemer members.
We offered ten half-day classes for children 2 ½ to 4 years of age. At the end of the school year (May 2013), we had 112 students enrolled in our preschool including six Redeemer children. As of December, 2013, we had 95 students enrolled. Our students represent a diversity of nations, languages and cultures including: Arabic, English, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
At the heart of our program is our caring, experienced staff. We are blessed with 13 staff members (in alphabetical order): Debbie Andre (2013), Madiha Cagil (2012), Golnar duChateau (2001), Delphine Engel (2008), Kristin Furth (2011), Cindy Goodman (2005), Norma Grobman (2010), Tammie Koenig (1998), Gina Thorson (2010), Mahin Shafagati (2000), Nancy Radcliffe (2010), Charlene Werking (2004) and Nora Wojcik (2004).
A Preschool Board appointed by Church Council provides guidance to the Director and establishes policies. The Board consists of church member and non-member parents. In addition the Pastor and Preschool Director are ex-officio members. Parishioners include: Laura Broderdorf (President), Shawna Tunnell (Council Liaison), Amanda Rodriquez, and Karin Weber. Non-member parents are: Lina Alameddine, Tim Gervase and Kayleen Widdfield.
Our semi-annual Baby/Child/Maternity Consignment Sales are in March and October each year. Sales were low in March but rebounded in October. Hundreds of people attend each sale. We raised over $13,400 for preschool needs and benevolence. We carefully review and work to improve this popular activity. We contribute 10% of each sale back to Redeemer. Additionally, we gave $847 worth of diapers and groceries to SHARE for their youngest clients.
While the primary purpose of the consignment sale is fundraising, we recognize that this is a fabulous outreach opportunity by welcoming the public to our facility and sharing our treasures. I am delighted to report that items left after the sales were distributed to several charities near and far: ACCA Child Development Center, Alianza Latina, From Our Family to Yours, Girl Scouts of America, Give to the World, McLean Fire Fighters, SHARE, Inc. Trinity United Methodist of McLean’s Honduras Ministry and Women Giving Back.
We are developing opportunities for our students to help less fortunate children right in our own community through a growing relationship with SHARE, Inc. At Christmas, we sponsored our fourth annual children’s toiletry drive for SHARE as well as made 100 treat bags for their clients. We collected 25 bottles of baby shampoo, 31 bottles of baby wash, 42 tubes of toothpaste and 61 toothbrushes. Additionally, we collected 365 diapers for them in a new on-going project.
Our natural, unstructured play area is hugely popular with our students and others. It helps children work cooperatively and make their own discoveries/connections.
Redeemer Lutheran Preschool is a vibrant ministry that positively impacts our community. Preschool families attend many Redeemer activities throughout the year and frequently attend worship services. I look forward to strengthening the bond between our church and preschool to serve additional families. If you would like to assist the preschool in any way please contact me. We are committed to sharing Christ’s love with as many of God’s families as possible.
Respectfully,
Tamberly Koenig, Preschool Director
tkoenig@redeemermclean.org
703-356-3567

Membership Outreach
Mark & Lee Cronin
God our Father in Heaven has blessed our worship community with a truly wonderful physical facility located on a beautiful corner of McLean, with a superb staff, leadership and organizational infrastructure. We see Membership Outreach at Redeemer as an ongoing program to help this worship community fulfill its overall mission to “To Share Christ’s Love with the Greatest Number of People.”
Hopefully many attendees may have noticed in recent weeks an initiative to bolster the “front-door” welcome at Redeemer services and selected special events. We have endeavored to add a warming experience to greet those who come to share our space for worship, music and other Church and community events. This undertaking, which will expand on a regular basis in this new year, is intended to leverage the skills already present at Redeemer, largely the greeting provided by Janet Pfister and others including service ushers. The intention is to provide a more consistent mechanism for friendly interaction with newcomers and visitors, in particular prior to and right after a service or other event at Redeemer. The “door-side” welcome at Redeemer will in fact extend to the outside areas when circumstances allow, with the planned addition of “umbrella” greetings to assist curb-side arrivals during inclement weather.
As part of expanding the front-door “greeting” experience at Redeemer, Membership Outreach will next seek to implement a more systematic way of generating follow-up with newcomers and visitors to Redeemer services and events. In that regard, we look to connect with recent new and occasional visitors to Redeemer, through appropriately-timed follow-up by Pastor or Membership Outreach members, to those who offer indication of some interest in returning to Redeemer for worship or community activities, and to visitors who are seeking a worship community to join. This follow-up, outreach effort will of course include extending invitations to participate in specific fellowship and other activities at Redeemer, such as “Tables of Eight,” Adult Forum, youth presentations, music performance events and community-group functions using Redeemer space, in addition to Sunday worship services.
Another undertaking initiated in the last few months is development of Church Tour pool of guides for introducing our facility to interested guests and visitors. These guide “greeters” will have deeper knowledge of Redeemer and its ministries, leadership, staff, building facilities, congregation history, current programs and community engagements, to provide another way for visitors to get to know the Redeemer community and its missions.
Membership Outreach has also embarked on course of periodic, typically monthly special group meetings with Pastor Sandy and invited church members, with the purpose of broadening the involvement of the congregation in certain aspects of Membership Outreach, sharing ideas about that mission, and providing “fellowship” time for Pastor and invitees to get to know each other better. These meetings will usually involve about eight to ten people and last about 90 minutes (with expectation that a large part of church membership will have attended at least one such meeting over the course of 2-3 years’ time).

Christian Education Ministry Team – 2014 Annual Report
We would like to thank all the people who give generously of their time and talents to support all the Christian Education programs at Redeemer. We are especially grateful for our Church Council Liaison, Shawna Tunnell.
Youth Education – Redeemer has 3 components of Youth Education:
Sunday School - Redeemer offers a traditional classroom style Sunday School. The classes are completely taught and staffed by wonderful volunteers who commit to teaching each week. Children are welcome to start attending Sunday School when they are ready to spend an hour away from their parents and are potty trained, usually between 2 and 4 years old. Sunday School continues until the completion of 6th grade.
Redeemer strives to staff each classroom with a team of three teachers, to allow for rotating duties and to ensure that there are two adults present in each class. One way to reach this goal is to have our parents spend a few Sundays each year helping out in their children’s classrooms.
This year Pastor Kessinger has been able to attend the Sunday School classes once a month. Pastor’s visits make it possible for her to interact with our children and to learn their names. She will be able to visit each class two times over the course of the year.
Confirmation Classes – At the 11 am service on October 27 13 young people were confirmed. The students currently in 7th and 8th grade participate in Confirmation by attending: Worship, Sunday School, Monthly Workshops, and serving as Acolytes/Crucifiers. This past summer Pastor Kessinger took the 7th and 8th graders on a Mission Trip with YouthWorks and they plan to go again this coming summer.
High School - Students meet for a faith discussion and fellowship each Sunday at 9:45 in the Teen Center. Marlon Yearwood is in the process of developing some meeting times with them for study and fellowship.
Adult Education
The Forum continues to offer a wide variety of topics and speakers at 9:45 on Sunday Mornings in the Fellowship Hall. This fall they have included some intentional Bible Study topics.
Each season, Pastor Kessinger has led us in several Bible Studies series. This year they included a Lenten study on Genesis which was followed by Evening Prayer, a congregational study of Galatians during the summer months, a study of the Reformation was held this fall, and we closed the year with an intentional study of Advent.
Kirk Betts also led a study on Generosity at 11 am on Sunday mornings. The class was well received and might lead to other studies during that time frame.
Child Protection Policy: The Christian Education Team and Council are currently reviewing a comprehensive new Child Protection Policy, with another huge thanks to Shawna Tunnell for drafting.
The Education Team is currently recruiting new members and would also welcome a co-leader for the committee. Please pray about your role in Redeemer’s Education Ministry. And please let us know what you would like to study in 2013!
Respectfully Submitted – Ellen Kennedy, Chairperson Redeemer’s Education Team

The Forum Report 2013
The Forum at Redeemer took up a new strategy and format this year beginning in the Fall. We wanted to respond to the needs of the congregation and to several requests we have had for more Bible study, and provide some continuity with what we have done in the past as well. Pastor Kessinger also encouraged some experimentation with having more than one adult group on Sunday morning, meeting at different times. The idea was to start an additional group more oriented towards discipleship and spiritual formation, while the Forum continued in the educational vein. The Forum group meeting at 9:45 decided to use resources from the ELCA's Book of Faith series. Several different series are available. We used two - an introductory study about ways to approach the Bible, and, following that, an Advent series which was more devotional in nature. We will continue with these kinds of resources until we break for the Summer. Attendance started out strong in September and October, but had dropped by the end of 2013 to similar participation levels as last year, which averaged about 8 to 12. We did want to find out this year whether a new approach, as well as tighter planning and better publicity, would make a difference.
Much thanks and praise must go to our study and discussion leaders for the fine and diligent work they have put into preparation. One thing everyone should realize is that great devotion and care, as well as considerable time and effort, is put into making sure these are substantive and rewarding Biblical studies. We used the Book of Faith study guides as a starting point and resource, but what we actually do on Sunday mornings is tailored for the needs and interest of the participants, while drawing heavily on the knowledge and research that comes from study leaders Robin Taylor and Doug Scheffler in particular. I provide some commentary from time to time, but am mostly engaged in coordination, communication, and publicity for our group. Norm Knutson has been indispensable for us in his slide preparation for presentations and with his setup work in the Fellowship Hall for coffee, refreshments, and the materials and supplies we use. So, thanks and hats off to these folks, and to Pastor Kessinger, who has taken a special interest in our progress and has provided much needed guidance for us, helping to set the direction and vision for Adult Education at Redeemer.
With that as our summary, hereafter follows a list of the Sunday morning programs we hosted for The Forum in 2013.
Harold Hofstad
Coordinator, The Forum
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January 27 - Quarterly Update on the Economy February 3 - Education for Women in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East February 10 - In the Shadow of the Mosque: A Christian's Experience in Saudi Arabia February 24 - Revelation of St. John, Part 5: The Battle of Armageddon March 3 - Partner for Surgery: Recent Experiences in Guatemala March 24 - Palm Sunday Lessons and Gospel April 7 - Christian Salvation, Part 2: Luke and the Divine Plan April 14 - Christian Salvation, Part 3: Paul, and Christ Crucified April 21 - Debunking Dispensationalism, Part 1: Its Origin and Development April 28 - Lutheran Volunteer Corps May 5 - Music at Redeemer May 12 - Update on the Economy May 19 - Debunking Dispensationalism, Part 2: The Social and Political Impacts June 2 - Summer Reading Suggestions
Opening the Book of Faith
September 8 - God's Powerful Book
September 15 - How Can Lutheran Insights Open Up the Bible?
September 22 - How Can the Bible Be Studied?
September 29 - Exodus 3: 1-15
October 6 - Jeremiah 1:4-19
October 13 - John 8: 31-36
October 20 - Romans 7: 15-25a
October 27/November 3 - The Kairos Palestine Document November 10 - Stop Hunger Now!
November 17 - A Survey of Social Ministries and Associations at Redeemer November 24 - Church Council and Leadership Discussion
Advent Series: I Wonder as I Wander
December 1 - I Wonder About Hope
December 8 - I Wonder About Love
December 15 - I Wonder About Joy
December 22 - I Wonder About Peace

Youth Ministry
Redeemer's youth are amazing - and the program to support them has grown immensely as they have become more and more active in the church. We are trying to provide programs and opportunities to connect with the kids as they transition from childhood to adulthood – forging friendships among their peers and with mentoring adults, as well as to assist them as they develop and strengthen their relationship with God.
Meeting the kids “where they are” has really been the guiding principle. For each group, it has meant something different.
Grades 4 – 6. This group meets for Gym Night on the second Friday of each month from 7 – 8:30 pm with Marlon Yearwood and a parent assistant. Gym night gives the kids a chance to become more comfortable in the church as they become more independent. It also provides a great opportunity to hang out and get to know their “church” peers better. The kids love it and very often bring their friends! Early outreach program!
Grades 7- 8 participate in the confirmation process which serves to transition them to full church members. Many programs are provided for them including: confirmation class during the 9:45 am service, confirmation workshops / lunches led almost monthly by Pastor Kessinger and Liz Scheffler, monthly social activities which often is based on a service project, as well as opportunities to assist in worship services. Activities this past year included: Day of Famine helping with Our Daily Bread and SHARE of McLean, cooking for N Street Village, miniature golf, bake sale at Living Nativity, Christian Seder, dining at Elevation Burger, Ropes course and laser tag. Last year, we also sent 18 people to Harrisburg, PA for a summer mission project!
High school continues to be the most challenging group to engage as their schedules are so busy. We have begun having a high school Youth Group meeting monthly on the third Friday of the month led by Marlon Yearwood. Activities have included a movie, rearranging the teen center, playing floor hockey and going to the ropes course. In addition they have participated in service projects involving Our Daily Bread, Share or McLean, Souper Bowl and Stop Hunger Now. Last year, 6 individuals went on the mission trip to Mingo County, West Virginia.
Our foundation for these programs is fairly strong at this point providing a good platform for initiating new activities / youth programs. As our program grows, so does the need for adult mentors – thanks to all the wonderful support that is given to our kids. Any ideas / suggestions are always welcome!
Respectfully – Joan Bradley

Marlon Yearwood
Youth Mentor
January 10, 2014

2013 Youth Report
September - December

The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer is a very rewarding and enriching place to be as a youth mentor. To be a mentor is to be a wise, trusted and an inﬂuential guide. Mentoring focuses on each individual amid the mass. I try to encourage their strengths but also modify their weaknesses. We, as mentors, do not correct our youth to make them ﬁt into crowd; instead, we intend to draw out the treasure that is within them, which reveals their uniqueness. The greatest commodity of a mentor is his/her time invested with a purpose. As a mentor, I am here to train the youth in the best way possible.

Since September 2013, I have strived greatly to invest my time into the youth. Each month, on the second Friday, I met with the fourth graders through sixth graders. Together, we had a night of fun and fellowship called "Gym Night". This night always began with some snacks then a transition to present our prayer petitions to each other and then to God. I hand to each individual a prayer card I developed called "I Pray". Once we ﬁnished writing all our prayer requests on the prayer card, I encourage them to take the card home and pray for those requests for that month. After we present our petitions, we then play a few group games and activities: sports, moon bounces and board games. The purpose of "Gym Night" is to allow the youth to participate in some fun but also let their prayer requests be heard.

Wednesdays were the days when I would go out from the church walls and minister. Through God, I found favor with the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center; consequently, I was able to start a one-to-one mentoring program within the school system. In the beginning, I started to meet with a young man named Joseph for about 50 minutes per week. The director spoke to me about Joseph's improvement and asked if I would consider a meeting with another young man named Udo. Consequently, I now meet with two young men, back to back, at JDC for about 30-50 minutes each. Ministering is really beneﬁcial as it reaches out to the hurt and broken. It helps them to recover from their past and to focus on their future.

Each month, on the third Friday, I met with the high school youth. We went to the movies, played hockey and laser tag. For their spiritual needs, I arranged Bible studies in which we spoke about fear vs. courage and the spiritual war we are currently engaged in. Sunday mornings, were the days when I had the opportunity to teach the seventh grade's conﬁrmation class. We always had a great time studying the Word of God, taking questions and holding discussions. Moreover, we spoke about creation, unbelief, faith, the Lord's prayer and the "Ten Commandments".

Previously, on Sundays, I started doing an opening every week for all Sunday school classes, kindergarten through sixth grade. I decided, holding these openings once a month would be more beneﬁcial for the overall ﬂow of the Sunday School class schedule. Currently, for the ﬁrst Sunday of each month, I do an opening that lasts for approximately 10-15 minutes. The subjects usually vary from time to time. Some of the topics I already discussed were love, peace, and happiness. I tend to do object lessons when possible to try to engage the youth with questions and answers. I decided, along with Pr Sandy Kessinger, that holding these openings once a month would be beneﬁcial to the children to help them grow spiritually and mentally.

My vision for the fourth through sixth grade ministry is to help them to understand who they are in Christ; valuable, unique and called by Him for a special purpose. I want them to truly know and understand that they can love God and still have lots of fun. In January, I intend to start a new mentoring strategy for our high school youth, modeled after the JDC blue print. Rather than meeting with one person at a time, I would meet with two people at a time.

Prior, the youth and I had a great time going to the park, playing mini golf and coming to the church sleepover in our pajamas. I am really looking forward to a greater 2014! Stay blessed.

Redeemer Mutual Ministry Committee Annual Report
1. Redeemer Mutual Ministry Committee (MMC) Charter: Redeemer Lutheran Church Bylaws:
“A Pastoral Ministry Committee shall be appointed by the pastor(s) in consultation with the president. The term of office of members of the Pastoral Ministry Committee shall be two years. Members shall be eligible for reappointment. This committee shall provide encouragement to, and may consult confidentially with, the pastor.” The Redeemer Mutual Ministry Committee was established in 2012.
2. 2013 Activities: The Mutual Ministry Committee met during the year at the respective members home for in formal working dinners:
Jan 15, 2013 - Linda & Alan Rogers’ home
Apr 23, 2013 - Doug Ubben’s home
Jun 1, 2013 - Redeemer Retreat MMC presentation
Jun 18, 2013 – Eric Sivertsen’s home (PSK Birthday Celebration)
Sep 10, 2013 – Eric Sivertsen’s home
Nov 19, 2013 – Megan Kratz’s home
Dec 12, 2013 – Congregational Council presentation
3. Agendas: Pastor Kessinger determines the agenda, which has been very fluid and variable. Topics have included prayers, the Redeemer ministries, spiritual considerations, Synod topics, committee activities, personnel and relationship topics, health consideration, other professional topics, and personal and family topics.
4. Request of the Congregational Council: A recent topic of particular interest was the MCC homework and discussion around the potential benefits of calling an associate pastor. The Congregational Council invited Pastor Kessinger and the Mutual Ministry Committee to reflect, pray and discuss the benefits of calling a second pastoral position. The MMC reviewed the Redeemer Ministries, By-Laws, and Strategic Plan and developed a listing of Pastor Kessinger’s current responsibilities, duties, tasks and activities. The activities list was impressive including over 70 activities. The MMC identified five considerations important to calling an associate pastor. The committee also identified the potential “Ministry Benefits “ of calling an associate pastor and the benefits consistent with the Redeemer Strategic Plan Vision. The presentation was presented to the Congregational Council on Dec 12, 2013. The Council discussed the presentation and ways to move ahead.
Respectively submitted on behalf of the MMC.
Linda Rogers & Alan Rogers
Redeemer Mutual Ministry Committee
Redeemer Lutheran Church
McLean, VA 22101
Committee Members:
Pastor Sandy Kessinger
Megan Kratz
Alan Rogers
Linda Rogers
Eric Sivertsen
Doug Ubben

Music Update for 2013
2013 was a very exciting year for the music program at Redeemer. We tried our best to offer quality music on a weekly basis appropriate for the season, as well as special musical events throughout the year.
In February, the Traditional choir sang a piece by DC composer Salone Clary, “I Want To Live With God.” We had the benefit of working personally with Mr. Clary in rehearsal. It was wonderful to have the composer right in the room, and he gave us insight into his composition and the personal inspiration in writing the piece. He was able to attend the service that we performed, and he was deeply moved.
For Easter we were once again joined by the Riverside Brass, and together with the choir we performed the first movement from John Rutter’s Gloria and the Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah. During the middle service we were joined by tenor Keith Craig, who along with the Praise Team, gave a stirring rendition of ‘Victory Chant’ by Joseph Vogels .
In June, as part of a special service, the Traditional choir performed Vivald’s Gloria. With funds still left over from the very successful fundraising campaign for ‘Oh My Son’ we were able to contract a professional string quartet, an oboist and a trumpeter. The very talented Liz Carroll,Waka Osifchin and Amy Tribie performed the solos. The sanctuary was filled with Vivaldi’s beautiful music, and hearing the choir, the orchestra and organ all at once was a sacred experience.
During the summer our percussionist Alan Spear, after many years of outstanding service, decided to step away from his position in order spend more time with his family. Fortunately, we were able to find another outstanding percussionist in Eric Plewinski. Eric holds a Master’s degree in Percussion from UMD and is a very versatile musician. Eric’s playing is a true blessing and adds a tremendous amount of energy to the 9:45 service.
In the fall we hosted a concert for the benefit of Stop Hunger Now. We celebrated Verdi’s 200th anniversary with a full orchestra of nearly fifty members and professional soloists. The concert was produced in conjunction with Gettysburg College, the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and the Mehta Ensemble. Each association contributed funds thereby reducing the cost for each individual group. The concert was very well received and attracted an audience from both inside and outside of the congregation.
For Christmas Eve we again collaborated with the Riverside Brass. The Traditional choir sang a number of pieces including ‘The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns’ by Douglas E. Wagner and ‘What Sweeter Music’ by John Rutter. We also added a harpist this year, Cara Fleck, who offered beautiful preludes and accompanied the choir for the anthem.
In December along with the Living Nativity Scene and Christmas festival we presented a concert which included all of the various music groups at Redeemer and the ‘Salone Clary Chorale’. The different groups included the Youth Choir, Traditional Choir, Bell Choir, and the Praise Team. In total, over seventy people performed for the concert. The finale of the evening was ‘Betelehemu’ a Nigerian Christmas carol.
Moving into 2014, we will strive to maintain the high level of excellence in all of our music offerings. We are also planning more concerts in the future such as Haydn’s Stabat Mater and Handel’s Messiah.
Personally, I would like to give special thanks to all the section leaders (Chris, Amy and Waka) Scott, Eric and Joy for being such professional, dedicated and wonderful colleagues. I would also like to thank Pastor Kessinger for her outstanding leadership, members of the various choirs and the congregation for their continuing support of the music program.

Redeemer Endowment Fund
Redeemer Endowment Fund Background and Mission: The REF was established in 1995 with the purpose of social mission outreach both in the local Washington, D.C. metro area and around the world. The structure is outlined in the church by-laws and instructs that all donations be invested and preserved and only the interest, dividends and capital appreciation may be used for grants. Donations are not intended to be used for the building fund or church operations.
REF Activity: During 2013, several meetings were held to assess investment performance, financial status, and to identify possible grant recipients. Investment performance was very positive in spite of numerous market fluctuations. As a result, we were pleased to be able to select three recipients for grants this year. A Bulletin announcement was published to inform the congregation of this decision. The grants were presented on November 24, 2013.
REF Grant Program History and Current Grants: The REF made its first three grants in 2008. No grants were made in 2009 due to the stock market’s poor performance. In 2010, the REF awarded two $1,000 grants. In 2011, the REF awarded one grant of $1000. In 2012, the REF awarded two grants of $1000. This year, 2013, we were pleased to be able to award three grants of $2000 each to the following organizations:
Langley Residential Support Services, located in Vienna, VA, provides services to adults in the Fairfax County/Falls Church area with intellectual disabilities through operating homes with intensive supervision and life skills training. Life skills' training is also provided to individuals living in their own homes or with families.
Falls Church-McLean Children's Center, located in Falls Church, provides a comprehensive, high quality early childhood education and child care program that is affordable for low income working families. Redeemer was one of the original sponsors of the Center.
Hyacinth Place, located in Northeast Washington, DC, operates a 15 unit facility offering a supportive housing program for women who are homeless, at risk for homelessness, and who have mental health diagnoses.
2013 Financial Summary and Status: (For details see the Redeemer Annual Report, Financial Summary)
a. The REF started the year with a balance of $102,981 on January 1, 2013.
b. The REF received contributions of $425 during 2013.
c. The REF ended the year with a balance of $113,535 on December 31, 2013.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the REF committee members for their commitment and support to the REF.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Redeemer Endowment Fund Committee members.
Charles H. Brown, Jr. Chair
Redeemer Endowment Fund Committee
Committee Members:
Michael Philpy term through Dec 31, 2013
Charles H. Brown, Jr. term through Dec 31, 2013
Jamie Kanski term through Dec 31, 2015
Matthew Kratz term through Dec 31, 2015
Janet Rehnquist term through Dec 31, 2015

The Congregational Life Ministry Team
2013 Annual Report
In 2013 Fun and Fellowship provided leadership and/or support for events and activities that have become Redeemer Traditions, as well as some events that were new.
The major events were:
Pancake Supper - on Shrove Tuesday - in February, we worked with the Youth Group on the Pancake Supper.
Afternoon Tea with Mrs. Lincoln - in early spring "Mrs. Lincoln" joined us for tea and told us about her life in the White House
Church Picnic - in June to celebrate the beginning of summer, we had the church picnic with the traditional hot dogs, chips, watermelon and lemonade.
It was a stormy weekend so we picniced in the Fellowship Hall. We recognized all June graduates.
Thanksgiving Dinner - in November we gave thanks for the blessings God has given us. We ate like one big
family at long tables. The gym was beautifully decorated. For the 4th year, we were able to package up meals which were delivered to home-bound friends who were not able to join us at Redeemer.
Living Nativity and Sounds of the Season Concert - in December we had the Living Nativity with the now annual Sounds of the Season Concert featuring all the Redeemer choirs and a guest choir. The Bake Sale was planned and staffed by the youth as a fund raiser for the ELCA Youth Gathering 7/15 in Detroit. Many families from the community came and experienced the true meaning of Christmas.
Theater and Sports - throughout the year we have organized trips to the theater and sports events.
It would be appropriate to list all the members of our committee, but we have found that when we try that, we always leave someone out, and we feel terribly about it. Let us just say, that the committee is composed of a wonderful group of loving, caring individuals who are truly inspired by the idea of gathering in His name, pulling others into the adventure, and having fun while doing this in as many creative ways we can think of. It is a genuine pleasure to serve with this group.
As you can see despite our new official committee name, we are still Fun and Fellowship at heart.
We welcome everyone to join our committee. If you have an idea you wouldlike to try, we are your group. Bring your ideas and dreams!
Respectfully submitted,
Kim Wenk
B. Eric Sivertsen
Co-Chairs

Redeemer Social Ministry Report for 2013
Our Social Concerns Ministry has two interrelated parts: 1) a stewardship commitment of resources to address the needs of the wider community and 2) direct volunteer involvement in activities that meet those human needs.
Social Concerns Stewardship
In meeting our stewardship obligations, Redeemer, through the Social Concerns Ministry, budgeted for and supported the work of 19 organizations, expending over $19,000. The organizations, their purpose and where they do their work is summarized below.
Because human need can only be partially anticipated, we have two items in the list that allow us to meets new needs as they arise—a discretionary fund for the pastor and one for the Social Concerns Ministry. The discretionary funds supported a wide variety of needs. In addition to aiding Individual members of our local community, we used discretionary funds to support Lutheran malaria campaigns, as well as the new “Gardeners Share” effort which provides fresh produce for the Share food program. In addition, we were able to make a significant contribution to Lutheran World Relief to support its effort to address the aftermath of Typhoon Hayian in the Philippines. Finally, we were able to donate to the capital campaigns of N Street Village and Lutheran Social Services and to make a special contribution to Habitat for Humanity.
If you have questions about our Social Concerns stewardship, please contact Joan or Gene Durman at jgdurman@aol.com or by phone at 703 356 4929.
Organizations that Benefited from the 2013 Social Concerns Stewardship

Selected Redeemer Social Ministry Volunteer Activities
Partner for Surgery
In 2013, Partner for Surgery (PfS) celebrated its 12th anniversary as the bridge between impoverished, rural, indigenous Guatemalans and the many medical and surgical volunteers that come to Guatemala each year. To date, PfS has given over 50,000 people medical attention and over 9,000 the opportunity for surgery. Over the last four years our Cleft Infant Nutrition Program has grown from locating infants during rural medical missions to having over 5,000 midwives in our notification network. Forty seven percent of those receiving surgery last year were children, reflecting our expanded efforts to locate and assist families with children born having various types of birth defects.
PfS worked with 21 teams in 2013 to provide 490 surgeries. During our six medical missions, 997 people were given the opportunity for needed surgery, many of whom have already had surgery or will receive care early in 2014. Frank Peterson continues as the full time coordinator of PfS activities with strong support from the PfS Board of Directors and many other volunteers. Six of the twelve PfS Board of Directors are current members of Redeemer.
Thank you, Redeemer members, for your many years of financial support and all of the gift bags and quilts! We urge everyone to check our website at www.partnerforsurgery.org and, for additional information, to contact Frank Peterson at 703-893-4335.
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia is the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International that coordinates all the work that goes into building homes in our Northern Virginia service area. All the fundraising, construction site selection, home construction, mortgage servicing, and partner family selection and support in Northern Virginia is done locally by Habitat Northern Virginia (Habitat NOVA).
Since its founding in 1990, Habitat NOVA has built 80 homes, rehabilitated 4 homes and repaired 20 homes. To date they have created homes for more than 400 people, including 180 children. In April, 2013, through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), Habitat NOVA purchased Saguaro Place in Centreville, a foreclosed property. Due to years of deferred maintenance and persistent water leaks, this condo is in need of substantial renovations, which are scheduled for completion early 2014.
In June 2013, ground was broken on a brand new single-family, three-bedroom home on Douglass Avenue in Falls Church. Construction will continue through summer 2014. Also in 2013, property was purchased on Clayborne Avenue in Alexandria where two new townhomes will be built.
Habitat NOVA is grateful for the many years of generous financial and volunteer support it has received from the Redeemer Lutheran Church congregation. For additional information, please contact Lynn Barth at lynnbarth@gmail.com or 703-346-8012.
N Street Village
Redeemer has maintained a consistent relationship with N Street Village (NSV) and this year celebrated our 40 year partnership with an evening dinner in November for past and present Redeemer volunteers. Schroeder Stribling, the Executive Director of NSV, shared many success stories about NSV and accepted a major donation from Redeemer for the NSV Capital Campaign. The following day, Ms. Stribling offered the sermon at each of Redeemer’s three services.
Among its on-going activities with NSV, Redeemer continues its ham runs and supper group:
Ham Runs: For several years, the Redeemer ham delivery team has picked up donations of ham, ham products and other food from the Honey Baked Ham stores in Reston, Falls Church and Fairfax and delivered these donations to NSV. In 2013 the Redeemer team transported over six thousand pounds of donations.
Key team members include: Paula Green, George Hall, Barbara Jacoby, Rick Stewart and Laura Wareham. George has been coordinating this effort, but Rick Stewart is taking over coordination. Rick can be reached at (703)734-1471 or at Ricstew2002@yahoo.com.
Luther Place Supper Group: This group has just completed its 7th year of serving dinner to the residents of the Luther Place overnight shelter for women. The Redeemer volunteers prepare and serve dinner the second Monday of every other month, offering 180 meals a year.
Contributing members for 2013 include: Karen Devlin, Paula Green, Kate Jones, Judy Loving, Carol Pribulka, Lucinda Romberg, Gretchen Stark, and the 2013 Redeemer Youth group
Anyone interested in forming a new additional group, please contact Gretchen Stark at grstark@cox.net.

Share of Mclean
Share, Inc. provides emergency assistance to the less fortunate in McLean and Pimmit Hills, as well as other nearby areas of Northern Virginia. Programs include family emergency financial assistance; distribution of food and used clothing; recycled furniture; and transportation services for seniors. Share also provides clients with grocery gift cards and gifts during the holidays, refurbished computers, and school supplies. Because Share is an all-volunteer organization, virtually 100% of donations go directly to clients.
The Gardener’s Share – The Gardeners’ Share is a program that delivers fresh locally grown produce to SHARE. In 2013 Redeemer Church joined three other churches (Lewinsville Presbyterian, Trinity United Methodist, and St. John’s Catholic) to maintain a dedicated plot at Lewinsville Park. The produce from the plot was given to the SHARE food pantry.
Redeemer extends thanks to the 17 volunteers from our community who logged a cumulative total of 113 hours planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting produce. Redeemer participated by caring for the plot one week every month from April to November.
Redeemer is looking for additional coordinators for the 2014 growing season. The coordinators will be responsible for scheduling volunteers, attending a few meetings each year and giving garden tours to new volunteers. For more information contact Gretchen Stark at grstark@cox.net.
Furniture Program- Share provides furniture free of charge to individuals and families struggling to furnish their homes as a result of poverty or significant life challenges. Redeemer members regularly participate in the weekly furniture pick-ups and deliveries. Additional volunteers are needed to schedule the weekly runs or to move furniture. In addition, please consider Share as a way of donating your used furniture in good condition.
Food Pantry and Clothing Rooms are open every Wednesday and Saturday from 9:30am-12:00 noon (except holidays) in donated space at the McLean Baptist Church. Redeemer food drives include support for the Share food distribution effort.
Family Assistance Program- Trained volunteers work with Fairfax County social workers to provide emergency financial aid to clients to avoid eviction, utility shutoff and to pay medical bills. Volunteers are needed to work as a family assistance coordinator or donate funds.
For more information about Share or to volunteer contact Gene Durman at ecdurman@aol.com or 703-356-4929.
Lutheran World Relief
LWR works with people in 35 countries on sustainable agriculture, water, and livelihood projects. It advances opportunities for small farmers, including coffee farmers in Central and South America and Africa and cocoa farmers in Africa. LWR also distributed quilts and sewing and school kits to more than 700,000 people last year.
Redeemer members sew quilts for LWR as well as make financial donations. By doing this, we help to change the lives of people around the world, many of whom earn less than $2/day. In addition to our on-going engagement with LWR, Redeemer was able to make a substantial contribution to LWR’s campaign to eliminate malaria worldwide.
Thanks to all Redeemer members for sharing your time and gifts beyond the walls of our church and across the oceans! Anyone interested in learning more about the extensive programs and activities can contact Kirk Betts at KBetts@bettsandholt.com.
Redeemer Red Cross Blood Drive
We had a truly successful year in 2013! We hosted one drive in November and had over 40 people walk through our doors with the intention to donate. We collected 31 units of blood, which means that we saved 93 lives! We hope to continue this success in 2014 by hosting two drives, one on April 14th and another on November 24th.
Thank you for all your support. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Carroll at
elizabethccarroll@gmail.com.

Lutheran Social Services Through the efforts of Joan Bradley, Redeemer was able to “adopt a Family” for the holidays. Ours is a recently placed refugee family, comprised of a mother, father, daughter age 11, and three sons ages 10, 8 and 4, plus a new addition on the way. We helped make this a Merry Christmas for them by providing toys (hot wheels, games, Nerf basketball hoop and football, Lego set, Playdoh with tools and mat, bracelet making kit, duct tape kit); a television to help the family learn English; a crockpot; and items for the baby (a blanket, infant safety kit, snuggle toy).
In addition to this seasonal opportunity, Redeemer made a major contribution to the LSS Capital Campaign. Throughout the year, LSS offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals or for Redeemer as a congregation. This includes a number of opportunities to support the refugee programs (e.g., transportation, mentoring, setting up new residences, etc.) opportunities to support the summer youth camp program (e.g., counseling, serving as a nurse) and opportunities to support the programs overall (e.g., help out in the Falls Church office). If interested in any of these opportunities, contact Gene Durman at ecdurman@aol.com or at 703-356-4929.
Gifts of Hope
Gifts of Hope, an alternative gift-giving program in the Metropolitan Washington D.C. area, has raised well over $2 million dollars to help people in need in our community and around the world!
Each year you may select gifts in honor of family members, friends, teachers, colleagues, neighbors, etc. For each gift you select, you receive a card and an insert describing which gift you have chosen to be provided to a worthy organization.
Gift options range from $5 to $250. Every penny received goes to the agency or activity because there are no administrative costs. Most people purchase Gifts of Hope during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, as part of a congregationally-sponsored appeal. Individuals may also purchase Gifts at any time during the year by visiting the website: www.GiftsOfHopeDC.org. For more information, please contact Nancy Power at 703-821-1066 or npower6803@verizon.net.
Our Daily Bread
Our Daily Bread’s food program coordinates closely with the county government to try to “fill the gaps” in government assistance programs – providing food to meet short-term needs, or before government assistance begins. Redeemer supports Our Daily Bread by providing groceries to its client families 2-3 times a year. Each time we have a food drive, we divide the collected goods among the families, and deliver the items directly to the families. We have also offered members of the church or groups within the church the opportunity to participate in the adopt-a-family program. Items that are not given to the families are delivered to the Share Food Pantry.
For additional information, please contact Deanna Heier at 678-478-3561 or at dmheier@yahoo.com.
Prayer Shawl
Prayer Shawl Ministry group meets the first and third Thursday of each month at 1:30PM in the church. Some people make prayer shawls at home , then bring them to our group. This year the group started to give shawls/baby blankets to babies on the day of their baptism. We continue to share and show God's love with those with various needs. This past year we have given 25 - 30 shawls. We invite anyone who would like to knit and or crochet with us in this special ministry of caring. Betsy Kutscher
Quilting
The Quilting Group continues to meet the first and third Wednesday of each month. We make quilts for Partner for Surgery and Lutheran World Relief. Our goal for 2014 is to offer a workshop and teach interested people how to sew the quilts at home. New members are always welcome. The sewing is easy and there are many jobs that do not involve sewing . Contacts: Kate Jones 703-821-1388

2013 Annual Report
Redeemer Human Resource Committee
Members: Marti Hopler, chairperson, Kirk Betts, Russ Jones and Pastor Sandra Kessinger
The human resource committee has had several virtual meetings on an as needed basis council this year. The pastor continues to have weekly staff meetings with church administrative staff. She meets quarterly with the director of music for worship to plan, and create a positive and effective worship experience. The communication between church staff is strong and the pastor feels she has formed a very strong team to serve the membership needs of the church.
This year our staff changes have been minimal. In September, Marlon Yearwood became a full time youth mentor to the coordinate youth activities. We have also added a regular worship leader relief one Sunday per month to allow Pastor Kessinger to work with the youth in Sunday school. Pastor Paul Opsahl and David Stawick have been filling in on those Sundays.
Pastor Kessinger has found the annual review process on the staff’s anniversary date has been a positive change this year. It provides a better opportunity to review each employee’s performance and recommend modifications to position responsibilities or areas for further development.
The Church reinstituted its group health plan and now provides health benefits to the Director of Music and the Youth mentor positions. This was particularly important as the national health plan system is undergoing dramatic change. This will provide a valuable retention tool for these two key positions.
As committee chair for the last several years, it is a pleasure to see the church personnel working as a cohesive team with excellent leadership from our senior pastor.
Respectively submitted,
Marti Hopler
1/13/2014

FINANCIAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
2013 REPORT
In accordance with Redeemer’s bylaws, a Financial Review Committee (the Committee) was formed in early 2013. The Committee members appointed by the Church Council consisted of Mickey Skelton, Steve Englund, and Jerry Hahne. Our function under the bylaws was to conduct an annual internal review of the Church’s financial affairs and to submit a written report of findings to the Church Council. To be clear, our function under the bylaws did not constitute, and we did not perform, an audit, review, compilation, attestation, or other professional engagement under standards governing such engagements.
Following consultations with the Council President, the Treasurer, and the Finance & Administration Committee, we focused our efforts on three areas: governance, internal controls, and the reasonableness of Redeemer’s financial reports included in the 2012 Annual Report. During the spring of 2013, we met on numerous occasions with Redeemer staff members and volunteers involved in the financial and administrative aspects of Redeemer’s operations and performed various procedures related to Redeemer’s accounting and financial reporting.
We met with the Finance and Administration Committee to discuss our work and report our preliminary findings and recommendations in June, 2013, and then presented our final report to the Church Council at the July, 2013 Council meeting. Our report to the Church Council, while noting certain findings and recommendations related to Redeemer’s financial and administrative operations, also conveyed our Committee’s renewed appreciation for the work of the many people involved in Redeemer’s financial operations.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the many Redeemer staff members and volunteers we met with and imposed upon, not only for the courtesy and cooperation they extended to us during our work, but also for their service to Redeemer and its mission. For cheerfully bearing the heaviest volume of our requests and impositions, we must specifically thank Financial Administrator Bonnie Steuart and Treasurer Dean Graves.
Respectfully,
Mickey Skelton
Steve Englund
Jerry Hahne

2014 Nominees for Church Council

Paul Hammelton
Paul Hammelton is a fixture at Redeemer Church. He has been attending Redeemer since he was five years old, about the time Redeemer finished the addition we now call the music suites. Paul’s childhood memories of Redeemer include participation in all the Christmas plays the Shoemakers put together and wearing those wonderful red robes with white tops when the youth choir would sing. He helped with Vacation Bible School while in junior high and high school. These days, Paul can be seen every Sunday morning dashing from the sound system, which he assists in operating at the 8:30 service, to the chancel, where he sings with the Praise team at the 9:45 service, to the choir loft, where he sings with the adult choir at the 11:00 service, all while lending a hand wherever he is needed. He also enjoys playing in the bell choir, where he fills in for any and all missing members, often playing multiple sets of bells at a time. Professionally, Paul works for Freddie Mac’s quality control department. Paul’s parents, sister, and nephew reside in California. His brother is a police officer for Montgomery County.

Gordon Jones
Gordon Jones has been nominated to complete the term of Ed Leong. Gordon and Kate have been active members of Redeemer since 1981. They have three adult children (schooled and confirmed at Redeemer) and a grandson. Over the years Gordon has served in a variety of positions at Redeemer, including being in charge of the Adult Forum, the Tellers, and several Stewardship committees, serving on a pastoral call committee and three previous terms on the church council. He and Kate regularly attend the 11:00 service where Gordon currently assists as usher, reader, and communion assistant. In his professional life, Gordon is a litigating attorney with the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Steve Lancaster
Steve has been a member of Redeemer since 2008 and was confirmed into the Christian family in Minnesota back when he was part of the American Lutheran Church. Since joining the Redeemer family Steve was a member of the building and grounds committee, a member of the 2012 Redeemer Strategic Planning group, sixth grade Sunday school teacher for two years, currently the seventh grade Sunday school teacher substitute, and a consistent usher at the 8:30 service. Steve has lived in McLean since 1988 with his wife Ronnie. They are empty nesters with two daughters, two sons, three granddaughters and one grandson all living in either California or Colorado. Steve has a career in high-tech around the disciplines of sales, marketing and business development and for many years travelled the world marketing his companies' capabilities to foreign companies and governments. Steve is currently a Business Development Director for a local Federal contractor, so business travels are much less and confined to the United States.

Natalie Sather
My name is Natalie Sather, and I am a junior at Yorktown High School. My family and I have gone to Redeemer since I was about 11 years old, after we moved back here from Norway. I’ve gone to Sunday school and got confirmed here since then. I took part in the mission trips to New York, New Orleans, and most recently West Virginia, each experience affecting me deeply and uniquely.

Mickey Skelton
Mickey describes herself as a “recovering management consultant,” having spent nearly 15 years working with companies ranging from sole proprietorships to the Fortune 100, across the spectrum of industries and functional areas, before making the switch to (mostly) stay-at-home mom. Most recently, based on the wonderful experience she and her family had in spearheading the drive to bring goods and supplies to Superstorm Sandy-ravaged areas of New Jersey, Mickey founded the disaster-relief non-profit “From Our Family To Yours, Inc.” She balances operating From Our Family with managing her own family, volunteering as administrator for the McLean Youth Track & Field program, and helping with various efforts here at Redeemer, which have included serving on the Preschool Board, the Financial Review Committee, and the Teller Team, as well as coordinating the effort to update the records contained in our Shepherd’s Staff database. Raised Lutheran in central Pennsylvania, Mickey joined Redeemer in 2008 along with her husband, Michael Michaud, and their two children, Katherine and Richard.

Nominees for 2014 Synod Assembly
Paula Green
Harold Hofstad
Russ Jones
Michael Philpy
Robin Taylor

Summary of Proposed Mandatory and Congregation Council Recommended Changes
to the
Constitution and Bylaws of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
Explanation
Our bylaws were amended in 2011, but our constitution was last updated in 2008. Since that time, a number of mandatory provisions for the ELCA constitution for congregations have been approved by the two subsequent Churchwide Assemblies. The changes presented in the first section are “mandatory” changes to conform to the current constitution for congregations; this section also includes changes that are necessary following the incorporation of the congregation in 2010. Only one new bylaw has been proposed. This bylaw outlines the After School program and its governance structure. Other Congregation Council recommended changes are more in the nature corrections and cleanup.
Since this is a summary, members are encouraged to study also the “redlined” constitution which shows all the changes. Note that many are provisions that have simply been relocated and not amended substantively.
How the constitution is organized.
Before tackling the document, here are some ground rules for reading it. First, every numbered section (and the subsections contained in the section) with an asterisk (*) is mandatory. Like our parents used to say, “You can look but not touch!”
The numbering system begins with a “C”, meaning “Constitution,” followed by an “0#”, which refers to the chapter number, followed by another “.0#” which refers to the section in the chapter. You will also see subsections numbered as follows: C01.01.01. The third “.0#” identifies a bylaw. You will NOT see a bylaw in a section with an asterisk. Our current constitution and bylaws are separate documents. Since bylaws clarify something in the constitution, the bylaw provision is now included in the relevant section of the constitution.
Mandatory Changes
Eliminate Trustees. The historic church model in Virginia (and elsewhere) had trustees hold the real property of the church, but this changed several years ago when the congregation was incorporated, eliminating the need for trustees, and placed ownership in “this congregation.” No real property of the church can be sold or mortgaged without the approval of this congregation. It makes sense, when you think about it, because this congregation is responsible for the condition, budget, payment of debts, etc., for our property. Consequently, you will see major changes to Chapter 7 eliminating “trustee” wherever it appears. You also will see edits in Chapter 5. Other changes to Chapter 7 are mandatory to address the process when a congregation dissolves or divides.
Selection of Delegates to a Synod Assembly. *C5.04 (and you know this means mandatory) requires the congregation to elect the delegates to the Synod Assembly. Our practice has been to invite people to attend the Synod Assembly sometime in the late spring and then approve them at a council meeting immediately prior to the Synod Assembly. The former and current C5.04 states, “This congregation shall choose…” but C12.13 stated that the council would appoint delegates, creating a clear conflict. Since this is an * provision, C12.13 must be deleted. In the future, a nominating committee or the congregation council will propose delegates to be elected by the congregation.
Pastor. *C09.05. Although some of the changes here relate to congregations and pastors moving to other Lutheran denominations, other changes are about disability and the process for addressing disputes between pastors and congregations.
Discipline of Members and Adjudication,*C.15. This is a total rewrite of the process for removing a member who denies the Christian faith, commits a serious crime, interferes with the ministry of the church, defames or harasses members, etc. Not that any of us are in these categories, but . . . it should be read. This is different from the provisions for removing members from the rolls due to inactivity.
Amendments to the Constitution. *C17.03. The former provision resulted in approval of an amendment if the synod did not respond within 120 days; the new provision requires affirmative approval by the Synod.

Other Changes Recommended by the Congregation Council
Clean up changes. The words “lead” and “senior” before “pastor” have been eliminated. Our future pastors, council leaders, and personnel chair should determine who should perform a particular function when there is more than one pastor. It should not require a congregation vote to assign responsibility. The words, “the congregation,” have been changed to “this congregation.” “This congregation” refers to us and is recommended for use when it refers to an action or authority to act. The model constitution uses initial capital letters for any called meeting of the congregation. Look for “Congregational Meeting” in the context of the annual or special called meetings. Throughout the document, references to bylaws generally signaled by an initial “B” are deleted and replaced with the new numbering system. There are several non-substantive changes involving spelling or capitalization of terms. An existing bylaw appears at C5.04.01 to preserve this congregation’s obligation to pay for the participation of delegates to the synod assembly. C5.05 was change to reflect that this congregation has an endowment fund, more fully described in C13.
“Continuing Resolution.” Washingtonians think this is a way to fund the federal government when there is no budget; we even refer to it as a “CR”. Lutherans will have none of that! The way the model constitution uses “Continuing Resolution” is different. It is an action by the Congregation Council that expresses an action or decision of the Congregation Council related to a particular bylaw. It attaches to the end of the numbering as follows: C13.01.04.A13 “A” signals a Continuing Resolution, which is followed by two digits representing the year in which the Continuing Resolution was adopted. Subsequent continuing resolutions continue alphabetically. It’s a pretty clever way to identify when an action was done by the council and a way to review, amend or terminate the provision by Congregation Council action. Subsections starting with a capital letter do not require congregation action. There are NO continuing resolutions in the constitution being presented for your approval.
Committee structure. All the congregation’s committees and teams are now found in Chapter 13. Given its functions, the Endowment Committee is included in Chapter 13.
“Organizations with the Congregation”. Chapter 14 of the constitution provides for other organizations that operate semi-autonomously with significant functions. The Preschool and After School Programs are located in this section. As to the Preschool, this is simply a relocation, but the After School Program provision is new. The Congregation Council reviews and approves (perhaps “blesses” is a better word) their budgets, but otherwise provides limited oversight for these wonderful ministries.
“Continuing meeting.” C10.04.01 The wording that describes a meeting that starts, recesses, restarts, then recesses, has been amended to clarify that it is permitted when it occurs on the same day.
“Executive Committee.” The Treasurer has been added as a member of the Executive Committee. C13.01.02
Name change: “Pastoral Ministry Committee” has been changed to “Mutual Ministry Committee,” reflecting more accurately the mutual process intended for this committee. C13.01.05.
Use of electronic mail and authorization for teleconferenced meetings. C12.13 allows meetings to take place electronically, i.e., by phone, WebEx, etc.
Membership review by the Pastor. The current document requires the pastor to review the membership rolls “at least annually.” The amendment now states, “Annually, the pastor….” C8.05.01
Nominating Committee. The duties of the Nominating Committee have been clarified in C13.01.03 and C13.01.06. There is a nominating committee for congregation council and Endowment Committee members; a separate nominating committee may be formed to recommend members for service on a call committee. Nominees to a call committee are elected by this congregation.

ACTION PLAN IN RESPONSE TO 2013 CONGREGATION MEETING
Introduction
At the February 2013 annual meeting of the congregation of Redeemer Lutheran Church, the following action was taken:
“Discussion of the proposed budget was focused on the need for, and methods to, prepare the congregation’s financial status to support an increase in the pastoral staff while addressing the building debt. The following resolution was passed unanimously: The Church Council is directed to quickly explore and identify the resources needed to prepare for the calling of a second pastor. This is to include, but is not limited to, the retirement of the debt.”
It took the Council some time to formally respond to this instruction, but a draft approach was discussed at the June meeting of the Council Executive Committee, including the following rationale:
“The Redeemer ministry is larger than can be reasonably served by one ordained Pastor. Pastor Kessinger is likely to burn out without additional professional level staff soon.
To cover the several elements that need professional level staff (Christian education, youth ministry, etc.), Redeemer could call a second Pastor (Assistant or Associate) or hire a series of part time people to deal with separate parts of the ministry. The cost of either of these approaches would be approximately equal.”
The advantage of having an ordained associate pastor is to be able to work across all elements of our ministry, and to provide continuity.
The topic was opened at the July meeting of the Council, and has been discussed in every Council and ExCom meeting since that time. These discussions have been briefly reported to the congregation in each Tidings article covering Council meetings since August.
The following rationale and recommendations are the result of those discussions by the Council, in response to the direction adopted at the February 2013 annual meeting of the Congregation.
Rationale
The Redeemer ministry is larger than can be reasonably served by one ordained Pastor. Pastor Kessinger is doing an outstanding job of nurturing the Redeemer community, but we need more outreach to the community if we are to fulfill our mission of sharing Christ’s love with the greatest number of people.
To cover the several elements that need professional level staff, Redeemer should call a Pastor (Assistant or Associate) to ensure the continuity of ministry. In addition to enriching our ministries, this will also reduce the likelihood of burning out our current Pastor through overwork.
Benefits of calling an associate pastor
To offer inspiring and more diverse worship experiences
To better equip and train leaders in the church
To help our members identify their gifts and to integrate them into the life of the church and outside in our communities
To work together to live committed lives to Christ
To practice our faith together with joy and enthusiasm
To experience the fullness of the love of Christ and share it with the greatest number of people

Benefits in fulfillment of the Redeemer Strategic Plan
More effectively fulfill its strategic mission “to share Christ’s love with the greatest number of people”
Expand our welcoming efforts and incorporate visitors and new members into our life together
Reach out to the community and strengthen our social ministry
Assisting each member to make Christ the center of their lives
Expand and strengthen Christian education, Bible Study, adult education and other religious opportunities
Reaching out to the unchurched in our catchment area to invite them to Redeemer and touching more people with our ministries
Expand our outreach to the unchurched in the community, inviting new visitors to come and join us
Enhance our follow-up procedures
Build a stronger, more interactive community of members at Redeemer
Enhance member communication and strengthen social and service participation
Achieve financial stability for the long term
Stimulate support for time and talent contributors
FUND RAISING CAMPAIGN
Opportunity
A Congregation the size of Redeemer clearly needs an associate pastor. There are just too many responsibilities a pastor is expected to do that cannot be done by one person---even a Sandy Kessinger. Therefore, we should proceed to call an associate pastor. However, there is a significant impediment in the way of having the funds for calling an associate pastor---namely our sizeable mortgages and the monthly commitment to pay down these mortgages. We should address these two financial commitments in a coupled way.
Fund Raising Campaign
Impediment---We have two mortgages at the present time one on Phase I (Parent’s Hall, Keillor Wing, and kitchen) and the second on Phase IIA (Crossroads, organ and remodeling). The mortgage on Phase I is made up of two parts—one, currently about $324,000 is with a bank, and the second portion of $200,000 which we borrowed from our own reserves. The 2014 church operating budget includes funding to pay the principal and interest on the mortgages which will reduce the balance on the Phase 1 mortgage to $275,000 by the end of 2014. Without any supplemental funding, the Phase 1 mortgage will be retired in 2020. The full cost of a second pastor including benefits will more than likely be in excess of $100,000 per year, meaning contributions will need to increase to the church’s regular operations to fund a second pastor for the long term commitment that is required. A fund raising campaign aimed at paying off the Phase I mortgage early, thereby reducing our mortgage payments, coupled with providing sufficient funds to supplement the operating fund to meet the increased costs of an associate pastor in the early years of his/her ministry is needed.
The campaign should focus on pledges for raising the $275,000 by early 2015 and receiving total pledges of $500,000 including the mortgage pay down over a three-year period. This approach would free $48,000 in annual mortgage expense and provide needed funds to supplement the operating fund in the early years of the associate pastor’s ministry. It is recommended that a fund raising campaign be initiated in 2014, with a goal of obtaining pledges for a minimum of $500,000 to be paid over the period 2014 to 2017. That amount would pay off the bank mortgage on building Phase I, and permit the calling of an associate pastor with a 2016 start. The initiation of the call process for the associate pastor will be contingent upon pledges for the elimination of the Phase 1 mortgage and continued prayer and reflection by the congregation on the ultimate needs of Redeemer for ministerial support. The relief from Phase I mortgage payments, plus the anticipated growth in regular giving, plus fine-tuning of the ministerial staff expenses, would then allow continuing employment of the second pastor beyond 2018. If more than $500,000 is raised, the additional funds would be applied to reduce the second mortgage.

The remaining long-term debt after such a fund raising campaign will be the bank mortgage for Phase IIA, currently at $ 1,151,018, plus the $200,000 borrowed from our own reserves. Servicing of the bank mortgage is included in the annual operating budgets. Given current interest rates, it is not desirable to return the funds borrowed from our own reserves until all bank loans are paid off.
Organization- We have conducted two capital campaigns in the last dozen years with outside consultants. We now have enough in-house experience that we can proceed this time drawing on this experience. The campaign may involve the following elements:
It is an important component that we should regularly pray for God’s guidance of the campaign and the call process.
A chair/co-chair and a Leadership Team for the campaign should be selected. The Leadership Team should include representation from the Congregation Council.
All leaders of the Congregation (Council members, committee chairs, etc.) should be asked to make pledges at the very beginning of the campaign, so that hopefully a report of 100% participation by the leadership of the Congregation can be reported as the campaign is kicked off.
The Congregation Council members (except the Pastor) and the Leadership Team members of the Fund Raising Campaign will develop concrete ways to communicate with and encourage full participation with our members as they are asked to make a pledge to the campaign. Early reporting of the totals from this initial effort gives impetus to the campaign in its early days.
A dinner or gala event should be planned to give the Fund Raising Campaign a rousing kick-off. Given the timing discussed below that should be planned for September/October of 2014.
It is very important to have solid communication as to purpose and progress of the campaign. Thus, periodic reports need to be sent to all members.
Timing
The Fund Raising Campaign should be run in advance of the call process. The Fund Raising Campaign should begin in the spring of 2014. Members of the congregation should be asked to make a 3-year commitment. Hopefully sufficient progress with the Fund Raising Campaign will be gained by the time of the annual meeting of the congregation in February 2015 for the Congregation to feel financially safe in starting the call process for an associate pastor. The call process typically takes 12 months or so, which indicates a date of approximately January 2016 for the arrival of an associate pastor.
Celebration
If these parallel efforts are successful, we could plan a BIG celebration for April 2016—which coincidently is the 60th anniversary of Redeemer’s beginning.

PROPOSAL FOR CONGREGATION ACTION
Current Status
Some relief for Pastor Sandy has been possible in the 2013 budget, allowing the service of a substitute pastor for one Sunday each month, and the conversion of the Youth Mentor position to full time – allowing advancement in at least this one area of our ministries. The proposed 2014 budget continues funding these two initiatives.
The Congregation Council Executive Committee has developed the following proposal for a balanced associate pastor call coupled with a debt reduction campaign, and the full Congregation Council has voted to forward it to the annual meeting of the Congregation for action.
Proposed action plan
Approve the coupled plan of initiating a fund raising campaign as the necessary forerunner of starting a call process for an associate pastor.
The target of the fund raising campaign will be solid pledges for paying off the Phase 1 bank mortgage in early 2015, and with the mortgage payments saved plus additional funds raised cover the cost of an associate pastor from 2016 through at least 2018.
A fund raising committee will be established in the early spring of 2014.
A final decision on proceeding with the calling of an associate pastor will be made by the congregation at the 2015 Annual Congregational Meeting, based on the success of solid pledges to the fund raising effort and funds received to date to pay off the Phase 1 mortgage.

I’ve been attending Redeemer since 1981. I’m involved in adult choir, the praise team and bell choir. I assist with the sound system during service. My parents, sister and nephew live out in California. I have a brother living in Montgomery County. I work for Freddie Mac’s quality control department.

	Organization	Purpose	Area
1	Bethany House	Domestic Violence/Homelessness	Northern Virginia
2	Capital Caring	Hospice	Northern Virginia
3	FACETS	Homelessness/Food	Northern Virginia
4	Falls Church/McLean Day Care	Early Child Development	Northern Virginia
5	Habitat for Humanity	Housing	Northern Virginia
6	Langley Residential Support Services	Intellectual Disabilities	Northern Virginia
7	Lutheran Social Services	Immigration/Refugees	Northern Virginia
8	Lutheran Volunteer Corps	Social Justice	National
9	Lutheran World Relief	Poverty/Injustice	International
10	N St. Village	Homeless Women	Washington, DC
11	Our Daily Bread	Food	Northern Virginia
12	Partner for Surgery	Medical Care	Guatemala
13	Pastor's Discretionary Fund	Meet unforeseen needs	As needed
15	Red Cross Blood Drive	Blood Donation	Northern Virginia
17	Sewing/Quilting Group	Quilts	Guatemala
18	SHARE	Food/Furniture/Clothing	Northern Virginia
19	Shepherd's Center	Transportation	Northern Virginia
20	Social Concerns Discretionary Fund	Meet unforeseen needs	As needed
21	The Village at Rockville	Older Adults Housing	Maryland/National

FAITH & LIFE FORUM
The Faith & Life Forum presents discussions on a variety of topics of interest to our faith community. Forums are held in the Fellowship Hall beginning at 9:45 on Sunday morning. The presentations are informative and challenging, and the discussions often are quite lively. Everyone is welcome, please join us!
Upcoming Forums:
December
3 Immigration & Immigration Reform: Problems & Opportunities, Part I
Ron Kutscher
10 Immigration & Immigration Reform: Problems & Opportunities, Part II
Ron Kutscher
17 Partners in Surgery Update
Frank Peterson
24 No Forum (Christmas)
31 No Forum (New Year’s)
January
7 Conceptual Development of God in the Old Testament
Stephen Cook, Ph.D., Virginia Theological Seminary
Author of The Social Roots of Biblical Yahwism, 2004
Ezekiel’s Hierarchical World, 2004, co-editor
28 Sunni & Shiite Islam
Barbara Stowasser, Ph.D., Georgetown University
Director of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
Author of Islamic Law and the Challenges of Modernity, 2004, co-editor
Women in the Qur’an, Traditions, and Interpretation, 1994
Contact Larry Millstein, lmillstein@millsteintaylor.com, for more information.

FAITH & LIFE FORUM
The Faith & Life Forum presents discussions on a variety of topics of interest to our faith community. Forums are held in the Fellowship Hall beginning at 9:45 on Sunday morning. The presentations are informative and challenging, and the discussions often are quite lively. Everyone is welcome, please join us!
Upcoming Forums:
December
3 Immigration & Immigration Reform: Problems & Opportunities, Part I
Ron Kutscher
10 Immigration & Immigration Reform: Problems & Opportunities, Part II
Ron Kutscher
17 Partners in Surgery Update
Frank Peterson
24 No Forum (Christmas)
31 No Forum (New Year’s)
January
7 Conceptual Development of God in the Old Testament
Stephen Cook, Ph.D., Virginia Theological Seminary
Author of The Social Roots of Biblical Yahwism, 2004
Ezekiel’s Hierarchical World, 2004, co-editor
28 Sunni & Shiite Islam
Barbara Stowasser, Ph.D., Georgetown University
Director of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
Author of Islamic Law and the Challenges of Modernity, 2004, co-editor
Women in the Qur’an, Traditions, and Interpretation, 1994
Contact Larry Millstein, lmillstein@millsteintaylor.com, for more information.

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