Reach Out. Proclaim. Inspire.

May 29, 2014

May 29, 2014

Dear Friend of St. Philip the Deacon,

We are pleased to report that in a meeting held on April 15, 2014, the St. Philip the Deacon Church Council unanimously affirmed the recommendation of the Call Committee to call Pastor Mark Schmid to serve as St. Philip the Deacon's next Executive Pastor.

Pastor Schmid currently serves as Associate Pastor at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Prior Lake, where his key areas of responsibility include: worship leadership and preaching; outreach and mission; children, youth and family ministries; and stewardship and campus development. Prior to joining the staff of Shepherd of the Lake, Pastor Schmid served at Zion Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

Pastor Schmid began his career working in the Adolescent Mental Health and Addiction program of the Fairview Health System. Pastor Schmid's experience at Fairview prompted a particular interest on his part for fostering healthy systems, as well as a concern for those suffering from mental health and addiction issues. Pastor Schmid currently serves on the Fairview Advisory Council, and has also worked closely with Presbyterian Homes, Beacon/Families Moving Forward, the Greater Twin Cities YMCA, and ZOOM House, an organization focused on serving those experiencing homelessness and poverty.

Pastor Schmid is married to Liza Anderson Schmid, and they have three children -- Trygve (10), Josephine (7), and Marit (4). The Schmid family lives in South Minneapolis with their Yellow Labrador Retriever, Kota, and their Golden Retriever, Lulu.

Throughout the interview process, Pastor Schmid repeatedly demonstrated that he possesses the matrix of pastoral and personal qualities and experience and skills we were looking for in an Executive Pastor. He also impressed the Pastoral Team, the Council and the Call Committee with his capacity for leadership, his theological depth, and his pastoral presence. Pastor Schmid is as excited about joining the staff of St. Philip the Deacon as we are about having him become part of our team. We have every confidence he will help us to expand the depth and scope of our ministries and programs.

Please join us for special Congregational meetings following each of the worship services on June 14, 15 and 16 to ratify the Council's recommendation to extend a formal call to Pastor Schmid to join us as St. Philip the Deacon's Executive Pastor. During these meetings, we also will vote on the unanimous recommendation of the Church Council to accept an offer from Thrivent Financial to refinance the Church's current mortgage (held by Thrivent Financial) at a lower annual interest rate, which will allow the Church to reduce its monthly and annual mortgage payments.

In Christ,

Pastor Tim Westermeyer
Senior Pastor

Bob Paulson
Council President

If you have questions about anything you've read here, or want to know more about St. Philip the Deacon and its ministries, please contact us at info@spdlc.org or 763-475-7100.

Pastor Mark Schmid

Pastor Mark Schmid has been unanimously recommended for call by the Call Committee and Church Council to serve as St. Philip the Deacon's next Executive Pastor.

Please join us for special congregational meetings following the worship services on June 14, 15 and 16 to ratify the Church Council's call to Pastor Schmid.