Last month, Church Council voted on one of the most important church issues of 2013: the location of contemporary worship services over the summer. Numerous considerations were at hand. If contemporary services were to remain in Fellowship Hall, every alternating Sunday during the summer would exclude worship services in the Sanctuary. On the other hand, if contemporary services were to relocate to the Sanctuary during the summer months, some logistical problems would ensue, and many questions would arise as to the purpose and legitimacy of contemporary worship at Edgebrook Lutheran Church. This matter would require careful consideration.

In reality, consideration had already begun because the contemporary worship service has been thoughtfully and prayerfully developed over the course of almost two years. Upon Pastor Joe's arrival, he formed a Worship Team and tasked it with the development of an alternative worship service designed specifically to:

• Create a more family-friendly church atmosphere
• Reach out to the un-churched and the de-churched (who are generally turned off by formality in worship and worship space).

After the first year, ELC worship leaders determined that the new service was not quite hitting the mark and the Sanctuary seemed to be too formal for this type of service. And so, after considerable reflection , ELC leaders decided to move the contemporary service to the more relaxed environment of Fellowship Hall.

The impact of the decision to relocate contemporary services "to the church basement" was significant and mixed. At its core is the concept of a worship space. The openness and informality of Fellowship Hall is a welcomed relief to some and an unacceptable breach of tradition to others. And how would our congregants respond over the summer if Fellowship Hall were to become the only worship space available to them on alternating Sundays?

Executive Council and Worship Team leaders began discussions on the matter in early spring. Pros and cons of both sides of the issue were assessed and on May 8 the Council met to determine the summer location of this service. They considered the impact of the absence of Sunday worship in the Sanctuary, especially since "classic architecture" is an ELC core value. However, Council noted that Sanctuary-based worship services are offered every Saturday and decided that they did not have to offer worship in the Sanctuary every Sunday over the summer as well.

Council then shifted gears and considered the matter of contemporary worship in Fellowship Hall AFTER the summer. They concluded that the service was so "on track" with regards to its mission that no further analysis was required. A motion was made to establish Fellowship Hall as the permanent home of contemporary worship after the summer.

It's impossible to summarize two years of service development in a few paragraphs. It's probably not possible to reassure our congregation just how seriously Council took this issue. In the end, however, Council's decision was about what ELC is doing well. Their decision to affirm contemporary worship services in Fellowship Hall reflects their confidence in the direction that Edgebrook Lutheran is going rather than in their desire to preserve things exactly as they used to be.

Edgebrook Lutheran Church is changing. It is growing, and we are by no means finished with worship service development. Plans are already underway to add two more services over the course of the next 2 years - a Youth Service and a Blended "Pop" Service. Council would like to express its sincere appreciation for all of the hard work that the Worship Team has done over the past two years, and they encourage all of our congregants to consider participating in this vibrant core ministry.

Thank you for reading this rather lengthy article. May the Holy Spirit be with you.

Michael Rigsby
Council President