MEET PASTOR CAROL NELSON

The new Visitation Pastor is coming!

 So, here are some details about me and my life.

I was born, raised, and graduated from high school in Butte, Montana.  I am a lifelong Lutheran and a lifelong westerner.  I claim Lutheran genes, as many family members have been pastors.

I went to Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where I met my husband Jeff.  Our life together fit the pattern of many families then, dad worked and mom stayed at home.  Then the children left and mom went to work.  I have been a ski instructor at Mission Ridge near Wenatchee, run the ski program for the handicapped, worked for the City of Wenatchee and at the Wenatchee Valley Clinic.

My call to ministry came late in life, after years of being an active congregation member wherever we lived.  It came as a surprise but was loud and clear.  So our lives changed dramatically.  We sold our home in Wenatchee and went to Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.  When I became a pastor I was doing my “heart’s desire.”

Jeff and I are east side of the mountains people and were planning to retire to Yakima sometime because our daughter and family live in Naches.  God just got us here sooner than we expected.  My call was to Christ Lutheran here in Yakima where I served until my retirement last August.  And now in January I will continue to do my “heart’s desire” as the Visitation Pastor here at Central.

I look forward to serving with you as we live out our calling to tell the GOOD NEWS.

Pastor Carol Nelson

Habitat for Humanity

“God’s work.  Our hands.”  There are many ways we can share God’s love in our world.  One way that many have found to be meaningful is our congregation’s outreach to El Salvador through Habitat for Humanity building projects.  A team is forming to travel to El Salvador this fall (Oct. 24 - Nov. 1st, 2009).  If you are looking for ways to put your faith into action, examine the world, seek adventure, and experience personal growth then this is an opportunity you need to investigate.  For more information call Bruce Willis at 966-2019 or e-mail at willis.b@charter.net.

SUMMARY OF ANNUAL MEETING

              The Annual Meeting of Central Lutheran Church was held on November 15^th, after the conclusion of the 10:45am worship service. Vice-President of the Church Council, Jeff Chapman, presided in place of President Doug Dahlke, who is in the rehab section of Yakima Regional Hospital following his motorcycle accident earlier this year.

Current members of the Church Council were introduced. They are Jeff Chapman, Jennifer Loyd, Kris Vestad, Doug Dahlke, Melanie Sanderson, and Dotty Swank. The three members whose terms expire at the end of this year are Linda Gordner, Shane Pierone, and Ardelle Ringhouse. Three new members were elected to replace those who will be leaving. They are Lois Sabol, Ken Ramm, and Sonny Meling.

Members of the Endowment Board were also introduced. They are Erika Vestad, Nicole Pierone, Cheryl Bush, Chet Hausken, Jeff Hagen, and Dale Schliemann. The three whose terms are expiring are Nancy Roehr, Bruce Willis, and Jan Lyon. In addition, Dale Schliemann asked to be relieved of the remaining two years on his term. Since Bruce Willis and Jan Lyon were eligible for re-election, they will be joined by new members Dale Miller and Virgil Umbarger.

Reports from the pastors, the youth director, and various committees were included in the annual meeting information packet. Additional packets are available from the church office upon request. The Budget for 2010 was presented and approved. It represents a 1.21% increase over the present year, with no increase in salaries for staff. Pastor Carol Nelson, who recently retired from serving Christ Lutheran Church, was offered a Letter of Agreement to serve as Visitation Pastor, beginning on January 1, 2010.

If you have any questions about the business of the Annual Meeting please feel free to contact the church office. All of the information presented at the annual meeting is available to any member of Central.

A Note about End-of-the-Year Giving  According to IRS regulations,  donors must deliver checks on or by December 31st in order to claim a charitable deduction for 2009.  Checks that are placed in the church offering during the first worship service in 2010 will not qualify for a charitable deduction in 2009, even if the check is predated to 2009 or actually written in 2009.  However, checks that are written, mailed, and postmarked in 2009 will be deductible in 2009 though they are not received until 2010.