Faded Blue Jeans

It is that time of year; when the weather gets a bit colder and we exchange

shorts for blue jeans. Summertime brings out clothing for warmer weather, but

as the summer heat gives way to cooler fall evenings, it is more in keeping with

my body’s comfort zone to pull out some faded blue jeans to wear. It is

interesting to me just how comfortable a pair of old faded blue jeans can be. I

have a few pairs that have been with me now for decades. Yes, decades! Some

are almost white at the knees, having been washed so many times that there is

very little blue still present in the fabric. But, I keep them because they are

soooo… comfortable. The fabric, once stiff when it was purchased, has now

become soft and pliable. Over time, those jeans have molded to my body and tell

a story of the many places I have been to and of vacations spent where blue jeans

are the best choice of clothing to wear.

Those faded blue jeans fit well and feel great. Most of us realize, however,

that you don’t get a pair of comfortable faded blue jeans unless you wear them.

Yes, the first time you put on a pair of blue jeans they are awful. Patiently, you

wear those blue jeans in; and then one day, they are incredible.

Together, we are as a parish like a pair of new blue jeans right now. We

have purchased this pair of blue jeans and they are still a bit stiff and

uncomfortable. Still, all that is needed is some time. Time to wash out the

stiffness and time for those jeans (Parish) to get to know each other better. To

mold the ministry to the bodies that we are in Christ, of course this is not going to

be easy and that is the point. It is extremely hard to do. But we know something

about faded blue jeans. We know that it is worth it to not throw those new jeans

away, because it is from those new jeans that faded blue jeans are born.

Patience! It sometimes comes down to this simple good advice. Be

patient! The other day when we gathered together for the picnic, I was a bit

apprehensive. Don’t ask me why, I just was. Then, I watched as people started

coming in and sitting next to each other and the quiet space became disquieted

as we turned and started conversing with each other. It was reminiscent of my

first day of school. Sitting next to someone I didn’t know and suddenly

discovering that we had something in common, and washing away my fears and

replacing apprehension with a sense of community. Oh, to be a child again!

So, here we are going into the fall. Time to put some of the stiffness away,

time to wash out some of the blue and find common ground and enjoy the

comfort of knowing that we are creating a faded blue jean kind of ministry. A

ministry molded to who we are and what God is calling us to become. Praise be

to God!

Blessings, Pastor Jeff

Fall Makeover

Ready, Set, Go!

There is no longer a time buffer between talking about being a parish and

actually living into parish life. Fall is just around the corner--and maybe it is just

me, but already the morning air feels a lot like fall. Now no one in their right mind

would want to shorten the summers up here in the Northland. Still, it just feels

like autumn is speeding towards us like a freight train.

Life is filled with seasons. There are seasons in nature and there are

seasons in life. My children are not very appreciative of the season I seem to be

entering in life. It is the season of the aging body. No one gets to be a stranger to

that season. It’s the aches and pains that seem to accumulate over a life time.

Then they hit you all at once making you suddenly aware of all the less than

healthy ways you have treated your body when you were younger. Still, we are

given an opportunity to play a bit of a mulligan with our health by just treating

our bodies with a bit more respect and a bit more care.

Fall makeover is this time in the calendar year when we move from summer

to fall and there are all sorts of changes that we need to make. But, it’s good! It’s

healthy! It is also very necessary. My son Kyle started trimming the perennial

plants around our house yesterday. I’m hoping to coat the blacktop in front of my

garage to protect it for winter.

The church is also getting ready for a busy fall. Sunday School is soon to be

starting in both Family of God and Kenwood. We are going to have to make

decisions about Adult Bible Study and a host of other things. The most important

of those decisions is to prepare and to be patient and kind. As this fall makeover

takes place, we all know that change is hard. We may not look the same or move

as quickly as we once did. We will have a few aches and pains to deal with. But

listen, it is all good. With age and changing seasons comes wisdom.

The makeover is hard, we feel the wind of it first, and the chill of it surprises us. We

will survive! We will do good ministry together and we will trim and prune and

wrap up and protect so that come spring there will be new growth and roots deep

in the soil of God’s grace. I invite you to check out the fall colors with me. To

appreciate the makeover that is here for us to enjoy.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Jeffrey Holter

(Your Fall Guide in Christ)

Youth of Ministry

You probably think I have mistitled this newsletter message, but I intentionally want to lift up not the ministry to youth but the ministry of youth. It is no surprise that we struggle to keep our young people active and engaged in the church. It is oftentimes because we hold on to tradition and maybe even think that they do not appreciate what we hold on to; certainly there is some truth to that idea. We may, however, be surprised that our youth are not always opposed to tradition but find it hard to be “left out” of tradition and what constitutes good “Lutheran” tradition.

The ministry of our Youth in whatever form it may take is a Lutheran tradition. Reaching out to “all” people is as Lutheran as it can get. That includes worship and a strong theology of inclusion. The sign “All are Welcome” is not a new idea. Lutherans have from the beginning been called to share the good news to everybody. What can frustrate our youth is what frustrates all people. It’s a ministry that invites some and excludes others. It’s the idea that we should practice what we preach and open not just our communion table but also other areas of our ministry together in the body of Christ.

I just returned from the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. It was awesome! It was noisy! Did I mention that it was noisy? It was NOI……SY! What was noisy? It was the sound of 16,100 youth praising God. But…it was also the sound of youth opening their minds and hearts to a way of thinking about faith. Their faith. And it was the sound of 16,100 youth becoming aware that as they are created by God to be brave, authentic, free, disruptive to evil and filled with the spirit of God to be His disciples. That is a mouthful! Is this not the tradition we are all being called to hold on to? I know it is what inspires me. I hope it inspires you also.

 If… If we can open our ministry to the tradition of inclusion I know with all the faith God has given me that the future of our church is going to be awesome! You heard me, “Awesome!” We all have something to share. After each day at the gathering we met to reflect on the day’s events. I would ask the youth what most spoke to them at the gathering. They shared some very interesting

thoughts. The most provocative day was the day about being “disruptive.” Who knew that we are called to be disruptive? It seemed so far from my way of thinking until the speakers got up and talked about what they understood that to mean.

It’s not the disruption fueled by disrespect. Instead it is the disruption of speaking truth to fear, and speaking out against injustice, and holding on to love instead of violence, prejudice and racism. I was honored to be a part of the youth of ministry that has so much to offer this wonderful Lutheran church. I am humbled by their patience and hope to invite all people to work with me in this ministry of our church for our church.

Thank you, Everybody!

 Pastor Jeff Holter

The Calm Before the Storm

The Calm Before the Storm

by Pastor Jeff Holter

Our family used to take vacations on the many beaches while in Brazil. We

would pack our VW van up with all of our beach stuff and head for the ocean. It

was not “Glamping” like they do today, with fancy hotels to cater to your every

need. We truly did “Rough It.” For the most part, we would set up a canvas tent

on the sands along the shore, hoping that we were not too close to the ocean

when the tide came in and not too far away, which would require one to walk

though the grass loaded with thorns. In the end, we got pretty good about

knowing when to move farther inland to avoid the storms that were pretty

common along the coast.

Everyone in our newly created “Parish” has been very kind. I have been

asked many times; “So, pastor, how are things going?” All I can tell you is that so

far things are going well. The worship schedule is going as well as can be

expected. Then, it has only been a couple of weeks so far. And I am getting to

know a few more names of the people at FOG; with time, that will only feel more

natural. The worship team at FOG even allows me to sing along with them on

Sundays. Boy, are they ever in for an awakening. But… so long as they sing songs

that I am familiar with we will be ok. The storm hits when the music requires me

to actually read music. Bring your ear plugs then! But all in all, this has been a

good transition to “Parish” life and “Parish” identity.

Believe me when I say that the real storm is yet to come. There will

inevitably come days when we will need to have all hands on deck! Preparation is

the key. What will be needed at that time, is everyone working together, because

the difference between a storm that can devastate us and a storm that will draw

us together “is” preparation. I like what I am seeing in the “Parish Council.” We

are going through the calm right now. The financial picture has calmed down for

both congregations and that is a breath of fresh air. Who knows what tomorrow

will bring there. The activities are on auto mode but people have been working on

overload for quite some time now. How will we manage the growing need for

changes in leadership? It is hard to let go when you have been responsible for so

long. Take a breath … it will work out!

My vision right now is that of a parent whose eldest child is getting ready to

go to college his/her freshman year. I haven’t been here for a long time and this is

all new to you as well. Best advice I have is to listen to each other. Listen actively,

and communicate often. We will find the time to support each other even if the

storm hits. Anticipate, celebrate, but don’t accuse or get judgmental. The last

thing anyone wants to hear in the storm is, “Why didn’t you tie down the tent?”

Just start holding on and seeing that everyone is ok. Check and make sure that

everyone is safe. Keep moving, because storms pass and then the sun/son

appears and hope is renewed and peace is restored and God still loves us and we

are still his “children”. And we… well, we are still one in Christ. That is the

message we cling to. In Christ … we are ONE.

Colors Flying

Colors Flying,

by Pastor Jeffrey Holter

“We are just getting started on this journey we are calling a “Parish.’”

This past week, a couple of things happened that I was looking forward to. The first was the engine noise from the race track in Proctor. Every year I anticipate the noise from the Proctor Speed way, and like clockwork, it never disappoints. The engines will begin roaring about 6pm and sometime about 10-11pm it ends. The sound is deafening and I love it.

The other event I enjoy happens on Wednesday evenings during the summer. The sail boats begin lifting their sails and journeying out into the open waters of Lake Superior. It is actually quite magical to watch, especially from the vantage of a hillside in Duluth. The sail boats come in many shapes and sizes, and the sails also come in different sizes and bright and beautiful colors. It is as if all the boats are flying their colors and letting everyone enjoy the freedom of the open water.

There is a familiar story in Matthew’s gospel (Matthew 14: 22-33). It’s the story of Jesus walking on the water. As Matthew tells the story, Jesus comes walking on the water and the disciples in the boat think he is a “Ghost.” I get it--ghosts can be pretty scary. But then Jesus speaks to them and says, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

What follows is one of those situations where someone over plays his hand. Like Kenny Rogers says, “You got to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.” Peter gets it into his head that he too can walk on water and kind of invites himself into the storm. Not a good idea! Anyway, so long as Peter keeps his eyes on Jesus, “ghostly” things stay away. But it doesn’t take long before this story takes a turn. The end of the story is classic Gospel. Jesus steps in and takes Peters hand so that the storm does not overwhelm him. So that death does not have the last word.

We are just getting started on this journey we are calling a “Parish.” It actually could be the biggest storm we will face together. We could be treading some pretty perilous waters, and there are potentially all kinds of “ghosts” out there. It’s frightening and we may also want to over play our hand. Perhaps thinking we can control everything, if we just play our cards right. But the truth is the sea is deep and the waters are rough. I suspect that we have become accustomed to doing things ourselves, even when the water is 10 feet over our heads. This story could spell disaster for us unless…unless Jesus just happens to be close. I mean holding our hands close. Really…close enough to call out to us to take ahold of his hand. To stop trying to control everything on our own. Sounds like perfect advice especially when your name is Peter. “The Rock!”

I like letting everyone know what the shape of my sail looks like. To know what are the colors that I fly under. So here goes. Jesus is first, my wife is second, my family comes next and then comes the church. Of course, after church there are a myriad of other things. One more thing; when times have been difficult like the storm in the gospel story I find that holding Joan’s hand gives me strength. Jesus pulls us out of all sorts of difficult situations. We may find that these two churches are one of God’s way of offering a hand. It will take faith to take that hand, but I believe that we can because Jesus is with us. Close, yes, oh so very close. And promises never to let go!

Blessings, Pastor Jeffrey Holter

The New Path Forward

Last month Family of God held two exciting meetings. On Sunday, April 14, the congregation passed a vote to unite in partnership with Kenwood Lutheran Church, creating a two-point parish. On Sunday, April 21, the congregation passed a vote to call Pastor Jeff Holter, current pastor of Kenwood Lutheran, as our new pastor. We have found our path forward. 

The church council would like to thank the congregation for your participation in this meeting and throughout this process. The questions asked were insightful and helped us to envision what this next step will look like. We also remain grateful to Pastor Mark Holman as our final interim. His expertise, work with the synod and congregation, and calm demeanor have helped us navigate this process smoothly. 

Pastor Mark’s final service with us will be Sunday, May 5. Pastor Jeff Holter will begin on Sunday, June 2, at our new time of 8:45 a.m.

Thank you for your participation, questions, and patience

Your Church Council

Thank you, Pastor Mark!

by Rose M. Fife, Communications Specialist

Churches in need of an interim pastor can often be a holy mess. And Pastor Mark Holman isn’t afraid to walk into places of upheaval. “I credit my mother. She had a rare ability to deal with chaos.” 

Family of God’s third (and final!) interim, Pastor Mark Holman began working for Family of God

in February 2024. He has worked as an ELCA pastor, a hospital chaplain, an ELCA Global

Missions staff person, and an interim pastor supporting congregations in conflict. And he keeps

trying to slow down.

“I have flunked retirement four times,” he says. He has served as an interim pastor many times,

including a parish in Jerusalem, and other locations in Duluth, Fargo, and Minneapolis.

While serving as an Interim Pastor at First Lutheran Church in Duluth in 2013, Pastor Mark and

his wife, Marcia, fell in love with the community. Four years ago, they decided to move from a

downtown Minneapolis hi-rise condominium to make Duluth their permanent home. He now

works to facilitate and help congregations with their interim needs while providing pastoral care

and education; along with supporting the process of the Call Committee and other parish

agreements.

Where It Began

Originally from Minneapolis, Pastor Holman met Marcia when he attended Golden Valley

Lutheran College in Golden Valley, MN, 1967. Married for 54 years, they lived abroad for many

years and still enjoy traveling internationally. (They have been to all 7 continents!) Before

retirement, Marcia worked as a special education behavioral specialist, focusing on children on

the autism spectrum.

Pastor Mark provides worship leadership, pastoral care, and guidance for the FOG staff as well

as the church council. He is also an advocate for Family of God as we navigate (the final stages

of) a parish agreement with Kenwood Lutheran Church.

A Calling For the Work

Pastor Holman feels there are needs within the church that he is equipped to help with. “I’m

interested in engaging with staff and leaders to discern how the Holy Spirit is moving us forward

in ministry. It’s a privilege to be used in that regard.”

Focused on building trusting relationships in the churches he works with, he wants to help

others determine their calling in ministry. Whether or not they can define it as a calling, Pastor

believes everyone is called to a life of purpose. “The Spirit is alive here. The task is to discern

how we can yoke with the Holy Spirit so we can be equipped to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus

Christ in the language of today.”

Tennis… but not Dinner

In his free time, Pastor Mark enjoys sports like tennis, pickleball, traveling, good friendships, and

extending hospitality. “But not cooking,” he says wryly. 

Pastor Mark Holman will celebrate his final service with us on Sunday, May 5. Thank you for your work with us, Pastor Mark!