We are seeking your participation in a structured conversation before or after worship on October 30. Emmanuel is engaged in a discernment process that is especially timely as we seek to learn from the experiences of the pandemic. We are seeking to name together our best understanding of our core values and mission priorities. Who is God calling us to be? With whom is God calling us to be in ministry? Our answers to those questions will have implications for how we allocate resources, including the resources of time, money, staff, and building.

To do this work most comprehensively, we have engaged a consultant, Joy Skjegstad. Joy will be here on October 30. We are hoping that everyone will participate in a focus group with Joy. They will be offered before and after worship on October 30 and in a Zoom format in November for those who cannot attend in person. Please register for a focus group by contacting the church office.

Joy Skjegstad works with nonprofits and churches throughout the U.S. to help them achieve strategic focus, develop effective community ministry, and present themselves in clear and visionary language. She is the author of several books including: Real Connections: Ministries to Strengthen Church and Community Relationships with Heidi Unruh (Judson Press, 2021), Seven Creative Models for Community Ministry (Judson Press, 2013), Winning Grants to Strengthen Your Ministry (Alban Institute 2007), and Starting A Nonprofit At Your Church (Alban Institute 2002). She has more than 30 years of experience starting and growing nonprofit organizations and church-based community ministry programs, including serving as the Executive Director of the Park Avenue Foundation at Park Avenue United Methodist Church and as the founder of the Institute for Ministry Leaders, a university-based training program that builds the management capacity of churches and other ministry organizations. She is wife to Brad, mom to Ethan and Julia, and lives in South Minneapolis