A Note From Your Church Council President

Dear Members of Faith Lutheran Church,  

I can barely see you through the smoke, haze, masks, and social distancing!  What a month we’ve had here in Chico; and a few more challenges face us over the coming weeks. In ways I could never have imagined, I now look forward to our weekly worship services online, the e-Blast that I get from Michael every week; my Zoom meetings with Church Council; and an occasional face-to-face with Pastor Ben and the rest of the staff. 

Thank you for your generosity in our Stewardship campaign.  Council members and our Stewardship Campaign leaders met with Tri-Path Technology, and we anticipate that work will be able to start on our Sanctuary AV project toward the end of September or early October.  This will include sound and video cameras for the sanctuary and a new campus networking project (including robust wi-fi, new wiring, and connections to cable).  We are close to having the funds to pay for this important upgrade (about $95,000 received so far), and we welcome your ongoing commitments and gifts.  I am both grateful for your generosity but also not surprised by our progress to our goal.  Faith Lutheran Church has always acted decisively in bringing our visions for ministry to life.  This is no different than many other projects we have embraced over the years, though it is a tad more costly!  In my next letter I hope to be able to announce that all funds for these AV and networking upgrades have been received.  With some luck we will have this system in place by the time we all begin in-person worship in the sanctuary.  

You will notice that a few “love letters to Faith Lutheran Church” are starting to appear on our web site.  I urge you to take the time to read the notes from former pastors, members, and former members scattered across the country.  So many folks that we’ve known over the years have taken the time to write to us as we move to our next period of life in community and ministry.  Their letters remind me of the wonderful work that we have been able to accomplish over the years, and the energy and anticipation that is at play as we move forward.  If you enjoy these letters as much as I do, please consider writing and sharing your own with us!

My heartfelt thanks goes out to our amazing staff at FLC.  From Pastor Ben to Colter and Luke; from Michael, Jeanette and Lottie to our volunteers like Leo Weiss, Laura Moravec, Musicians, Judy Struck, and the unsung heroes who keep our church going while we worship from afar, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart!  Our Mission Statement and its accompanying visual image of the shared bread and wine are a testament to our resilience in the face of adversity, optimism about the future, love for each other, and unity in Christ.  There’s never been a more blessed time to be Church in Chico.  And you are all part of this wonderful community!

Joel Zimbelman, President, FLC Council