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2020 ANNUAL REPORT

GOOD SHEPHERD EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

4141 Mormon Coulee Road La Crosse, WI 54601

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2 Agenda and Statistical Report

3 Official Acts 2020

4 Minutes of the 2019 Annual Meeting—Monty Gilbertson

5 Treasurer’s Report—Todd Holtz

6 Treasurer’s Report—Income Statement—Todd Holtz

7 Treasurer’s Report—Balance Sheet Summary—Todd Holtz

8 Pastor’s Report—Pastor Harald Bringsjord

9 President of the Congregation— Jim Bugge

10 Vice-President of the Congregation—Sara Wrobel

Secretary of the Council—Ellen Klemp

Church Staff Reports:

11 Office Manager—Rick Laufenberg

12 Office Assistant—Kathy Johnson

Parish Nurse—Cody & Kerstin Nedegaard

13 Director of Music—Randy Lyden

Sanctuary Choir Director—Karl Greenfield

14 Bell Choir Director—Linda Jerome

Gloria Dei Choir—Darlene Lassig

Children’s Ministry Coordinator—Tammy Klein

15 Youth Ministry— Jen Servais

Outreach Ministry Reports:

16 Parish Education—Lori Lowell

Care Ministry Team—Don Skibba

Stewardship—Sara Wrobel

17 Membership, Growth & Fellowship—Roger Weeks Jr.

18 55 Plus—Jim & Jan Quinn

Good Shepherd Prayer Chain—Kathy Johnson

Altar Guild—Irene Thorelli

19 Christmas Caring Tree—Candie Luehne

Good Shepherd Women-WELCA—Sara Wrobel

20 ELCA "God's work. Our hands." Sunday & Hintgen Food Project —Lori Lowell

21 Good Shepherd Men’s Group—Bill Klein

Support Ministry Reports:

21 Building & Grounds—Monty Gilbertson

22 Finance Committee—Todd Holtz

23 Good Shepherd Trust Foundation Endowment—Mark Torgerud

24 Memorials & Special Gifts—Rick Laufenberg

Hospitality Committee—Bill Klein

Organization Reports:

25 Pack 10—Gordy Powell

Sugar Creek—Jesse Klosterboer Executive Director

27 Men's Golf League—Bill Klein

2021 Budget:

28 2021 Budget Income

29 2021 Budget Expenses

30 2021 Budget: Expenses

31 2021 Budget: Summary

Creation of Community Advocacy & Outreach Fund

32 Motion by Finance Committee

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Annual Meeting Agenda

11:45am, February 14, 2021

Opening Devotions

Declaration of Quorum

Approval of Minutes of 2019 Annual Meeting

Treasurer’s Report

Pastor’s Report

President’s Report

Reception of 2020 written reports (pages 10 to 28)

Election of Council Members

Authorization for Council appointment of members for Synod Assembly

Authorization for Council appointment of members for Sugar Creek Annual Meeting.

2021 Budget Approval vote

Finance Committee resolution vote

Old Business

New Business

Election of Church Council Members: 4 are needed for a 3-year term; names of those who accepted the

nomination to Church Council are: Roger Christians, Karl Noll, Tim Knudsen, and Todd Holtz.

Completing the first year of their first 3-year term are: Thea Johnson, Harlan McLain, Mark Skolos.

Completing the second year of their first 3-year term are: Jessica Addington, Ellen Klemp, John

Krause, Janet Torkelson, Sara Wrobel.

Completing the third year of their first 3-year term are: *Wayne Atchley, *Ladd DaFoe, Todd Holtz,

*Tim Stalsberg. * not seeking re-election

Completing the first year of their second 3-year term are: Roger Weeks Jr., Jim Bugge

Completing the second year of their second 3-year terms are: No members in this category

Completing the third year of their second 3-year term, and not eligible for re-election are:

No members in this category.

Completing the 1-year term as Youth Representative is: Karina Bronson

Authorization for the Church Council to appoint voting members to the Synod Assembly June 11,12,13,

2021. Nominating meeting March 14, 2021, Pre Assembly conference May 10, 2021.

Election of Sugar Creek Bible Camp Annual Meeting Voting Member February 21, 2021.

Vote for approval of the 2020 Budget.

Vote for approval of Finance Committee Resolution.

Adjournment, Lord’s Prayer, Benediction

Statistical Report

I. Pastoral Acts

Baptisms 8

Confirmations 11

Funerals 15

Weddings 1

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II. Membership

1. Baptized Membership end of last year 2020 859

2. Baptized Members received during 2020

a. By Baptism (15 yrs. and under) 9

b. By Baptism (16 yrs. and older) 0

c. By affirmation of faith 0

d. By transfer 0

e. From other sources and statistical adjustment 17

f. Total members received this year 26

3. Baptized Members removed during 2020

a. By Death 11

b. By transfer 0

c. For other reasons & statistical adjustment 0

d. Total members removed this year 11

4. Baptized Membership, end of 2020 874

5. Total Confirmed Membership, end of 2020 742

6. Number baptized youth who were confirmed in 2020 11

7. Average weekly worship attendance in 2020 116

8. Total number of people actively participating in the life

of the congregation in 2020 731

At the Annual Meeting of the congregation in February of 2005, the following was added to the By-Laws

of Good Shepherd:

A member who does not, for a period of one year, partake of Holy Communion, support the Church with

their offering and does not appear to have a desire to participate in the life and worship of the

congregation, shall be contacted by the pastor and/or someone from church leadership, encouraging them

to become active. If during the second year they have not done so, they will be notified by church

leadership that they have been removed from our church membership.

Thus, the figure listed in 5 addresses not only the By-Law, but also those who had been on the Inactive List

of the congregation. All names are still part of the church records, but in keeping with the required

reporting to the ELCA, the numbers listed reflect those who have not communed, contributed, or attended

worship for the previous two years.

Official Acts of 2020

The following 17 individuals were welcomed as returning or new members of our church in 2020:

Pete Linnert, Shelly Beck, George & Judy Brockman, Eldon & Fran Ellefson, Roger & Linda Johnson,

Heidi Solchenberger, Dan Huber, Jane Brenengen Reinl, Leah Mikrut, Berek Weingart, Al & Joann

Eitsert, Chad & Mckenzie Ellickson.

There were 9 baptisms held at Good Shepherd in 2020: Boden Zube, Ledger Herdeman, Aspen

Thurin, Amelia Balko, Ryker Ellenbecker, Braylyn Pfennig, Myla Ellickson, Charlotte Ruiz & Katherine

Weller.

The following 11 young people were Confirmed on Sunday, May 3, 2020: Caitlin Weeks, Danielle

Bahls, Eliza Prentice, Emma Osley, Emily Sanwick, Garrett VandeZande, Grace Blegen, Jakob Bronson,

Jordan San Miguel, Lucas Miller & Luke Pretasky.

There was 1 marriage conducted by our Pastor in 2020: Al & Joann Eitser t

There were 11 members of Good Shepherd who died in 2020: Valor ie Kolden, Jon Leveraus, LeRoy

Butterfield, Victor Garness, David Morrell, Paul Kolden, Jean Troyanek, Kathryn Tausche, Walt

Hammond, Connie Erickson & Mark Schaefer. May their memories be blessed among us.

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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

2019 Annual Congregational Meeting

Sunday, February 9, 2020

At 12pm meeting called to order by Jim Bugge, President of the Congregation; quorum declared

with 36 members present.

Pastor Harald Bringsjord opened the meeting with the Litany and the hymn, God of Tempest,

God of Whirlwind.

Jim Bugge made a motion to approve the 2019 Annual Meeting Minutes; 1st by Rich Frosch, 2nd

by Sara Wrobel; motion approved.

Todd Holtz presented the 2019 Treasurer’s Report and made a motion to approve; 1st by Mark

Skolos, 2nd by Rich Frosch; motion approved.

Pastor Harald Bringsjord presented the Pastor’s Report.

Jim Bugge presented the President of the Council report for approval; motion made by Sara

Wrobel, 2nd by Mark Torgerud; motion approved.

Jim Bugge stated as there are many reports listed in the agenda packet, please take the time to

review as needed.

Todd Holtz presented 2020 budget report.

Jim Bugge presented info on the upcoming Synod Assembly conference in June; three persons

have volunteered to be considered as delegates—himself, Sue Bugge and Rich Frosch; motion

made by Pr. John Stennes-Spidahl, 2nd by Don Skibba; motion approved.

Jim Bugge said a delegate is needed for Bethany Lutheran Homes annual meeting on 27 April

2020, Eagle Crest South; Lori Lowell has volunteered; motion made by Larry Lawrynk, 2nd by

Sara Wrobel; motion approved.

Jim Bugge presented the nominees for council: himself, Roger Weeks, Jr., Thea Johnson, Harlan

McLain and Mark Skolos; motion to approve 1st by Tammy Klein, 2nd by Mark Torgerud;

motion approved.

Irene Thorelli presented her comments, “Summary of One Dozen Major Points Relating to the

Proposed Revisions to the Constitution”; lively and productive discussion ensued. Pr. Harald

clarified some of the points Irene proposed; Diane Hammes expanded on the church’s financials

in reference to one of Irene Thorelli’s major points; Gordon Powell, Corinne Holtz and Mark

Torgerud also provided responses to other points.

Constitution approved with changes, as originally provided via notices mailed, published in The

Voice and sent via email.

Todd Holtz discussed the 2020 budget; Tammy Klein asked for clarification on staff salaries—

they should be commensurate with updated and modern amounts; Jim Bugge made motion to

approve; 1st by Sara Wrobel, 2nd by Mark Torgerud; motion approved.

Pastor Harald Bringsjord led members closing with the Lord’s Prayer; meeting ended at 1:19pm.

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Annual Treasurer’s Report

Balance Sheet:

Good Shepherd saw an increase in assets of $34,551.55 even after accounting for $55,443 of de-

preciation (a non-cash expense). An increase of $106,390.91 in the general fund over last year is

the result of generous giving of our members, reduced expenses throughout the year, and for-

giveness of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the Small Business Administration

(SBA) in the amount of $45,600. Several of the accounts and funds have higher balances at the

end of 2020 than 2019. Transfers to the Building Repairs Contingency and Sabbatical Reserve

were completed in accordance with the budget.

Income Statement:

General Fund income for 2020 is over budget by $75,182.25 including the proceeds of the PPP

forgiveness. General Fund expenses were under budget by $114,445.66.

Income = (Lines in green)

Weekly envelope offerings, while under budget, were $4,133.76 over last year.

PPP forgiveness accounts for $45,600.

Expense = (Lines in orange) $114,445.66

Expenses have been held in check for the year with most coming in under budget.

Pastoral Staff Expense is under budget by $54,020.88 primarily due to budgeting for insur-

ance for Pastor Harald.

Support Staff Expense is under budget by $27,991.71.

All other accounts, with exception of one, were under budget with less activity inside the

church due to the COVID pandemic.

Designated/Restricted/Endowment Funds = (Lines in pink)

Designated Funds Income remains good due to the efforts of a number of groups and their

ongoing activities. Income from a lot of those activities is then expended in ministries select-

ed by those groups.

Designated Funds also includes transfers from the General Fund for items budgeted for future

expense: $8,000 for Building Contingency Fund and $1,150 for Pastor’s Sabbatical Fund.

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Intentionally blank for page Balance Sheet.

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Report of the Pastor

This congregational report will look a lot different than any report of years past. For starters: most

people hadn’t even heard of “Zoom” at the end of 2019, and now “Zoom” has become the predominant

way of meeting. 2020 has truly been a time to radically rethink how life is lived. We saw, on the

negative side, anxiety levels increasing and people acting irrationally (e.g. by hoarding of toilet paper),

gatherings in buildings, including churches, being restricted or cancelled, quarantining or isolating, the

shuttering of businesses, debates on how to stimulate the economy, and struggles how to be the Church

when we cannot gather in our usual place of worship.

But despite all the challenges, 2020 also had some positive side-effects: Families spent more time

together, there were more home-cooked meals and more phone calls to one another, teachers

experimenting in bold ways to teach while being socially distanced, parents or grandparents and students

bonding while doing schoolwork. Many became more acutely aware of not only their own health

vulnerabilities but that of others. We realized how each person’s behavior can affect another person’s

health, even to the point of life or death. Our appreciation of the risks and the selfless serving of

healthcare workers grew. Gas prices went down but we didn’t need to drive as much as in-person

meetings were greatly decreased. As a community, we increasingly realized how the most vulnerable

who had previously been struggling, the homeless, those with medical conditions, physical or mental,

those living paycheck to paycheck, and the unemployed, became even more vulnerable and needed a

helping hand. The pandemic has exposed how delicate and frail life really is, as we have lost a staggering

number of our community members and hundred thousands of our fellow Americans. Yet, at the same

time it has shown us the strength of communities and the Church. One of the lessons learned is that even

though certain things have been done a certain way for many years, we can be flexible and we can adjust

and figure out ways to do things differently if we need to, and the will to want to.

Perhaps the most notable change for all of us at Good Shepherd has been in our worship practice. For

many, if not most of us, the expectation is to come together in the church building for worship and many

other gatherings as the body of Christ, for the church building is where God’s presence has been

experienced our whole lives. Yet during this time of the pandemic, caring for the most vulnerable in our

midst moved so many to find ways to do church differently. From Bible study, Sunday school and

confirmation class to youth groups, council meetings and worship services, the determination and effort

to adapt to the pandemic for the sake of safety for everyone but especially for the most vulnerable

opened the eyes of many. It made it abundantly clear that the church can thrive even during a pandemic:

Radical hospitality, dynamic worship, faith development, missions, and generosity have continued in

2020. How did this look in 2020?

Even though the church doors were locked (not seeming to reflect radical hospitality), the parking lot

was open, making worship very public, being able to get the radio connection even across Mormon

Coulee all the way to Ace Hardware.

The cooperation in worship with other congregations showed Christ’s call to reflect God’s love and

grace in the world even though the worship services were online. The cooperation between Our Savior’s,

Bethel, English and Good Shepherd Lutheran Churches was a big deal, and it showed that we are the

Church together. It showed our unity is not based in a building but in Christ, and it was a powerful

witness and one example of the power of being a Synod and being connected to other congregations.

Our online worship services and other “Zoom” meetings allowed people from other cities, states, and

even countries to participate in events taking place at Good Shepherd.

This annual report is a collection of ways that the Church in general and this church specifically has

learned what the Church Song by Jay Beech has proclaimed for many years. One of the verses states:

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“The Church is not a building where people go to pray, it’s not made out of sticks and stones, it’s not made

out of clay. We are the Church, the body of our Lord, we are all God’s children, we have been restored.”

I hope everyone sees throughout the pages of this annual report not just words on a page stating the

financial viability and activities that were done and accomplished, and how things were done differently

this year than in other years, but how we are living out the gospel of Jesus Christ in this time and place and

what it means to be the Church, the body of our Lord.

Thank you to all who have put in so much time and energy to help people feel God’s radical hospitality

through calls, letters, emails….. who have worked on making worship dynamic through the online worship

and the parking lot worship services, who have continued to participate in Bible studies and other

educational events that are explained throughout this annual report, as well as through personal devotions,

and who have continued to support God’s mission, locally and around the world through generosity, and by

simply living generous lives.

As you read this annual report, remember these are not just words on a page but leaders in this church who

are sharing how God’s presence is being made known throughout our community and our world.

My vision as we move into the future is that we continue to expand on what we have learned throughout

this pandemic, that we build on the cooperation with other churches working through our Synod and the

ELCA at large, and continue to think creatively on how to be the Church in the world by doing justice,

loving kindness, and walking humbly with our God.

God’s blessings as we journey together into 2021.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Harald Bringsjord

President of the Congregation

What a year! I think everyone will remember 2020 as one of the most challenging times in our life. The

pandemic has changed everyone’s life, especially our church life. Even though we can participate in on-

line worship or parking lot services, it is not the same as being in our building worshipping with our

friends. Hopefully, we will be back in our building as soon as it is safe without the fear of spreading

Covid19. We will continue to follow the guidelines set forth by our synod and the health authorities. We

are however, planning on having our own streaming service sometime in the near future.

On a personal note, my wife Sue and I had Covid19 during the Christmas holidays (a Christmas we’ll never

forget). We both had mild symptoms and consider ourselves lucky and blessed to have recovered rather

quickly.

ZOOM has become part of our life at church, all of our council meetings, budget meetings, executive

meetings, committee meetings, etc. have been virtual. Hopefully in 2021 we can start having all our

meetings face to face.

The goal of our Fall stewardship drive was to have at least fifty percent of the pledge cards returned to the

church. There was a challenge that if fifty percent of the cards were returned by a certain date two families

would pledge to give $10,000 each. The challenge was met. I would like to thank everyone for returning

those pledge cards and extend special thank you to the donor families.

Thanks to all the church employees, volunteers, committee members, and council for all you do. Thanks to

Tim Stalsberg, Ladd DaFoe, and Wayne Atchley for their service on council for the past three years as they

have chosen not to run again.

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On behalf of the council, I would like to thank everyone for their continued support, not only financially

but all the other ways also you support the church.

Respectfully submitted,

Jim Bugge

Vice President of the Congregation

This year was a year of firsts. This was the first year Council voted to follow recommendations of local,

national and global experts to suspend in-person worship services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was the first year a Special Meeting of the Congregation and subsequent Church Council meeting

were held via an electronic platform (Zoom) to conduct the business of the church. This was the first year

Church Council approved the use of “Stewardship for All Seasons” for the Stewardship Committee

members to expand to year-long giving and growing ministry. Ministry was continued through many

established means such as newsletters, flyers and an exciting new partnership with Our Savior’s Lutheran

Church. New ministry was realized through the outdoor Worship Services, culminating in two Christmas

Eve services featuring votive candle lights and our giant pine resplendent in blue lights which turned to

white on Christmas Day. There are many more firsts we experienced, but these were just a few given to

illustrate that even though the world was forced to pause, we at Good Shepherd found ways to stay

connected, grow our ministry, and realizing that all these first made us stronger in our faith and our desire

to be together again as a church family.

Council Members in 2020 are: Jessica Addington, Wayne Atchley, Pr. Harald Bringsjord, Jim Bugge,

Ladd DaFoe, Todd Holtz, Thea Johnson, Ellen Klemp, John Krause, Karina Bronson (Youth Rep.),

Harlan McLain, Mark Skolos, Tim Stalsberg, Janet Torkelson, Roger Weeks, Jr., and Sara Wrobel

As always, please keep the Church Council in your prayers to continue the ministry of Good Shepherd

Lutheran Church.

Sara Wrobel

Vice President of the Congregation

Secretary of the Council

COVID has had an impact on all of us in some way. Despite this, we found a way to continue with our

Core Values. These are listed at the top of all council agendas and meeting minutes. These values are what

our decisions are based on: Radical Hospitality, Dynamic Worship, Faith Development, Mission and

Generosity.

Radical Hospitality

We continually discuss ways to improve communications with parishioners, send monthly thank you cards

to individuals that have gone above and beyond for Good Shepherd, and thank the staff for making phone

calls to members to “check in” and to say hi.

Dynamic Worship/Faith Development

Good Shepherd found a way to continue with worship despite the inability to have face to face services.

Initially we joined several congregations for online services, on July 11th we expanded our worship with

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our first parking lot service with communion. Bible Study sessions are able to be continued virtually.

Mission

Ministry Without Bounds – the title for our stewardship program- had an overwhelming response. We are

thankful for everyone’s commitment. We were able to continue with our commitment to the Hintgen

School project by having a food drive at our November parking lot service. You will also note in

committee reports the missions that have received monetary gifts.

Generosity

In our treasurer report you will note continued giving by our members despite the circumstances we are

faced with. We have a number of people that have volunteered countless number of hours in order to

continue with serving our Lord.

This is only a small sampling of our accomplishments. In 2020 we were tasked with finding a viable way

to continue worship, meetings and communications. In 2021 we will strive to continue to learn and

improve in order to enhance our life at Good Shepherd.

Ellen Klemp-Secretary

Office Manager

2020, a year we will all certainly remember for the rest of our days! March 15, 2020 is the date of the last

Sunday Service held within the walls of Good Shepherd. Since that day, we have done our best at the

improvisation needed to continue to provide worship opportunities and spiritual and emotional support for

all of our church family. By switching to online services from Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, and

implementing our own parking lot services, I hope we have helped fill the void in our spiritual lives left by

this pandemic, and I thank you all for your patience and your continued support of Good Shepherd as we

eagerly await the day that our synod guidelines will allow us to open our doors to worshiping together in-

house again.

Your continued support has made this possible and has allowed us to continue to work at doing more in the

coming months by installing our own video system here at Good Shepherd. This will give us the capability

of streaming our own worship services until we can begin in-house worship again. We will also continue

to stream our services to our members who cannot make it to church, as well as potential new members in

hopes of growing our congregation as we move into what I see as a future bright with hope and opportunity

for us all.

Until that day comes, please continue to follow safety guidelines that have been put in place. Wear a mask,

maintain social distance, wash your hands and use sanitizers after being in public, avoid crowds and

unnecessary trips out, etc., etc. Do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones, do it for your friends and

neighbors. As frustrating as it has become, these simple actions are the most we as individuals can do to

help ensure that we are not still in this battle with COVID when I am writing this report again in 2022.

Respectfully Submitted,

Rick Laufenberg

Office Manager

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Office Assistant

Boy what a year we have had. My duties have changed a little, I still help Rick where and whenever he

needs me. Helping with the deposit, keeping the church calendar so they are up to date and correct.

Maintaining the churches membership directory, with your help by keeping me informed of any changes in

your life like names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. We prepared for and had a lot of

baptisms, one wedding off site and new members that joined, YEAH!! And we mourn the death of 11

members this past year and weep together with their loved ones, as we also rejoice in the promise of hope

in the resurrection.

Mobile Meals: Good Shepherd has been involved with Mobile Meals for many years. This last year we

had 16 people who helped with delivering those meals. We would like to thank: Monty & Lois Gilbertson,

Randy Page, Judy Casto, Barb Moe, Jim & Heidi Kwiatkowski, Irene Thorelli, Phyllis & Tom Lynch,

Michelle Schaefer, Richard Figgie, Julie Schroeder, Shelly & John Saegrove, Susy Foster. If I have

inadvertently left someone off this list, I apologize because we truly appreciate all of you helping with this

community program. We are always looking for more drivers, if you think you might be interested in

helping with this ministry, please contact me in the office, Monday thru Friday, 8am to 1pm. Thank you!!

Mailing Crew: What can I say about them, they’re the greatest. The mailing crew is made up of volunteers

who come together, usually the last Thursday of each month, to assemble our monthly church newsletter,

“The Voice”. Many thanks to the following fine ladies & gentleman who were caught in the Choir Room

talking and enjoying themselves while doing Good Shepherd a big favor, they are: Bobbie Cree, Barb

Doering, Darlene Lassig, Virginia Mannstedt, Peggy & Vic Garness, Irene Thorelli & Sarah Nohr. Sorry if

I missed anyone. Of course, in March the Mailing Crew came to an end because of COVID. I have been

doing what they were doing and cannot wait until we can open our doors again so the Mailing Crew can

continue with their duties once again. Thank you everyone!!

Ushering/Reading: The already established usher system for 2020/2021 was also put on hold when

COVID happened. The only thing I was able to work on was asking if the ushers were willing to stay

ushers & sub ushers for another year. When I see that we are able to open our doors and have safe services

again, that is when I will come up with a usher schedule that will work for everyone. This is how it will

work for our readers. Thank you all so much for being patient.

Missing you all,

Kathy Johnson,

Office Assistant

Parish Nurses

What a year 2020 was. In our second year as parish nurses for Good Shephard, Kerstin and I were

not able to accomplish the goals we had for 2020. We hoped to be more involved with current Church

practices and the congregation but were limited with no in-person services. We hope to soon be able to

attend in person services and interact with you as the congregation again.

This year has been very busy for us as we are both hospital nurses. We have continued to write

articles each month for the voice and encourage you to reach out to us if you have suggestions for topics

you would like covered. When able, we will continue with blood pressure checks the first Sunday of each

month.

We look forward to continuing to grow with the congregation. We are very thankful for the support

we received in 2020 and look forward to serving you in 2021. If there are ever any questions, or any health

topics you have interest in, please do not hesitate to contact us.

God Bless,

Cody and Kerstin Nedegaard

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Director of Music/Worship & Music/Sounds of Praise

The year 2020 began as usual with worship presentations by the Sanctuary Choir, Hand Bell Choir,

Gloria Dei and Sounds of Praise. On Sunday, February 23rd, Good Shepherd Church welcomed

Renee Splichal Larson as guest preacher. We used the liturgy “Behold, I Make All Things New”,

which was composed by her late husband, Ben Splichal Larson. She was delighted to hear it being

led by Sounds of Praise, saying she had never heard it rendered using the instruments that Sounds

of Praise employs. The 2020 Caring for Souls Concert featured Renee telling her story, with

musical presentations by the Central Robed Choir and other Central choirs.

When Good Shepherd locked down in March it was thought that the doors might open by June, so I

arranged for and scheduled a number of our fine musicians to provide special music in the summer.

However, the lockdown continued, the scheduled presentation dates passed by and the music was

never performed. We look forward to hearing these musical contributions from our fine Good

Shepherd musicians when the doors eventually open. A big thank you to those of you willing to

share your musical talents with the congregation!

Good Shepherd offered parking lot services in the months of July through December. For most of

these, a keyboard was set up and connected to FM transmitter so I could play the hymns and

liturgy. Karl Greenfield did a wonderful job of providing vocal leadership for these services, with

Roger Christians filling in for one of them as well. Thank you to Karl and Roger for their musical

service!

The Christmas Eve parking lot services featured prerecorded music for prelude and worship. A

number of the prelude selections featured Jens Bringsjord on violin and myself on keyboard. What

makes this remarkable is that Jens is currently living in Norway, so I recorded Christmas hymns

and sent the recordings to him via email. He then added his violin playing to the recordings and

emailed these back to Good Shepherd Office Manager Rick Laufenberg for processing. A big thank

you to Jens for working across the Atlantic on this endeavor and to John May, who submitted

unaccompanied violin selections for Christmas Eve prelude as well. For the Christmas Eve service

itself, I emailed Karl recordings of the hymns and liturgy and he added vocals to them and sent

them on to Rick for processing. Thank you to Rick for all of his work with these sound tracks! For the virtual Christmas day service, different parts of the service were prerecorded at various

ELCA churches. Good Shepherd supplied the prelude and first parts of the service. Again, thank

you to Karl for providing vocal leadership on the opening hymn.

Respectfully submitted,

Randy Lyden

Music Director/Organist

Sanctuary Choir

The 2020 year was unprecedented and none of us knew what it would become. The short time the

Sanctuary Choir was together was good musically, and we had made some strides toward more

challenging and rewarding music before the pandemic rendered our season unfinishable. We hope

to return some time in 2021, but that remains to be seen. In the meantime, sing in your homes with

the online services, and wear your masks! God bless!

Respectfully Submitted,

Karl Greenfield

Sanctuary Choir Director

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Bell Choir

The Good Shepherd adult bell choir performed in church only twice before rehearsals and performances

were cancelled for the rest of the year.

The adult bell choir very much hopes to return to rehearsing and performing before the end of 2021 and we

would like to thank the staff and Good Shepherd members who continue to support and encourage our bell

choir at Good Shepherd!

Respectfully submitted by:

Linda Jerome

Good Shepherd Bell Choir Director

Gloria Dei Choir

Because of the COVID pandemic, our Gloria Dei Choir has not met for much of 2020. I hope the children

miss our singing together as much as I do, and that we can resume our rehearsals again very soon!

Our choir has expanded over the past couple of years, as we welcomed our Sunday School Preschoolers,

kindergarteners and first graders into our group. What a blessing they have been! Our group is open to

all children who like to sing! When we are once again able to practice together, we will meet between

services each Sunday morning in a room just off to the left side of the Mattes Center. I will try to keep you

informed as to when we might begin, but until then, keep singing kids....remember the words to "Won't

You Come With Me To My Father's House", "Jesus Loves The Little Ones Like Me", "This Little Light Of

Mine", and many others that we have sung together? Hopefully, I'll be able to see you all soon!!!

Missing you! Darlene Lassig

Children’s Ministry Coordinator The 2020 Sunday School year has been filled with its ups and downs! We discovered new ways of doing everything

in Sunday School and VBS, inside, apart and with our children’s and families’ health always as a priority.

December closed out last year with our special traditions, and January saw us come back together to share another

story and deliver our Prayer Blocks. Then February rolled in and Prayer Pillows were presented. Bill and I and our

family ended up February with some medical concerns and recovery. We are so very thankful for all the

prayers and support of Pastor Bringsjord, Kathy, Rick and the Good Shepherd family.

After returning to normal, FOR 1 SUNDAY, COVID hit and the rethinking began. We finished out our

stories for last year with a few weeks off as we restructured and re-thought what Sunday School could look

like. It wasn’t ideal, but we landed on Sunday Mornings, after virtual church, and Facebook Live. We

missed a few weeks, but picked up our sharing and learning by August.

We began with VBS in a Bucket. Focusing on Discipleship, we planned a program where all the materials

for the week fit into donated 5 Gallon Buckets. They were filled with paint, brushes, glue, paper, patterns,

lessons, puzzle pages and all the other items needed to participate for each child. One bucket per family,

but the only items families needed to gather were food items for creative snacks.

Then, as the new Sunday School year began, we had hoped and planned to be together again each Sunday

in the Mattes Center. We were able to, again, adjust to weekly Facebook Live lessons, followed by Lori

Lowell teaching preschool lessons by Zoom. We started the year with First Sin, Queen Esther, The Star

(Christmas Theme) and Hannah and Samuel. We will end up this year with Good Samaritan, Lydia and

Doubting Thomas – hopefully we will also spend the summer getting ready to gather together again.

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Though we were unable to gather for First Communion Seder Meal, we will be having a joint

celebration for all to experience the Seder as soon as gathering together for a Seder Meal is safe. Our

Milestones this year have been presented as wrapped gifts to our students during the most timely

outdoor Parking Lot, Drive-In Service held in the Good Shepherd Parking Lot. These have been so fun

and, until we gather inside, these services have given me joy and comfort.

We also gave out Christmas Treat “stockings” this year at both of the Christmas eve services. Thank

you to Kylie for helping in the chilly weather to hand out to all the children who came to services and

for all the help with Homebound Sunday School this year.

On a final note, I am just so grateful to know that all of our Children and Families seem to be making it

through this unprecedented time. It is not easy. I admire, so much, the parents who are working, the

parents with young children who are schooling at home, the parents with teens and tweens who are

schooling from home, those who are working and schooling. Thank you all for wearing a mask when it

when it was fogging up your glasses, for staying 6 feet apart, or for just staying- inside.

And until we all can be side by side again,

God Bless You and Keep You!

Tammy

Youth Ministry

The past year started out on a great note. The Confirmation kids began the new year by making a meal

and delivering it to the Warming Center. It was a powerful experience for some of our kids as they came

face to face with those without shelter. They were given a tour of the Warming Center and had some

thoughtful and reflective questions about those who seek the Warming Center for shelter and food. After

this experience, I was really excited about the future and all we could do with this group of kids. They

seemed excited about becoming active in the community. But then, COVID came…and like everything

else in 2020, the youth program at Good Shepherd had to take a pause and be reimagined. Although the

Confirmation Class of 2020 met all their requirements, we decided to postpone their ceremony to this

upcoming May. Pastor and I were able to meet with the students in an outside setting over the summer

to have our final interviews with them and discuss how they have grown in their faith over the last

several years. These were my first interviews and I found them to be inspiring. The students were open

and honest about how they have seen God’s love in their lives and comfortable discussing questions and

doubts they have. They expressed gratitude for the opportunity to grow in their faith. Confirmation 2021

has been via zoom this past year. Although it will never be close to the same as meeting face to face, our

time together has been full of great discussion and figuring out where we can find God in this crazy

time. We have talked a lot about gratitude, being purposeful in seeing God’s love and our responsibility

to live our life in a way that God would want, taking care of each other. Each week a different student

would select a Bible verse that had meaning to them and shared it with the group. This has allowed all

of us to add to our “inspirational tool box” as we have highlighted those versus in our Bibles to easily

find them when we need to be reminded of God’s word. The students have done a great job of finding

creative ways to volunteer from making cookies to serve the homeless at the park to a drive-thru food

collection for the Hintgen Food Pantry. The students participated in the 2nd annual $5 Challenge and,

again, came up with some amazing ideas on how to be active in changing the world for the better. This

year reminds me of Romans 5:3-5, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering

produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does

not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who

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has been given to us.” It has been a hard year for all of our kids. A year of lost opportunities, loneliness

and isolation at times, and lots of fear…but when we remember that God is always with us, we can find

peace and comfort in knowing that we will get through all that is in front of us. Our teens have done just

that…they are full of hope and inspired to be the best versions of themselves they can be…with God’s

help! I am grateful for the opportunity to grow my faith through our teens.

In Peace,

Jennifer Servais

Parish Education

The Parish Education Committee members share and discuss information, programming, and special

events related to Adult Education, Confirmation, Nursery, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and

Youth. The committee also oversees the Library organized by Jeanne Atchley. The meetings are typically

held the third Tuesday of the month from 6 - 7pm in the Library; with the meetings the first part of the year

being held at church; however, due to COVID, the remaining meetings for the year were held on Zoom

with the focus being on Adult Education, Confirmation, Sunday School, and Vacation Bible School.

The members of the Parish Education Committee are: Jessica Addington, Judy Christopherson, Julie

Foreman, Kathy Johnson, Tammy Klein, John Krause, Lori Lowell, Jennifer Servais, Pastor John

Stennes-Spidahl, and Janet Torkelson.

Respectfully Submitted,

Lori Lowell

Care Ministry Team

Once again, I would like to thank all of the care ministers that were able to participate in 2020. Those that

carry out this loving ministry are: Pastor Harald, Pastor John, Jim & Jan Quinn, Phyllis Lynch, Gundi

Bay, Carol Abraham, Dave Kilmer, Lila & Glenn Seager and Don & Darcy Skibba.

For most of 2020, our outreach communications took the form of letters, phone calls and delivering of gifts

as in-person visits were not allowed due to COVID. We continue to share Good Shepherd church news,

Biblical devotions, and prayers even though our primary communication style has changed.

Please contact the church if you know of someone who would benefit from this ministry or if you are

interested in becoming a care minister and we can provide more information. It is a wonderful opportunity

to do God’s work in our community.

Thank you.

Respectfully submitted,

Don Skibba

Stewardship

“Ministry Without Bounds” is the theme of our Stewardship efforts within Good Shepherd. This theme

gave our committee direction while we couldn’t gather as God’s people, yet wanted to remain connected as

a church family. Stewardship created newsletter articles, E-News, letters, flyers as well as the Commitment

Campaign that culminated on October 17th. We also worked with the Church Office and Staff to create the

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Drive-In Worship Services to continue ministry and grow in our faith in a new and exciting way through

summer and winter months.

Committee Members also participated in “Stewardship for All Seasons” a course and facilitator to guide

congregations to create a plan for year-round stewardship. Committee members met in person and via

zoom to create a survey which became the plan for growing Good Shepherd Ministry and impact. A

challenge was made and heard by the generous Challenge Gift Donors who pledged $20,000 to be received

if 196 “Ministry Without Bounds” Intent Cards were returned by October 17th. The Office received 216

Intent Cards!

These cards reflected our member’s commitment to grow our giving and to achieve the goals of:

Expanding Ministry in Online Worship

Community Action Advocate to expand Good Shepherd’s Impact

Sustaining Vibrant Ministry in 2021

On behalf of the Stewardship Committee, thank you for your participation and ask for your energy to grow

our ministry, participate in the impact of Good Shepherd and advocate for change we can make when we

put our minds to it.

Stewardship Committee:

Pastor Harald Bringsjord, Jim and Sue Bugge, Todd Holtz, Lori Lowell, Sara Wrobel (Chair)

MGF – Membership, Growth & Fellowship

Special thanks go out to members of the Membership, Growth and Fellowship Committee for their efforts

in assisting to grow the congregation and for assisting in the creation of a culture in which all members of

the congregation, whether new or old, feel welcomed and appreciated as part of the Good Shepherd family.

Committee members who carry out this mission include Barb Smyth, Bill Klein, Candie Luehne, Colin

Smith, Duane Schoen, Glenn Seager, Pastor Harald Bringsjord, Harlan & Kathy McLain, Judy

Christopherson, Kathy Johnson, Mary Arlt and Roger Weeks.

One of the activities the Membership, Growth & Fellowship Committee organizes is the annual New

Member Meeting. This year, the new member meeting, which was scheduled for April 27, 2020, was

postponed due to COVID precautions. We will schedule the next New Member meeting when it is deemed

safe to meet face-to-face. The meetings are hosted by the Church Council with council members providing

the food for a pot luck meal. Attendees of the meeting get to know each other, usually by playing a game,

and representatives of the various committees and groups discuss their organization’s charter, activities,

meetings times, etc. to create an awareness of opportunities for new members to get involved. At these

meetings, Pastor Harald presents his vision of Good Shepherd’s mission providing new members with a

greater understanding of our culture and providing alignment for all regarding purpose. New Member

Meetings are followed by New Member Welcome Services at which new members are introduced to, and

welcomed by, the congregation.

The Membership, Growth & Fellowship Committee cancelled plans to organize and host the sixth annual

Neighborhood Block Party in August, 2020 due to COVID precautions. In past years, invitations were

distributed by foot to all homes within a few block radius of church. The congregation is always

encouraged to attend providing a great opportunity for all to meet our neighbors, get to know each other

better and help project a positive image in the community. Local police departments, fire departments and

emergency responders are always invited and encouraged to bring their rigs for display. We encourage all

to attend and join in the fun with other congregation members and our neighbors! Please keep a watchful

eye toward news regarding whether or not we are able to host this event in 2021.

We welcome anyone with interest in our charter and/or ideas regarding how to promote membership and

fellowship and a willingness to help bring ideas to fruition to attend our meetings, or better yet, to become

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an active member of the Membership, Growth & Fellowship Committee. We meet at 6:30pm on the

Mondays preceding Church Council Meetings which usually falls on the third Monday of the month. If you

would like additional information, feel free to contact Roger Weeks at (608) 489-1380, Pastor Harald or

any other member of the committee.

Respectfully submitted,

Roger Weeks

Committee Chair

55 Plus

The ‘55 Plus's group has not been meeting due to the pandemic. During normal times we meet the 3rd

Thursday of each month at The King Street Kitchen restaurant for a meal beginning with a short devotion

and prayer by Pr. Harald.

Please check The Shepherd’s Voice newsletter, weekly church e-news and on the website calendar for

notices of our group resuming our monthly luncheons. If you have question feel free to contact Jan & Jim

Quinn at 608-787-1808. All are welcome & it is a good chance to renew old friendships and make new

ones.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jim & Jan Quinn

Good Shepherd Telephone Prayer Chain

The Prayer Chain was organized in 1989 for the purpose of answering prayer requests in times of crisis.

Prayer requests should be at the consent of the person or family in need. Please call the church office, 788-

0450, to start the Prayer Chain cycle. A quarterly ‘summary’ is sent out to our Prayer Chain members and

this is completed by Kris Geiwitz. We thank Kris for all of the work she does to keep our Prayer Chain

working so well.

In 2020 the Prayer Chain had many prayer requests. I thank all my prayer warriors for their prayers. They

include Carol Abraham, Gundi Bay, Andrea Bringsjord, Arlene Dreves, Connie Erickson, Millie Hamann,

Ione Harder, Barb Hegge, Tammy Klein, Betty Olson, Karen Osley, Larry and Maree Smith, Joan Schultz,

Barb Smyth, and Rosemary Werner. If you would like to join us in praying for our members and friends,

please call Kathy Johnson at 608-788-0450.

The Altar Guild

Members of our Altar Guild are grateful servants: Ministers of God, ministers of God’s people, ministers of

the liturgy, and ministers of the worship space.

For the calendar year 2020, we had eleven faithful people on our Altar Guild. They were Jeanne Atchley,

Stacy Bendel, Arlene & Dewey Dreves, Kathy & Al Johnson, Rich Frosch, Pat Oliver, Linda Schoen, Irene

Thorelli, and Sharon Yushta.

Because of COVID we only provided our services in January, February and some of March. We were

unable to have our Annual Meeting also due to COVID.

We always welcome new members to our Guild. Please call Irene Thorelli at 787-0242, leaving your name,

phone number, e-mail address (if possible) and a message if you wish to join us or just have some

questions.

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Respectfully submitted by Kathy Johnson for,

Irene Thorelli,

Altar Guild Chairperson

Christmas Caring Tree

This was our seventh year doing the Christmas Caring Tree. We did have to do it differently this year.

Candie gathered the names from the different nursing homes and gave that information to Rick & Kathy in

the church office. Working of a spread sheet that Rick created we advertised that we needed people to call

or email us in the office. Thank you to all of those who went out of their way to contact us about the names

of the residents, went out and purchased almost every thing the residents asked for, wrapped up all the gifts

and brought them to church.

We were able to give 52 residents of local nursing homes gifts from “Santa”, in other words YOU!! After

we were able to collect all of the gifts from all of you, Candie & Pennie delivered them to the different

nursing homes. Thou they never got to see any of the residents faces, we know they were surprised and

happy. So, again thank you all for all your love and care. Good Shepherd Members always go over and

above. On behalf of the residents who received the gifts, “A Big Thank You!!”

Respectfully submitted by Kathy Johnson for,

Candie Luehne

Good Shepherd Women -WELCA

Officers: LeeAnn Lyden, Co-President Judy Christopherson, Treasurer

Sara Wrobel, Co-President Carol Abraham, Lydia Circle Leader

Lori Lowell, Vice President

Linda Schoen, Secretary

Good Shepherd Women-WELCA has a passion for supporting individuals and projects within our church,

community, nation and world. The faithful, diligent, generous and spiritually strong women who comprise

our committee are advocates for helping others in our world with what we have been blessed within our

ministry. We welcome women members, of any age, to join us to be a blessing by making a positive change

in our world.

This year our passion for helping others was lessened due to so many organizations, church events and

traditions cancelled or postponed due to the COVID pandemic. WELCA met utilizing Zoom to make sure

our outreach continued knowing need in our community increased substantially this year.

Within our church:

Provide a Good Shepherd Women-WELCA Scholarship for continuing education.

Volunteered at Funerals and Church related events prior to shut-down.

Provided additional books requested by Lydia Circle.

Purchased waterproof aprons for use in the kitchen.

Cancelled: Lenten Service Cake and Coffees, Maundy Thursday Soup for Supper, Easter Breakfast,

Kids to Grandmas Brunch, Ice Cream Social, Good Shepherd Rummage Sale, Holiday Marketplace,

Christmas Decorating Night

Within our Community:

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Volunteered at Blankets of Kindness Event where 207 blankets and quilts were completed for local

children.

Supported by donation to the Salvation Army’s Summer Kid Lunch Program.

Supported by donation: The Warming Center. Sugar Creek Bible Camp, Big Brothers/ Big

Sisters, Lutheran Campus Ministry, and The Women’s Clothes Closet.

Sponsor by donation and participate in Bethany Riverside BINGO and birthday party months prior to

shut down.

Piece Maker’s Quilting Group created and donated 25 quilt tops to Project Linus.

Sponsored The Hintgen Food Project which provides backpack meals for approx. 20 students each

week.

Sponsored God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday where food was collected for The Hintgen Food Project

during the Drive-In Worship Service November 14th.

Sponsored The Christmas Caring Tree providing presents to 52 nursing home residents.

Within our Nation:

Sponsored by donation to Church Women United and WELCA organizations.

Cancelled: WELCA Spring Convention in Cashton, Church Women United Conference.

Within our World:

Supported Lutheran World Relief by donation for postage fee support.

Purchased a farm, chicks and honey bees through ELCA Good Gifts.

These blessings, not to be lessened by a pandemic, were used in caring for our world.

Respectfully submitted by Sara Wrobel, Co-President.

ELCA “God’s work. Our hands.” – Hintgen Food Project

In 2020 the project looked a little different than usual since it was held on Saturday, November 14th,

at 4 pm at a Drive-In Worship Service in the church parking lot due to COVID.

The Hintgen Food Project was recommended and chosen for the community event this year as a

partnership between the donations collected at church during the year for Hintgen Elementary School,

coordinated by Sally Lindahl, and the “God’s work. Our hands.” project, which is all about volunteering in

the community to help your neighbors.

The Confirmation Class and their families were represented by 18 people who volunteered on a cold,

rainy afternoon to collect food and monetary donations, brought all of the donations to the church, held

signs and banners while having fun participating at this event for the children of Hintgen Elementary

School with Jennifer Servais as the coordinator at the event. There were several other volunteers who

helped at the event; and, afterwards to get the donations ready for the children at Hintgen Elementary

School.

There were 48 people in 27 cars who attended the church service, who made this event so successful by

donating monetary and food donations, making it possible for 75 bags of food to be sent out with the

children at Thanksgiving.

Thanks to everyone from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church who volunteered or gave donations and

Thrivent, who sponsored the event, for your help in our community!

Respectfully submitted,

Lori Lowell

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MGF – Membership, Growth & Fellowship

Worship and Praise Team

Committee Members: Anne Blaylock, Kari Ellison, Karl Greenfield, Jaime Greenfield, Linda Jerome,

Nikki Kimball, Darlene Lassig, LeeAnn Lyden, Randy Lyden, Mark Torgerud, Shanon Torgerud, Pas-

tor McGrath.

This year has brought many opportunities for Good Shepherd members to worship in various ways.

Sounds of Praise is again going full swing under the direction of Randy Lyden. Under the direction of

Karl and Jamie Greenfield, the sanctuary choir continues to perform on a regular basis in church and is

continuing to grow in numbers and skillfulness. The Gloria Dei children's choir is directed by Darlene

Lassig and has recently combined its members into one practice in between services. Two hand bell

choirs under the direction of Linda Jerome also provide opportunities for music in our church services.

We will be sponsoring the third annual talent show which will be held on Feb. 8th and will be a fund-

raiser for the youth. It will again feature the talents of many Good Shepherd members through instru-

mental, choral, and dance numbers. We look forward to the coming year, and can’t wait to see what the

Lord calls us to do.

If you would like to be a part of our committee or have ideas, please feel free to speak with a member

listed above. We would love to hear from you!

Respectfully Submitted,

Nikki Kimball

Chair

Good Shepherd Men’s Group

“Our mission is to spread God’s word with our fellow men. Involving other church groups

such as Youth Group, Parish Ed, Membership, Worship and Praise, and Buildings and Grounds

etc. We will work on and help fund church projects. As well as working with outside

organizations to benefit our surrounding community.”

We are always looking for new members and are open to new ideas. We meet every Sunday

evening from 6:30 to 8pm (Currently via Zoom). The 1st meeting of the month starts with a

business meeting, other Sundays we share Highs & Lows, and discuss other things that the group

is interested in.

We look forward to seeing you at a meeting soon!

God’s peace to you all.

Submitted by

Bill Klein Treasurer

Building and Grounds

First and foremost, I want to thank the great group of men on this committee that have be

so instrumental in keeping things going, cleaned up, and growing at Good Shepherd. They are

Steve Arndt, Jim Bugge, Tracy Christianson, Dave Kilmer, Bill Klein, Rick Laufenberg, Mark

Skolos, and Tim Stalsberg.

Thanks again to the congregation for your support with getting the Mattes windows

replaced. They are more energy efficient than the previous glass, and will be easier to replace if

one is damaged. Again, thanks for the congregation’s support of this project.

Tim brought the attention of the trees out front that looked like a future problem. The

maple trees in front of the church were trimmed by Les’ Tree Service to keep the huge branches

from falling on the church. Thanks Tim.

Mark brought attention to the exposed pipe on the Birch street sidewalk. We contacted the

city and had them repair that area to avoid anyone falling. Thanks Mark.

We all came together and took down the Christmas items from the church and stored them

now in the garage so there will not be so much going to the basement to get these items when the

church is decorated again. The basement was straightened up to make for easier viewing of what

is down there.

Lautz/Lassig Construction came in and put an aluminum wrap on the only wood exposed

areas of the church. The installed aluminum soffit over the gable ends of the Mattes center roof.

With this, every exterior part of the church grounds is either stucco or aluminum. This should

keep us maintenance free for years to come.

First American came in and insulated the sanctuary ceiling this past summer. It was

brought to our attention by Tracy Christianson, who noticed that the snow was melting on the

front part of the Sanctuary roof but not the back. After investigating, it was found that all the

recessed lights had no insulation on them, creating a chimney effect, creating a tremendous heat

loss to the attic and roof. This should help considerably with our heat and air conditioning bills.

Thanks Tracy.

This summer we got creative and put together a team approach to the care of the gardens

with respect to the weeds. We broke down the areas around the church and each took an area to

keep clean of weeds and clutter. It worked out terrific. All of the members of this great committee

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deserve thanks for doing this. The grounds looked fantastic all year.

In the middle of October, we had Russ Flowers from Kammel Excavating, came over and

take apart the landscaping in the garden by the garage. After he was done, Dave Kilmer, Steve Arndt

and I rebuilt the landscaping with blocks to give the garden a fresh and less maintenance look.

On October 31st, we did the fall clean up with all the shrubs and flowers being trimmed or

cut back. With the plans for an outdoor Christmas service, we also decorated the pine tree in the

prayer garden with over 1500 white and blue light sets. The blue will be on during Advent and the

white during Christmas.

This being a very unusual year we did not meet as much due to the COVID outbreak,

however still accomplished plenty. Thanks again to the terrific crew on this committee for all the

work and effort they all put forth.

Monty Gilbertson,

Building and Grounds Committee

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee was established in September 2012 to ensure the integrity and accuracy

related to the church’s finances. The finance committee makes recommendations to the church

council. The council is then responsible for discussing these recommendations and voting to accept,

modify or reject the recommendation.

Finance Committee members include:

Dianne Hamann, Chair

Ben Addington

Kari Ellison (Assistant Treasurer)

Nick Haefs

Todd Holtz (Treasurer)

Mark Torgerud

Pastor Harald Bringsjord (ex-officio)

Jim Bugge (ex-officio)

The responsibilities of the Finance Committee are:

Annual Budget Plan:

The committee shall solicit budget requests from appropriate ministry groups that are funded through

the church. If a request is not granted due to the overall financial situation, a finance committee

member will meet with the appropriate group for further discussion and input. The committee will

present a draft budget plan to the Church Council by its November meeting. The draft budget plan

was presented to the Church Council in November, 2020 with a final presented to the council in

January, 2021. It is included in the annual meeting materials.

General Fiscal Responsibility:

The committee will receive an engagement letter from an outside accounting firm for an annual

financial review. This review will be discussed and approved by the finance committee, and signed

by the Treasurer or Finance Committee Chairperson. When the financial review is completed, the

Finance Committee will meet with a representative of the accounting firm to go over the results of

the financial review including any adjusting entries made. If the Church Council requests a full

financial audit, this would also be received, reviewed and communicated by the Finance Committee.

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For the 2019 calendar year, a financial review was completed by Wipfli LLP and based on this

review, they were not aware of any material modifications that needed to be made in our

financial statements in order for them to be in accordance with the modified cash basis of

accounting. Internal Financial Processes:

The Finance Committee will periodically review financial controls including:

The prompt and responsible accounting and bank depositing of the offering

Appropriate financial controls for the receiving and disbursing of non-offering funds

Review of bank accounts

The job description of the congregation’s Office Manager

In 2020, a monthly review of bank accounts was performed along with a review of other

reconciliations. All reconciliations and financial statements were prepared promptly. The

Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer reviewed and signed off on all paper and electronic payments

during the year.

Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church Trust Foundation

The Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church Trust Foundation was established to manage

the endowment funds of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, and to approve donation requests by

organizations and individuals for use of the funds in addition to providing Trust Foundation

Scholarships for post-secondary education of members of Good Shepherd.

Funding of the Foundation is done through quarterly disbursements of funds placed in The ELCA

Plan A Investment Fund, from interest earned on our Endowment Fund bank account at Coulee

Bank, and also from quarterly distributions of 75% of unrestricted memorials given to Good

Shepherd in the previous quarter.

2020 Trust Foundation Financial Reports

Balance Sheet 12/31/2020:

Endowment Interest-Expendable Coulee Bank: $5,217.81

Endowment Trust Fund Coulee Bank: $2,565.07

Bank Total all Funds: $7,782.88

Endowment in ELCA Trust Plan A: $326,449.00

TOTAL FUNDS: $334,231.88

Funds are distributed in a manner to further Good Shepherd’s mission statement “We are

dedicated as disciples of Christ, to work together, through worship, education, fellowship, and

community service, to gather all creation to God’s love and grace”. We also incorporate our Core

Values of Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Formation, Risk-Taking

Mission/Service and Extravagant Generosity when deciding to approve an application for funds.

The application is available from the office and on the website and the board reviews all

applications quarterly. If there are more funds available than applications, the board will at its

discretion hold the funds for the future or disperse them to a list of pre-approved organizations

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the congregation already supports such as Sugar Creek, The Warming Center, and Come for Supper

among others. In 2020 income and expenses were as follows:

Income & Expenses Year Ended 12/31/2020:

Income:

Interest; 75% unrestricted memorials: $14,268.32

Expenses:

Insurance: $750.00

Check Order: $80.08

*Gifts to Others on behalf of the Congregation: $12,150.00

*Causeway Caregivers, Sugar Creek Bible Camp, Renee Splichal Larson, Central High School

Choirs, Bethel Lutheran Church, Pastor Harald’s Discretionary Fund, Oasis Respite Program and

Lutheran Campus Ministries.

Respectfully submitted,

Trust Foundation Committee:

Mark Torgerud

Ladd Dafoe

Todd Holtz

Trust Foundation Advisory Panel:

Pastor Bringsjord

Rick Laufenberg

Sara Wrobel

Memorials and Special Gifts

Gifts to the Memorials & Special Gifts Fund are meaningful tributes to the memory of a loved one, or

to honor a special person or a special occasion. Designated funds that can be contributed to are: Bell

Choir Fund, Music Fund, Youth Ministry Fund, Pastor JL Mattes or Lyle & Norma Anderson

Scholarship Funds, Prayer Garden Fund and Women’s Ministry. Memorials may also be

undesignated. 75% of undesignated memorials are transferred to The Good Shepherd Trust

Foundation quarterly for investment in our ELCA Plan A fund, or benevolences bestowed by the

Trust Foundation. The remaining memorial funds are available for use for the needs and projects of

the church, and may be applied for by members or staff, and must be approved by the memorials

committee.

We also have another opportunity to give specific gifts. It is our Giving Tree, located in the corner

nearest the main doors in the welcome area. Some Giving Tree gifts that were donated this past year

include: communion wafers, pew envelopes, coffee, organ tuning expense and many other items.

These gifts, along with memorials, are acknowledged every month in the Voice newsletter.

Respectfully Submitted,

Rick Laufenberg

Hospitality Committee:

The hospitality Committee is a small group in numbers but large in heart and busy supporting

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church committees and events.

Hospitality - The friendly generous reception of members, guests, visitors, and strangers. We have

adopted this as a mission statement which is the goal of everything we participate in.

We are always looking for a couple more committee members, but just as importantly volunteers that

just want to help work at the many things we do. The committee meets on the 3rd Thursday of the odd

months at 6pm, watch our church calendar for meeting dates and times in case of changes.

Respectfully Submitted,

Chair: Bill Klein

Co-Chair Kathy Johnson

Cub Scout Pack 10

Last year (2019) was the first year for the rebuilding effort for cub scouting in far south La Crosse. We

want to wholeheartedly thank Good Shepherd for sponsoring this effort. I think we had a good start, and

that carried through into the first months of 2020.

After a Winter event at Camp Decorah, with snow forts and battles and fire building sessions etc., our

next big event was the Scouting for Food service project in March. Unfortunately, that was the end of the

road for our group activities. We completed the service even though it was into the period after schools

were closed. Our small group gathered nearly 200 pounds of food from the GS neighborhood and

delivered it to WAFER.

We didn’t try to get together for any more group meetings until a fishing outing was planned for

October. It was not well attended.

We have some interest from potential new scouts that are curious about when we can start up again, so

we are hopeful for 2021.

As I noted last year, Thank you Good Shepherd for supporting this initiative to keep Scouting alive in

our community. Even more important this year will be your prayers and support as we reboot our effort to

keep cubs alive in the neighborhood.

Respectfully Submitted,

Gordon Powell, Jr.

Cub Master, Pack 10

Sugar Creek Bible Camp

Dear Partners in Ministry at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church,

The Good News brings hope, especially in this time: Jesus Christ is our sure and steady anchor. The

Holy Spirit inspires us to act in this faith, loving our neighbors in ways many people need now as much as

ever. Thank you for the powerful ways in which your church has testified to this message this year by

helping share this gospel with many hundreds of families at Sugar Creek Bible Camp!

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We are grateful for your partnership, especially amidst the financial challenges of the

pandemic. In 2020, due to COVID, the source of nearly half our annual income disappeared

when traditional summer camp for youth needed to be cancelled. But your support this year –

combined with creative new programs, new income sources, and major expense cuts – helped

make the difference! (Our 2020 Annual Report comes after a Jan 31st fiscal year-end.) God

provides, through your faithfulness in giving. We are excited that Sugar Creek will “come back

strong” for programs in 2021! You share the Good News with a world now in desperate need of

exactly the experiences you provide through Bible camp.

The pandemic has ongoing impacts, but it never stopped us from doing everything possible to

offer safe new ministry retreats. This year, over 100 families attended one of ten sessions of our

new Family Camp programs. Thankfully, by practicing safe distancing, adding extra cleaning,

consistent use of face masks indoors, open air dining, and separate lodging by household, it

helped to keep everyone healthy and safe while still having tons of fun with meaningful, faith-

building adventures! (If you missed it this summer, you have a couple more chances for a Sugar

Creek “Family Getaway Camp” this spring.)

Traveling Day Camp teams were also cancelled due to the pandemic. So our program director,

Kjell Bakken, creatively designed a Day Camp 2-GO program with the help of a small core team

of summer staff. We offered churches this four-day online “VBS-style” program with active

Bible studies, songs, and games. Kids connected with each other for camp activities through

their home churches.

Despite fewer guests, it was an extremely busy year for our staff and volunteers. We focused

even more on improving the facilities, creatively controlling expenses, building relationships,

and expanding our communications. All this helped us offer the best ministries we could now

today – and it also let us stay strong for the long haul, so we could remain viable as a unique and

powerful resource for youth, churches, and families in years ahead. We also had our hands very

full, outside the state’s spring closures, hosting private small-group and family events nearly

every weekend of the year!

This year your camp property was enhanced with numerous improvements. We completed a

new welcoming entrance to the Retreat Center, heavy repairs to the horse barn bridge, deck

repairs and staining, light remodeling, an expansion of the maintenance pole shed funded by a

local church, tree trimming, trail work, replacement of an extremely long wood horse fence,

scores of adaptations for COVID safety, and dozens of other physical projects! Most of this was

thanks to our incredible hardworking volunteers. In addition to other generous gifts, much

project funding also came from a 2019 major gift from the now-dissolved St. Paul Lutheran

Church of La Crosse. Important projects of all sizes (and skill levels!) are available. Please ask

how you might be part of enabling other crucial projects in 2021.

Vaccines are coming soon – but the pandemic is sadly not over yet. We continue to follow an

extensive 100+ page guide on pandemic safety standards for camps. These recommendations

were published by medical doctors and health experts in the CDC in collaboration with the

American Camping Association. This covers everything: pre-camp health screenings, hand

sanitizer quantities and ordering, new food service rules, and even how to clean horse saddles in

a pandemic! While of course no place (stores, schools, churches, even hospitals etc.) can ever

guarantee zero risk for any activity, you can be confident that your camp staff and board are

committed to the highest level of standards. As a fully accredited camp, rest assured that we look

first and foremost to medical experts regarding decisions about health and safety. Therefore,

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practices to prevent transmission will continue – even as vaccines hopefully reduce the risk – for the

entire summer camp season.

We find new blessings in old traditions at Sugar Creek… not just for doing effective modern ministry,

but for pandemic safety! For over 50 years our camp has focused on small-group ministry. Campers

here enjoy 660 acres of big outdoor areas, open air shelters for meals, well trained summer staff, and

world-class programming. Any adjustments needed for pandemic-safe activities, as in 2020’s

programs, will happen in ways that preserve the key fundamentals of great Bible camp ministry.

As we emerge from the pandemic, we are also excited to step forward to meet the unique needs of

your youth, families, and adult groups in your church. When it is safe to do so, every committee,

council, class, and club in your church this year is welcome to “come and see” why so many adult

church groups return for an annual retreat. There are few if any better ways to jump-start your year in

mission together.

Sugar Creek Bible Camp is a big team effort. Thanks to many years of partnership with Good

Shepherd, this camp and indeed churches and families across the region are stronger today because of

your ownership and support for Sugar Creek. One goal of our programs is to help connect campers

more deeply with the life and ministry of their home churches. We do this best when we do it together.

Campers, and their parents, often report returning home from camp with a stronger sense of

“ownership” in their home church, because of what camp offers: affirming, relevant, immersive

adventures in Christian community. All our programs are led and designed with this long-range

ministry partnership in mind. After this year’s global pandemic stress and disconnection, we firmly

believe the modern Bible camp experience can help restore the spirits of our children and youth in

lasting ways!

Thank you for all you do to share the Good News with people in your community, and with youth and

families across the Midwest, through camp! Your work engages in evangelism, equips the saints for

service, and shares the light of Christ, bringing healing to the world. May God bless your community at

Good Shepherd with good health, clear vocations, new “miracle stories,” and even stronger connections

with Christ and one another in the year ahead. Please let us know how we can help.

Your friend in Christ,

Jesse Klosterboer

Executive Director

Good Shepherd/MMOC Men’s Golf League

The 2020 golf season was shortened due to COVID. We played from June thru July. With that said, it

was still filled with Christian fellowship, friendship, and fun.

If you are interested in joining us please call me at 780-8861 or email me at bill@gslacrosse.org.

God Bless you all

Bill Klein - Secretary

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Budget 2021 Summary

General Fund Income: Increase of $72,500 in budgeted income for 2021.

We are projecting a 15% increase in Envelope Offerings over the 2019 budget based on the

response from our 2020 stewardship campaign, and an increase in other budgeted incomes based

on 2020 contributions.

General Fund Expense: Increase of $40,296 in budgeted spending for 2021.

The largest budgeted increases from 2020-2021 are:

$5,920 in ELCA Benevolence based on 10% of the budgeted increase in Envelope Offerings .

$15,500.00 in Buildings and Grounds Expenses due to the planned purchase and installation of the

new A/V system and software allowing Good Shepherd to live stream our own services.

$2,900.00 in Pastoral Staff Expenses due to increases in salary, and pension and insurance costs.

$6,426 in Support Staff Benefits primarily due to the need of the Office Manager to receive health

insurance benefits for the full year rather than beginning in June as was the case in 2020. There is

also a budget increase in social security tax due to the addition of the Community Advocate

position.

$7,500 in Support Staff Expenses with the addition of the Community Advocate position.

Summary:

Net Income under the proposed budget would be ($53,540.00). However, assuming Pastor

continues to waive budgeted health insurance benefits, we would be at ($10,340.00). Although

much smaller and more manageable ($862.00 /month), we are still looking at a potential deficit for

2021.

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Finance Committee Motion for the creation of a

Community Advocacy & Outreach Fund

Whereas Good Shepherd has demonstrated a desire through its annual commitment campaign

to further community advocacy and outreach,

Whereas Good Shepherd applied for, accepted, and had forgiven a Federal PPP loan in the

amount of $45,600 assuring financial stability for fiscal 2020,

Whereas Good Shepherd had an unanticipated increase to its general fund, due to the faithful

giving by its members in fiscal 2020,

Be it hereby resolved that Good Shepherd creates a Community Advocacy & Outreach Fund in

its financial structure in the amount of $60,000.00,

Be it further resolved that this amount is a one-time transfer of cash from the general fund,

Be it further resolved that Good Shepherd may accept contributions to this fund subject to the

guidelines in this resolution,

Be it further resolved that Good Shepherd’s Congregation Council may add monies to this fund

in the future that would be subject to the guidelines herein,

Be it further resolved that the entirety of the fund be expendable at the discretion of the

Congregation Council including principal and interest,

Be it further resolved that the Congregation Council set guidelines for the purposeful use of

this fund as well as the requisite record keeping for transparency,

Be it further resolved that disbursements be granted by the Congregation Council by a simple

majority vote during a meeting with a quorum,

Be it further resolved that the maximum single disbursement from the fund does not exceed

$15,000 if balance of the fund is above $15,000, if the balance is below this threshold the entire

balance may be disbursed,

Be it further resolved that the maximum single disbursement directive may be overcome by a

unanimous vote by the Congregation Council and upon unanimous vote any amount including

the entire balance may be disbursed for a single use, for the purpose of this override all current

members of the council must be present.