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in Advent

Waiting for Jesus amid the pandemic

Christmas is almost here. Will it even feel like Christmas this year?

To say this year is has been a tough one is an understatement. I’m not sure anyone could have predicted a global pandemic would have literally turned our lives inside out and upside down, but it has. Our activities, our daily patterns and even the things we take for granted have all been affected.

In my writings this year I’ve asked you to re-think what it means to be the church, to re-think our mission and to re-imagine our
vision as our congregation coped with big changes in our community and our world. What have been your answers to those questions? Have you shared them?

In the midst of all of what has happened, we’ve found ways to be the church of Jesus Christ in North Clairemont. We still feed the hungry. We’ve still had spiritual counseling via phone and online
conferencing. We’ve continued with worship in a variety
of ways: completely online, outdoors and with limited attendance indoors. But it takes a tremendous amount of work to put on worship these days.

We’ve also been able to hold Bible studies and have community groups back on our church campus, but we have had some
problems with this as well with groups not following safety protocols. And after years of work and waiting, we moved yet another step closer to our goal of building a new Fellowship Hall, and in this issue you will read about the efforts to make this happen.

Through all of the stress of this year—the spread of the novel Coronavirus, the everchanging public health orders and
restrictions, isolation from the ones we love, empty store shelves, the presidential election—we have managed to hold out
hope for the one who was, who is, and who is to come: Jesus the Messiah.

While Christmas may look and feel different this year, we can’t lose sight of the light that shines in the darkness, for the darkness has not overcome it. Our hope is in the one who came to be
friend, teacher, healer and the prince of peace: Jesus, the eternal savior of the world.

Now it’s time to “Raise the Roof”

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After an affirmative vote during October’s Congregational
Meeting, the members of our faith community directed the Building Committee to work with the contractor and the architect to “descope” the current building project for the Fellowship Hall.

John Procsal, Building Committee chairperson, is leading those
discussions and exploring options to reduce the overall cost of the project. Once realistic options are identified, the Building Committee will present those options to the congregation for consideration and a vote.

It was also recognized in the October meeting that there is
currently a shortfall of funding for the project. We do not have to wait for the de-scoping work to finish before we begin to address our funding needs. In fact, we should not wait.

The greater the amount of funding available up front, the greater
clarity we’ll all have for what can be done now, what we need to stretch for, and what can be put off. Your Church Council voted to initiate a new capital campaign titled “Raising the Roof” campaign.

Currently, Barbara Fiorina, Elizabeth Fugate, and Phyllis Zona are on the committee and they are seeking one or two more people to help with the campaign. Please contact Gary Jaus if God is calling you to serve in this important way.

There will be more information coming out soon about the “Raising the Roof”Campaign. In the meantime, please
prayerfully consider if you can contribute to the Building Fund now, or what you can contribute in the future, as the Fellowship
Hall moves forward.

Editor’s Note: As discussed in the October Congregational Meeting, additional fundraising above and beyond current pledges must happen in order to satisfy lender requirements. The
guaranteed line of credit/loan is from the ELCA Mission Investment Fund for $1.37 Million.

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