Dear Members and Friends of St. Andrew,
What an honor and privilege it is for me to be voted into the role of Senior Pastor at St. Andrew Lutheran Church on Sunday, August 25. I am grateful for the robust and affirming process of the Call Committee these past several months of conversation. I am grateful for the care taken by the Church Council in shepherding a good process. Our staff is terrific. I am also grateful for the role of my family who continue by my side in amazing and supportive ways—Michele, Alex, Andrew, and Liam.
I think we would all agree that relationships are key. Faithful relationships are even more meaningful. Twelves year ago, we were relocating from Egypt and I needed paint for our house. When I visited a local Eden Prairie paint store, I bumped into Karle Erickson, my Gustavus Choir Director and then Director of St. Andrew’s Canticle Choir. As we had the fun of reconnecting, he shared with a twinkle in his eye that there was a pastoral vacancy at St. Andrew. As they say, the rest is history. My time at St. Andrew started with a relationship.
I am profoundly grateful for the many opportunities I have had with many of you to accumulate many shared experiences of ministry and life together. Eleven years adds up quickly. We do not do life and faith alone. God in Christ comes along beside us. We come alongside each other in friendship and support. We give and we receive alike.
So, we look forward together. We have a new vision statement for St. Andrew: we nurture the future of faith. This season’s newsletter tells stories of how God is already working in these ways. Watch your mailbox and this blog for the latest Son Times! I look forward to how the Spirit will continue to nurture faith, hope, and community in our church.
God bless,
Peter Johnson
Senior Pastor
