Our Saviour Votes To Share Ministry
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The Vestry of St. Luke's Epsicopal Church and the Council of Our Saviour Church will be meeting together on June 13th to continue the mutual ministry begun last year. A joint steering committee made up of Fr. Dewey, Pastor Kathleen, a warden and two members from St. Luke's vestry and the Lay President and two members from Our Saviour's Lay Council has been created to help facilitate the commication between the two lay govenring bodies as worship together and reach out in Christ's name to our neighboring communities.  May 2009

Almost every active member was in attendance Sunday, as Our Saviour Lutheran Church made an overwhelmingly decisive vote to enter into shared ministry with the people of St. Luke's. There was a quietness and a sadness with the realization that we would have to give up our building in order to remain the church.��

We also realized that sacrifices are part of discipleship, as the disciple left home and families to follow Jesus, and Jesus himself gave up his life for us. The history of the church is a history of such sacrifices made by committed people in order to follow Jesus and be about his mission.

We realized too, that we are not used to giving up something for Christ in the midst of our very comfortable lives where we do without very little. Perhaps this is not a bad thing to experience.

Members expressed gratefulness for the invitation and hospitality of the people of St. Luke's, and even expressed that they felt "at home" there. Our thanks to Fr. Dewey and the members of St. Luke's for your spirit of joy in the Lord, and for your graciousness. We look with anticipation into the future.

Pastor Kathleen Rusnak - September 2008

The people of Our Saviour Lutheran Church (OSLC) in Cresskill, NJ, have been worshiping with us at St. Luke’s since mid-June. They joined us for our end-of-the-year picnic and the following Sunday we joined them for their picnic.

We have spent several months getting to know each other during Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall. Pastor Kathleen Rusnak from OSLC has led worship every other Sunday and while Fr. Dewey was on vacation during the summer.

Now our parishes have come to a decision point. On Sunday, September 21, 2008, the people of OSLC will be worshipping at their church followed by a business meeting at noon. This special meeting is to vote on OSLC entering into joint ministry with St. Luke’s, and on selling OSLC’s church property to have the resources to continue as a congregation. The vote will also include keeping the OSLC parsonage as a place for OSLC’s Church office, a pastor to live, and as a place for events, meetings, worship (AA, Scouts, study, council, etc.). OSLC’s official address will remain 121 Park Avenue in Cresskill.

The people of St. Luke’s will also be meeting on Sunday, September 21, 2008 after the 10:30 AM service to reflect on and discuss any ideas or concerns that may surround the new journey in faith we have undertaken by inviting Our Saviour Lutheran Church to enter into joint ministry with us. We will discuss our joint "Call to Common Mission" and the future we see unfolding with God’s help.

What does "joint ministry" mean?

If St. Luke’s and OSLC enter into joint ministry, we will worship and minister together in St. Luke’s building in Haworth. Both churches will retain control of their own money but will contribute to a common budget. Each church will call its own priest or pastor.

OSLC will remain Lutheran and report to the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). Pastor Kathleen will baptize, confirm, marry and bury the members of OSLC.

St. Luke’s will remain Episcopal and report to the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. Fr. Dewey will baptize, confirm, marry and bury the members of St. Luke’s.

How did this happen?

It was a chance remark by the Rev. Nancy Wynen, daughter of Marjorie Hartmeyer, that brought the people of the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Creskill to join the people of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church for worship on Sunday, June 1, 2008.

"My aunt," said Rev. Wynen, "is a member of Our Savior in Cresskill and they are looking for another church as a possible worship partner."

OSLC was aware that its congregation would have to close its doors within the next three years, due to dwindling membership and financial resources. For over a year, OSLC had been seeking a full communion partner, as a way to go forward instead of closing.

"Hmm," thought Fr. Dewey, "St. Luke’s is ‘another church’ and the Episcopal Church is in full communion with the ELCA." So Fr. Dewey talked to Rev. Wynen’s aunt and Pastor Kathleen Rusnak; the leadership of both churches (lay and clergy) met and decided to enter into this worship experiment.

What will change?

Signs for Our Saviour Lutheran Church will be placed next to the signs for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

There will be more people to act as ushers, lay readers and eucharistic ministers. There will be more opportunities for outreach, as we share in OSLC’s outreach projects, and more people to share in the work of those ministries.

We are two parishes  joined together in a new way by the grace of God stepping out in faith  to spread the Gospel. Alleluia!