2007 was a blessed year for Small Group Ministry at Shepherd of the Prairie!

Each month, we had steady interest and support for this relational discipleship building ministry. Thanks and blessings to all who led and/or participated in one or more of our many STUDY, SERVICE, SUPPORT OR SOCIAL Groups. I pray every day that your relationship with Christ and with others was strengthened through the extra efforts you made through the Holy Spirit to be involved in church through our varied venues.

In January, at my Small Group Leaders’ Thank-you Luncheon, I expressed that one of my goals for our program this year was to help increase our family unit participation from around 86% to 90% or above in Small Groups; my most recent (December 23, 2007) calculation puts SOTP’s Small Group Participation at about or even a little bit over 91% of the congregation’s families. This means that nearly all of our 155 plus families have at least one family member partnering in ministry at SOTP outside of worship! Thanks be to God for the many, many gifts all of you bring to the work of God’s church. And, let’s make 100% participation a goal for 2008—just keep asking, inviting and praying, as Jesus did when he encouraged folks to “Come and see…” (John 1:39).

We celebrated over a dozen new short-term and on-going new groups this year:

In January, Nancy Ramirez and our dear late Jeff Meissner led “Stress Management through the Spirit,” a very helpful support group. Carlee Petelle and I employed quite a few Small Group strategies as we planned the W-4 Day Retreat, attended by nearly 50 women, that month.

Similarly, in February, Pastor Mark, Carl and Sandy Hupert, Steve and Gail Barnard and Pastor Rich Grudt and I helped to lead about 45 SOTP members in our first inter-generational Overnight Retreat at Lutherdale Bible Camp in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

Also, in the late winter/early spring, Katie Desiato led a home study group on the wonderful Bad Girls of the Bible, by the dynamic Liz Curtis Higgs. Pastor Mark ran his FLOC lectionary study group on Wednesdays at 6 and 10 am from Panera and Citizens Bank while my faithful Tuesday group perused Dr. John Macarthur’s powerful Twelve Ordinary Men together.

Because of the sudden death of SOTP’s Adult Sunday School leader and my friend, Ronn Brower, I taught his class “Whatever Happened to Repentance,” in April on Sundays at the Cosman Center. I was also pleased to serve as First Service Keyboardist during Mary Tabatt’s winter absence, and the Wednesday evening Lenten keyboardist, too.

During this time, Bob Malm’s interest in Classic Cars led him to form the very appropriately named Social Group, “SOTP Sparkplugs”. The group’s tire air pressure service project definitely saved a few bucks and lives. Many personal thanks and hugs to Bob and Carolyn Malm for helping me with my VERY FLAT tire in the Culver’s parking lot. The “Sparkplugs” also took a lovely field trip to the Auto Museum in Volo, with a stop off for treats at our home in nearby Island Lake.

The beautiful Prayer Shawl Ministry Service Small Group, under the direction of Sue Boyle and Alice Hallett, took off to spread God’s warm love in places around the city, country and world. Thank you to all involved. Your gifts are helping in ways we’ll never know of here on earth…

Many thanks to Lois Brothers, Sue Boyle, Phyllis Anderson and Ziggie Bekeris for helping me start the Homeless Helpers Service Small Group this summer. Blessings to the many, many of you who responded to the problem of 250 homeless people in McHenry County, by donating all sorts of supplies for the local P.A.D.S. ministries and Redeemer Lutheran Church’s daytime shelter. Thank you to everyone who has come to serve dinner at the Crystal Lake shelter on SOTP’s designated 4th Sunday of the month, including Doris Kopp, who used her catering expertise to plan groceries, and Kerry, Tom, Tess and Troy Miller who are leading SOTP’s Confirmation students in making lunches for the shelter visitors. Special thanks to Patrick and Katie Desiato, Becky and Tyler Hennessey and Nina Grudt for serving at the shelter on the night of the very bad snowstorm on December 23.

Sunday nights in the summer were fun with a new group of “Bible Basics” students, led by the super-organized and creative Nancy Ramirez.

Fifteen dedicated SOTP women began Lay Shepherd Pastoral Care Training with me in June in a small group setting. These hard-working ladies were commissioned in August and continue monthly training as they provide pastoral visits, calls, meals and cards for members and our service people. Special thanks to co-ordinator Janice Shuff, and Elaine Neukirch and Helen Berry for their kind efforts to our armed services people.

I was thrilled this summer to guide a small group on Pr. John Ortberg’s inspiring DVD and Book, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, participate as a friend and guest pastor at Mary Tabatt and Mary Arneson’s Purpose Driven Life (by Rick Warren) Study Group, and, this past fall/winter, develop a weekly study of the gospel of Luke: A New Hope.

Bob Malm, Rachael Yndestad and Donna Brown and I were all honored to attend Willow Creek Church’s Small Group Ministry Conference from September 28-30. We gained much insight into the dynamics of this ministry, have lots of great ideas for the future of Group Life at SOTP— and were more than pleased to get to know the Lord and each other better through marvelous speakers and incredible worship!

Thank you, Elaine Neukirch, for assuming a leadership role in “Faith and Film” this year.

Thank you, Theresa Molgren, for taking on the e-mail Prayer Chain/Team Ministry.

In October, Pastor Jim Carr taught a fantastic, original Bible study on Sunday mornings titled “For Milk and Meat-eaters". Thank you so much, Pastor Carr.

Thank you to Carol Lilla and Theresa Molgren for your leadership, support and care of the “Weighty Matters” group. We so appreciate all the help and love we can get as we struggle with where our faith implicates body image and health and fitness issues.

Finally, I am so impressed with and touched by the God-given musical talent in the 21 children who auditioned for and spent two hours EVERY Sunday afternoon from September 30 through December 9 preparing for our Christmas musical, “Cookin’ up Christmas”. It was a true blessing for me to rehearse with these faith-filled kids, including my own two boys, every week for nearly three months. Many thanks to my colleague and the musical’s director, Annette Boster, for her talent, patience, and spiritual leadership with these great kids.

Speaking of talent, it is more than a pleasure to work EACH WEEK with such a talented team of musicians. Director Mitch Corso is a prince. Jeff Cordle, Annette Boster, Jenn Huston, Nina Grudt, Emily Ramirez, Paige Cordle, Macy Luedtke and Jake Luedtke are so gifted and such a joy. When I am honored to accompany the first service team, I so enjoy the full sound of the horns and winds with Carol Mosby, Beth and Dave Macaulay, and, as often as he can play, Tim Reincke. Singers JoAnn Ward, Donna Sorensen and Mark and Becca Fulcer just increase the fun and fine musicality.

I am more than grateful for the opportunity to serve Shepherd of the Prairie as your Small Group Pastor/2nd Service Keyboardist. It is a privilege to know each one of you and help grow the kingdom of God together.. I look forward to sharing my gifts here in whatever ways I am called and needed in the future.

Thank you-- Pastor Mark Boster --for your collegiality, kindness and humor. Special thanks -- Office Administrator Dennis Lilla-- for your patience and calm demeanor. Always--thank you, my family -- Pastor Rich Grudt, Nina, Ben and Joe, for your understanding and love.

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering and faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)

Pastor Sue Ellen Grudt