Holy Closure of Living Grace Lutheran Church
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
-- 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Dear Members and Friends of Living Grace Lutheran Church,
In the summer of 2007, my wife Lori and I, along with our son Noah and yet to be born twin daughters Sarah and Rachel, came to Omaha to embark on a life journey — to begin a new church in West Omaha. On Sunday, September 14, 2008, by the grace of God, and through the hard work of a faithful team of individuals, Living Grace celebrated its Launch Sunday. From that day, forward this church has striven to be a community of faithful followers of Jesus Christ.
Over the years, we have experienced so many joys … new friends becoming a part of our church, children being baptized and having fun at VBS, youth confirming their faith, teens and adults serving on mission trips, congregational fellowship gatherings, multigenerational outreach events, and so much more.
We have also experienced heartache and pain … the untimely passing of some of our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, personal conflicts and disagreements, and unimaginable and uncontrollable changes in the world around us. However, for the last 15 years, as the Apostle Paul says, we have proclaimed the message and have been persistent whether the time has been favorable or unfavorable. (2 Timothy 4:2) Thanks be to God!
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus, is quoted as saying, “Change is the only constant in life." And Living Grace Lutheran Church is moving into a time of change.
Our elected leaders and I have spent a number of months in discernment and discussion. We have come to the conclusion that the most faithful course of action for our church is to go through the Holy Closure process. We recommend bringing the public ministry of Living Grace Lutheran Church to its conclusion.
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We will continue to have regular Sunday morning worship services until our closure date.
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We will gather on Saturday, December 24 at 4:00 PM for our final Christmas Eve service at Horizon High School.
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On Sunday, January 15, 2023, the congregation will have its final annual meeting to formalize our leader’s closure recommendation.
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On Sunday, February 19, 2023, Living Grace will bless and support our 8th grade students as they confirm their faith in the Triune God.
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Our final public worship service will be Sunday, February 26, 2023. At this service we will give thanks to God for the past and be released into the world to live out our faith as followers of Christ. We will do so by embracing sadness and joy, smiles and tears, while celebrating the past and looking forward to the future.
Dear friends, we have fought the good fight, we have finished the race, we have kept the faith. And we will end our ministry well and look forward to the new beginnings God has in store for each of us.
I have considered it a sacred privilege to be your pastor these last 15 years. My heart is filled with gratitude and love for you, the people of Living Grace. But mixed in with these feelings are also feelings of sadness along with tears because endings are not always easy. But I also count it a privilege to walk with you in these final days of our congregation’s ministry. Thanks be to God!
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you, God’s holy people." (Revelation 22:21)
James
Rev. James C. Lindberg