John Louk

Our Study Committee did a wonderful job this summer preparing a report to meet the requirements of The Book of Discipline for our future construction. Anna Dunnwald, Kristy Flack, Dave Jandik, Dan Whitaker, Kathy Wickham, and I presented the Study Committee Report to the Leadership Board and Staff this fall and together discussed Salem’s strengths and weaknesses. All of this information will be shared with the Charge Conference in order to authorize the building project and elect a Building Committee at the beginning of 2012. They will work with an architect to develop preliminary plans. Salem has nearly $500,000 from the buyout. This is good seed money. Salem will need a capital campaign to raise money for construction and will most likely need to build in phases. Near the end of the Study Committee/Leadership Board/Staff conversation, the questions was asked, “So, what did we learn tonight?” It was a great question. In many ways, there were no big surprises. We know that Salem lack

Elie Wiesel Elie Wiesel survived the holocaust and has written more than fifty books, including Night , a story based on his experiences as a prisoner in concentration camps. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. During his acceptance speech he said, “At special occasions, the Jewish tradition commands us to recite the following prayer: ‘Blessed be Thou…for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this day.’”   On November 20 Salem will celebrate our one year anniversary in our new location. We will come together for one worship service at 10:00 am on the 20th. I am excited for us to offer our gratitude to God for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this day. While it is very appropriate for us to recognize that our very existence and sustenance comes from God and to celebrate that, it also calls for a response. God invites us to work together. As Paul writes to the church in Corinth, “Think of us this way, as servants of Chri

One of the biggest issues facing Salem is the creation and implementation of an intentional discipleship process. Our mission, the reason we exist, is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. So how do we do that? I believe the habits we practice in our lives are very important. So did John Wesley. When he was at Oxford, he insisted that the members of the Holy Club be disciplined in their study, prayer, and good works. Wesley called these practices the means of grace (worship, reading scripture, receiving Holy Communion, prayer, Christian conversation, and doing good). That is, they are the primary ways in which we receive God’s grace. He realized something important, though. These time-honored traditions weren’t enough. That became even more clear when he traveled to America on a missionary journey. Wesley went to Georgia in 1735-1737 to minister to the colonists and Native Americans. Bishop William Willimon tells the story in his book Why I Am a Uni

What is leadership? Nicholas Murray Butler, former President of Columbia University, once said, “There are three kinds of people in the world…those who don’t know what’s happening, those who watch what is happening, and those who make things happen.” Leaders make things happen in the world.   In the church, our leaders are responsible for making things happen by overseeing people and ministries. I am very excited to announce that Salem has new staff persons. And they are great!   Along with our paid staff, Sharon Vavra (Administrative Assistant) and Bill Heald (Traditional Music), we now add Louis Busch (Building Superintendent). After many years of excellent years, Gary Novak has resigned to lessen the stress on his work schedule. We are grateful for Gary and all he has done for Salem. Louis has been serving as a Trustee on the Leadership Board and is already doing a great job of overseeing the building and property.   We are also adding new, unpaid staff persons: Deb Black (Care

In worship we have been reading the stories of our ancestors in Genesis. The Covenant God made with God’s people, beginning with Abraham and Sarah, is that because the LORD blesses us we will be a blessing; all the families of the earth will be blessed by us (Genesis 12:1-3). Through Jesus we have been grafted on to God’s people. So we are meant to be a blessing to all the people of the earth. Tom Long, a preaching professor in Atlanta, tells a story about the city where he lives that sounds like 1974 in Cedar Rapids when Interstate 380 was built next to Salem’s former downtown property. “A decision was made to build a new freeway into Atlanta…A swath of houses was condemned, and eventually a whole neighborhood was torn down to make way for the highway. For a short time, though, families were still living in those houses, homes that many of them had lived in for generations, but they knew that soon the bulldozers would come and tear them down. The effects were demoralizing on the nei

What do we do when someone dies? Where is heaven? What is our theology? What is our ritual (practice)? I am offering this seminar on death and funerals to look at the funeral liturgy of the United Methodist Church, to read a short paper examining the Christian theology and practice surrounding death and resurrection, and to do some thinking and planning about our own funerals. All materials will be provided. This seminar will be beneficial for everyone regardless of age. It will meet twice. Session 1 will be offered on Wednesday, July 27 at 10:30 am and again on Thursday, July 28 at 6:30 pm. Session 2 will be offered on Wednesday, August 3 at 10:30 am and again on Thursday, August 4 at 6:30 pm. You do not need to attend both Wednesday morning and Thursday evening sessions as they are the same each week. In addition to the group time, I will meet with participants individually to discuss funeral plans, if they wish.

I am starting my fourth year as the pastor of Salem. In many ways it feels like a fresh start. We are past the chaos and destruction of the flood three years ago. We have landed in our new location. We have not only stabilized we are growing. We have a Study Committee doing the foundational research for a future building project. This is an exciting time.   Over the last three years, we have moved forward simply by taking the next step. Now our next step is to form up the church staff. A church staff is a group of people working together to lead the congregation. Three places in the New Testament Paul refers to a “co-worker” in ministry (Romans 16:9; Philippians 2:25; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). The Greek word that’s used is “sunergos,” which means working together. This is where we get our English word, “synergy.” Synergy means the combined activities of a group is greater than the sum of the individual parts. As Ecclesiastes 4:9 says: “Two are better than one, because they have a good rew

I am home from Annual Conference. This year we heard the preaching and teaching of Mike Slaughter, pastor of Ginghamsburg (United Methodist) Church. Mike and his staff have had a big influence on me over the years. I invite you to watch the video of Mike's teaching session at Annual Conference. He speaks about the mission project "Christmas Is Not Your Birthday," the one leadership board of twelve people, the DNA of a missional movement and more. In this second video, Mike speaks directly to the lay people of the United Methodist Church in Iowa.

We have taken the first step necessary for Salem's future construction, establishing a Study Committee. Anna Dunnwald, Kristy Flack, Dave Jandik, Dan Whitaker, Kathy Wickham, and I are working together to meet the requirements of The Book of Discipline (2008). ¶2543  Planning and Financing Requirements for Local Church Buildings mandates a Study Committee to analyze the needs of the church and community; project the potential membership with average attendance; write up the church’s program of ministry; and develop an accessibility plan. After the Study Committee finishes its work, it presents its report to the Charge Conference in order to authorize the building project and elect a Building Committee.   In order to accomplish our task, we are using a congregational study from the book Direct Hit: Aiming Real Leaders at the Mission Field by Paul D. Borden [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006] p. 127ff. This detailed study examines Salem’s history, demographics, community, beliefs

Annual Conference, the yearly gathering of Iowa United Methodists, occurs June 4-7 in Des Moines. This year, Momodu Kamara is representing Salem along with me, and Rev. Dave and Dorothy Higdon are members of the Annual Conference too. You can keep up with what is happening at Annual Conference by checking out www.iaumc.org/annualsession . There you will see news items, announcements, photos, videos, a link to a live stream so you can watch video of what is happening live, and a twitter feed. Momodu is preaching on the Sunday following Annual Conference and will give a report to the congregation.

Check out this article : "Why a Baptist Pastor Became a United Methodist." It highlights some interesting things about us United Methodists. What do you think?

I like this video. It's actually an advertisement, but it makes me think about how we might be creative with our words as witnesses of Jesus Christ.

We have talked and prayed about how we will move forward in our new location. Generally, that conversation has been about what we need to build now that we are settling in our new location and we have received the voluntary buyout money. The impetus for building has been furthered by the lack of space we have experienced. We have received positive response to what we have done with the space so far. Still, we are all aware that we have a small amount of space for gathering (traditionally, the “narthex” or entrance/lobby area) and fellowship (our small fellowship room has been a tight squeeze). Furthermore, at times we have not had enough room in the sanctuary. We packed more than 230 people in one service at our Westside 6 gathering for Ash Wednesday. Likewise, we just had over 300 people in two services on Easter Sunday. How amazing! Dealing with a lack of space can be frustrating, but it is also exciting. Many congregations, who have been where we are and go on to build, report fond

Jacobus Arminius Rachel Held Evans has a fun blog posting about how to make arminianism cool. This is good stuff for United Methodists to talk about. Heather Hahn, a United Methodist news reporter, has an interesting article here . She briefly explains, "In John Wesley’s day, the big debate among Protestants took place between two theological schools: the Calvinists and the Arminians. The Calvinists took their name from John Calvin, the 16th century reformer who taught that God predestines the elect for salvation and foreordains eternal damnation for others. Calvin emphasized God’s sovereignty and foreknowledge. "The Arminians take their name from Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch priest who was born around the time Calvin died. Arminius criticized Calvin and his followers for limiting God’s salvation. Arminius taught that God gave humans the free will to accept or reject God’s love. John Wesley was firmly in the Arminian camp." Here is another good article th

New research claims that Jesus' Last Supper was on the Wednesday before his crucifixion rather than on Thursday (Maundy Thursday, traditionally). Click here for more.

In September 2009, more than a year after the flood, the Salem congregation decided to accept the voluntary buyout for the downtown buildings and properties. At the same time, we presented a renewal plan to the East Central District Board of Church Location and Building as well as to the Bishop and Cabinet for approval. We acknowledged that the Spirit establishes the purpose of the Lord and often in surprising ways. Therefore, we knew we had to trust in God and remain open to the surprising ways of God. In doing so, we felt led to three possibilities. One, if New Creation UMC decided to close, we could assume their mortgage and continue a United Methodist presence there. Two, we could purchase an existing church building in an underserved part of the city. Or three, we could begin to develop the nearly ten acres of land Salem owns on Blairs Ferry Road. A year ago, during Lent, we fasted and prayed that God would lead us to a new place. Fasting is a discipline that helps us hear fro

Several people are ready for membership at Salem. Therefore, there will be a new member orientation class on Sunday, April 10. Non-members who are already living out the membership vows (professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and upholding the church with their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness) and have expressed an interest in membership will be invited to participate. We will receive new members on Easter Sunday (April 24)

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of our Lenten journey towards Easter. The Westside 6 United Methodist congregations are worshiping together this evening, 7:00 pm at Salem. All are welcome. As we begin Lent today, the following is from the church's liturgy: INVITATION TO THE OBSERVANCE OF LENTEN DISCPLINE   Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence, fasting, and prayer. This season of forty days provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for baptism into the body of  Christ. It was also a time when those who had committed serious sins and had been separated from the community of faith were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. The whole congregation was thus reminded of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Chris

On February 24, we met with the city’s representatives and signed the final closing papers for the voluntary buyout. Salem received three checks totaling $891,245.27 for the downtown properties. It has been more than two-and-a-half years since the flood that destroyed Salem's downtown physical location. Finally, that chapter is complete!

Like last year, I am encouraging our congregation to fast during Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday, March 9. This is certainly not an expectation but rather an invitation. Fasting is a spiritual discipline; it means abstaining from food for spiritual purposes . Fasting and prayer go together. Therefore we devote the time normally used for eating to reading scripture and prayer. Furthermore, the feeling of hunger is a reminder to draw near to God. Doing so often leads to greater intimacy with the Lord and to hearing more clearly what the Lord is saying to us. While there are interesting physical things that happen when we fast, far beyond anything physical is the spiritual. This is a discipline that helps us hear from the Lord and be in the Lord’s presence. Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6) about giving, praying, and fasting as virtues of the kingdom people. Jesus does not say, “If you fast.” Rather he gives directions for “When you fast.” Jesus also teaches t

Several persons have inquired about membership at Salem. This includes people formerly a part of New Creation UMC, people who are new to Salem, and people who were a part of Salem before landing in our new location. We are thrilled that there is such interest in becoming members. I want to take this opportunity to share the pathway to membership at Salem and the expectations of members.   The pathway to membership includes living out the membership vows for six months or so and then participating in the membership orientation class that I lead, usually on a Sunday afternoon. We meet for a couple hours and then new members are our guests at a special dinner in their honor.   While we encourage membership, please know that everyone is welcome to be a part of Salem without becoming an official member. Membership is not about privileges; it is about commitment and responsibility. It is the next step up for those who make a greater commitment to God’s kingdom through Salem, submitting to

As we begin another new year, it is good to examine the state of the church. It has been more than 2½ years since the flood and that long since I became the pastor of Salem. This past year the big question was, where would we land as a congregation? We fasted, prayed, and read scripture together as we sought God’s guidance. Then on May 24, nearly two years after the flood destroyed Salem’s downtown buildings, the congregation voted to accept the gracious offer from New Creation UMC to receive their 8.4 acres and phase one building for the cost of their remaining mortgage (about $312,000). This was a major turning point in the life of Salem.   We gathered for our first worship services in our new location on November 21, 2010, Christ the King Sunday. We experienced a collective sigh of relief. After twenty-nine months of destruction, stress, grief, decisions, and hard work, how wonderful to take a breath and revel in God’s peace and restoration.   Now, in assessing the state of Salem,

Salem is reading the New Testament in 90 days, beginning Monday, January 24 and ending on Holy  Saturday, the day before Easter (April 24, 2011). Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, will mark the halfway point, 45 days. Typically, we will read just two or three chapters a day. As we read let us be intentional about what it means for us to live together in a way that inhabits the world of the Bible rather than trying to make the Bible fit into our world. That is, Jesus is our Lord. We are his disciples. Therefore we do not ask Jesus to fit into our lives. We ask the Lord to fit our lives into Jesus. We are his body in the world today. Download the bookmark with the reading plan here .

January 1 is a wonderful time to make some resolutions for the upcoming year. How do we intend to live our lives? After all, life is the most precious gift from God. What we do with it is our response to God. Some of the most popular resolutions in our culture include losing weight, being healthier, getting organized, learning something new, and getting out of debt. Of course, most resolutions fail within the first month. We make the resolution, but often we don’t have a plan to make it happen. Likewise, as followers of Jesus, it’s not enough to simply want to be a disciple; we need a plan and a process to make that happen. Discipleship is a pattern of life. It’s the practices we cultivate in our lives as we submit to our Lord, Jesus. One of the early Church Fathers, Tertullian (c.160 – c.225) said, “Christians are made, not born.” It takes work. Just like Olympic athletes are made and not born, the kind of people we become is directly related to the habits we practice in life. We