John Louk

My family had a very difficult day last Friday. We put our dog, Oreo, to sleep after fifteen years with us. My daugher, Kaitlyn, wrote about this on her Facebook page. Since only her Facebook friends are able to read it directly there, I wanted to share what she wrote here: Anybody seen the movie Marley & Me? I bet most of you have. I cried so hard at the end of the movie…(well, I cry in every movie), but this was a heart-breaking, cry your eyes out until you think you've soaked your t-shirt all the way through movie…I never thought I would experience it. Nobody wants to go through that. Maybe you're reading this and you know what I'm talking about because you've been through it before. Maybe you've had a dog or a cat or another pet that you have had to put down. You've experienced that grief of losing something you love dearly. It's hard. I now know, it's more than just hard, it's…painfully hard. Something you have to go through in order to h...

In Seinfeld , the popular TV series from the 1990s, one of the characters, George Constanza, is unhappy about having to buy Christmas gifts for family, friends, and co-workers. George is cheap and devises clever ways to save money. So he makes up a charity and gives everyone a note card that simply says, “A donation in your name has been made to The Human Fund.” George’s scheme works pretty well until his boss gives him a check from the company for $25,000 as a donation to The Human Fund. Christmas is not a time to be cheap. It is a time to be generous. The question is, to whom are we being generous? I said last year that I would offer this challenge now: let us consider what we spend on Christmas gifts and give at least an equal amount of money for mission. In our culture, from 1999 to 2006 the average spending on Christmas gifts was around $1,000. In 2007, Christmas spending dropped a little to $859. Last year was a big change as most people planned to cut their gift spending by 50%....

I am often asked about the vision of the church or sometimes about my vision for the church. This often leads to confusion when I respond that I do not have one. Surely the pastor must have a vision for the congregation? Well, no. Let me explain. When it comes to vision the most quoted text is Proverbs 29:18 in the King James Version: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” There is a distinction, however, between vision (something people produce) and revelation (something people receive from God). A better rendering of the Proverbs verse is, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint” (NIV). This is the sense of several new translations: “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint” (ESV). “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild” (NLT). “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed” (The Message). The point is, God does not ask us t...

Our Fall Stewardship Campaign challenges us to honor all of our membership vows. This is not simply a financial campaign. Rather, we are challenging the entire congregation to renew all of the practices that form us as disciples of Jesus Christ so that we can transform the world. As members we confess Jesus Christ as Savior. At the same time we promise to serve him as Lord. Many people are thankful to accept Jesus as Savior. Fewer, however, serve him as Lord. If Jesus is Lord, then Jesus is the Master, the Boss of our lives. We do not get to pursue our own personal agendas. We pursue God’s agenda for us and for the world. We need help doing this as it is so contrary to our nature. There are several practices that help form us as disciples of Jesus Christ. We promise to practice these habits as members of the church. We affirm that we will be loyal to Christ through the United Methodist Church and that we will faithfully participate in the ministries of Salem Church by our pra...

Each Fall churches look at the budget for the coming year. Often there is a financial campaign, asking church members to make a pledge to God’s kingdom through the local congregation. The pledges, in turn, give an indication of how much money will be available for the church’s budget. In the Fall churches often talk about tithing or proportional giving (giving in proportion to one’s income). Tithing is “the setting aside of one-tenth of one's income for God as is specifically noted in the Bible. Tithing has been the traditional minimum standard of giving for Christians. The United Methodist Church has taken the official position that tithing is the standard for United Methodists, and the practice of tithing is to be actively encouraged in every local church” ( A Dictionary for United Methodists , Alan K. Waltz, © 1991, Abingdon Press). While all of this can be good, there is a problem. It can give the impression that we have to raise money for a budget and therefore that is why we ...

Salem Members met on September 20th to discuss the proposed voluntary buyout of our downtown buildings and property whereby the City of Cedar Rapids would pay Salem $699,127 (the 2008 pre-flood assessed value). While not an official vote, the clear consensus of the meeting was to accept the buyout. Therefore a plan for accepting the buyout and moving forward will be presented for approval to the District Board of Church Location and Building and also to the Bishop and Cabinet. Salem church members will officially vote on the matter at an upcoming Church Conference.

We will gather for a congregational meeting on Sunday following worship (about 12:45 pm). The Leadership Board will provide lunch. The purpose of the meeting is to determine whether we will participate in the voluntary buyout from the city. We will not have an official vote. The official vote will come later at the Charge Conference. We will, however, determine the will of the congregation. If it is to pursue the buyout, then we will seek the approval of the District Building and Location Committee as well as the Bishop and Cabinet. If we receive those approvals, then the congregation will vote at the official meeting of the church, the Charge Conference. (If the process leads us to a Charge Conference vote, it will be held at a time other than our yearly Charge Conference that has already been scheduled for October 11.) At this time, more than 100 persons have indicated they will participate in the congregational meeting. That is a tremendous turnout! Obviously, this is an important ...

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42 NRSV I have received many comments and questions about my last blog on worship. I shared a quote from the middle of the second century from Justin Martyr in his First Apology. It is a description of the normal Sunday worship in the early church. Here is another version of that quote: [1] On the day which is called Sunday, all who live in the cities or in the countryside gather together in one place. [2] And the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as there is time. [3] then, when the reader has finished, the president, in a discourse, admonishes and invites the people to practice these examples of virtue. [4] Then we all stand up together and offer prayers. [5] and, as we mentioned before, when we have finished the prayer, bread is presented, and wine with water (Bard Thompson, ed., Liturgies of the Western Church [Philadelphia: For...

On Sunday, July 26, Rev. Tom Hazelwood was our special guest preacher. Tom is the Assistant General Secretary for disaster response in the United States for UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee On Relief). His presence gave people an opportunity to ask questions and speak with him  directly. It was a good reminder that Salem is not alone. We are part of a larger connectional system that cares deeply about Salem.   Some of you may remember that Tom was with us for worship on my very first Sunday with Salem last year (at Lovely Lane UMC). That was just a few weeks after the flood. He spoke to the congregation that day. Now a year later, he has been back to spend more time with Salem. Tom has written a very kind blog about his visit with us and how impressed he is that, even in the midst of the flood, Salem has remained strongly engaged in mission. C lick here  to read it.

Word is spreading about the possibility of buying out the New Creation UMC property. We need to be sensitive to our brothers and sisters of New Creation as they struggle with a decision to continue. Here is some background information: Salem leaders participated in a conversation November 13, 2008 with New Creation and several other UM congregations. New Creation said their budget was in crisis and they couldn't pay their mortgage. At Annual Conference in June, their pastor suggested we have a conversation about Salem's interest in their property. I spoke with their pastor on July 25, 2009 about their situation as well as Salem's. New Creation has asked for a "viability study" to see if they should continue. They are pushing ahead, but if things don't change by Christmas they will be out of money. The New Creation building is located next to Target at Westdale mall. It is 4,000 sq. ft. and sits on 8.5 acres. It could be a short-term stepping-stone or a permane...

Beginning September 13 our worship service time will change to 11:45 am . This will be temporary (less than 6 months). Kenwood Park has been so gracious in sharing their space with us and allowing us the best of the three time slots for worship this summer. Since our intention is to move on from the Kenwood Park UMC building as soon as possible, however, they need to be able to return to their own schedule. (They will worship at 8:30 am, have Sunday School at 9:30 am, and worship at 10:30 am.) Therefore, 11:45 am is the first opportunity we will have to use the sanctuary on Sunday mornings. While this seems very late for most people, other congregations in our situation usually need to meet on Sunday afternoon or evening. So I am grateful for this time. Our Sunday morning discipleship classes for children and youth will meet from 10:30 - 11:30 am. Adult classes will meet as they determine.

My friend, Aubrey, is starting a new congregation in Alabama. To begin with, the name for their new church is "All Things New." A video was created that explores the significance of their name. Aubrey says the video is a "beautiful and true rendering of the gospel. This concept piece artistically captures the transformative and renewing power of God's Kingdom." I agree. It's a powerful video. I would love to show it during our worship on All Saints Day (November 1) when we read Revelation 21:1-6a . All Things New from Matt Minor on Vimeo . You can visit the All Things New website here .

Salem has faced some major issues. The Flood of 2008 was the worst disaster in Iowa's history and one of the ten worst in the nation. Our buildings, gathering space, furnishings, equipment, and base of operations were destroyed. The church office was also destroyed, including all the data, information, history, and filing therein. The staff changed radically with a new pastor and no associate pastor, discipleship director, or contemporary music director. The chaos interrupted many of the ongoing congregational ministries. The flood directly compromised many in our congregation. The flood displaced the Walk to Emmaus community after 133 walks at the Salem site. It has been a difficult, stressful year. But God is good! We created a timeline to help us remember what has happened during the past year and celebrate what has been accomplished. Many things have changed. But we are still the people of God, participating in God's mission to the world. Exciting things have happened and ...

On Monday, July 20, we signed the paperwork for the voluntary “buyout” in Cedar Rapids. Our Leadership Board decided to do this as the deadline was upon us and we needed to sign the paperwork if we ever wanted to be considered for the buyout. Salem is eligible for the voluntary property acquisition program ("buyout") as the Salem properties downtown are located within a flood-impacted neighborhood and our properties are determined to be "beyond reasonable repair," which is defined as a rehabilitation cost that exceeds 60% of the pre-flood assessed value of the property. We are able to back out of the buyout at any time up until closing. If we participate in the buyout, we will first need the approval of the district building and location committee, the approval of the Bishop and Cabinet, and the approval of our congregation (charge conference). If we participate in the buyout, it could take a year or longer to close on our downtown properties. The money is available...

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42 NRSV Because we have been sharing space, thanks to the great kindness of our Kenwood Park UMC brothers and sisters, we have been assembling for one worship service on Sunday mornings. I have heard from a few people that, for them, our one service is either too traditional or it is too contemporary (yes, I have heard both!). Furthermore, the comments generally refer to the songs we sing or the style of the music. Perhaps it would be helpful to share my approach to worship. This is part of the doctoral dissertation I am working on, so I have done quite a bit of research in this area. A big question for me is, How did the ancient church worship? “Walking backwards into the future,” means looking to the early church as we move forward in the twenty-first century. About the middle of the second century, Justin Martyr wrote in his First Apology a description of the normal Su...

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1 NRSV I said last month that we intended to step out in faith and try to buy a home even though our house in Des Moines has not sold and it would take about 45% of my income to pay for two homes. On June 13, the one-year anniversary of the flood crest, we moved to a home in Cedar Rapids. We moved not knowing whether we would qualify for another mortgage. Originally, it looked like we would be approved. We found out, however, that the debt-to-income ratio for two homes might be too much. My wife has a friend in Des Moines whose sister lived in Cedar Rapids (right across the street from the schools our kids attend). Her family bought an acreage outside of the city. They were getting ready to move there this summer. We visited them and discovered their home in Cedar Rapids was a great fit for our family. We told them we wanted to buy it, but we did not know if we would qualify for another loan. Furthermore, ...

“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.” Jeremiah 32:15 NRSV The prophet Jeremiah was in jail in a city under siege. The enemy army was invading Jerusalem. The end was in sight. Most of the people would be carried off into exile in Babylon. The nation had no future. The land had no value. There was no hope. At that moment Jeremiah’s cousin, Hanamel, came to Jeremiah in jail. He wanted Jeremiah to buy his field. The field was in Anathoth, a few miles outside of Jerusalem, where it had most likely already been overtaken. No wonder he wanted to sell it! What a bad investment. In the face of invasion buying land was foolish. But the Lord directed Jeremiah to buy his cousin’s field. It was an act that showed great hope in God for the future. That future hope, though, was made tangible in the present moment. Jeremiah bought land. I have been thinking about this story. Our home in Des Moines still has not sold. ...

This Sunday we will worship for the first time in our next temporary location, the Kenwood Park United Methodist Church. It is located at 175 34th St NE in Cedar Rapids. It's just a block south of where we've been for the last eight months. Also, we will gather for worship at a new time and in one service (instead of two). Beginning this Sunday we will worship at 9:30 am with children's and youth discipleship classes from 10:40 - 11:30 am. For more information you can check out Salem's blog here .

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NRSV We are moving to our third location in the last ten months since the flood destroyed our building downtown. We are very grateful for the hospitality we have received from the congregations of Lovely Lane and Echo Hill and now from Kenwood Park. For many of us it has been difficult losing our home. A United Methodist congregation without a building feels naked! Still, this time is a gift from God. Moreover, it is a gift that very few congregations receive. We get to begin again. In so doing we have the opportunity to think about what it truly means for us to be the Church. Here are some things to consider. Our 2008 Book of Discipline defines the local church: “The local church provides the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs. It is a community of true believers under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is pr...

We are having a congregational meeting on Sunday, April 19, at 10:00 am in the sanctuary. We learned this past week we need to move out of our current location on April 29. The Leadership Board proposes that we accept the offer of Kenwood Park UMC to share their space. We have worked out the details of how that would look and we will share that information at this congregational meeting. While it will not be an official Charge Conference, our new Conference Superintendent, Dave Crow, is preaching that day and so will be with us for this meeting. The Leadership Board also wants to share our vision of moving out to the land Salem owns on Blairs Ferry Road and how we could become a significant United Methodist presence in that part of the city. We are also still very interested in keeping our downtown presence and being in ministry with Matthew 25 there. We will not vote on these things on April 19. Meeting at Kenwood Park UMC for the next four months will give us the opportunity to solid...

We have accomplished much on our official membership list. It takes time and precision to re-create a membership list lost in the flood! I am thankful for all the work our administrative assistant has given to this project as well as for the many volunteers who have spent countless hours contacting people to confirm their membership status. While we are not completely finished, we have discovered that we have many active members as well as our treasured older members who were formerly very active. Like other congregations we also have some members who confirmed their membership status but have not been upholding our membership vows. As a congregation we are responsible for reaching out to inactive members and helping them become active again. A name written on a page does not make a member. Salem members promise to be loyal to Jesus Christ through The United Methodist Church and do all in our power to strengthen its ministries. Specifically, we promise to faithfully participate in its ...

As of March 25 the buildings we are currently using have been sold to a new church start (Calvary Chapel Cedar Rapids). Because they will not officially occupy the buildings until July or August, they have generously offered to let us stay as long as it is possible. They are going to do some work on the school building, however, that might require our departure. They probably need a couple of months (perhaps May and June) to get the work done. Therefore, we likely need to move out shortly after Easter. I am very grateful that we will not need to move before Easter! Previously, the Kenwood Park UMC offered hospitality to us, inviting us to share their building until we determine our mission and location. Our next step is meeting with Kenwood Park leaders to work out some details. When would our worship services occur? How do we combine youth and children’s ministries? What sort of space is available for our offices? What ministries can we share and what need to remain separate? And so o...

Many people in the congregation continue to ask, Where is Salem going? What are we doing? For many, it feels like Salem is a ship adrift on the sea with no direction. That is a normal feeling. I want to address the questions by explaining what has been happening and how we can move forward. The work that has occurred since I arrived, besides just reacting to the flood, has been to restore the infrastructure of the congregation. Infrastructure is generally considered to be the underlying foundation needed for an organization to operate. For example, a society needs roads, water, power grids, communications systems, schools, and hospitals in order to function. “Critical infrastructure” refers to those elements that, if damaged or destroyed, for instance by a flood, tornado, earthquake, etc., would cause serious disruption of the organization. Salem lost critical infrastructure when the floodwaters surged last summer. We experienced “serious disruption.” Most obviously, we lost our buildi...

We have been notified that the Kenwood Park Church buildings have been sold, contingent upon an inspection. We are very grateful for the gracious hospitality our brothers and sisters of Echo Hill Presbyterian Church have shown us in letting us use the buildings rent-free after we were forced out of our own buildings by the flood. According to our agreement with Echo Hill, we will need to vacate the buildings in 60 days. While we may receive some flexibility in that timeline, our 60 days will end on March 21. We knew that this would be a temporary location for us. It is likely our next stop will be a temporary location, as well. This is our reality post-flood. We have received gracious offers from other congregations to use space in their buildings. We will continue those conversations and bring a recommendation to the church for our next location. Please pray that we will follow the Lord on this journey. KCRG-TV channel 9 did a story about Salem last Sunday and the move facing us. You ...

It has been about six months since the flood and my arrival to pastor Salem Church. As we begin a new year, it is good to examine the state of the church. The flood is the worst disaster in Iowa’s history. It is one of the ten worst in our nation’s history. Along with the terrible destruction throughout the city, many of our own members lost homes and business. Likewise, it devastated the Salem church building. We received gracious hospitality from Lovely Lane UMC and from Echo Hill Presbyterian Church in providing us space to gather. Still, Salem has experienced loss, chaos, and instability from the disaster. As if that wasn’t enough upheaval, two-and-a-half weeks after the flood, Salem received a new pastor. Even in the midst of disaster, however, Salem has continued to gather as a worshiping community. Each week we gather together to worship the Lord God and support one another in community. Though it would be easy to simply look inward, we have continued paying our apportionments i...

I am proposing a new, transitional organization for Salem for 2009. This information has been shared with the Executive Leadership team as well as the congregational Q&A session on December 17. The decision will be made by the Ad Council at the January 20 meeting (our Charge Conference in November gave the Ad Council authority to make this decision). The Book of Discipline 2004. The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world (¶ 120). The Book of Discipline requires that a local congregation be organized so that it can pursue its primary task and mission in the context of its own community…In doing so it shall be organized so that adequate provision is made for these basic responsibilities: 1. planning and implementing a program of nurture, outreach, and witness for persons and families within and without the congregation; 2. providing for effective pastoral and lay leadership; 3. providing for financial support, physica...