John Louk

Salem has embarked on a journey to a new location. With our Conference Superintendent, Rev. David Crow, conducting the church conference, the congregation voted to accept the gracious offer from New Creation UMC to take over their 8.5 acres and phase one building for the cost of their remaining mortgage (about $312,000). There were 95 ballots handed out to professing members and members of the charge conference. There were 84 yes votes, 9 no votes, and 1 abstention for a total of 94 ballots returned. The motion passed by 89%. Therefore, Salem will move to 3715 33rd Ave SW later this summer. This is a major turning point in the life of Salem. It has been nearly two years since the flood destroyed Salem’s downtown buildings. Now God is leading us to a new place. I am reminded of God leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. The L ORD God told Moses to leave Sinai, where the Israelites received the Ten Commandments, and journey to the land that the L ORD had promised Abraham, Isaac,...

I am very grateful for the offer from New Creation UMC. Since they are closing at the end of June this year, they have offered their 8.5 acres, phase one building, and blueprint plans for expansion to Salem for the cost of their remaining mortgage (about $312,000). Our brothers and sisters there must have had a difficult time deciding to discontinue after eighteen years. Furthermore, in the midst of grieving they had to decide what they would do with their land and building. While they had more than one option to consider, they chose to have a kingdom vision and offer it to Salem. In the face of death, they chose resurrection for New Creation and for Salem. In the meantime, we were fasting and praying during Lent, seeking God’s guidance and direction for Salem. I am thankful for everyone who fasted and prayed! A church does not operate on a model or by pastoral plans and strategies. Rather, the Spirit of God moves in purposeful and often surprising ways to accomplish God’s will. As...

On April 3, 2010 the New Creation United Methodist Church officially offered to Salem their land, building, and blueprint plans for expansion. New Creation will officially discontinue at the end of June this year. Salem’s Leadership Board met on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at New Creation to see and discuss the offer. The Leadership Board decided unanimously to recommend to the Salem congregation this offer from New Creation. Therefore, in order to reach an official decision, we will have an Open House at New Creation, a congregational meeting, and a Church Conference. There will be an Open House at New Creation United Methodist Church on May 2 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. This will give everyone interested the opportunity to see the land, building, and plans for expansion as well as the location and surrounding neighborhoods. New Creation is located at 3715 33rd Avenue SW. It is next to the west side Target. Turn west off of Edgewood Road onto 33rd Avenue and it will be just ahead on the le...

The New Creation United Methodist Church, on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids, is officially discontinuing at the end of June 2010 after eighteen years. On Easter Sunday we announced that they are offering Salem their land (8.5 acres), phase one building, and blueprint plans for expansion. Salem would need to assume their outstanding mortgage, a little over $300,000. That is about a fourth of the property value. The Flood of 2008 destroyed Salem's church building. With this offer from New Creation, there could be resurrection for both congregations. Our next step will be the Leadership Board's decision to pursue this or not. We will do that in the next couple of weeks. If the Leadership Board chooses to pursue this offer, we will then prepare to have a Church Conference. That will be Salem's official decision. We will have at least one congregational meeting before a Church Conference as we did when we worked on the decision for the buyout of the downtown property. Again...

Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming, “The kingdom of God has come near” (Matthew 4:12-17; Mark 1:14-15) . It could also be translated as, “The kingdom of God is at hand.” Besides preaching this, Jesus also taught us to pray for God’s kingdom, saying “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) . Jesus proclaimed that God’s kingdom has come. He taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth, here and now, not as a reward when we die. Wherever God’s will is done here and now, it is a sign of God’s kingdom. One of the most beautiful descriptions of the kingdom of God in all of scripture occurs at the end of the Book of Isaiah: For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will r...

How do we as a congregation make decisions? This is an important question for us, considering we have been and will be making major decisions for the future of Salem Church. In his wonderful book, Does God Need the Church? , German theologian Gerhard Lohfink fleshes out the characteristic signs of the Church. One of the foundational marks of the Church is gathering. When the New Testament refers to the Church, it usually uses the Greek word ekklesia , meaning assembly or congregation. The new community of Jesus gathered in Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension called itself the ekklesia of God. The early Christian communities were public assemblies of the whole people of God. In fact, the origin of “ ekklesia of God” is the people of God gathered at Sinai in the Old Testament. In the book of Deuteronomy, Israel was gathered around the mountain and received the Ten Commandments. It was called “the day of assembly” and it was the foundational assembly of Israel, the ev...

I am encouraging our congregation to fast during Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17. This is simply an invitation and not an expectation. There will be a short meeting following worship (about 12:45 pm) on Sunday, February 7 for everyone planning to fast during Lent . We will make sure everyone understands how to fast, answer questions, and encourage one another. As I said at the beginning of January , 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...