“Jack be nimble, Jack be quick….” This rhyme from Mother Goose points to the value of agility, if not resilience, even if the original setting of the rhyme was about the luck. As a part of the social service arm of Christ’s church, we are not about luck, but we are about incarnate blessings: the blessing of Christ of the cross, the blessing of our mission today. Indeed, we find ourselves in such a time, a time for creativity in giving witness and service. Since the mid-19 century Lutheran service ministries have faced many challenges and have emerged to find new ways of working to together to serve all God’s people.

 

With the beginning of this year, Lutheran Service New York Alliance’s Clinical-Distance Learning Pastoral Education Program became an independent and expanded its service area to anyone around the world who has access to a computer. Through this program, our member agencies have a continued access to a Clinical Pastoral Education program which began over fifteen years ago.

 

In an effort for the church and related social service agencies to effectively serve together in the face of significant changes being faced today, Lutheran Services New York Alliance will transition into a new model of “working together to further the church’s servant mission” as reflected in LSNYA’s mission statement. In the past 100 plus years, there have been at least five such transitions, but all being an inter-Lutheran service to people in need in the greater New York public sector.   Lutherans have had a strong tradition in social service ministries to all people. Guided by the Spirit, we can look forward to continued and new ways of supporting this service, which is at the heart of the church’s servant mission.  

In closing, I want to share the depth of my gratitude to the participants on LSNYA’s Board over these past five years in which I have served as Executive Director. God be praised for the gifts and dedication of those who served so faithfully, especially to the Executive Committee members. Gratitude is also extended to all who served on Board committees and tasks forces over these past twenty years with a special commendation to all who worked to begin and support LSNYA’s CPE program. With gratitude in our hearts, we look to new ways of serving with resilience born of the faith in Christ that has been so freely given.