Looking Ahead Together

Pastor Danny Eggold • November 3, 2025

Looking Ahead Together at St. Peter's

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Over these past two months, my family and I have been deeply grateful for the warm welcome we’ve received. Whether in worship, school chapels, pastoral visits, classroom conversations, or simply chatting in the hallways, we have felt your kindness and your love for Christ. Thank you for that. It has been a joy to listen, learn, and begin to walk alongside you in this ministry.

As I’ve spent time getting to know the congregation and school, I have been encouraged by several things that are clearly strong among us: a sincere love for God’s Word, a deep sense of history and identity, and a real desire to grow in faith and mission. These are tremendous blessings. They are a foundation on which God continues to build.

At the same time, this period of listening has helped clarify some areas that will benefit from renewed attention. These are opportunities, places where strengthening our shared life will help us serve one another and our community more faithfully.

1. Clarity in Governance

We are reviewing and updating the congregation’s policies to ensure transparency, shared understanding, and a healthy leadership structure for both church and school. Clear structures help us work together with confidence.

2. Clarity in Daily Operations

We are gathering and refining the procedures that guide our daily work. When our staff and faculty follow consistent, collaborative processes, our ministries run more smoothly and our mission is easier to carry out.

3. Clarity in Roles and Responsibilities

I am reviewing job descriptions and supervisory expectations to ensure that responsibilities are realistic and well-supported. This will strengthen communication, provide clearer direction, and encourage shared ownership of the ministry we do together.

4. Clarity in Mission and Vision

Perhaps most importantly, it has been some time since we have come together as a congregation to reflect on our shared mission and direction. Now is a good time to gather, listen to one another, and discern where God is leading us next. This is not about changing who we are. It is about focusing and aligning the good work God is already doing among us.

To support this, we will be engaging in a strategic planning process. This process will include opportunities for the whole congregation—members, school families, staff, and leadership—to listen, learn, and reflect together. The outcome will be:

A three-year ministry roadmap that identifies shared priorities.
A one-year operational plan that identifies clear, practical goals for our next steps.

This effort will help us say yes to what aligns with our mission, so that our time, resources, and energy are used wisely and joyfully.

This work will take time, patience, and prayer, but I am encouraged. Again and again, I hear a desire to move forward together with unity, purpose, and hope.

Thank you for your welcome, your prayers, and your partnership in the Gospel. It is a privilege to serve as your pastor. Christ is faithful, and He will continue to build His Church among us!

In Christ,

Rev. Danny Eggold

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August Happenings

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August Opportunities for Fellowship & Learning (In alphabetical order) Altar Guild Annual Potluck Meeting Wednesday, August 19th @ 6:00 pm in the Cornerstone Room If you're one of the ladies in our Altar Guild thank you. Be sure to join us for our annual potluck supper with a meeting following. Bible Studies (click for details) New Sunday series continues, but summer plans for weekday studies will be ending soon. Stay tuned for dates of when those will start to meet regularly again. Christian Education Weekend (Backpack Blessing) During all worship services August 8-9th Rededicate our faculty and staff to their teaching ministry as well as rededicate ourselves as a congregation to praying for them, encouraging them, and supporting the work God has given us to do together. Students may also get their backpack blessing tag for this school year. School starts August 12th! At the 10:30 AM service, we will also install Janet Bahr as our assistant principal and Dianna Bultemeier as a called teacher of St. Peter's. Please join us for a reception honoring Janet and Dianna on the church's front porch following this service. Confirmation Kick-Off Sunday, August 9th during the Bible Study hour @ 9:15 am in the Sanctuary Parents and students (7th & 8th graders) of our day school and public school will meet to prep for the upcoming year with Pastor McDowell. Plan to attend and remember the Confirmation Site on The Hub will be updated soon with everything you need to know as far as expectations, handbook, assignments, deadlines, and event dates. Collections/Fundraiser (ongoing) The Compassionate Care Collection is prepping hygiene kits for the Lutheran World Relief: The LWR collection will be through July and August--details can be found on the LWR.org/kits site or HERE . Needed are: light weight bath sized towels (between 20" x 40" to 27" x52"), bath-size soap bars in original wrapper, adult toothbrush, sturdy comb, metal nail clippers--all items must be new and NOT have religious symbols or patriotic decoration. Special Monthly Offering: This month we collect for our Preschool which is so appreciated by the faculty and students. You'll also see their annual Giving Tree displayed in the Ministry Center soon. Take a letter of the alphabet off the tree and bring back the supply listed. Stay tuned for a video from our Preschool Director, Barb Christian, next week about these two opportunities to support our Preschool. Drums Alive Drums will take a break in August and come back in September with an updated schedule. Stay tuned! Monday Night Worship Summer Monday night worship ends August 31st. The following Monday is Labor Day and the church offices and schools will be closed. Senior Saints Monday, August 10th @ 11:30 am in the Cornerstone Room REGISTER HERE for this month's Lunch N' Learn featuring our own Tina Acosta who does amazing work through Turnstone. Turnstone is a place unlike any other and anyone who knows about it only has good things to say. If you'd like to know another reason Fort Wayne is such a great place to be, come listen as Tina will offer an overview of Turnstone and their services. Serving in the Church Offering your talents or acts of service is often something we all want to do, but not always sure where to start. Opportunities present themselves, but it's hard to remember them all or keep track of something that called to you at one point. The Serve tab in the Realm Connect app continues to add areas that are open and looking for someone just like you. Log in on your computer or through the app on your phone and scroll through the Roles to see if one is a good fit for you. Remember, signing up doesn't commit you to it, but does share that you'd like to be contacted about it. Sisters in Christ: Simple Quilting Craft Saturday, August 15th starting at 10 am in the Cornerstone Room REGISTER HERE FREE Regret never learning how to sew? Or haven’t picked up a needle and thread in a long time? Do not miss this opportunity to learn from ladies who’ve been sewing since 2nd grade! It’s nearly a lost art, but we’re bringing it back with Linda Thiele, Debbie Haenftling, Carol Nahrwold, and Jan Bultemeier who have curated a perfect practice project to teach you sewing and the basics of quilting in the form of a pot holder or trivet. Coordinate colors with your kitchen! It’s made for beginners, but any sewing ability is welcome. There’s so much knowledge combined in this room, if you have a question about anything related to needle and thread, they can answer it! We also gather the last Wednesday each month (July 29th this week and August 26th) at 5:00 pm Kekionga Craft Co, 7328 Maysville Rd. Come & go. Enjoy a little fellowship, prayer idea, and grab something to eat if you’d like. Young Adults Second Sundays, August 9th starting at 6 pm @ Pastor Nate's house Hosted by Ben & Gwyn Corley, we'll have dinner together, games, and devotion. Bring a friend and fellowship with us. REMEMBER August 9th is also the last day to sign up for Combat Ops Laser Tag. REGISTER HERE. You can pay later, but sign up today! Don't miss out! Get on the text thread to be sent reminders and invites. Text 'stpfw' to 94000 and follow the prompts.