Dear Members of St. Stephen’s,

Over the last month the Lord has placed before me two calls to deliberate; one here at St. Stephen’s and also at St. Luke’s, in Oakfield, WI. These calls have given me the opportunity to evaluate my ministry, and see where my gifts could best serve Him. This time has allowed me to speak to the leaders of both St. Stephen’s and St. Luke’s. Both congregations and schools have many blessings to be thankful for, and offer many opportunities for me to use my gifts in ways that I enjoy, making this a very challenging call to deliberate. After much prayerful deliberation and conversations with family, friends, and church leaders the Lord, in his gracious wisdom, has led me to accept the call to teach at St. Luke’s beginning the 2020-2021 school year. 

I know my time at St. Stephen’s has been short, but during that time I have had a chance to do the Lord’s work with many wonderful individuals, and get to know many more. The blessings may not always be obvious to many of you looking in from the outside, but the Lord has truly blessed St. Stephen’s in many ways, and will continue to bless you. In times of uncertainty we look to God for his gracious hand. I take comfort in this passage from Hebrews 4:16 “Let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” 

I will continue to pray that the Lord will lead the right people here to fill the positions that have been left vacant. Continue to trust in the Lord, as you go to him in prayer. He can do amazing things especially when we are faced with challenging times. That’s when His grace shines the brightest.

The work at St. Stephen’s is never done, so I encourage each one of you to look at your gifts and talents, and how you can use them to serve the Lord here.

On behalf of my entire family, we want to thank all of you for your prayers and support during our time at St. Stephen’s and during my deliberation. We ask for your continued prayers as we make our transition to St. Luke’s in the coming months. 

Have a blessed Epiphany season!

In Christ’s humble service,

Mr. Joshua Schmidt