A Word from our Pastors
Together we continue to make Christ’s love visible.
“…for someone who trusts (faith), anything can be done.” Mark 9:23b
Wonders and signs of a Spirit led church are evident. We are thankful for the music in worship, DELVE, Southwood Serves, food distributions, Vacation Bible School, backpack packing, community events, baptisms, missions to Tanzania and Honduras, weddings, youth mission trips, care groups, Advent Festival, small groups, advisory boards, children’s ministry, youth group, council, educational events, many volunteers, online presence, new members, and all that takes place behind the scenes! Our connection and response to God’s grace is visible.
Our Vitality Initiative identified that the average member of Southwood isn’t aware of many serving opportunities and missions nor what the Nebraska Synod and national church does. We will challenge ourselves to communicate more effectively what our church does in the community, within Southwood’s walls, and beyond. With God’s help we will be even more vital and effective in serving the spiritual needs of our community.
We are hopeful for what the next year will bring in 2025 and give thanks for a year filled with God’s work using our hearts and hands. Together we continue to make Christ’s love visible.
Thanks be to God!
—Pastor Jessica Kingsborough and Pastor Michael Ryan
Sunday, January 26, 2025, 12PM in the Fellowship Hall.
All confirmed, communing, and contributing members of the congregation are urged to join together for a celebration of God’s blessings upon Southwood, and to conduct the annual congregational meeting. At this meeting, we’ll be making decisions about Southwood’s future, including our 2025 budget and election of our Church Council members.
Children and Families
“Let your light shine” is our theme for the year and the hearts and minds of our children have been burning brightly! The deep hope is that by providing interactive moments of spiritual formation throughout the year at Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, as well as family events like our Advent Festival, Movie Nights and new this year, Ice Skating, we can meet children and families in the beautiful, busy mess of everyday life. Because that is exactly where Jesus meets us, too.
Sunday School
375 children shining God's light
Vacation Bible School
260 children diving into friendship with God
Advent Festival
200+ celebrating Christ's birth
Volunteers
220 difference makers
Outreach
100's of lives changed
Family Events
108 families in fellowship
Youth and Young Adult Ministries
Southwood continues to serve and come alongside Youth and young adults! From DELVE, our confirmation ministry to middle school students, SWLYG for high school students, Young Adult Trivia, fellowship events, service trips, and more.
DELVE
180 middle school students engaging in learning and service
SWLYG
75 students involved in ministry and service at Southwood and beyond
Volunteers
65 difference makers working alongside our youth
Young Adults
New for 2024 with monthly trivia and more to come
Serving from Idaho to Tanzania
At the heart of Southwood is our desire to love God and others. Our youth lived out this love in many ways this past year. Over 50 youth volunteered in VBS and Sunday school, and 70 youth attended service trips and contributed over 3,500 hours of service. In July of 2024, 13 Youth and Young adults traveled to our sister church in Tanzania for two weeks of growing our partnership and learning.
Adult Ministries
You are MORE than welcome, you BELONG. These are more than words on our banners - it’s a reflection of 264 people making the decision to become members in 2024 (101 new members in 2023). This is largely due to revising our membership processes to better meet people where they are in this busy post-pandemic world. What’s even more exciting are the ways they’re getting connected that utilize their gifts while creating new friendships and community.
Life Events
Baptisms: 77
Weddings: 7
Sunday Morning Volunteers
692 people helped attendees feel welcome during worship
Event Attendees
Fall Brunch 400 participants. PRIDE Picnic 50 participants. Women's Spring Brunch 117 participants.
Groups
30 groups (Seniors, Book Club, Coffee Chats, Adoptive/Foster Parents, Widows/Widowers, Small Groups) gathered for studies and fellowship
Fall Theme
launched “Wholeheartedness” to conclude the “Belonging, Healing, Wholeness” series with Small Groups and Bible Study
Outreach
Plans for a large-scale festival on 8/24/25 for Southwood, neighborhood & community
Worship and Music
At Southwood, we believe that worship is central to our life as a Christ follower. Have you noticed the high priority we give worship in our congregation? In worship, we center our praise on God and this reminds us that God is at the center of our whole life!
- The worshipper will encounter a wide variety of musical and teaching styles here. We sing songs that are old, new, global, familiar, unfamiliar and intergenerational. The worship experience is a diverse and uplifting experience!
- We are blessed with many musically talented people! From choirs, soloists, and instrumentalists, each of these people gives their talents for the praise and honor of God.
- Volunteers help welcome worshippers by serving as greeters and ushers. These folks help create a friendly and warm atmosphere encouraging a culture of hospitality.
Short-term Choirs
Opportunities to sing in the Mixed Choir and Men’s Chorus are offered throughout the school year in short-term sessions allowing members to commit as their schedules allow.
Children's Choirs
Children in 2nd-5th grade had the opportunity to help create a VBS soundtrack with Mike Mennard for VBS this year. This opportunity continues in 2025 starting right away in January. They will also sing with the Intergenerational Choir in worship.
Music Ministry Partners
The Music Ministry shared music with various ministry partners such as Yankee Hill Village, The Independent House, and Mosaic throughout the year. Reaching out beyond the walls of the church is a way of sharing God's love with the community around us.
Short-term Handbell Ensembles
Throughout this past year, handbells have been used in worship in a variety of ways including accompanying hymns and choir anthems. Sharing music in care facilities has been a highlight.
Mission
Relationships and community are the heart of Missions at Southwood. Serving brings people together and forms relationships within our church. Serving with our Partners builds meaningful relationships that contribute to the impact Southwood makes wherever we go.
Community Missions
Serving in our community has built strong relationships between our partners, our volunteers and the people they serve. Our partners know they can depend on Southwood.
- Southwood volunteers served 3,272 hours with our local partners.
- The Southwood Garden donated 13,000 pounds of produce to the Food Bank of Lincoln.
- Southwood responded to the weather disasters by donating $15,000 to ELCA Disaster Relief.
- Southwood Serves event brought 220 volunteers together to serve in 20 different activities.
Global Missions
The focus of Southwood’s Global Missions is relationships and community building. This means working together to foster relationships that sustain our long-standing partnerships. Working together, we experience that we are all one, serving the same God no matter how different our everyday lives might be. Working together is more than completing a project. It is the opportunity to get to know people and share in their lives and faith. It is building a community as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Global Mission Teams in 2024, included 13 people to Tanzania and 12 people to Honduras. These teams came home eager to preserve and grow the relationships they developed and Southwood’s partnerships.
Care Ministry
- Prayer requests shared daily with our Prayer Team.
- GriefShare and DivorceCare support groups offered twice a year.
- Care Team Worship services offered monthly at 4 assisted living facilities in Lincoln.
- Between our pastors, Care Ministry staff, and Care Team volunteers, we connected with Southwood members by visiting them at hospitals, rehabilitation centers, care facilities and homes, in addition to phone calls and emails.
Funerals
Held 18 funerals at Southwood and 7 funerals offsite.
Prayer Shawls
149 prayer shawls and baby blankets were created as gifts to our congregation and community.
Good Samaritan Fund
54 financial assistance requests received from the community and congregation were granted.
Holiday Support
31 families received Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts.
All Saints Sunday
27 congregation members honored during All Saints Sunday worship.
Grief Support
56 families received grief related cards, mailings, and books
