A Word from our Senior Pastor
2025: What a year! There were some big things that happened. The mortgage was paid off. That’s a big deal! It happened through collective generosity.
There were some staff changes. Farewells were said to one pastor, a generous welcome was given to another (thank you!), and we marked 25 years of shared ministry with the pastor on staff who has quite possibly seen it all. Two other staff members, Jo Sheets and Lori Changstrom, retired, with congregational well-wishes, thanksgivings, and a combined 41 years of service. These are big things!
Yet, the biggest thing of all is Southwood’s unwavering mission to grow in love of God and others through the welcome of the Gospel. Lots of other things can happen in a year, but the Gospel as our center is always THE thing. Always.
What serves that Gospel mission is our many ministries. We have outstanding staff and volunteers who put their servant hearts into our Gospel mission. The stories, pictures, and numbers that you will find below give a glimpse into the impact of that work, locally and globally. We know, however, that God’s work is bigger than what we see. A promise!
Behind all of the ministries that happen at Southwood is God’s people sharing their time, talent, and treasure. I give thanks for Southwood and the many gifts that are shared here for the sake of the faith and care of others. Thank you, Southwood, for your faithfulness and being partners in ministry. I’m looking forward to more of it!
In peace,
Pastor Heidi Binstock
Average Weekly In-Person Worship Attendance:
2025: 936 2024: 912 2023: 878
Average weekly online views:
2025: 270 2024: 196 2023: 235
Total New Members:
2025: 146 2024: 264* 2023: 101 *Revision in membership process
Total Membership:
2025: 4,044 2024: 4,184 2023: 3,851
Sunday, January 25, 2026, 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 2026 budget and election of our Church Council members.
Children and Families
This year we are finding out how we are all awesomely and wonderfully created in the image of God. Our theme, “Made with a Purpose” gives each of us something to do in our life that shows who God is. That means the children of Southwood are putting into action the love, trust, strength, compassion and grace of our God. They are showing up in their everyday lives with the knowledge that God has placed them at this exact moment in time to be all they can be for God and others. Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Family Events and more are just the wind beneath their soaring wings to change our world for the better. Hallelujah!
Sunday School
315 children growing in their love for God
Vacation Bible School
270 kids on an epic adventure with God
Advent Festival
200+ celebrating Christ's birth
Volunteers
225 difference makers
Outreach
$5,700+ given to Saratoga Elementary School, Headstart Class Sponsorship, and The Gathering Place
Family Events
100+ families connected at Family Ice Skate and Swim Night
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
- 164 DELVE Registrants
- 50+ Confirmands in 2025
- 113 J-Term Registrants
DELVE Outreach
Our Youth programming also worked alongside the Friendship Home and donated over $300 and tied 100+ blankets for families at Mourning Hope.
Volunteers
77 difference makers working alongside our youth
SWLYG
- 37 SWLYG Registrants
- 25+ Bi-Weekly Attendance
- 6 Current Youth & Young Adult DELVE Volunteers
Youth Service and Care Outreach
Organized a donation drive for DELVE students and inventoried to be delivered. Community Outreach through Yankee Hill Village and Southwood Family.
- 10+ gifts wrapped for Southwood Families
- 50+ gifts sorted for Missions Giving Tree
Young Adults
Partnered with the ELCA pastors of American Lutheran and First Lutheran of Lincoln to join the Nationwide Gather Network and start Gather Lincoln.
- 20+ attendees at Trivia Night
- 20+ attendees at Summer Grill Out
Mission Trips in 2025
In partnership with Serve901, students were able to get more closely connected to the community of Memphis, Tennessee. Helping with homeless meal delivery, the food bank, small community daycare, and getting school classrooms ready for the start of the year.
- 25 Youth (High School & Middle School)
- 7 Adult Volunteers
Adult Ministries
2025 became a year marked by new beginnings in Adult Ministries. The spirit of newness came alive as 146 people (a steady growth from previous years) chose to become members, choosing to grow in their love of God and Others. We also hosted our first Sunday Social at Southwood, creating space to connect with our neighbors. Drew Jagadich also moved into a new role as Director of Adult Ministry, bringing a newness and starting off the new year with classes for everyone to come as they are. Together, these moments reflect a church continuing to grow by meeting people where they are and inviting them to use their gifts, strengthening the Southwood community.
Life Events
Baptisms: 49
Weddings: 9
Sunday Morning Volunteers
695 people helped attendees feel welcome during worship.
Event Attendees
Sunday Social @ Southwood 500 attendees. PRIDE Picnic 50 participants. Women's Spring Brunch 95 participants. New! Spiritual Life Retreat: 5 participants
Groups
233 participants in our ongoing social groups (Seniors, Book Club, Coffee Chats, Adoptive/Foster Parents, Widows/Widowers, Small Groups).
Mortgage Payoff Celebration
600 attendees at our Mortgage Payoff Celebration brunch.
Faith Formation
Sunday Morning Classes: 100 participants Book Club: 55 participants Lenten Small Group Study: 30participants Community in Christ Study: 30 Women's Summer Bible Study: 48
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
This year started with children in 2nd-5th grade having the opportunity to help create a VBS soundtrack with Mike Mennard and the adult choirs. This November, children sang with the Intergenerational Choir in worship.
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.
Missions
Southwood Mission is committed to working alongside our local and global partners through deep-rooted relationships and collaborative efforts. More than completing projects, we are focused on building community while we serve our neighbors with dignity, grace, and compassion. In 2025, Southwood Volunteers Served 3,630 hours.
Our Community Mission Partners
| Clinic with a Heart | Food Bank of Lincoln | The Gathering Place | Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach | Tabitha Meals on Wheels |
Working Together in Community Mission
Our local missions emphasize dependable relationships with organizations in Lincoln.
Southwood Serves
- This event gave 200 volunteers opportunities to work together to serve a variety of ways around Southwood and Lincoln.
New ways to Serve
- Southwood built 27 beds for youth in Lincoln with a Sleep in Heavenly Peace building event.
Ongoing Opportunities to Serve
- Through our local partnerships we provide opportunities to serve meals, donate food, distribute food, provide healthcare and build relationships. Christmas Giving Trees collected more than 900 gifts for children, families and adults in the community.
Southwood Garden
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The church’s garden donated 11,300 pounds of food to The Food Bank of Lincoln. The beauty of flowers grown in the garden blessed many this year. Bouquets were made available for anyone to take for themselves or give away. And a Master Gardener taught 20 people to pick and arrange flowers.
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.
Our global partnerships in Honduras and Tanzania are founded on mutual respect and shared faith.
Tanzania Partnership:
In 2025, we met to vision and plan for the future of our partnership. The Uswaa English Medium School has grown to more than 600 students and Trinity Medical Clinic & Dispensary continues to expand services for patients.
Honduras Partnership:
The Southwood Service and Learning team visited and served alongside our friends in La Ceibita and The Children’s Home Project. A vision team met to strengthen our commitment to walking alongside our partners as they serve the people of Honduras.
Our Global Mission Partners
Conectados Para Bendecir, La Ciebeta, Honduras |
Haley Janssen - The Children's Home Project, El Progreso, Honduras |
Uswaa Lutheran Parish, Uswaa, Tanzania |
Northern Diocese of ELC-Tanzania |
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 connect with Southwood members by visiting them at hospitals, rehabilitation centers, care facilities and homes, in addition to phone calls and emails.
Funerals
10 funerals held at Southwood and 4 funerals held offsite.
Prayer Shawls
305 prayer shawls and baby blankets were created as gifts to our congregation and community.
Good Samaritan Fund
48 financial assistance requests from the community and congregation were granted.
Holiday Support
28 people received Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts.
All Saints Sunday
14 congregation members honored during All Saints Sunday worship.
Grief Support
58 families received grief related cards, mailings, and books.
