Transition Blog

As part of our ongoing strategic planning initiative, we are providing an update on the progress made since we first launched this effort in the fall.

One of the initial steps was to engage with the congregation through a survey to understand your priorities for the future of our church. With 798 members participating in October, the survey results have provided valuable insight as we lean further into the process. You are invited to see the results by viewing the recap video found below.

Looking ahead, the strategic planning team will have a second retreat — originally scheduled for January — in March to refine our vision, set strategic priorities and identify champions for each priority. We will update you on the progress made during this retreat in the April Direction.

We appreciate your continued involvement as we work diligently on both a strategic plan and a capital campaign feasibility study for 2025. These initiatives are critical to ensuring a clear and focused direction for Prince of Peace, and we are grateful for your input and support as we move forward.

October 13, 2024

Dear Prince of Peace,

Like most communities of faith that move through a major leadership transition, we find ourselves at an inflection point. Our community certainly remains healthy and vibrant, and as we can clearly see, we are growing. Worshiping rhythms, discipleship rhythms, and volunteerism are all changing around us. As we move into an even more vital future, we need to discern our next best steps.

To help us in that process, we have enlisted the help of Pastor Nathan Swenson-Reinhold, a professional coach and consultant with GSB Fundraising (www.gsbfundraising.com) to work us through a process that helps us reground in the what, who, and how of our lives together. The process will ultimately leave us with a strategic plan to focus and harness our efforts over the next several years so that we can powerfully show up shoulder to shoulder with Jesus in the mission we share. In addition, the work of the strategic planning process will inform and support the capital campaign needs we believe we need to address as well.

We are building a Strategic Planning Team to oversee and guide this process with the help of Pastor Nathan. The people on the team will be: Paul Dean, Kienan Mick, Julie Gorvin, Iver Johnson, Marilyn Tubbs, Erin Bennis and Mike Zick.

We will provide periodic updates. The process began in September. Here in October we will share a congregational survey with you all and would love it if you would respond. The survey is an opportunity to share your sense of the mission of Prince of Peace! It is a privilege you will not want to miss! We will share those results with you in a way that is manageable and digestible after the survey is complete.

We anticipate that by late winter 2025 we will have strategic priorities built based upon this process, and teams built to shepherd our clarified priorities.

What can you do? Participate in the pieces you may be asked to engage in, and pray for our congregation and the process. God continues to work powerfully through Prince of Peace. Pray for our work, for our focus, and for the ministry that is ahead of us.

For more information, please contact Kienan Mick at [email protected] who is involved in this process.

Thank you,

Prince of Peace Leadership

Welcome, Pastor Sarah Fike! 

We are pleased to announce that the Prince of Peace congregation overwhelmingly voted to call Sarah Fike as associate pastor of spiritual formation in a special congregational meeting during all worship services on August 24 and 25. The meeting resulted in 411 voting yes, 0 voting no and 19 abstained.

Thank you to the Call Committee –  Donna Cushing, Mike Heidemann, Mike McClure, Jessica Scholl, Nancy Papatola Smith and Diane Sonnenberg – for their faithful commitment and diligence in this call process.

Pastor Sarah will join us in early September and a service of installation will be scheduled this fall. Please join us in welcoming Pastor Sarah and her family to Prince of Peace!

Dear Prince of Peace,

I am happy to announce that the Prince of Peace Board of Directors held a special meeting on Sunday, August 11 to discuss the recommendation made by the Spiritual Formation Call Committee to call Sarah Fike as associate pastor of spiritual formation.

“She is committed to fostering a trusting community and connecting with people of all ages,” stated the Call Committee. “Pastor Sarah is looking forward to helping revitalize small groups at Prince of Peace, connecting with young adults to increase attendance and participation, and keeping the Gospel at the center of our worship and ministry.”

The Board voted to recommend the Congregation extend a Letter of Call to Pastor Sarah Fike.

A special congregational meeting will be held during all worship services the weekend of August 24-25 (5:30 pm Saturday|9:00 am and 10:30 am Sunday) to vote on calling Pastor Sarah to our congregation. All votes must be made in person.

All members are encouraged to attend and participate in this exciting next step for the future of Prince of Peace.

Please find more information about Pastor Sarah below.

In addition, I would like to thank the following members on the Spiritual Formation Call Committee for their commitment and diligence during this process: Donna Cushing, Mike Heidemann, Mike McClure, Jessica Scholl, Nancy Papatola Smith, Diane Sonnenberg.

Peace,

Paul Dean
Lead Pastor

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Dear Prince of Peace,

We are excited to announce the hiring of Adam Giebner as our new choir director. Adam will start in this part-time role on Monday, August 5, just in time to bring our choir and ensembles back from the summer break.

Adam’s extensive choral background in various schools and churches will be a valuable addition to the congregation. We are excited for his collaboration with our worship arts director and music ministry leaders to further enhance the worship experience at Prince of Peace.

Please join us in welcoming Adam, and his wife Rachel, to Prince of Peace. You can learn more about his background and family below.

Peace,

Paul Dean
Lead Pastor

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May 16, 2024

To the Congregants of Prince of Peace,

With transition, change and growth often comes with uncertainty and unease. Prince of Peace is traversing those times of change and growth now, and some of those transitions have led to uncertainty. We recognize that uncertainty and we hear you. We want to assure the congregation that the Board of Directors has been, and continues, working closely with church leadership on transitions, changes and plans for growth.

In 2023, when Pastor Paul Dean was called to Prince of Peace, there was great excitement about our future. Visions of full seats, healthy family ministry programs and returning familiar faces filled us all. We on the board have been working closely with the executive team on those visions and strategies to reach them. We are very excited for our future and the plans the team is bringing.

We have seen the addition of Dan Nordin as Pastor of Spiritual Care and Visitation and in the next few months, we will see the additions of an Associate Pastor of Young Adult Ministry and an Associate Pastor of Spiritual Formation. There is also discussion with additional pastors to fill our spiritual care team.

As was announced on Tuesday, Russ Parrish will be returning to Prince of Peace to lead our Worship Arts Ministry, bringing rejuvenation to our worship experiences. Additionally, work is ongoing to call a new Director of Traditional Worship and Music Ministries to Prince of Peace to continue our traditional worship music and thriving choir.

Throughout all of the transition, the board has worked closely with executive leaders and staff on maintaining the mission, ministry and beliefs of Prince of Peace that brings us all here. We are grateful for and support Pastor Paul’s leadership and vision as he leads our church forward through transition and into a new chapter of ministry. Your continued prayers and trust as our church navigates these changes in our ministry are greatly appreciated.

Please feel free to contact us in the days, weeks and months ahead. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to contact us directly at [email protected] with any questions. We are here to support you, the congregation, as well as the staff and community.

We strongly believe that the future is bright for Prince of Peace, and we are happy you are part of this congregation!

In Christ,

Prince of Peace Board of Directors

Barb Peterson                           Iver Johnson                             Josh Tuchscherer
Jay Olstad                                  Gene Mickelson                       Tom Nelson
Donna Blaul                              Marlene Robertson                 Diane Horsager