2024
ANNUAL REPORT
A Look Back on 2024
Welcome to the 2024 Annual Report!
Pastor Jason Van Hunnik and Pastor Sarah Scherschligt reflect on year one of Westwood's Road Map goals and highlights from the past year.
6:38 runtime
Council President's Report
Kari Hentges
Council President
This year has been a remarkable journey for our congregation. We have navigated challenges, celebrated successes, and continued to grow in faith and community. I am grateful for the dedication, support, talents, and generosity of each member of our church.
The Council had a busy year in 2024. In January, the new Westwood Road Map was shared with the congregation. The Road Map is our strategic plan and guide for the next several years. We are committed to encouraging personal spiritual growth and service through our Individual Vocation initiatives. Strengthening our community and mission remains a priority under Communal Vocation. We are also dedicated to ensuring sustainable financial practices through Financial Development & Management. Maintaining and improving our physical space is a key focus under Our Campus, and enhancing our church's structure and governance is addressed through Our Organization. Additionally, we proudly added Environmental Sustainability as a core value, reflecting our commitment to caring for God's creation.
We celebrated the successful conclusion of the Prayer of Good Courage (POGC) Capital Appeal and are grateful for the support of this initiative. Following this, we launched the Bridge Appeal, successfully meeting the goal of $130,000. This appeal aimed to bridge the gap between the POGC appeal and our next capital appeal, providing vital financial support during this interim period and addressing immediate needs while planning for future projects.
The Council is actively planning our next capital appeal, which will launch in 2025. The goal is to continue supporting our church's growth and mission by focusing on environmental sustainability, ensuring a secure environment, and renewing our building to keep our campus vibrant and welcoming.
I am continually amazed and grateful for our congregation's gifts and talents. This year, we have heard from and been supported by various groups, including WECC, which celebrated its 40th anniversary, the Community Partnerships Team, the HR Advisory Group (HRAG), the Financial Management Advisory Group (FMAG), the Properties Committee, the Stewardship Advisory Team, and the Core Values Team. Their contributions have been invaluable in upholding and promoting our church's mission and values.
We are also grateful for Westwood's amazing staff and pastors. Their dedication, passion, and talents are remarkable, and their work has an impact beyond measure.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to our mission and vision, trusting in God's guidance and the continued support of our congregation. Thank you for your dedication and faithfulness.
In Peace,
Kari Hentges
Council President
Nominations Team
Jessica Gilbertson
I live in Minnetonka with my husband, Steve, and our kids, Gavin (10) and Harper (8). We became members in 2009. I love Westwood and the community
here. I am a music educator in the Hopkins School District. When I'm not attending youth sporting events, I enjoy playing my clarinet, knitting, and doing puzzles.
Cheryl Stark
My husband, John, and I have been members of Westwood for 37 years and raised our three children here. When I'm not caring for our grandchildren, I enjoy daily walks and spending time outdoors, helping with the Westwood Community Meal, baking, and spending time with family and friends.
Ann Marie Janke
I joined Westwood years ago when I graduated from St. Olaf. My husband and I were married at Westwood. Over the years, I have been involved in a variety of things, including the WECC board and two stints on the church council. I now enjoy playing in the bell choir and coordinating communion service.
Re-elected for Year 2
Paul Wogen, Rachel Palermo, and Allison Bailey;
Thank You!
Council Nominees
Andy Bailey
Member At-Large
(3 year term)
My name is Andy Bailey. I live in Saint Louis Park with my husband, Joe, and our two dogs, Dakota and Tucker. We first attended Westwood in 2019 and became members in 2024. We feel blessed to be part of a faith community that embodies God's love in the world and fosters an authentic connection between faith and daily life. I am honored by the opportunity to serve on Westwood's council and contribute to the mission of this exceptional community.
As an educator for the past twelve years, I am passionate about inspiring curiosity and a love of learning in my students. Currently, I teach high school biology and environmental science in the Bloomington Public Schools, coach girls' basketball at Eden Prairie High School, and am completing a doctorate in Educational Leadership through Bethel University.
Mark Zimmerman
Member At-Large
(3 year term)
My name is Mark Zimmerman, and I live in Minnetonka with my wife, Betsy, and our two teenage daughters, Sophie and Emma. Betsy and I joined as members and were married at Westwood in 2002. We have enjoyed raising our daughters in the Westwood community and seeing them baptized and now confirmed. I have been part of several small groups and have been involved in youth programs through the years. I am energized by the people at Westwood and their focus on welcoming, equity, and service – and I strongly believe I’m a better person for being part of this church family.
I’m a Mechanical Engineer who has worked at KFI Engineers for 27 years. I look forward to serving with the other dedicated council members and continuing our meaningful work at Westwood!
We appreciate Anna Lovas and Nate Hanson's dedication and commitment to serving on the Council. Thank you for sharing your time and talents over the last three years.
Thank You!
Member Spotlights
Molly and Mark Rosenkranz
Our family began attending Westwood two years ago after nearly a decade at an evangelical church in the cities. We were looking for a place to help us grow in our faith with the perspective that all of God's people are loved and accepted. Westwood's welcoming atmosphere was just what we needed.
Our daughter Alma joined the children's choir, and we started attending the Wednesday Community Meal. At first, we did these things to get out of the house during the winter months, but later, we found them to be soul-feeding activities that we look forward to each week. The Parents' Night Out and the coffee breaks during choir practice have given us the opportunity to connect with other members of the church and each other.
Molly and I also served on Westwood's HR and Finance Committees. While our current life stage with three young daughters has naturally limited our perspective, serving on these committees gave us a unique view of all the other groups Westwood supports through various adult groups, charitable efforts, prayer, and partnership. We feel personally proud to be a part of this wonderful community of faith that clearly illustrates and demonstrates God's love in such a wide variety of ways.
Financial Report
Total Gifts Given
$1,564,454
faith giving for pledgers and non pledgers
Average Gift
$3,014
annually
Household Contributions
519
given to the
General Operating Fund
Member Spotlights
Megan and Mark Peterson
Nicknamed the "Blizzard Couple," we attended our first service in a snowstorm...we officially began our journey at Westwood by tying the knot in 2018!
From the start, we felt a profound sense of belonging and a strong connection to the church's mission. We are passionate about each of Westwood's core values and are particularly called to lend our time, talents, and treasure to Environmental Stewardship. Megan is grateful to serve on the Core Values Committee, while Mark is honored to be part of the Environmental Audit Team. Westwood is making a difference in the lives of many locally, nationally, and globally - including creatures of all kinds - and all of God's creation. We are blessed to be members of this loving, courageous, and heart-driven community!
We reside in Hopkins with our two fur babies, Bear (white) and rescue pup Stanley (gray), adopted from the Animal Humane Society. We are profoundly thankful for Westwood, a true treasure in our lives. In the words of our wonderful Westwood friends: THIS MATTERS!
Core Values
This fall, we saw the creation of a new Core Values Team. Westwood has five core values. Previously, these values have been attended to as discrete, separate concerns, each operating independently. The new Core Values Team addresses these values as a whole. They bring a core values lens into all our decision-making, providing a more significant impact on our overall culture and, when possible, working intersectionally for the good of our mission and the thriving of the neighbor.
We have developed a church-wide core values calendar and communications plan, provided input into hiring practices, and helped individual core values teams identify opportunities to expand their work to include other core values.
Specific highlights from each of the core values include:
Interfaith Relationships: Westwood collaborated with three Jewish partner organizations to develop multiple viewings and post-event conversations on the Dekalog film series. This underscored our summer worship theme of the Ten Commandments.
LGBTQIA+ Affirmation: Westwood held a joyful Pride event involving community partners. Connecting with our Interfaith Core Value, Adath Jeshurun Congregation co-planned and sponsored the event. For the first time, Westwood had a booth at Golden Valley Pride! Westwood's LGBTQIA+ team held small groups and social events throughout the year.
Child Well-Being: The whole church celebrated the WECC's 40th anniversary and the launch of Rise Early. Children remain a strong focus of our ministry.
Environmental Sustainability: Our Lent theme, All Creation is Groaning, allowed us to listen to many voices, giving this core value a theological backbone. An Environmental Audit Team investigated long-range options for greening our campus.
Race Equity: A fourteen-person "Be the Work" cohort of learning and growth around racism wrapped up. Two Sacred Sites Tours were offered to the people of Westwood. The staff continues to focus on race equity with distinct site visits, including the Sabathani Community Center and the Treaty Site History Center. The Race Equity Team has reconvened with new leadership, driven by the question, "How do we help people long for a world of justice and equality?"
Congregational Stats
Instagram
Followers
668
+6.8% from 2023
Worship Attendance
(avg. weekly in-person)
448
Worship Attendance
(avg. weekly livestream)
89
Facebook
Followers
1190
+3% from 2023
New Members
42
via new member class
Baptisms
28
WECC Report
Westwood Early Childhood Center (WECC) continues to thrive and grow in remarkable ways. Some of the 2024 highlights include:
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Connecting and building community, including the significant milestone of celebrating WECC's 40th anniversary, marking four decades of welcoming children, families, and congregants into our learning community.
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Serving 120 children and 82 families throughout the year.
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Providing food, clothing, and school supplies through our continued partnership with the local emergency program STEP.
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Growing alongside institutions of higher learning with WECC educators mentoring students from Northwestern University and WECC educators earning degrees from Concordia University St. Paul and UC Denver.
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Inviting and sharing our experiences with other early childhood professionals at conferences hosted by WECC and local and international conferences.
This year was bittersweet as we bid farewell to our beloved Director, Kellee Nelson, who served the WECC for 10 years. However, we closed the year on a high note with zero teacher turnover, a rare and significant achievement that speaks to the dedication and strength of our entire team. These are testaments to the high-quality and positive reputation of the WECC's program.
Community Partnerships
The Westwood Road Map directed the Community Partnerships Team's efforts in 2024 toward the Year One goal of evaluating the number and quality of our Community Partnership relationships.
Our philosophy of focusing on fewer core partnerships over a long period of time to increase Westwood's impact was affirmed. In addition, a volunteer booklet was developed to help members better connect with partners, available in early January 2025.
We give many thanks to the members of the Community Partnership Team and their work: Karl Cambronne, Brenda Knutson, Nancy Schafer, and Randy Romsdahl. In addition, we are grateful for the generosity of Westwood's congregation and for giving and volunteering your time as you live out being God's hands and feet in the world for the thriving of others. Your Leadership Matters - Thank You!
Visit the Community Partnerships page on Westwood's website for more information.
Westwood Lutheran Memorial Foundation
Member Spotlights
Karen Horne
Hi. My name is Karen.
When I first walked into Westwood a year ago, I was touched by the spiritual need I felt and the warmth from the congregation.
Since joining the church, my spiritual needs and passion for service every Sunday have also been fulfilled. I’m glad I found Westwood Lutheran Church. It took me about 20 years to be filled with the Spirit, but now I’m home again.
Thank you for letting me be part of the Westwood family!
Congregational Care
The following numbers are a breakdown by age groups of Westwood's older adult members: in their 70s, there are 218 people; in their 80s, there are 166 people; and in their 90s, another 67 people!
Did you know?
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Worship bulletins and prayer lists were sent out weekly to 70 Westwood elders
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Westwood's Caring Response Team sent birthday cards and ½ birthday cards to over 90 elder and/or homebound members, along with cards for sympathies, celebrations, and illnesses
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For older members who could not travel to Westwood, the pastoral team made visits, giving communion and having time for prayer and conversation
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Westwood hosted 24 funerals in 2024, honoring life and grieving the loss
Music + Worship
Here are a few fun facts related to worship this year:
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In-person weekly attendance remained steady, averaging 448 people
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Online presence continues to garner more than 90 screens every week
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Christmas Eve Worship Attendance was 1631 people, an increase of 20% over 2023
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Over 200 people from across the community attended PAUSE (Prayer Around U.S. Elections), two mid-week services curated around the elections
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Volunteer participation significantly increased in our Hospitality, Audio/Visual, and Sanctuary Adornment ministries—We are THANKFUL for you all!
Our musical ensembles continue to provide numerous opportunities for faith development and fellowship through meaningful musical experiences. Highlights throughout 2024 include the following:
A Cappella Choir presented Handel’s Messiah throughout Advent with soloists from within the choir.
The number of young people singing in the Children’s Choir and Cantemus (middle and high school choir)
continues to grow; more than 80 participants gather in song on a weekly basis.
Worship Team continues to add new instrumentalists and vocalists as they lead our 11 am worship service each week.
Westwood Ringers hosted the Anthornis Festival featuring other Regional area ensembles.
Westwood has become one of the most desired spaces for concerts in the Metro West area. We hosted more than 20 concerts and welcomed over 4,000 people into our beautiful facilities. Here is our list of musical partners in 2024:
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Bach Roots Festival
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Bach Society of Minnesota
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Handbell Musicians of America
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Magnum Chorum
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Oratorio Society of Minnesota
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The Singers
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Synod Senior Band
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VocalEssence
The participation of many guest musicians blessed our worship:
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Magnum Chorum
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VocalEssence Singers Of This Age
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Waukee High School A Cappella Choir
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29:11 International Exchange from South Africa
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Melanie DeMore
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Synod Senior Band
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Joe Davis and The Poetic Diaspora
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Loring String Quartet
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...and the talented instrumentalists last year
Children, Youth & Family Ministry
The CYF team was busy in 2024 as participation from all ages and stages was on the rise!
Statistics included:
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93 campers and 57 volunteers for Vacation Bible School (VBS)
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36 people at Family Camp, 9 campers at Seeds Camp, 40 campers at Wapo Youth Camp
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50 campers and 30 volunteers at Camp Westwood
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30+ middle schoolers involved in Learning And Belonging (LAB) each week
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7 meals and Westwood-made gifts were delivered to families that welcomed new babies
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2 Parents' Night Out events, 50+ kids were registered each time
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70+ children and youth involved in the Christmas Program
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209 children registered for CYF programming, a number higher than pre-pandemic registration
Faithful Families is strong in its second year. The older elementary children bring their talents to lead prayers, serve communion, and lead by example to the younger children in attendance. Highlights from 2024 include Christmas Carols with Josh Larson and learning about how big God's love is for ALL of God's children!
Seven Westwood youth and three adults traveled to New Orleans for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Youth Gathering, where they met up with Dannica and her team (including Ann Sundermeyer and Elsa Lee) for a week of faith and fun in the Big Easy.
Two cohort gatherings were held for the Vocation of Parenting: one for the parents of Kindergarteners and one for the parents of High Schoolers. Both groups allowed parents of specific-aged children an opportunity to talk with other parents about the joys and challenges of raising children in 2024 and to frame their thoughts about their role in their child(ren)'s life.
As the new program year started, CYF hosted a two-part Westwood U series on "Parenting Smart Kids in a Dumb World." In addition to the presentations, the team has begun working on parenting support materials for all ages.
Young Adults
This year, the Young Adult Ministry was reshaped at Westwood. The mission of this ministry is to create opportunities for young adults to build community, deepen their faith, and live out their vocations.
This renewed emphasis at Westwood comes from the Road Map's Individual Vocation goal.
While we have dozens of young adults involved in our church, there has been a gap and area for the opportunity to create more ways to foster meaningful relationships of substance with and for them specifically. Based on internal demographics (over 250 people in our database are in this age cohort), external demographics (the areas surrounding Westwood are full of young adults), and an awareness that young adulthood is a time of enormous personal and spiritual growth, Westwood wanted to do more.
In 2024, Young Adults (approximately ages 20-35) got organized. We gathered for brunch, had a Vocational Discernment small group, and led a service project while building our community and strengthening our faith.
Similarly to how the 3rd Chapter Ministry has become such a vibrant part of Westwood, we look forward to the Young Adult Ministry's continued growth in the years ahead.
3rd Chapter Ministry
Our 3rd Chapter Ministry, now in year two, continues to offer opportunities for people in their mid-50s to late-70s to connect with others, ponder our legacy, deepen our spiritual journey, have educational times, and have fun!
The 3rd Chapter launched a blog, which is now running. It includes event information, general updates, and additional resources as we build it out. 2024 was full of activities and events: an End-of-Life Series with participants writing Ethical Wills (and multiple people sharing for a larger group), several winter book studies, a 2nd Annual Progressive Dinner & Discussion, and the fall small group series consisting of singles, pre-retirement, and post-retirement individual peer groups.
Other highlights in 2024 included two summer book groups with a wonderful follow-up. Richard J. Leider spoke at Westwood about his book, “Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old: The Path of Purposeful Aging.” Pastor Tania is grateful for her partial retirement and the wonderful group of people who have helped brainstorm ideas for this diverse bandwidth of people. Your thoughts and ideas are always welcome.
Prayer of Good Courage
O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.