2024 Annual Report
WestSide Lutheran Church
14th Annual Meeting of WestSide Lutheran
Agenda
Call to Order and Adoption of Agenda
Approval of Minutes
Annual Reports
Report of the Treasurer
Elections
Other Business
Adjournment
Appendices
Annual Letter from Bishop Constanze Hagmeier
ELCA and Synod Resources
Partner Ministry Reports
Our Mission
The Mission of WestSide Lutheran Church is to GATHER as a community of God, To GROW in faith, And to GO out to love and serve.
Our Values
In the joys, challenges, needs, and activities of our neighborhoods, community, and world.
Our life together is our life together, inclusive of multi-ages, abilities, and life stage.
At the center of our community is worship, where God gathers us so that we can hear and experience the grace of Jesus Christ.
The church is made up of sinners in need of forgiveness. We do not pretend to be otherwise.
Unfussy, down-to-earth.
At a Glance
2024 By the Numbers
2024
Average
Sunday Morning
Worship Attendance
130
Average
Church Online
Facebook Views *
248
Easter Sunday
247
Christmas Eve
238
Members
360 members
(151 households)
Baptisms
9
2023
Average
Sunday Morning
Worship Attendance
130
Average
Church Online
Facebook Views *
125
Easter Sunday
225
Christmas Eve
288
Members
358 members
(149 households)
Baptisms
9
2022
Average
Sunday Morning
Worship Attendance
117
Average
Church Online
Facebook Views *
106
Easter Sunday
238
Christmas Eve
218
Members
341 members
(143 households)
Baptisms
9
* A Facebook view is defined by 3 seconds or more.
Looking Back
A few highlights from 2024
ELCA Youth Gathering
Six WestSiders attended the ELCA Youth Gathering (plus Kevin and Mara, who were there as volunteers!) along with more than 16,000 other ELCA church members from around the world. Located in New Orleans, The Gathering provided an opportunity for worship, service, and faith learning... and a beignet or two!
Faith Formation
Faith Formation at WestSide continues to grow on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, with opportunities for Intergenerational Faith Formation for all ages to learn together throughout the year. Highlights this year include superhero VBS, a roller skating party for older students, and the younger students' Christmas scripture and illustration video.
A Decade of Faith
In September 2024, WestSide celebrated ten years of ministry in our church building. Worship and brunch marked the occasion, and we give thanks for the continuation of our mission as we look ahead to more faithful decades here with the opportunity for potential building expansion.
Volunteer Celebration
We give thanks for WestSide's Volunteer Coordinator, Ashley Christianson, and the work she does to engage church members in all areas of ministry. In April, we celebrated over 80 volunteers of all ages with a catered lunch in their honor. Thank you, all, for your commitment to welcoming and serving others at WestSide!
Giving and Serving
With gifts of time, items, and finances, WestSide supported the following organizations and ministries in 2024:
The South Dakota Synod
Food to You
Necessities for Neighbors
The Banquet
Hayward Elementary
Laundry with Love
Church on the Street
LuMin - Lutheran
Campus Ministries
St. Dysmas Prison Congregation