Each Sunday as I introduce the offering, I read a short passage of scripture about giving or about God’s generosity toward us. I do this for two reasons. First, the Bible has a lot to say about how we manage and use financial resources, and we should be motivated to give by God’s word. Second,…
As we head into the summer months, I hope you will find time to get outside and feel the sun’s warmth, to visit with family members near or far, and to enjoy fresh vegetables from a local garden. Summer offers unique blessings and opportunities, and I hope you will be able to experience some of…
Before moving forward it’s usually wise to take a look back. Recalling what you have faced in the past before stepping into the future may save you from repeating a mistake or may help you accomplish something you once failed to achieve. By looking to the past, we gain wisdom for the future. That’s the…
Matthew’s Gospel contains an often over-looked detail about Jesus’ resurrection. After describing the wonderful events of that first Easter morning, Matthew tells us how those who had orchestrated the crucifixion reacted when Jesus’ tomb was found empty. The religious leaders who had opposed Jesus and called for His death wanted to cover-up His resurrection, so…
This time of year always feels like a mixture of anticipation, eagerness and impatience. Winter is al-most over, but spring hasn’t yet arrived. Daylight is increasing, but leaves and flowers aren’t quite ready to grow. Easter is coming, but we aren’t there yet. This is a season of patient waiting, of watchful anticipation. In liturgical…
Birthdays and Anniversaries for January 2024 Birthdays 5 Kent Drews Paula Rasanen 7 Kim Lape 9 Carrie Pretzer Keaton Price 10 Justin Holmertz Dan Schweitzer 11 Elena Cultra 13 Gary Ecklund Kathi Engstrom 15 Doug Swanson Lauren Leidahl 16 Al Damrose Andy Brown 17 Kelsey Ecklund 19 Nancy Norman 20 Jason Holmertz Roy Leidahl 27…
We are a praying people and a praying church. We believe in the power of prayer, which means we be-lieve that God hears us and unleashes His power to change lives in response to our prayers. It takes faith to be-lieve this, but God has told us that prayer makes a difference in His world…
Sunday school meets in the adultclassroom on the main flooracross from the nursery. KimSchweitzer will be leading thismonth with conversations onevangelism. Future topics willinclude spiritual disciplines andJesus’ parables.
We probably attached too much importance to the coming of a new year. The first day of January brings another sunrise and another flip of the calendar, but there’s no promise that 2023 will be the best year of our lives or even that it will be better than the year before. There’s also no…
What do we celebrate when we celebrate Christmas? Many people in our culture might say that Christmas is a celebration of winter or getting presents or having a few days off. They might celebrate the tradition itself, that happy feeling of waking up to surprises under the tree, like a celebration of nostalgia and sweet…
