By Pastor Devlyn Brooks
Dear Faith Family …
Thank you to all who were able to attend our confirmation service on April 21. What a wonderful day to celebrate some really great students with a great turnout!
With each passing year, I find it increasingly difficult to say good bye to the confirmation classes that graduate. As I noted during the service, I’ve known this group of confirmands for half of their life now, and it’s been a great joy to get to spend the last three years talking and learning about their faith.
Thank you to this church’s parents for the privilege of being able to teach confirmation to your children! It really is a great joy! And a privilege I do not take lightly!
And thank you to the congregation for allowing me this privilege as well. Sunday services are wonderful, but there are so many more places and times in which our faith grows, and I know that mine grows every time I get to interact with our youth in faithful settings.
I sincerely thank you for bestowing this charge on me as your pastor!
Faith Forward
I also want to thank the 10 folks who turned out at the first-ever meeting of the effort we are calling “Faith Forward,” the initiative that is growing out of our participation in the synod’s "Rural Revival” program.
It was exciting to see determination in the eyes of those present and who committed to helping to determine what is to become of our church in its next chapter. It is evident to all of us that we need to define a new mission, and the general consensus is that that new mission field lies outside the walls of our church.
Those that accepted the invitation to this response team are committing to help our church chart a new way forward, including finding a way that turns our gaze and our mission outward rather than in; a way that still stays true to caring for our members but simultaneously tells our small community, “We see and care for you too.”
Faith Family, this work will not be easy, nor quick. After all, we still have the same number of dwindling available sets of hands, the same budget and the same busy schedules all around.
But I will tell you that in our library that night during the first meeting of “Faith Forward," the feeling was electric, hopeful, and made this pastor’s heart grow!
Please know that this effort will take the talents of this entire congregation, and so please consider stepping forward if a member of “Faith Forward” asks for your help with a project. It’s fair to say that in this endeavor, we need all hands on deck!
A cross installation party!
Another plug for our lighted cross dedication Sunday …
Please keep Sunday, May 5, on your calendar as we will be blessing and celebrating the installation of a large exterior cross on the east side of the church that will be able to be seen from Highway 75. At night the cross will be lit and will shine Christ's light for all who pass to see!
The cross installation celebration is the culmination of a long-term project led by our church council, and will be a permanent memorial to Pastor Ted Peterson and his family for their years of service to Faith Lutheran Church. Thank you to Pastor Peterson's family for making this possible!
Pastor Peterson's wife Mildred, and daughters Karen and Dawn Marie and husband Mark Oberly plan to be in attendance to witness the blessing of the cross.
Faith Lutheran Council members are reaching out to members from throughout the years who may have been confirmed or married by Pastor Peterson to inform them of this big day. Please reach out to others in your confirmation classes who might be able to attend the celebration!
Thank you!
Upcoming baptism!
Also, please do not forget that we have another upcoming baptism as well! How wonderful!
We will be welcoming little Eddie, born to Luke Nord and Savanna Hill, on Sunday, May 19. Please join us for this joyful occasion!
Sweet, sweet summertime!
Finally, one more reminder that we will be returning to our summer schedule of meeting for worship on Wednesday nights during the months of June, July and August. Our first summer Wednesday service will be on June 5 at 6:45 p.m.
On those Wednesday nights, we share a family style meal before our summer services starting at 6 p.m. It's always great to be able to break bread midweek with our Faith Family!
Blessings to you this Mayl., Faith Family! ... See you in church!