Archive for May 2020
What is Pentecost?
By Rob Durocher Before the Christian church was established, Pentecost (Shavuot – The Feast of Weeks) was a Jewish holiday held 50 days or 7 weeks after Passover. This was one of three major festivals celebrated during the Jewish year lifting up Thanksgiving for the harvest. Although Pentecost from the Greek pentekoste means ‘fiftieth’, for the…
Read MoreNorman Sloop Recounts Memories of the Polio Epidemic
By Susan Shinn Turner Ask Dr. Norman Sloop how he’s doing during the COVID-19 quarantine and he’s got two words: “Bored stiff!” That’s not exactly true. He’s using his free time to write his life stories on the computer, encouraged by his nephew, whom he and his late wife, Mary, raised. He’s completed 22 stories…
Read MoreTrinity Oaks Staying Safe and in Good Spirits
By Susan Shinn Turner For weeks now, Bill Johnson and the staff of Trinity Oaks Retirement Community have been working to keep residents safe from the spread of coronavirus. As of mid-April, the entire campus was on complete lockdown, with no resident being allowed off campus. “A lot of residents have learned how to do…
Read More“Be Courageous and Fear Not”
“Be Courageous and Fear not, for I am with you …” O Lord. The God of Heaven and Earth … the God of love and peace and all that is seen and unseen… Today we light a candle for encouragement and fellowship … the candle of patience and hope … the candle of optimism and…
Read MoreRwandan Pastor Receives Theological Studies Grant from the St. John’s Benevolent Foundation
By Susan Shinn Turner Pastor Mulisa Emmanuel has received a grant for theological studies from the St. John’s Benevolent Foundation. Mulisa is pastor of Rukira Lutheran Church in Kigali, Rwanda, one of St. John’s mission partners. The grant will cover half of the expenses of Mulissa’s second year of seminary at the University of Iringa…
Read MoreYouth Auction Rescheduled and Online May 18–22
By Pastor Laura Henrik Our summer mission trips might be cancelled but our heart for reaching out is bigger than ever. Therefore, we are moving our annual Youth Auction to an online format May 18-22. On our website, we will have a tab for the youth auction. There will be new items posted each day.…
Read MoreSunday Visits: The Lamperts and the Youngs
By Colleen Young Every Sunday, our boys, my husband, and I anxiously await our weekly visit with Mack and Meetta Lampert. Our connection with the Lamperts blossomed over the years. We always sat near each other at church and our boys gradually gravitated to their warm, welcoming personalities. We continued to speak with them Sunday…
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