Posts by Angel Owens
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…
Read MoreChurch-Wide Retreat is Scheduled for Sept. 18-20
By Susan Shinn Turner The date is set for the annual church-wide retreat to Lutheridge: Sept. 18-20. The theme is also set: One Church, One Purpose, One Weekend — Unified in Christ. “We’re really trying to bring all three services together and focus on an inter-generational weekend,” says Donna Groce, who’s heading up the planning…
Read MoreSandy and Stan Jordan Build Neighborhood Easter Cross
By Sandy Jordan Last Friday, a friend of mine mentioned that her husband was making a cross to put in their yard so that neighbors could decorate it for Easter. I loved the idea and walked into my husband, Stan’s, office to ask him to make a cross. He was busy with tax season and helping his…
Read MoreStewardship: An Invitation to Care for All of God’s Creation
By Michael DeNise When you hear the word stewardship, what words and phrases come to mind? For many, it is money, giving, the annual campaign, and Consecration Sunday. In the traditional sense stewardship is generally thought as time, talent, and treasure. The truth is that stewardship is more than that – it is a calling…
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