Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. (1 Peter)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I’m enjoying a much-needed vacation. It would be nice however if the world could take a much needed-vacation as well. As I write this the pandemic, political strife, fires on the west coast and hurricanes in the south are all intersecting. The “living hope” we have in and through Christ’s resurrection however will see us through.
The last several months have been especially challenging for the church. In March we had to figure out in a hurry how to bring worship services to you in your home since you couldn’t come to church. We fasted from the Lord’s supper for two months. In June we began having a small amount of people return to church and receive the Lord’s Supper again while employing Covid prevention measures. Along with that Kathy Prehm, the staff, and the Board of Education have spent a good part of their summer navigating the state’s constantly-changing requirements to be able to have a preschool starting this Fall. It’s been quite a stretch!
But there is much to be thankful for. Our church was one of the few in the area to hold an in-person Vacation Bible School. It was a success and the children and their parents were very thankful for it. One child who attended said she didn’t want it to end because she liked being with actual people instead of people on a computer screen. VBS was only one week though. Since March our church has been broadcasting the Word of God to people whom we’ve never met before and in some cases, people who have not come to church in a long time. Some of you have contributed to the effort to continue the mission of the church and are continuing to do so—thank you very much! Let’s continue making the best of the opportunities God is giving us through this time in which He is teaching us to rely and trust in Him even more.
God’s peace,
Pastor Don