Former Vicar Walter Gilkey Called to St. John's / Immanuel Lutheran Churches

Former Vicar Walter Gilkey has be assigned to St. John's / Immanuel Lutheran Churches in Herington, Kansas.  God's blessings to Walter and Laura as they serve the Lord in Kansas.

Matthew Jukola Assigned to Grace, Neligh and Trinity, Elgin

Matthew Jukola was assigned as Vicar to Grace Lutheran Neligh and Trinity Lutheran, Elgin.  Future Vicar Jukola from Golden, Colorado is married Coley (from Ft Wayne, IN) and they are expecting a daughter (Natalie Marie) in late May.

Easter Services with Holy Communion

Grace Lutheran Neligh is offering two services on Easter Morning:
Easter Sunrise Service with Holy Communion at 7:00AM
Easter Breakfast Served by the Youth Group following the Service
Easter Service with Holy Communion at Elgin at 9:00AM
Easter Service with Holy Communion at 10:30AM




Christ is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!!!

Easter Vigil, 8:00PM Saturday, April 19

Tomorrow night, April 19, Grace Lutheran will Celebrate the Great Easter Vigil at 8PM.  The congregation will gather at a bonfire in the parking lot.  If you have not been to an Easter Vigil Service, there is a description below.  Tonight at the Easter Vigil there will be both a baptism (along with remembrance of our Baptism) and reception of new catechumens (members).  (Please note this service is about an hour and a half, so come planning for patience.)  The Lord's Supper will also be offered.

Easter Vigil Explained

Scott Kinnaman in his blog "Blog My Soul" explains the Easter Vigil Service like this:

The Great Vigil of Easter, kept on the Eve of the Resurrection of Our Lord, is the culmination of the Holy Triduum. It brings to a festive completion the three-day service that began on Holy Thursday and continued on Good Friday. In itself, the Easter Vigil is a transitional service. In much the same way that Holy Thursday was both the conclusion of Lent and the beginning of the Triduum, so the Easter Vigil both completes the Triduum and ushers in the Fifty Days of Eastertide. This transition is poignantly manifested in the course of the vigil, which progresses purposefully from darkness to light. It celebrates specifically the passage of Christ from death into life, and the Church’s passage through death into life with Him through Holy Baptism. The night begins with hushed anticipation, proceeds with eager expectation, and finally climaxes in the exuberant celebration of the Paschal Feast.



The Easter Vigil is very much a Christian “Passover,” that is, a celebration of the great exodus that Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, accomplished by His sacrificial death and brought to light in His resurrection from the dead. All that the Lord God did for Israel in bringing His people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land He has perfectly fulfilled for all the baptized, who are the new Israel, in His cross and resurrection. In Holy Baptism we have come out of Egypt and have crossed the Red Sea with Him, and have entered with Him into Canaan through the Jordan. In the Paschal Feast of Holy Communion, we eat and drink the true Passover Lamb. His blood covers us and protects us from sin, death, and hell; His body feeds and sustains us on our way. (Pless)



In particular, the Easter Vigil proclaims and confesses that as we have died with Christ by our Baptism into His death, so do we also rise with Him and live with Him in newness of life. It is for us that He died and rose from the dead. The Vigil lays hold of that sure and certain hope in the Gospel, or, better, the Vigil lays hold of us and brings us with Christ out of death into His life. It does so not by any sort of magic, but by the Word and Spirit of God.

With its rites, ceremonies, and propers, the vigil itself catechizes pastors and their congregations in the paschal mystery celebrated on this night. The most important preparation, therefore, is for service participants to study carefully and rehearse the notes and rubrics of the Easter Vigil. When all is well prepared and the service can proceed according to its proper rhythm, the Word of God in the readings and prayers of the Easter Vigil will do its own work among the people of God.



The Easter Vigil is presented in six parts: the Service of Light, the Service of Readings, the Service of Holy Baptism, the Service of Prayer, the Service of the Word, and the Service of the Sacrament. Each part has its own integrity and contributes to the progression of the whole. The Service of Light, in which the paschal candle is consecrated for use and lighted as a sign of the Lord’s resurrection, may take place at a bonfire outside the church building. To accentuate the continuity of this night with the Passion of our Lord, the gathering may occur where the congregation assembled for the procession with palms on Passion Sunday. After the consecration of the paschal candle, the people follow it into the church, as Israel followed the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night in the exodus from Egypt. During this procession, “The Light of Christ” (“Thanks be to God”) is chanted at three points, which may replicate the points at which the sentence “Behold, the life-giving cross” was stated during the adoration of the cross in the Good Friday service. These ceremonial associations contribute to the way in which the Easter Vigil holds together the cross and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as the New Testament Passover.

The Service of Light crescendos in the chanting of the Exsultet (which ideally is sung rather than spoken). This beautiful proclamation of the paschal mystery sets the tone of the entire Easter Vigil, celebrating the fulfillment of the Old Testament exodus in the resurrection of the Christ. It rings out in the night, in much the same way that the candles break into the darkness with their shimmering light. There is the tension of waiting, a pregnant expectation of that which has already been accomplished but has yet to be openly announced. It is no secret that Christ has risen from the dead—no more so now than on Ash Wednesday or at any other time throughout Lent. Yet the Church on earth lives in, with, and under the cross of Christ; thus she experiences the now-and-not-yet of the resurrection in the Word of the Lord.




Although the handheld candles of the congregation should be carefully extinguished at the end of the Exsultet, the Service of Readings should proceed in semidarkness, with only as much light as necessary for the reading of the Holy Scriptures and for the prayers and canticles of the people. The Readings are the distinctive and definitive heart of the Easter Vigil. They set forth a series of Old Testament prophecies and types of the Christ, of His cross and resurrection, and of the Church’s participation in His dying and rising again. It is not expected that congregations will employ all twelve Readings, but as many of these as possible should be used. At least the first three Readings should always be used (the creation, the flood, and the exodus), and preferably the twelfth Reading (the three men in the fiery furnace). A selection of four Readings is given here, along with congregational responses in the form of two psalms and two canticles. The congregation should sit for the Readings, kneel for the collects that follow each Reading, and stand for the psalms or canticles that are interspersed with the Readings. Because the Church waits on the Lord in steadfast faith and hope by giving attention to His Word, there is no need to hurry through the Readings. Congregations comprised largely of younger members may arrange to observe the Easter Vigil through the hours of the night, culminating in the early dawn of Easter Sunday. In such a case (presumably rare), all of the Readings would be used; each followed by its collect, the appropriate psalm or canticle, and separated with periods of silence. The Readings do not require commentary because within the context of the entire week, the collects, psalms, and canticles provide appropriate and sufficient reflection of the Word by which the Lord catechizes His people and accomplishes His purposes among them.

Whether or not there are catechumens to be baptized at the Easter Vigil, the Service of Baptism follows the Readings as a return to the death and resurrection of repentance and faith that all the baptized share with Christ by the washing of water with His Word and Spirit. Here is the crossing of the Red Sea with the One who is greater than Moses, which already anticipates the crossing of the Jordan with the New Testament Joshua (Jesus, the Christ). This returning to the significance of Holy Baptism through contrition, repentance, and faith in the forgiveness of sins is to be the daily and lifelong discipline of every Christian. It is here embraced at the very heart of the Easter Vigil, in remembrance and celebration of the cross and resurrection of Christ. It is not meant to replace the daily taking up of the cross to follow Jesus as His disciples, but it is observed in service and support of that Christian faith and life. This is the fulfillment of Lent and the rebirth of an Easter life.



The Divine Service of the Easter Vigil is somewhat simpler than the usual Sunday observance, yet it is not as full and festive as the chief Divine Service on Easter Sunday will be. The same basic movement takes place: from the Word of the Gospel to the Word made flesh in Holy Communion, received in faith and with thanksgiving. In this case, the Prayer of the Church (in the Litany of the Resurrection) precedes the basic pattern of the Word preached and the Sacrament administered, which serves to further heighten the unity of the Holy Gospel and Holy Communion.



The Service of the Word at the Easter Vigil is really as much or more a part of the entire Eucharistic rite rather than a separate component. In contrast to the deliberate and steady pacing of the Readings, the Service of the Word proceeds forward swiftly. Ideally, this would occur after night fall as there is now a striking transition from darkness to light, from the sobriety of Holy Week to the sights and sounds and celebration of the Easter feast. That is signaled by the Easter acclamation: “Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” The altar candles are now lighted from the paschal candle, the lights in the church are turned on, bells are rung, the organ opens up in jubilation, the Gloria in Excelsis is sung, and the Lord’s altar is prepared for the Sacrament (there is no offering or offertory in the usual manner).

The proclamation of the Easter Gospel (John 20:1–18) testifies that the Jesus who died and was buried is not only no longer in the tomb, but has been raised bodily from the dead. The preaching of this Gospel should be straightforward and direct, brief and to the point. All of Holy Week and the entire Easter Vigil have been an extended proclamation and catechesis of the Word, the Law and the Gospel, to repentant faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore it is neither necessary nor desirable to have a lengthy sermon at this point.



The Service of the Sacrament will follow according to one of the usual settings of the Divine Service, beginning with the Preface. Here it is suggested that Setting Four continued to be used as it has throughout this Lenten series. While other settings may surely be preferred in some congregations, Setting Five should not be chosen for use at the Easter Vigil. Note the special Post-Communion Collect appointed for the Easter Vigil.

The color of the day at the Easter Vigil is white and/or gold. However, the church should be kept in semidarkness until the Service of the Word, at which point there is a transition to all the trappings of Easter, as previously indicated. Depending on the circumstances, the altar may be dressed and adorned with the appropriate paraments, Easter flowers, and other accoutrements at this point in the service. The logistics for such a transition require planning and rehearsal to avoid awkwardness or uncertainty. Similarly, the celebrant and his assistant(s) may prefer to be vested in cassock and surplice, but at this point they would vest in alb (and chasuble for the celebrant) for the Service of the Word and Sacrament.

*From "Rubrics and Notes for Celebrating Lent and Holy Week in the Lutheran Congregation"

Prayer for Easter Vigil

O God, You made this most holy night to shine with the glory of the Lord's resurrection. Preserve in us the spirit of adoption which You have given so that, made alive in body and soul, we may serve You purely; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (466)

Good Friday Service 7:30

Tonight, Friday, April 18 we will be remembering the Friday the Church calls Good at 7:30PM.  Today is called Good not because what happened to Jesus, for on this night He suffered and died for the sins of the world.  The Church calls this Friday Good because of what it means for the church.  On this night Jesus died for our sins.  Join us to remember what Jesus did for you.

Good Friday Gospel reading: John 19:17–30 

17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,
     “They divided my garments among them,
      and for my clothing they cast lots.”
So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Prayer for Good Friday

Almighty God, graciously behold this Your family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and delivered into the hands of sinful men to suffer death upon the cross; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Lutheran Service Book, L33)

New Artwork in Memory of George Babcock

Thank you to Dottie Babcock (Lorna Boggs' mother) who crocheted this wonderful picture of the Last Supper in memory of George Babcock.  Dottie crocheted this while caring for and sitting at her husband George's bedside.  George Babcock entered the Church Triumphant on February 6, 2014

Matting and framing was donated by the Tom and Lorna Boggs family.

What is the Lord's Supper?
"It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink." (Luther's Small Catechism)

Prayer for Blessing of Sacred Art
Heavenly Father, Your Son is the express image of Your glory so that when we behold him we contemplate Your unending mercy.  Bless and sanctify this picture, which is offered in honor of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Grant that all who behold it may, by Your grace, be strengthened in the true faith and worship You with a steadfast heart; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.
(From: Lutheran Service Book Agenda, p. 306)


George Babcock

Maundy Thursday Service 7:30 with Holy Communion

Maundy Thursday Night, April 17, at 7:30 Grace Lutheran (6:00PM at Trinity Lutheran, Elgin) will be having a Service remember what Jesus did on this Holy Week giving His disciples the mandate (hence the word Maundy) to do the Supper saying, "Do this in remembrance of me."  We will have service with the Lord's Supper and a stripping of the Altar in preparation for Good Friday.

The Treasury of Daily Prayer says the following about Maundy Thursday: "Maundy Thursday, the Day of Commandment (Dies Mandati), most properly refers to the example of service given us by our Lord and the directive to love as we have been loved (John 13:34).  Yet we must not forget the command given in the Words of Our Lord to "do this in remembrance of Me."  This day, with its commemoration of the institution of the Lord's Supper, is set off from the rest of Holy Week as a day of festive joy."

The Passion 7PM Wednesday at "New Moon" Theatre

Grace Lutheran Youth Group is sponsoring a FREE showing of Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion" for the WHOLE COMMUNITY at 7:00PM tomorrow, Wednesday, April 16 at New Moon Theatre, in Neligh.  The New Moon will have the Concessions open.
Movie trailer and map below.

Two Minute Prayers for Holy Week from CPH

Concordia Publishing House has posted Two Minute Prayers for Holy Week on their website.

Spend two minutes each day of Holy Week in prayer, reflecting on the reality of your sin and finding hope and comfort in Christ’s Passion and resurrection for you.



All prayers are from the Lutheran Book of Prayer (St. Louis: Concordia, 2005).
They can be downloaded as a PDF here.

Here is a sample of the prayer for today, Palm Sunday:

Lord Jesus, King of kings, today again I praise You with my hosannas and welcome You as the King of my heart. Enter in and take full possession of me, body, heart, mind, and soul. As thousands and ten thousands today vow faithfulness to You until death, acknowledging that they have no other Savior, grant that I, too, join this great host of faithful people to realize both the enormity and bitterness of my sin as well as the course of plenteous redemption to which You committed Yourself.

I confess, gracious Savior, that I have not been as true to You as You have been to me. Other interests have placed themselves above You in my thoughts. Have mercy upon me, and forgive me my transgressions. Sprinkle me with Your blood and wash me clean from the stain of my sin. Strengthen my heart with the assurance of my adoption and transform me according to Your image by the daily renewing of my Baptism. Preserve me in the faith until the end of days, that I may behold You in glory forevermore. Hear my cry, King of my heart and Savior of my soul. Amen.

Palm Sunday / Sunday of the Passion

Palm Sunday / Sunday of the Passion 

Grace Lutheran will begin this year's walk through Holy Week by remembering our Lord's Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem and His Passion tonight at 6:00 in Elgin and tomorrow at 10:30AM.  Join us and follow our Lord through His holy last week of His life.

The Meaning of Palm Sunday*

Palm Sunday is the day the Christian church remembers Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This day that He was hailed as King was most literally predicted by the prophet, Zechariah, when he wrote,

     "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
     Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
     See, your king comes to you,
     righteous and having salvation,
     gentle and riding on a donkey,
     on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Zechariah 9:9



Zechariah wrote these words about 480 years before Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19). The donkey is an animal symbolic of humility, peace and Davidic royalty. The colt of a donkey not only symbolizes humility and meekness, but the colt had not been ridden, so it was not ever put to secular use.

Jesus chose to enter Jerusalem in this way to publicly claim that he was the chosen Son of David to sit on David's throne. King David used this symbolism to proclaim his son, Solomon, to be the rightful heir to the throne.



The people, including children, took palm branches and went out to meet Jesus. Palm branches were used in celebration of victory. (John saw a multitude with palm branches in heaven.) The very large crowd also spread their cloaks on the road, much as we would roll out the red carpet today. This gesture to recognize royalty was also done when Jehu was anointed king of Israel.

People in front of Jesus and also people that followed behind Him, shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" In Luke's gospel, the Pharisees in the crowd wanted Jesus to rebuke the crowd for calling Jesus by these terms that would have acknowledged Him as their promised Messiah (Hosanna means "God saves"), but Jesus told them that, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Luke 19:40)

Many Christian churches today use palm branches in their Palm Sunday service (the Sunday preceding Easter Sunday) and burn the palm branches so that the ashes can be used the following year on Ash Wednesday.

*From Palm Sunday from John R. Brockhoff’s Lectionary Preaching Workbook

Holy Week Devotions - Monday and Tuesday

Join us Monday and Tuesday Nights at 7:30PM.  These devotions with readings, hymns, and prayers last about 20 minutes.

Monday:  John 12:1–23

Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany

12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. ³ Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴ But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ⁵ “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. ⁷ Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸ For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

⁹ When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹ because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

¹² The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

¹⁵  “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming,

sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. ¹⁷ The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. ¹⁸ The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

Some Greeks Seek Jesus

²⁰ Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. ²¹ So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³ And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  

Tuesday: John 12:23–50

²³ And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵ Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

²⁷ “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰ Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³ He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. ³⁴ So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵ So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

The Unbelief of the People

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. ³⁷ Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, ³⁸ so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

³⁹ Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

⁴⁰  “He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart,

lest they see with their eyes,

and understand with their heart, and turn,

and I would heal them.”

⁴¹ Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. ⁴² Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Jesus Came to Save the World

⁴⁴ And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. ⁴⁵ And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. ⁴⁷ If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ⁴⁸ The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. ⁴⁹ For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”  

Holy Week

Sunday, April 13, 10:30AM
Palm Sunday / Sunday of the Passion

Monday, April 14, 7:30PM
Holy Monday Devotions

Tuesday, April 15, 7:30PM
Holy Tuesday Devotions

Wednesday, April 16, 7:00PM
Movie "The Passion" at TK Theater
Sponsored by Grace Lutheran Youth

Thursday, April 17, 7:30PM
Maundy Thursday with the Lord's Supper

Friday, April 18, 7:30PM
Good Friday Service

Saturday, April 19, 8:00PM
Easter Vigil Service with Candlelight and Lord's Supper

Sunday, April 20
7:00AM - Easter Sunrise Service with Lord's Supper
Easter Breakfast - made by Youth
9:00AM - Easter Service with Lord's Supper
10:30AM - Easter Service with Lord's Supper

Holy Week Message from President Matthew Harrison

(click picture below)

Are you wondering what Holy Week is all about?

If so, click on the Issues Etc. logo below to hear an interview with Pastor Wil Weedon (pictured below), director of Worship and International Center chaplain.

Happy 65th Wedding Anniversary

Happy 65th Wedding Anniversary to Richard and Norma Sanne!

Anniversary Prayer
Lord God, heavenly Father, You instituted holy matrimony, blessed and honored it with the presence of Your Son at the marriage at Cana in Galilee, and continue to protect and preserve it. We thank You for the fatherly love and grace which You have bestowed upon Norma and Richard throughout their marriage. You have accompanied them with loving-kindness and tender mercy, visited them with Your comfort, strengthened them in sorrow and sickness, and crowned their life with every blessing. You have enabled them to walk in marital love and fidelity, holding them to each other in sickness and in health, in adversity and prosperity, and granting them strength, patience, and faithfulness. Be with them, O Lord, until the end of their days, even as You have guided them in the past. Be their health, strength, refuge, and life. When the days of their earthly pilgrimage have ceased, graciously bring them to the marriage supper of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that they may dwell with You and all Your faithful and rejoice in Your joy forever; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.
(From: The Pastoral Care Companion, CPH)

Lenten Service and Youth Supper Tomorrow

Lenten Midweek Service - Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 7:30
Jesus, Peter, and Me; and It's All About the Company You Keep"



Before the service from 6:00-7:00 the Youth will be serving Baked Steak, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy as a fundraiser.