Last Week
We were back in the Chapel at the PUCC for worship and Pastor Halaas kicked off his sermon series for the month of August: Book of Faith! If you have access to Facebook, you are encouraged to look up the livestream of the service to re-hear or watch for the first time, the most excellent message Pastor Halaas delivered on the first of 4 ways to approach reading the Bible: Devotional Reading.
Highlights:
The Bible communicates the grace of God through Jesus and this is made alive through its pages.
Beware of these 3 dangers:
Don't read the Bible just in isolation - be in continual conversation with the community about the Word of God.
Read the Bible but take care to consider the context.
Don't use the Bible as a weapon or prop.
Devotional Reading to approach the Bible: Open the Bible and read something, then ask yourself:
What scares, confuses or challenges me?
What delights me?
What memories does what I read stir up in me?
What is God up to in this text?
Or use the TRIP method:
T - Thanks: What is in this reading to give thanks for?
R - Regret: What in this reading causes me regret?
I - Intercession: What in this reading leads me to pray?
P - Plan of action: What in this reading calls me to take action?
You can write in your Bible!
* = a new idea
** = I should memorize that!
--> = Reminds me of a personal experience
! = This brings me joy or an aha! moment
? = What's this all about? I need more information.
Put a Bible app on your phone!
Thank you to Pastor Halaas for leading our worship, Mike Rathke for providing the piano music, Tim Kass for ushering, Nathan Summerside for reading Scripture, Yvonne Law for assisting with Communion, Angela Catton for livestreaming the service and Peg McAllister for making bread for Holy Communion.
This Week
Join us in the Chapel at the Presbyterian United Church of Christ (858 7th Ave. SE) at 11:00 AM on Sunday morning where Pastor David Halaas will lead worship and give a message on the second approach to Opening the Book of Faith - Historical Reading. Gail Kass will accompany us on the piano. Kay Michaelson will read, Peg McAllister will serve Communion and Sharon Utesch will greet you at the door!
Thank you to Yvonne Law for bringing in treats last week to our Faith + Fellowship time! This Sunday we will be in Room 103 at 10:00 to practice using the method Pastor Halaas suggested in his message last Sunday on Devotional Reading of the Bible! Come enjoy a cup of coffee and the conversation using this method will bring!
There will be a Lutheran Men in Mission meeting on Saturday, August 10 at 10:00 AM at St. John's Lutheran Church in Pomeroy, Iowa. The mission of the Western Iowa branch is to help parents transfer their faith on to their children.
Here is the Meals on Wheels schedule for the PUCC and Living Faith:
Week of August 5 - PUCC members are handling the North and South Routes all week.
Week of August 12 - Ardis Boetger and Kay Allen will be taking the North Route all week.
On August 12, Yvonne Law and Rich and/or Jean Ziettlow will serve the South Route. August 13 - 16 Yvonne and Kay Michaelson will do the South Route.
Living Faith has been asked to help with the PUCC kitchen cleaning by cleaning up under both sinks and the storage area under the island.
We will gather at 9:00 AM on Saturday, August 17 to make quick work of these tasks! Following the kitchen cleaning, you're invited to Bellisimo's for refreshments and conversation!
Undies Sundays - August 18 - September 8!
Le Mars Community School's elementary nurse's offices are in need of underwear for students who may be in need of this item during the school year.
Donations of new underwear for boys and girls ages preschool through 5th grade will be taken at Living Faith from August 18 - September 8th.
Look for this sign and basket to "drop your drawers" and help our young students out!
There will be a meeting for students and parents at St. John, Akron on Wednesday, August 21st at 7:00 PM. Living Faith partners with the congregations of St. John, Akron, St. John, Craig, St. Peter, Brunsville and Christ Lutheran of Le Mars to offer Confirmation instruction to students in 6th - 9th grade under the guidance of Pastor Trish Underberg and Vicar Grace Baumgartel. Living Faith students Jordan and Jess Kopperud, Marley Stream, and Nate Rathke will be a part of this program. If you know of any young people and their parents who might be interested in being a part of this instruction, please let Kay Michaelson know.
Confirmation instruction will begin on September 11 at 7:00 PM and will be held at St. John, Akron this year.
Living Faith preschool children, school children, teachers and school personnel are invited to bring their backpacks and school bags to worship in the Chapel on Sunday, August 25 at 11:00 AM where prayers will be offered for the new school year and a key tag will be handed out for the backpacks and bags.
Second Annual Smores and Ashes Night!
Living Faith will host its second annual Smores and Ashes Night on Sunday, August 25 at 6:30 at the Le Mars Municipal Park!
We will burn the palm branches saved from Palm Sunday to create ashes to be used on Ash Wednesday 2025.
Following this burn, we will gather around a bonfire to roast marshmallows for smores. All refreshments will be provided! Please bring lawn chairs! There will be some yard games to play and there is a nearby playground for the children. Good conversation will be included!
The Leadership Team has been working on fall plans for Living Faith! Exciting news and events will be shared soon! The Leadership Team, in consultation with Pastor Halaas, Bishop Lorna Halaas and the Church Council of St. Mark Lutheran Church, has voted to extend Pastor Halaas' contract with Living Faith to April 20, 2025. An announcement about the opportunity to set up online giving to Living Faith will be made on August 18 and information will be provided for anyone interested in this!
Let's celebrate with those who are celebrating during this month of August!
Birthdays:
Atlas and Troy Shipley - August 6
Bob Gibson - August 15
Sharon Utesch - August 23
Cheryl Juhl - August 25
Baptismal Birthdays:
Angela Catton - August 4
John McAllister - August 14
Anniversaries:
Rich and Jean Ziettlow - August 3
John and Peg McAllister - August 5
Judd and Kari Kopperud - August 9
Nick and Melinda Shipley - August 29
Please hold these people in prayer:
Ali, Julie Hurt's sister
Marilynn, Rich and Jean Ziettlow's sister-in-law
Gladys, Julie Hurt's grandmother
Karin, Ted Hallberg's sister
Ashley, Dell and June Ferguson's daughter
The members of First Lutheran Church in Sioux City
Your Living Faith brother or sister
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