The following morning it was time for study as guest speaker, Dr. Lawrence Rast from Concordia Theological Seminary—
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
College Hills Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
IDE Youth Summer Stretch
Summer Stretch 2009
Over 25 middle-school IDE youth joined together in four fantastic days of service and fun this past summer. This district middle-school ministry called Summer Stretch, involved kids from St. Paul in Mt. Vernon; Zion in Hiawatha; Concordia, Bethany, and Trinity in Cedar Rapids; Our Redeemer in Iowa City; St. Paul in Williamsburg; and St. John in Homestead. Summer Stretch mornings were full of varied service and ministry projects and the afternoons brought fellowship time for the youth. Host churches provided lunch and arranged the service and work projects and the fellowship activities.
June 17 was hosted by Bethany Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids and organized by Ben Venteicher, DCE. Work groups helped with landscaping and gardening at the Brucemoore Estate, assisted residents with rehabilitation activities at a care facility, and worked with Aid to Women (a Christian crisis pregnancy center) in Cedar Rapids. One volunteer observed, “I liked helping and serving the people that really needed it.” In the afternoon, the youth were treated with a trip to the theater for a movie!
July 1 was dedicated to helping King of Glory, amission church established by African refugees in Iowa City. The founders of the church had come to the U.S., learned about Christ, and eventually started a mission church. Some of the youth made sandwiches at King of Glory to distribute to the needy. Others served by cleaning and sorting at the Salvation Army in Iowa City. They all had a blast with water games on the church lawn in the afternoon. One participant commented, “I liked folding the boxes and sorting out food at the Salvation Army.” The host church was Our Redeemer in Iowa City, and the event was organized by Kaja Mueller, Director of Youth Ministry.
On July 22, youth prepared and served lunch at Mission of Hope, a soup kitchen in Cedar Rapids. They also tied a number of fleece blankets for area children. Afterward, they enjoyed games in the youth room at our host church, Concordia Lutheran in Cedar Rapids. The day’s events were organized by Leah Welter, DCE.
On August 12, youth tied quilts for Lutheran World Relief, assisted with His Hands Medical Clinic, and helped local nursing home residents with exercises and Bingo. “I learned about a cool ministry in Cedar Rapids that helps families without health insurance,” a youth shared. The afternoon was filled with games back at the church that included Jello!? The host church was Zion in Hiawatha, organized by Brittany Newton, DCE intern.
IDE Summer Stretch was an awesome program and the kids look forward to doing it again next year!!
Ann Rackow, Director of Youth Ministry
St. Paul Lutheran Church, Williamsburg, IA
St. Paul's Chapel and University Center in Iowa City
College football has her sacred ground and storied games, but for the chapelites of St. Paul’s Lutheran Chapel no ground is more sacred and no game more storied than Willow Creek Park and the game called Luther Bowl.
Now in its ninth year, Luther Bowl invites chapelites, permanent congregation members, and alumni to divide into teams, strap on the flags, throw caution to the November wind, and compete in the greatest of all collegiate football games. It’s a game filled with brilliant plays and shouts of “NOOOOOOO!” It’s a game of bumps and bruises and the occasional trip to the emergency room (Relax mom – this has only happened once in the last nine years). Most of all it’s a game filled with pride and tradition as the will forever be able to tell spouse and children, family and friends, “I Survived Luther Bowl.”
IDE Camp IO-DIS-E-CA
What a Day!
Beautiful Quilts + Tasty Treats +
Great Crowds = Fantastic Fall Festival
Camp guests were greeted by the aroma of bratwurst, Italian sausage, and hot dogs grilling over hickory charcoal. As they entered the Dining Hall, the sweet smell of pumpkin pie welcomed them. Thirty two quilts were hanging in the Activity Room awaiting Auctioneer Jason Knapp to open bidding on those beautiful creations, crafted by loving hands in thousands of hours. Every 15 minutes a Fall Festival participant received a door prize. Some received wooden quilt racks, another a quilt purchased by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and donated as a door prize, another received a $250 scholarship for the 2010 summer camp programs. Snuggled in warm blankets and surrounded by blazing fall colors, guests enjoyed hay rack rides around the 100 acre complex while others climbed the tower, tossed a bean bag, or honed their archery skills. When the last quilts and gifts had been auctioned, the camp cooks served a delicious chili supper with homemade rolls and scrumptious pies. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans donated one dollar for every three raised during the day. Over $7,800 were raised. It was a fantastic Fall Festival! IDE
St Paul Lutheran Church in Eldora
THE SEVENTH PLAGUE
by Rev. David Splett
In Exodus 9, Moses stretches his staff toward heaven and the Lord sends thunder and lightning and hail upon Pharaoh and the land of Egypt. As the hail rains down, the Bible says, IT WAS THE WORST STORM IN ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT SINCE IT HAD BECOME A NATION (9:24). It may not have been for the same reason, but the citizens of Eldora and the area around got to experience their own worst hail storm in the history of Hardin County.
On August 9, as I was shaking hands following the worship service at 10:30 a.m., an unforcasted hail storm struck. Hail the size of tennis balls was blown along by 80 mph straightline winds. In 20 minutes, two inches of rain also came down. A few of the members had made it home, some were struck on their way, most were still at church. It wasn't a fun experience for anyone no matter where they were caught at the time.
When the storm had passed, the damage it left behind was incredible. Eldora is a town of 3000 people and almost every house and building in town lost windows and roofs and siding and had all sorts of other water and wind and hail damage inside. The estimate was 1500 vehicles with dents and smashed windows. Outside of town, corn which was ten feet tall was fortunate if it was ten inches tall. Sheds were blown down and corn bins were rolled across fields, hundreds of trees were shredded of all their leaves and needles. In reviewing the membership roster, approximately 80% of St. Paul's 500 members either had hail damage themselves or had family who needed assistance with clean-up. No lives were lost, however, in a great act of God's mercy!
As recovery began, help also arrived. Rev. Glenn Merritt and Rev. Carlos Hernandez of LC-MS World Relief and Human Care came to town with our new District President Rev. Brian Saunders and Rev. Dean Rothchild who co-ordinates disaster relief in our District. All four met with various members of St. Paul to hear their stories and find out their needs and offer the Lord's hope and encouragement. Pastors Merritt and Hernandez then met with various members of St. Paul to help them organize for assisting members and others in the community.
Using LC-MS World Relief's theme of "Mercy Forever", St. Paul's committee went to work. A priority was to show mercy to needy and uninsured folks by helping them take advantage of a State disaster program which reimburses people for certain repair bills they have paid. The challenge for many needy people was not having the funds to pay these bills and this is where the church helped. Monies from World Relief and IDE were combined with money St. Paul took out of an LCEF investment we had plus some of our first insurance check which we hadn't spent yet plus the local Ministerial Association funneled several thousand dollars into St. Paul's hail fund and other gifts came from individuals and other churches. Additionally, bedding and furniture also was donated and distributed. As the local newspaper noted, "All the area churches have played a role, but by some act of Providence and happenstance St. Paul Lutheran in Eldora has become storm recovery central in recent weeks." So far almost $25,000 has been used and close to 100 people aided.
The seventh plague in Exodus brought God's wrath to some but also His mercy to others. The members at St. Paul haven't been too concerned about the wrath part but they have seen and been part of an abundance of God's mercy. And more is coming. As people are being reimbursed, more funds are becoming available to help even more people put their homes back together. A guiding verse for the days to come is Galatians 6:9 where Paul writes, LET US NOT BECOME WEARY IN DOING GOOD, FOR AT THE PROPER TIME WE WILL REAP A HARVEST IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP. We will keep praying for the harvest and God's "Mercy Forever!" IDE
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