By Sue Sprang SYNOD – Nine congregations recently benefited from grants received from the North/West Lower Michigan Synod’s Trapp Endowment Fund. The Trapp family gifted the synod with the funds about 20 years ago, stipulating they be directed to the northern portion of the synod. Here is how some of the grants are being used: […]
10,000 books…and counting
By Sue Sprang JACKSON – One of Lutheranism’s strengths is the value placed on meeting human need – not just spiritual fulfillment, but physical needs, education, mental and emotional health, and whatever else it takes to make a person whole. These emphases are set into examples for us in the Gospels: Jesus preaches, teaches, casts […]
It’s Katrina’s Fault
MIDLAND – It’s Katrina’s fault. It began twelve years ago with members of Trinity Lutheran Church, Midland, joining other folks to help make sense of the wide path of destruction left by the hurricane. Since 2005, Trinity members have become part of the Trinity Adult Response Mission Team that travels to areas of the country […]
A Day Camp Story
By Sue Sprang NEW ERA – The pastor and members of Trinity Lutheran Church, New Era, didn’t allow the demise of their Vacation Bible School program keep them from reaching out to the area’s children. Until last year, Trinity had worked alongside to congregations in nearby Shelby (about seven miles) to bring VBS to the […]
One dinosaur and a food truck
By Sue Sprang GLADWIN – Cold January morning. Check. Food truck. Check. Volunteers. Check. Dinosaur. Check. Wait! What? There’s a dinosaur? Yep! You’ve got to admit, it’s not every day you see a dinosaur at a food distribution – if ever – but that’s exactly what happened at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Gladwin. […]
It is what it is
By Sue Sprang It is what it is… or is it? It seems a currently common phrase is: “It is what it is”. And sometimes that’s the way it has to be. Sometimes whatever the “it” is cannot be changed. Whether or not we like the “it” doesn’t matter. That’s the way things are and […]
Pack locally, impact globally
By Sue Sprang ACME – “The church is now leaving the building… and the United States… via a shoebox,” said a post by Feast of Victory Lutheran Church member Abby Tongue on Facebook. Tongue was reminding her fellow members that Operation Christmas Child was underway and it was time to gather at the church to […]
Celebrating ReformationLIVES
By Sue Sprang LANSING – With 2017 being the 500th anniversary of the onset of the Reformation, Lutherans across the globe are planning celebrations and events in observance of this important date in church history. Some will involve thousands of people, travel, tight schedules, lots of ritual or formality or pageantry, and years of preplanning. […]
A new beginning for teen refugees
By Sue Sprang JACKSON – Faith in Action, a community outreach group in Jackson, has joined forces with Samaritas (formerly Lutheran Social Services of Michigan) to set up an Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) home in the county. Originally comprised of four congregations (St. James and Immanuel Lutheran Churches (ELCA*), Jackson; First Presbyterian Church, Jackson; and […]
Being church together
By Sue Sprang BATTLE CREEK/NILES – Shortly after Pastor Kjersten Priddy arrived at Trinity Lutheran Church, Battle Creek, the congregation received a check from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Niles. Puzzled, she set out to learn what it was all about. “I had to go ask our council president why this congregation was just randomly sending […]