Who We Are
People focused
We value connection.
Grace filled
We cherish this gift from God in Jesus.
Welcome all
We welcome all people.
Connected across the mitten
From St. Joe to Alpena.
Synod Shoutout
- Gratitude Lunches/Dinner on a Doorknob: St. Paul, Alpena
One of the many ways St. Paul Lutheran Church lives out its faith is through its Gratitude Lunches and Dinner on a Doorknob ministry. Gratitude Lunches offer more than a meal. These lunches provide an opportunity for fellowship, prayer, and a simple expression of thanks to businesses and non-profits in the wider Alpena community.
North/West Lower Michigan Synod at a Glance
25,000+
Baptized members
100
Congregations and Ministry Sites
181
Rostered leaders
7
Conferences
Wandering and Wondering with Bishop Julie Schneider-Thomas
- Unusual Farming Methods
This coming Sunday, we will hear Jesus tell us the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23). The Sower in the parable uses farming methods that seem strange to us — just letting the seeds fly! Seventy-five percent of his seed stock is being thrown away on bad soil.
There are more than a few people in his time, who called Jesus a fool. There were many respectable people who saw Jesus wasting his time, wasting God’s Word on people who were “bad soil,” not worth God’s time of day: prostitutes, lepers, tax collectors and so on. It was believed that such people had already condemned themselves. They had already separated themselves from God’s love; why in the world would Jesus bother himself with them?
- For the Fruit of All Creation
“For the fruit of all creation, thanks be to God.
For these gifts to every nation, thanks be to God.
For the plowing, sowing, reaping, silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth’s safe-keeping, thanks be to God.”(ELW 679 “For the Fruit of All Creation”)
These are Michigan strawberries, grown along “The Ridge” in Kent County. The Ridge is a special geographical feature that makes this high area, with just the right soil and proximity to Lake Michigan, some of the best fruit-growing land in the country.
- Lady Liberty and God’s Welcome
To see Lady Liberty in person is inspiring. Looking up from the ferry that was taking us to Liberty Island, I was in awe of not only how beautiful the Statue of Liberty is but also how strong and hopeful and welcoming Lady Liberty appeared. We took our time to admire the statue from a variety of angles and then went underneath to view the small museum. It was there that I found the plaque bearing the words that had been running through my mind as we sailed toward the island:
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost, to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!