We live in times that are too frequently described as unprecedented. It can feel disorienting, shifting, strange, uncertain, and daunting. And yet our faith tradition calls us to grow deeper, where our roots are intertwined with God’s love and the communion of saints that stretches all over the globe. Like a forest where roots entangle and support and branches shoot up to the heavens, we are part of a tradition of faith that is rooted and grounded in love. We will spend seven weeks studying, praying, practicing, and breathing one of the oldest prayers of our tradition (Ephesians 3:14–21). Listening to stories of Jesus, we’ll nurture the faith that knits us into God’s known and unfolding beloved community.
God’s Family Tree ……………………September 8The Power of Love ………………….September 15The True Vine ……………………..September 22- Rooted & Grounded in Love …………..September 29
- Catching God’s Vision ………………….October 6
- Filled with God’s fullness ……………….October 13
- More Than We Can Ask or Imagine ……….October 20
Rooted in Christ, we nurture the future of faith by:
- Cultivating beloved community
- Encouraging faithful curiosity
- Equipping all as servant leaders
Welcome to a new program year of St. Andrew Lutheran Church. The Spirit is alive and well in our congregation, creating a renewed season of ministry in our church. We invite you to engage anew in what we are doing for the sake of Christ in our lives and in the world.
We have a new, aspirational vision statement that you will see displayed throughout the pages of this fall’s Son Times: Rooted in Christ, we nurture the future of faith. The first part of the statement boldly claims who we are. By the grace of God, our Lutheran roots run deep in the forgiveness and grace of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. And our faith in Christ is also dynamic and developing. As we grow and experience life, the good news comes alongside us in new and dynamic ways, comforting and challenging us to live in good relations with our neighbors and creation. In a world where we see divisions and conflict, we hold onto Christ and our assured future with God.
The second part of our new vision statement covers three distinct areas: cultivating beloved community—we are called to live together with others in worship, care, and learning. By encouraging faithful curiosity, we humbly expect that God will continue to open new doors of understanding and peace for us and others. Finally, equipping all as servant leaders reminds us that the world needs our humility and dedication toward others as we live responsibly with our time, various talents, and financial gifts.
In this season’s Son Times, you will find evidence of our shared work with the Spirit through stories of people in our community. You will read about a new member of St. Andrew who discovered God’s grace and love for the first time when she became a part of St. Andrew’s worship and community life. Sarah Blasing has been working with a record number of Camp Counselors (high school youth) who have shared their faith this summer with younger campers at Spirit in the Pines. Pastor Roger Schindel reflects on community and a very special birthday milestone. Pastor Matthew Fleming and Church Anew’s worship resources has enlivened leaders of several congregations in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Kris Stromsness shares her fulfilling experience serving in various roles within children and youth ministry at St. Andrew, highlighting the joy and spiritual growth it brings. You will also read about how young early learning families are cultivating beloved community over the summer. We are already nurturing the future of faith!
Welcome back to St. Andrew—a community on the move for the sake of Christ in the world. May we trust that God’s “work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3). We let the stories of faith in this newsletter lead us into the new stories of faith in our community. May they inspire us to live out our faith in daily life one step and experience at a time.
See you in worship,
Peter Johnson
Senior Pastor
