Dear Friends in Christ:
It has been a busy and exciting summer at Two Steeples Parish! And there is a lot coming up for the fall. So we thought that this would be a good time to share what has been going on and what is coming up!
Wednesday Night Suppers and Bible Study at West Blue Mounds –
Our Wednesday suppers continue to go well. We sometimes have over 25 people joining us for dinner. Thanks to Phillip for the great food! As we go forward, hopefully we can encourage even more people in the Blue Mounds area to join us for supper!
Following the suppers, we have been doing Bible Study from 6:30-7:30 p.m. upstairs at West Blue Mounds. We have had a great group gathering to study “Characters of the Bible.” That study will conclude on September 4. Our new study will begin one week later on September 11. We will be using a curriculum called, “Honoring Our Neighbor’s Faith. This curriculum will help us understand more about world religions such as Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, as well as other Christian denominations. Join us!
Parish Picnic – Our parish picnic was on August 11 at Brigham Park. We had a good turnout for worship and our potluck. And the weather was great!
Vacation Bible School – VBS began after the picnic on August 11 at West Blue Mounds. It ran for 3 hours Sunday – Wednesday. We explored the Athens of St. Paul’s day and even had a chance to meet St. Paul, himself! We had a great group of students as well as great helpers. Thanks to all who took part in VBS. And a special thanks to Jim Ranney for putting together our VBS!
Springdale Car Show – As I write this letter, I am sitting in the Pastors’ Office as the Car Show is just getting underway. How fun to look out our window and see the many beautiful cars pull up to take part in the Car Show. The proceeds from the Car Show will go to the Mount Horeb Veteran’s Memorial. Thanks to the Car Show Committee, the volunteers, and our special guests with their amazing cars and trucks!
Tech Committee – Our parish is blessed with folks who know how to use technology and social media. This is such a necessity in this day and age! During this summer, the committee began to meet to talk about how we can use technology and social media to share what we do here at Two Steeples. Make sure you check out our webpage and Facebook! Thanks to Kay Midthun, Mary Arnold, and Jim Ranney!
Visioning for the Future – The parish has begun the process of visioning for the future. One big step is to complete the Ministry Site Profile. This is a lengthy form that allows the parish to introduce themselves to prospective pastors. It talks about everything from our demographics to our hopes and dreams for the future. Leadership was given several of the forms to think about and pray about. In the upcoming weeks, the congregations will be invited to share their thoughts and prayers for our parish.
ELCA – A Sanctuary Denomination
“Voting members of the 2019 Churchwide Assembly approved a memorial that declares the ELCA a Sanctuary Denomination. The ELCA is the first North American denomination to declare itself a sanctuary church body. As a sanctuary church, the ELCA is committed to serving and supporting migrant children and families in communities across the country. The ways we practice sanctuary will look different for everyone, but welcoming people is not a political issue for us – it is a matter of faith.”
God’s Work Our Hands – September 8 is almost here! The T-shirts are here with our “Two Steeples” on the back. We have received a Thrivent Action Team grant to offset the cost of supplies and food. We have several projects, indoors and outdoors, set. Here is our schedule for God’s Work Our Hands:
9 a.m. – Worship at West Blue Mounds
Coffee and snacks and Group Photo after worship
10 a.m. – Work on our projects begins!
Noon – Lunch at West Blue Mounds.
May God continue to lead us and bless us at Two Steeples Parish!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Loren & Pastor Linda
