July 17, 2026
Dear Peace Lutheran Church Friends and Family,
What a great day last Sunday: after a year of preparation, processing, and prayer, the vote to call Peace’s next pastor passed by an overwhelming majority! Many thanks to the Call Committee, Church Council, and all those who participated in this prayerful process of reflection, discernment, and action! As we now move into the “homestretch” of this time of transition, please continue to keep the ministry of Peace in your prayers, and pray especially for Pastor Anne Schaefer as she says farewell to her current congregation in Elk River before her move to Peace in September.
If you’re wondering how best to support the congregation as it moves into the next phase of change, this prayer is a great place to start:
O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And as we look ahead to the transition coming in the fall, let’s remember to carry on with our ministry now in these current days of summer. This Sunday morning when we gather for worship, we’ll hear a story about wheat and weeds all growing together in God’s garden. Of course, we’re supposed to pull those nasty weeds, right? Wrong! God says to let them all grow together – in the end, God will sort it all out! Please join us for a beautiful morning of singing, praying, and sharing together in the presence of the Spirit of God!
God’s Peace,
Pastor Jeff Engholm
PS: And please keep the situation in northern Minnesota in your prayers as that community deals with the wildfires that are running through this beautiful wilderness area.