Posts by Pastor Joe Orner

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, With Sunday’s Affirmation of Baptism for our 8th grade students, our year of Confirmation officially concluded–and it was a great year! Our weekly gatherings were centered around the theme of “God’s Story, My Story,” and our students explored the Bible, focusing on different people and their stories of how God worked in, through, and around them. Through both the Old and New Testaments, there were people and groups who faced hardship, pain, persecution, adversity,…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, This Sunday, during our 9:30am worship service, is the Rite of Confirmation, an affirmation of baptism for our 8th grade Confirmands—Eli Betlock, Kingston Fast, and Sofia Oman. During the Rite, our students are supporting and proclaiming the promises of eternal life and unconditional love that God has already pronounced over them. They are also publicly stating that they are ready to take on both the blessings and responsibilities of being an adult member of the…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, We are approaching the end of one of the greatest weeks in all of sports. Last weekend, men’s and women’s college basketball teams competed in the Final Four, and then for the National Championship. Starting today, The Master’s golf tournament begins at Augusta National.  Watching the basketball games, I was struck by the unique situation that both finals included the best individual player against the best all-around team—and in both cases, the best team…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Registration for VBS 2024 is officially open! Together with our friends at Community of the Cross Lutheran Church, “Scuba” VBS takes kids deep into an amazing undersea adventure where they’ll be “Diving Into Friendship With God,” and experience God’s ever-flowing, never-ending love. Throughout the week, students will learn that: Kids will be immersed in God’s Word and will discover what the Living Water of God is all about!   I’m very excited to continue our…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Wow. Thank you, everyone, for your support of our students—your gifts of prayer and donations completely blew us away, and we are so grateful for your generosity. Earlier this year, our group set a high goal of raising $5000 for our trip this summer to New Orleans for the ELCA National Youth Gathering. Not only did you all help us to meet that goal, but we exceeded it! I am reminded of our theme…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Our Pancake Brunch Fundraiser is this weekend, and our students are so excited to welcome and host you all! Every dollar raised will go directly to our students to help lower the financial burden on them as we prepare to travel to New Orleans for this summer’s ELCA National Youth Gathering.  Food will be served before the service from 8:30-9:15am and after worship from 10:30-11:30am. Sunday School will start at 11:00am instead of 10:45am…

Stay connected!Children, Youth and Family News March 7, 2024Dear Families and Friends of Peace,Last week I shared a bit about our Confirmation Retreat that was held at Gustavus on Saturday, February 24, and I’d like to do so again today. In case you missed it, the theme for our retreat, in coordination with our theme for the year, was “God’s Story, My Story,” and we focused on how we are all an important part of God’s ongoing story.One of my favorite…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Happy Leap Day! This last weekend, our Confirmation students had our winter retreat to Gustavus Adolphus College. Our theme, in coordination with our theme for the year, was “God’s Story, My Story,” and we focused on how we are all an important part of God’s ongoing story.  Throughout the day, we enjoyed learning together during group time, eating meals in the Gustavus cafeteria, touring the campus, going bowling and playing laser tag, and growing…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, There are three brief notes that I have for you all today. First, thank you to all of you who came for dinner and/or worship last night for our first Lenten Midweek service. It was wonderful to share in meal and fellowship, and I’m continually awed how Holden Evening Prayer centers us in this Lenten season. Second, this weekend our Confirmation students will be traveling down to Gustavus for our winter retreat. While there,…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, As of yesterday, Ash Wednesday, we have officially begun the season of Lent.  Lent echoes the 40 days that Jesus spent wandering through the wilderness, facing temptation. In Matthew’s Gospel, this journey happens immediately following his baptism from John, and is followed by his three years of ministry.  During this season, we will follow Jesus on his 40 day journey to the cross—but it should also be noted that this is a journey to…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, As I mentioned last month, and as you’ve hopefully seen in the Blast, bulletin, and/or website, our deadline for summer camp registration is quickly approaching. The deadline for Camp Wapo Seeds, Camp Wapo Youth Camp, and Family Camp at Wilderness Canoe Base is just one week away—next Thursday, February 15. As a refresher, here’s our summer 2024 schedule:  Camp Wapo provides students with the opportunity to come together with friends and neighbors from all…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, On Tuesday night, the Jefferson Jaguars faced off against the Kennedy Eagles in a boys hockey game at Bloomington Ice Garden. Like most games, there were parents chatting, Mites and Squirts giddily sporting their own jerseys, and a raucous group of students supporting their team. But for this game, while the score was still important to players and spectators, there was also a bigger purpose—Hockey Fights Cancer.  Held annually for three years now, both…