CYF Blast (Page 8)

Dear Peace Families, Before this week’s message, I have an important announcement: VBS registration begins on Sunday!  We are excited to welcome your children to a week of fun at this year’s Vacation Bible School! VBS will be June 26-29, 2023 at Peace, from 9:00am-12:00pm each day. This year’s VBS theme is Stellar, and we’ll be launching the kids on a cosmic quest, to Shine Jesus’ Light to the world. The week will be full of uplifting music, engaging Bible adventures, imaginative crafts, galactic snacks,…

Dear Peace Families, In Lent we follow Jesus on the 40-day journey to the cross and beyond. During the season, many Christians have traditionally given up something—things like coffee or desserts—sacrificing something they love for 40 days, acknowledging that Jesus sacrificed even more for us. As we continue through Lent, I’ll be offering suggestions for things we might give up—though there won’t be anything tangible mentioned. This week, I propose giving up poor boundaries. If we’re being honest, most people…

Dear Peace Families, In Lent we follow Jesus on the 40-day journey to the cross and beyond. During the season, many Christians have traditionally given up something—things like coffee or desserts—sacrificing something they love for 40 days, acknowledging that Jesus sacrificed even more for us. Over the next several weeks, I’ll continue offering suggestions for things we might give up—though there won’t be anything tangible mentioned. This week, I propose giving up the fear of failure. The fear of failure…

Dear Peace Families, In Lent we follow Jesus on the 40 day journey to the cross and beyond. During the season, many Christians have traditionally given up something—things like coffee or desserts—sacrificing something they love for 40 days, acknowledging that Jesus sacrificed even more for us. Over the next several weeks, I’ll continue offering suggestions for things we might give up—though there won’t be anything tangible mentioned. This week, I propose giving up uncommunicated expectations.  We all have expectations—expectations for…

March 2, 2023 Dear Peace Families, As I mentioned last week in this newsletter, in Lent we follow Jesus on this 40 day journey to the cross and beyond. During the season, many Christians have traditionally given up something—things like coffee or desserts—sacrificing something they love for 40 days, acknowledging that Jesus sacrificed even more for us. And over the next several weeks, I’ll offer suggestions for things we might give up—though there won’t be anything tangible mentioned. This week,…

Dear Peace Families, The season of Lent has officially begun—though being covered in snow doesn’t feel quite the same as being marked with ashes.  Regardless, 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.  Similarly, we follow Jesus on this 40 day journey to the cross—but it is also a journey to resurrection and…

Dear Peace Families, Lent begins next week on Ash Wednesday (February 22).  And as we approach the season that leads up to Easter, I realize that there is a misnomer about Lent—it’s a pervasive one, but not one that is necessarily biblical. In my growing years, however, it’s one that I used to believe too.   It is the belief that Lent is all about sin, suffering, and death. And because of that, we need to engage in practices of…

Dear Peace Families, Last Saturday our Confirmation students enjoyed a day-long retreat at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. The time at Gustavus is always a highlight for the students—many have never been to a college campus before, and everyone gets excited for something new and different. After our fall retreat was spent learning about world religions and visiting their houses of worship, this day was spent learning about Christian denominations, and Lutheranism in particular. Our closing time was spent…

Dear Peace Families, In about three weeks, the season of Lent will begin.  When I shared this with our Confirmation class last evening, one student replied, “You mean like the lint that gets stuck in my belly button?” No, not that… Lent is the season that precedes Easter and is symbolic of the 40 days that Jesus spent wandering in the wilderness before beginning his ministry. Beginning on Ash Wednesday (February 22), we are reminded of our finite mortality as well as our…

Dear Peace Families, This Sunday after worship, we will all gather together for the Peace annual meeting. During the meeting, we will review and rejoice in our 2022 ministries , elect new church council members, pass our 2023 budget, and hear some of the wonderful ways God is moving through our community.  In addition, the annual report itself contains ministry reports from Pastor Mark and me; Council President Scott Moe; Treasurer Gayle Haugen; and from the Worship and Music Committee, CYF…

Dear Peace Families, On Sunday, eleven elementary aged students and their parents got to enjoy our annual communion class. While Peace gives communion to everyone who wants it—therefore we don’t have a “first communion” like many of us adults may have had in the past—this class gave students the opportunity to learn more about communion, why we do it, why it’s important, and where it comes from.  The group also got to enjoy a meal together, do a taste test…

January 12, 2023 Dear Peace Families, Last week I shared with you that some of our camp registrations had opened, and as of this Sunday, January 15, all of our camp and trip registrations will be open for summer 2023.  Camp Wapogasset provides students with the opportunity to come together with friends and neighbors from all across Minnesota and Wisconsin. Between the field games, water activities, bible studies, and campfire worships, it is a fast-paced experience filled with fun. Students currently…